NORTH AMERICA 



NORTH AMERICA 



OUTLINE AND QUESTIONS ON NORTH AMERICA 



Outline 



I. Position 



(1) Latitude. 8 to 83 north, including 



islands 



(2) Longitude, 47 30" to 168 west 



(3) Relation to other continents 



(a) Closeness to Asia in northwest 



II. Shape and Sice 



(1) Triangular in shape 



(a) Point to the south 



(b) Similarity in this respect to other 



continents 



(2) Third in size of the continents, Asia 



and Africa being larger 



(3) Greatest length, north and south, 



about 4,500 miles 



( 4 ) Greatest breadth, east and west, about 



3,000 miles 



(5) Area 



(a) Actual, approximately 8,300,000 



square miles 



(b) Comparative somewhat more 



than half that of Asia 



(c) Part occupied by each great po- 



litical division 



III. Physical Features 



(1) Character of coast line 



(a) North and east sides broken 



(b) West side comparatively regular 



(c) Harbors 



1. Character 



2. Greater number on east coast 



(2) Coast waters 



(3) Relief 



(a) Central plain 



(b) Bordering mountains 



1. Appalachians 



2. Rocky Mountains 



3. Less important ranges 



(c) Average elevation 



1. Comparison with that of other 

 continents 



(d) Lofty peaks 



1. Comparison with those of other 

 continents 



(4) Rivers 



(a) The longest river in the world 



the Missouri-Mississippi 



(b) Other great rivers 



(c) Importance in the history of the 



developing of continent 

 (d> Watersheds 



(e) Drainage areas 



(5) Lakes 



(a) Greatest in the world in this con- 

 tinent 

 1. Great Lakes 



IV. Climate 



(1) A "temperate" climate 



(a) Hot summers and cold winters 



(2) Extremes in Mexico and Northern 



Canada 



(3) Effect of position of mountains 



(4) Effect of oceans and ocean currents 



(5) Rainfall 



(a) Effect of mountains 



V. Vegetable and Animal Life 



(1) Effect of topographical features and 



climate on vegetation 



(2) Zones of vegetation 



(a) Northern zone of scanty vegeta- 



tion 



(b) The forests of cone bearers 



(c) Treeless plains 



(d) Desert vegetation 



(e) Food plants 



(3) Relation of animal life to that of 



other continents 



(4) Zones of animal life 



(5) Most characteristic animals 



(6) Birds and reptiles 



(7) Lower forms of life 



VI. Native Peoples 



(1) Indians 



(2) Eskimo 



VII. Resources 



(1) Soil fitted to growth of all temperate- 



region and many tropical plants 



(2) Vast mineral wealth 



(a) Coal 



(b) Iron 



(c) Gold 



(d) Silver 



(e) Copper 



(f) Petroleum 



( 3 ) Forests 



(4) Power-furnishing rivers 



(5) Fisheries 



VIII. Political Divisions 



( 1 ) Independent countries 



(a) United States 



(b) Mexico 



(c) Central American republics 



(2) Dependencies of Great Britain 



(a) Canada 



(b) Newfoundland 



(c) British Honduras 



