The document summarizes the eight major physical regions of North America: 1) Appalachian Region, 2) Coastal Plains, 3) Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence Region, 4) Interior Plains, 5) Canadian Shield, 6) Western Cordillera, 7) Intermountain Region, and 8) Arctic Region. Each region is described in terms of its topography, climate, vegetation, economic activities, and environmental concerns. The document provides a high-level overview of the key physical and human geographical features of North America's major regions.

1. PHYSICAL REGION OF NORTH AMERICA
By: Michael. Xiong
Social Studies 9
(It is recommended to play with sound on)
Block D

2. PHYSICAL REGIONS
The eight physical regions:
1. The Appalachian Region
2. The Coastal Plains
3. The Great Lakes and
Saint Lawrence Region
4. The Interior Plains
5. The Canadian shield
6. The Western Cordillera
7. The Intermountain Region
8. The Arctic Region

3. THE APPALACHIAN REGION
Topography:
• Gentle rolling hills from erosion
• Fertile plateaus and river valleys
• Extends for ~2400 km
• 160km ~ 480km in width
Climate:
• Icy water from Labrador current
• Warm water from Caribbean gulf
• Freezing winter in northern area
Vegetations:
• Mixed with coniferous and deciduous
• Able to survive poor mountain soil
•Vegetations in river valleys with rich soil
Economic Activity
• Large scale logging
• Coal mining and gas mining
• Farming crops (corn, squash, tobaccos… etc.)
Environmental concerns
• Mining clears forests areas
• Over logging
• Destructions of landscapes

4. COASTAL PLAINS
Topography:
• Elevation: 200~30 meters above sea level
• Flat or gentle rolling
• Numerous swamps and marshes
• Sediments formed Mississippi Delta
Climate:
• North have humid summer & snowy winter
• South have relatively warm winter
• South have hurricane in summer & winter
Vegetations:
• Plants adapt to sandy soil
• Lush forest developed (Mexico)
• Originally pine forest
Economic Activity
• Tourism and sightseeing
• Fishing at coast
• Forestry (paper making, logging, lumbering… etc.)
Environmental concerns
• Expansion of cities
• Air pollution from urban sprawl
• Building of dams disrupting rivers

5. THE GREAT LAKES – ST. LAWRENCE LOWLAND
Topography:
• Smallest region in Canada
• Rolling landscape from glaciations
• River valleys, flat plains, hills and escarpment
• Contains the three great lakes. (Ontario, Erie, Huron.)
Climate:
• Continental climate
• With little influence of sea & large temperature range
• Humid due to lakes
• Lakes cools down temp during summer
• Lakes warms up temp during winter
• Temp varies from stored energy in lake
Vegetations:
• Once filled with trees. (maple, oak, birch, ash … etc.)
• Fertile and moist soil provide resource for vegetations
• Once have large broad leaf forest
Economic Activity
• Lake provide transportation for trades
• Advance in automobile development
• Tourisms and sightseeing
• Steel /metal industries
Environmental concerns
• Invasive species
• Native species decreasing
• Industrial pollutions
• Water withdrawal

6. THE INTERIOR PLAINS
Topography:
• Runs between Rocky Mountains & Appalachian Mountains
• 600~1500 m from sea level
• three elevations separated by escarpments
• Northern part reaches Arctic ocean
Climate:
• Continental climate
• Little overall precipitation
• Hot summer and cold winters
• Some parts affected by tornadoes
Vegetations:
• Prairie area full of grass
• Trees around eastern Mississippi
• Trees also in river valleys
Economic Activity
• Agricultural activity. (cattle, pigs, poultry)
• Mining for gas and oil
• Farming. (wheat, barley, oats, starches… etc.)
Environmental concerns
• Over farming and grazing
• Pollutions from agricultural activity
• Disposing wastes & land fills

7. THE CANADIAN SHIELD
Topography:
• Mix of rocks, rivers, swamps and muskegs
• 100~500 m above sea level
• Cover more than half of Canada
• Volcanic mountains from erosion
Climate:
• Varies among areas
• North have long winter and short summer
• South have longer summer
Vegetations:
• Boreal forest
• Trees presented around south
• Northern area hard to support plants
Economic Activity
• Minerals mining (gold, lead, copper, zinc, nickel…)
• Logging boreal forest
• Tourism and sightseeing
• Hydro electricity generation
Environmental concerns
• Acidic/toxic rain
• Acidification of lakes
• Coal powered energy plant pollutions

8. WESTERN CORDILLERA
Topography:
• Consists of mountains (higher than Appalachians,)
• West side rivers flow to Pacific
• East side rivers flow to Hudson Bay
Climate:
• Maritime climate affect by sea w/ high precipitation
• Wet and moist
• Mild winter w/ cooler summer
• Windward slopes more moisture
Vegetations:
• Windward parts have coniferous trees
• Leeward parts have grass & cactuses
• South have no evergreens
Economic Activity
• Forestry (large area of trees)
• Fishing (Salmon fish)
• Agriculture (course grains & oil seeds
Environmental concerns
• Oil pipe constructions
• Over harvesting timbers
• Over grazing
• Oil explorations & over mining

9. INTERMOUNTAIN REGION
Topography:
• Lies between Rocky & coastal mountains
• Rivers may flow to brackish lakes
• Contains deserts
• Contains Plateaus
Climate:
• Varies among locations
• South have dry, mild and short winter
• North have moist and long winter
Vegetations:
• Grassland areas
• Cactuses & plants adapted to deserts
• Higher areas have pine forests
Economic Activity
• Logging of pine trees
• Cattle ranching
• Mining in the mountains
Environmental concerns
• Destruction of ecosystem
• Birds endangered from human activity
• Dry air/ air pollutions
• Over logging

10. THE ARCTIC REGION
Topography:
• Tundra area
• Mix of lowland islands & mountains
• Land near ocean is flat
• Parts covered by glaciers
Climate:
• Extreme climate due to distance from equator
• Winter lasts more than 10 months
• Little precipitation (making it a desert)
Vegetations:
• Few plants grow
• Trees can’t survive
• Shrubs and lichens manage to live
Economic Activity
• Oil/gas development
• Hidden minerals in the region
• Rich source of fishes
Environmental concerns
• Global warming and melting glaciers
• Toxic gases released from melted ice
• Changing of sea levels due to melted ice
• Destructions of ozone layer

11. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sources ( in MLA format):
. N.p.. Web. 17 Feb 2014.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appalachia>.
. N.p.. Web. 17 Feb 2014.
<http://www.umich.edu/~econdev/arc/>.
. N.p.. Web. 17 Feb 2014.
<http://www.slideshare.net/segrey/gepgraphic-regions>.
. N.p.. Web. 17 Feb 2014. <
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_The_Canadian_Shield_known_for_
the_major_economic_activity>.
. N.p.. Web. 17 Feb 2014. <
http://hrsbstaff.ednet.ns.ca/phillie/InternationalExchange/Canada/Ph
ysical Regions/Physical_Regions/shield.htm>.
. N.p.. Web. 17 Feb 2014. <http://partner.galileo.org/schools/gibson/45_fp/geography/issue/canadianshield_i/canadianshieldi_2.htm>.
. N.p.. Web. 17 Feb 2014. < http://earthreform.org/wheremountains-once-stood-coal-mining-in-the-appalachians/>.
. N.p.. Web. 17 Feb 2014.
<http://ca.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100113063354AA1
BznJ>.
. N.p.. Web. 17 Feb 2014.
<http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/4353276?uid=37394
00&uid=2&uid=3737720&uid=4&sid=21103496583643>.
. N.p.. Web. 17 Feb 2014. <http://voices.yahoo.com/the-westerncordillera-region-western-canada-7813884.html>.
. N.p.. Web. 17 Feb 2014.
<http://www.ask.com/answers/43443121/what-is-aneconomic-activity-in-the-coastal-plains>.
. N.p.. Web. 17 Feb 2014.
<http://www.texaslegacy.org/bb/regions/coastalplain.html>.
. N.p.. Web. 17 Feb 2014. <
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Lakes_region>.
. N.p.. Web. 17 Feb 2014.
<http://www.environmentreport.org/topten.php>.
. N.p.. Web. 17 Feb 2014. <
http://interiorplains.weebly.com/economicactivities.html>.
. N.p.. Web. 17 Feb 2014. <
http://ca.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=2010050
5173826AAUIqep >.
. N.p.. Web. 17 Feb 2014.
<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/506418/RockyMountains/39936/Environmental-concerns>.
. N.p.. Web. 17 Feb 2014. <
http://prezi.com/s6yz8ae9ud6f/intermountain-regions/>.
. N.p.. Web. 18 Feb 2014.
<http://ca.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100126230337AA
QZFWr>.
. N.p.. Web. 18 Feb 2014. < http://quizlet.com/1005311/north-americasregional-geography-flash-cards/>.
. N.p.. Web. 18 Feb 2014. <
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_environmental_concerns_of_t
he_Intermountain_Region?

12. BIBLIOGRAPHY II
Sources ( in MLA format):
. N.p.. Web. 18 Feb 2014. < http://prezi.com/xdi0uvo7psek/the-intermountainregion/>.
. N.p.. Web. 18 Feb 2014. <
http://www.grida.no/publications/vg/arctic/page/2670.asp&xgt;.
. N.p.. Web. 18 Feb 2014. <
http://www.freeusandworldmaps.com/images/World_Regions_Print/NAmericaP
rintNoText.jpg>.
. N.p.. Web. 18 Feb 2014. <
http://www.parl.gc.ca/content/lop/researchpublications/prb0804-e.htm >.
. N.p.. Web. 18 Feb 2014. < http://blog.otel.com/wpcontent/uploads/2012/03/Plains-of-Rohan.jpg>.
. N.p.. Web. 18 Feb 2014. <http://www.kidsgeo.com/images/swamp.jpg>.
. N.p.. Web. 18 Feb 2014. <
http://www.rei.com/graphics/adventures/trips/weekend/SMB_LRG.jpg>.
. N.p.. Web. 18 Feb 2014. <
http://270c81.medialib.glogster.com/media/a3/a38fd7dab5dbd608f2b1530ea37c
b24468ccf459e3022e017cddca876ceab152/st-lawrence- lowlands-great-lakes.jpg>.
. N.p.. Web. 18 Feb 2014.
<http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2013/288/b/2/beside_the_shire_woods_by_joj
o22-d6qjxue.jpg>.
. N.p.. Web. 18 Feb 2014. <http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/medialive/photos/000/367/cache/georgian-bayislands_36736_600x450.jpg?01RI=758296D41AC70CE,cm:akamai.mathtag.com/e
vent/img?akam_state=0&akid=31X9WF0ph30Yqpp6ivLmI4slYyHsQu2T5x55g7e1elYsBb_8LPXUgQ&no_log&mt_nsync&mm_bnc&01NA=ck&>.
. N.p.. Web. 18 Feb 2014.
<http://static2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121218023118/lotr/images/1/15/Mist
y_Mountains.jpg>.
. N.p.. Web. 18 Feb 2014. <http://forums.stevesdigicams.com/attachments/hdr/168100d1293380273-frozen-landscape-hdrs0_12_08_0039_40_38_37_36_ec_77sky-copy_1020x615_90-.jpg>.
. N.p.. Web. 18 Feb 2014. <http://search.4shared.com/postDownload/oWFFmjI/102_The_Shire.html>.

13. END OF SLIDE SHOW
THANKS FOR WATCHING
LEAVE SUGGESTIONS!