Name_______________________________________________Hr______

US & Canada Overview

Chapter 5: A Land of Contrasts
Using the Unit 2 Atlas (p.102), fill in the following chart.
USA
1) Landmass
2) Population

Canada

3) Longest River
4) Tallest
Mountain
5) Major Economic
Activities

6) Natural Hazards
***Using the Regional Data File (p. 108 115), answer the following questions. ***
7) Based on the information provided only, what U.S. state would you most like to live in? Why?
8) What U.S. state would you least like to live in? Why?
9) Why do you think Yukon, Nunavut, and Northwest territories are not Provinces?

Section 1: Landforms and Resources (p.117)

10) What are three largest countries in the world? 1.______________ 2.______________
3.______________
11) Together, U.S. & Canada make up _____ of the landmass of the earth.
12) Water resources are very important. U.S. and Canada border three oceans (______________,
____________, _____________) Also, ____ of the worlds largest 15 lakes are found in this region. The
longest river in the United States is the _____________ River and in Canada is the ______________
River.
13) One of the greatest resources of the region is the land itself. In fact, the United States is the worlds
leading _________ producer.
14) What energy resources are found in the U.S. & Canada?
15) The United States is the worlds biggest consumer of ____________.
16) How has the physical geography of the United States allowed this country to become a global economic
power? USE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES.

Briefly describe the following landforms that appear in the U.S. & Canada.
17) Appalachian
Mts.
18) Great Plains
19) Canadian Shield
20) Rocky Mts.
21) Continental
Divide

Section 2: Climate and Vegetation (p.123)

22) What climate regions do the United States and Canada share?
23) What climate regions are found in the United States but not in Canada?
24) Define: permafrost
25) What are the prevailing westerlies?

26) Identify: Everglades

27) Identify: Tornado Alley

Section 3: Human-Environmental Interaction (p.127)

28) Create a sequence of events of how citizens of humans have been able to overcome distances throughout
history in the United States and Canada?

29) What factors affect the choice of location of a city?

30) What is urban sprawl? What negative affects does it have on communities?

Reflection Questions:
31) Think about your future career or the career of one of your parents. Could this job happen anywhere or is
it connected to the geography of the United States. Explain your answer.

32) Based on geography alone, what part of the United States would you most like to live in? Explain your
answer using correct and proper geographic vocabulary and terminology.