The mainland extends to Cape St. Charles in the east (55 ° 40 minutes west longitude, 52 ° 13 minutes north latitude), and to Cape Mariato in the south (81 ° 05 minutes west longitude, 7 ° 12 minutes north latitude) in the westCape of Wales(168 degrees 05 minutes west longitude, 65 degrees 37 minutes north latitude), north to Murchison Point (94 degrees 26 minutes west longitude, 71 degrees 59 minutes north latitude).The whole continent covers an area of 24.228 million square kilometers, accounting for 16.2% of the world's total land area.
The North American continent is wide in the north and narrow in the south, slightly inverted trapezoid.The northern section of the west is more tortuous than the northern and eastern coasts, with many bays.Part of the terrain of the North American continent can be divided into three distinct north-south vertical zones:
1、 Eastern mountains and plateaus
St. Lawrence RiverTo the north of the valleyLabrador Plateau To the southAppalachian Mountains。The terrain is high in the south and low in the north. The altitude in the north is generally 300 meters to 600 meters, and the altitude in the south is generally between 1000 meters and 1500 meters.Main peakMitchell HillThe altitude is 2037m.There is a narrowCoastal plainThe west side gradually declines, connecting with the central plain.
2、 Central plain
Located in Labrador Plateau, Appalachian Mountains andThe Rocky MountainsFrom Hudson Bay in the north to Hudson Bay in the southGulf of Mexico, running through the middle of the continent, the northern half of the plain is a region with many lakes and rapids, the southern half is the Mississippi River Plain, and the western part of the plain is world famousPrairie。
3、 Western mountains and plateaus
genusCordillera MountainsNorth section of, fromAlaskaIt extends to the south of Mexico.It mainly includes three parallel mountains:
1. The eastern zone is the Rocky Mountains with an altitude of more than 2000~3000 meters, extending 5000 kilometers from north to south, which is an important dividing line in the climate of North America.
2. The western belt starts from the United States in the southCoastal mountain range, northward into the sea, forming the coastal islands in western Canada, with an altitude of 1000~1500 meters.
Between the eastern zone and the middle zoneplateauandbasin。The bottom of the basin is 1300m~1800m above sea level.Southern basinDeath Valley85 meters below sea level, the lowest point of land in the Western Hemisphere.
All the major rivers in North America, except the St. Lawrence River, originate from the Rocky Mountains.The rivers to the east of the Rocky Mountains flow into the Atlantic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean respectively, and the rivers to the west flow into the Pacific Ocean.PressRiver lengthIn orderMississippi River、Magengxie River、Yukon River, St. Lawrence RiverRio Grande, Nelson River, etc.
North America Transcontinentaltropic、North temperate zone、Northern frigid zone, the climate is complex and diverse, the north is in the Arctic Circle, the world of ice and snow, and the southCaribbeansufferequatorWarm currentBeneficial, but tropicalhurricaneattack.The vast area in the middle of the mainland is located in the north temperate zone. Due to the blocking of the western mountains, the humid westerlies from the Pacific Ocean cannot penetrate into the mainland. Therefore, the precipitation in most areas comes from the Atlantic Ocean in the southeast. The air is humid, and the precipitation gradually decreases from southeast to northwest. The annual average precipitation in most areas in the southeast is more than 1000 mm,The northwest of the plain and the west of the Rocky Mountains are below 500 mm, and the precipitation in the westerly regions along the Pacific coast has increased sharply. In some places, the annual average precipitation is more than 2000 mm.Northern Canada and Northern Alaska Marginal GenusFrigid tundra climate, Canada and southern Alaska mostly belong tothe temperate zoneConiferous forest climate。The area east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States is temperatebroad-leaved forestClimate andSubtropicalForest climate。Most genera in western inland plateautemperate grassy climate 。Southern genus of the Pacific coastSubtropicalMediterranean climate.Central AmericaEastern coastal regionTropical rainforest climate。
It is divided into eastern region, central region, western regionAlaska、MexicoAnd Central America.
Eastern region
To the east is the Atlantic Ocean, with winding coasts and many harbors. Most ports in North America are concentrated in this area. To the north of the St. Lawrence River Valley is the Labrador Plateau, with an altitude of 300 meters to 600 meters. There are many glacial lakes, known as the lake plateau;To the south is the Appalachian Mountains, generally 1000~1500 meters above sea level, and to the west isappalachian plateau There are narrow piedmont plateaus and coastal plains between the mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.Many short and fast rivers pass through the junction of hard and soft rock layers at the foot of the mountain, formingwaterfallTherefore, the line from New York to Columbus southwest is called "waterfall line".This region is the earliest area of industrial and agricultural development in North America, and also an important industrial, commercial andfinancial center。
Central region
It is located between Labrador Plateau, Appalachian Mountains and Rocky Mountains, starting from the northChurchill RiverUpstream, NandaGulf of MexicoIt is about 3000 kilometers long and 2000 kilometers wide.It is the most concentrated production area of wheat, corn, soybean and cotton in North AmericaMeatAnimal HusbandryThe most developed region.
Western Region
Composed of tall mountains and plateaus, it belongs to the northern section of the Cordillera Mountains in the Americas. The Rocky Mountains are the skeleton of the terrain in this area.manyvolcano、hot spring，earthquakeFrequent.The inland climate is dry, mainly animal husbandry, and subtropical zone is planted along the Pacific coastfruitOfHorticultureIt is very developed, and the mining industry in this area occupies an important position,Manufacturing industrywithaircraft、shipbuildingIt is important to wait.
Alaska
It is located in the northwest of North America.In the continental part, the mountains are divided into north and south, and the middle part isYukon PlateauThere are many volcanoes and earthquakes along the Pacific coast.Minerals mainly include oil, gold, tin, copper, coal, etc.The economy relies on miningFisheriesAnd fur industry.
yesCentral Asia AmericaShort name of.Refers to the central region of the American continent south of Mexico and north of Colombia.To the eastCaribbean, bordering the Pacific Ocean in the west, it is a bridge connecting South America and North America.Including Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama.It covers an area of 520000 square kilometers.The population is about 29.84 million.The whole region is dominated by plateaus and mountains.The mountain is close to the Pacific coast, belonging to the middle section of the Cordillera Mountains in the Americas. The highest elevation is more than 4000 meters. There are many volcanoes, more than 40 active volcanoes, and earthquakes are frequent.Central America isSweet potatoThe country of origin.
