Page 64 - Key to Social Studies 3

Major Physical Features of North America

The Great Plains:

Plains are large, at, open areas of land. They are

sometimes found on top of shields, which are very old

rocks that lie at the base of the continent. Plains have

very few mountains. The Great Plains extend from the

Arctic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico.

The Great Plains
Rivers:

• The St. Lawrence River separates Canada and the

United States.

• The Rio Grande River separates the United States

from Mexico.

• The Mississippi River empties into the Gulf of Mexico.

Mississippi River

Glaciers:

A glacier is a slowly moving mass of ice that was

made during the Ice Age. Glaciers are found in the

very north areas of the continent of North America.

Glaciers
Mountains:

• The highest peak in North America is Denali.

• The Rocky Mountains made travel long ago very

di cult for people moving from the east to the

west.

• The Sierra Madre mountain ranges in Mexico are

made up of dry forests and rainforests.
Rocky Mountains
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