U.S. & Canada Physical and Human Geography Flashcards

Comprehensive practice Q&A flashcards covering the physical geography, history, regions, economy, culture, and current issues of the United States and Canada based on the lecture transcript.

What are the land areas of the United States and Canada?

The United States has a land area of $3,165,630\,\text{sq.mi.}$, while Canada has a land area of $3,851,809\,\text{sq.mi.}$

What are the highest points in the United States and Canada?

The highest point in the U.S. is Mt. McKinley (also known as Denali) at $20,320\,\text{ft.}$, while the highest point in Canada is Mt. Logan at $19,524\,\text{ft.}$

What are the longest rivers in the United States and Canada?

The longest river in the U.S. is the Missouri River at $2,341\,\text{mi.}$ (followed by the Mississippi at $2,340\,\text{mi.}$), while the longest river in Canada is the Mackenzie River at $1,120\,\text{mi.}$

What is the difference between the Coastal Plain and the Piedmont in the Eastern Lowlands?

The Coastal Plain is a flat plain running along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico from Texas to Florida and up to Maryland. The Piedmont is a region of low plateaus and rolling hills located between the Coastal Plain and the Appalachian Mountains.

How far do the Appalachian Mountains extend, and what smaller mountain ranges do they include?

The Appalachian Mountains extend $1,600\,\text{miles}$ from Newfoundland to Alabama. They include smaller ranges such as the Catskill Mountains, Blue Ridge Mountains, and Great Smoky Mountains.

What are the three major regions of the Interior Lowlands?

1. Great Plains ("the breadbasket of the U.S.")
2. Canadian Shield (a rocky, flat area surrounding Hudson Bay)
3. Interior Plains (extending from the Appalachian Mountains to the Great Plains)

What is the Continental Divide in the context of the Rocky Mountains?

The Continental Divide (or "The Great Divide") is the mountainous area of the Rocky Mountains that separates rivers flowing east from those flowing west.

What three smaller mountain ranges make up the Pacific Ranges?

The Cascade Range, the Sierra Nevada, and the Coastal Range.

What is the oldest permanent European settlement in the United States?

St. Augustine, Florida, founded by the Spanish in the 1500s.

What was the first permanent English settlement in the United States?

Jamestown, Virginia, established in 1607.

What was the Louisiana Purchase of 1803?

A land deal in 1803 where Thomas Jefferson purchased French territory from Napoleon, doubling the total size of the United States.

What is Manifest Destiny?

The 19th-century idea that the United States was destined to expand across and conquer all of North America "from sea to shining sea."

What is a megalopolis, and what was the first one in the United States?

A megalopolis is a continuous urban area where several cities grow large enough to blur together. The first megalopolis in the U.S. was "BosWash," extending from Washington, D.C. to Boston.

Why is part of the U.S. Midwest referred to as the "Rust Belt"?

Because of the decline in manufacturing and the presence of old, abandoned factories in industrial cities like Detroit.

What does a "post-industrial" economy mean for the United States?

It means the economy has shifted away from factory manufacturing, with $75\%$ of U.S. workers now employed in service industries.

Which early Viking explorers established settlements in North America?

Erik the Red sailed to Greenland in A.D. 980, and his son Leif built a settlement in Newfoundland around A.D. 1000.

What was the Acadian Expulsion (1755–1764)?

During the French and Indian War, British troops forced approximately $12,000$ French "Acadian" settlers off their land. Many migrated to Louisiana, where they became known as "Cajuns."

Where is the majority of Canada's population concentrated?

Over two-thirds of Canada's population lives within $100\,\text{miles}$ of the U.S. border, and over half lives south of the $49^\circ$ N latitude line.

In what year was Canada recognized as independent from Great Britain, and what form of government does it use?

Canada was recognized as independent in 1931 and operates under a parliamentary government with a Prime Minister as the head of government and the British Monarchy as the symbolic head of state.

What was the result of the 1995 Quebec independence referendum?

Quebec voted to remain part of Canada by a extremely narrow margin of $50.58\%$ to $49.42\%$.

What occurred on September 11, 2001 in the United States?

19 Arab terrorists affiliated with al-Qaeda (led by Osama bin Laden) hijacked 4 commercial airplanes to attack the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, resulting in nearly $3,000$ deaths.

What is the Patriot Act, and why has it been controversial?

The Patriot Act gave the U.S. government expanded powers to investigate suspected terrorists. It is controversial because critics view it as domestic spying and an unconstitutional invasion of privacy.