The Geogrpahy of the Western Hemisphere

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The Geogrpahy of the Western Hemisphere
Chapter 1
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Continental Drift

• The theory that the seven continents slowly
  drifted apart .

Many landmasses look as if they could fit
together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle
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Plate Tectonics

• The theory explains how the continents may rest
  on 8 large plates of the earths crust.
• Tectonic plates push and pull and grind against
  each other causing
• mountains to form
• creating valleys
• causing earthquakes

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The Wester Hemisphere

• The Americas
• North America
• South America
• Make up 90 of the land in the Western
  Hemisphere
• (Central America is part of N. America)

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Isthmus
(Central America)
A narrow strip of land bordered by water that
connects 2 larger areas of land
Archipelagoes
(Caribbean islands)
Groups of islands
Central America Caribbean island Middle America
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Great Lakes (border of Canada U.S.)
Amazon River (The longest river in the Western
Hemisphere-2nd longest in the world) Andes
Mountains (always snow capped)
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Understanding Latitude and Longitude
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Landforms to Remember (do you know what each is?)
Mountains Plains and Plateaus Rivers Lakes Archipe
lago Isthmus Tributaries
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Climate

• the weather patterns of an area over a long
  period of time
• two important parts of climate
• Precipitation - Temperature
• rain
• hail
• snow

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Besides precipitation and temperature
Latitude distance from the equator five climate
zones the closer to the equator-the warmer
Elevation height above sea level the higher the
elevation-the colder
Ocean Currents nearness to bodies of water
Tropical-hot
Temperate-mild
Polar-brrr!
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Minerals
Vegetation
Resources
Renewable resources
Nonrenewabe resources
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Minerals

• Most important natural resource
• Canada is rich in minerals (around the Hudson
  Bay)
• Minerals found in the Western Hemisphere
• zinc,oil, gold, copper, iron, coal, uranium
• Minerals common to South America
• oil, silver, tin
• minerals are often hard to reach because they
  are located in the mountains or offshore
• Back to Resources

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Vegetation

• Plant life
• Different areas have different plants
• plants are affected by temperature,
  precipitation, and the kind of soil
• Common vegetation of North America
• evergreen forest, deciduous forest, grassland
• Common vegetation of South America
• tropical rain forest and grassland
• Return to Resources

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Renewable Resources

• Can replace or rebuild themselves
• examples
• plants and trees
• animals (can reproduce)
• air
• soil
• water
• even though renewable resources can be
  replaced, they must be used wisely. Water, air
  and other resources can be made dirty by
  substances (pollution). If not used wisely,
  renewable resources can become extinct.
• Return to Resources

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Nonrenewable Resources

• Resources that can never be renewed or replaced
• examples
• coal and iron
• Return to Resources

Oh, no!