This document discusses climate zones and vegetation in North America. It describes several climate zones including tundra, subarctic, humid continental, marine west coast, humid subtropical, and Mediterranean. It notes temperature and precipitation patterns as well as typical vegetation for each zone. The document also discusses how human-environment interaction has changed over time as people migrated across North America and built cities, trails, waterways, railroads, and highway systems.

1. Climate and Vegetation Chapter 5, Section 2

5. Milder Climates Most Southern states = humid subtropical Summers hot and muggy; winters mild and cool Moist air from GOM bring rain in winter Long growing season for crops Central and Southern California = Mediterranean Summers dry, sunny and warm; winters mild and rainy

7. Dry Climates Great Plains and Northern Great Basin = semiarid 15” of rain annually Only short grasses and shrubs grow Southwestern states = desert Hot and dry; < 10” of rain annually

9. Tropical Climate Hawaii = Tropical Wet Supports lush rainforests Temperature varies only a few degrees in the 70s Rains almost every day South Florida = Tropical Wet and Dry Nearly always warm with a wet and dry season Everglades = swampland covering 4000 sq. miles

11. Reason: US extends over such a large area North to South.

13. Human-Environment Interaction Chapter 5, Section 3

14. First Settlers First inhabitants were nomads who crossed over Beringia from Asia Mostly hunters and gatherers that moved around the country About 3000 years ago, people began relying more on agriculture for food, and created permanent settlements to live in

16. Building Cities Where a city is built and develops depends on the physical setting Water Landscape Climate Weather Availability of natural resources

17. Trails and Inland Waterways created trails that led inland as cities started moving away from the coast National and Wilderness roads Santa Fe and Oregon Trails Used existing waterways and created connections St. Lawrence Seaway – connects Great Lakes to St. Lawrence R. using a series of locks

18. Transcontinental Railroad Began in the early 19th century (1800s) Had to work around natural barriers Completed in 1869 (US) and 1885 (Canada) Helped promote westward expansion

19. Highway System Spurred by the development of the automobile in the early 1900s US = 4 million miles of road 46,000 miles crisscross the country Runs north to south and east to west Canada = 560,000 miles of road Mostly runs east to west