interpreting the past and present of geography Flashcards
What physical features and formal regions surround the United States?
Pacific Ocean to the west.
Canada to the north.
Mexico to the south.
Atlantic Ocean to the east.
What geographical features can be found in the central and western regions of the United States?
Plains in the central regions.
Mountains in the west.
What were some of the factors that led to the failure of many early colonies in the Americas?
Diseases.
Conflicts with Native Americans.
Wars between Spain, England, and France.
Starvation.
What were some of the challenges faced by the New England colonies in terms of geography?
Rocky terrain.
Less-than-ideal soil.
Short growing seasons.
What important river became a key transportation route for the Western region of the US?
Mississippi River
What geographical features made farming sustainable in the Middle Colonies?
Fertile soil
Warm climate
Wide valleys
Plains
Several rivers
What resources were settlers in the West searching for?
Iron ore
Oil
Coal
Gold
What was the purpose of the Homestead Act?
To give every household 160 acres of land.
What geological features made the journey to the western parts of North America difficult for settlers?
Rocky mountains.
Desert in the Southwest.
How did the Nile River impact Ancient Egypt?
Provided citizens with food, water, transportation, and trade opportunities.
Made nearby lands more fertile for agriculture.
Great Pyramids were built with mud from the river.
Religious significance.
What made Ancient Egyptian lands fertile?
the Nile River’s flooding.
What was a significant impact on the decline of Napoleon’s empire after invading Russia?
Lack of winter clothing and stretched supply lines.
What did European leaders mainly consider when drawing colonial borders in Africa?
Resources they wanted to extract.
What geographic tools are used to predict, prepare for and respond to natural disasters like earthquakes and floods?
Geographic information systems (GIS).
Remote sensing.
What is geographic information systems (GIS) technology?
A system that captures, stores, analyzes, and presents geographic data.
