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N.America Geography
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| pacific ocean | 1. west of North America 2. largest and deepest ocean on Earth 3. surrounded by a "Ring of Fire" (volcanoes) |
| Atlantic ocean | 1. east of North America 2. European explorers and settlers crossed the Atlantic to reach the Americas 3. major, busy trade route for cargo ships |
| Caribbean Sea | 1. southeast of the United States 2. hurricanes are common in the summer 3. Christopher Columbus sailed to this region in 1492 |
| Rio Grande | 1. forms a natural border between Mexico and Texas 2. flows from the Rocky Mountains in Colorado to the Gulf of Mexico |
| Hudson Bay | 1. very large body of salt water in northeast Canada 2. home for polar bears and beluga whales 3. played a major role in the fur trade during the 1600s |
| The Great Lakes | 1. located between Canada and the United States 2. the world's largest fresh water system 3. Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior |
| missouri river | 1. the longest river in North America 2. nicknamed the "big muddy" because it carries a massive amount of loose dirt and sand 3. it was a major way of travel for pioneers, fur traders, and steamboats moving west in the 1800s |
| Mississippi River | 1. millions of ducks, geese, and swans move along the Mississippi during migration seasons 2. it is one of the busiest shipping routes in the world (pil, coal, iron, steel, and grains from Midwest farms) |
| Rocky Mountains | 1. begins in Canada and ends in New Mexico 2. shaped by glaciers that carved out sharp peaks and deep valleys 3. melting snow from the Rockies provide about 25% of the drinking and farming water in the US |
| Appalachian Mountains | 1. begins in Canada and ends in Alabama 2. the peaks have a smooth, rolling look because erosion over millions of years 3. they were a huge natural barrier for early settlers trying to move west from the 13 colonies |
| Great Plains | 1. a massive, flat grassland area between the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi River 2. known as America's "bread basket" because the rich soil is good for growing wheat and corn as well as raising cattle 3. many tornadoes hit this area because warm, |