WorksheetsUNITED STATES AND CANADA LANDFORMS
Total questions: 80
Worksheet time: 40mins
The Canadian Shield is mostly composed of which type of rock?
Igneous rock
Sedimentary rock
Metamorphic rock
Limestone
The Canadian Shield stretches north from the Great Lakes to which ocean while covering over half of Canada?
Atlantic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Indian Ocean
Into which part of the United States does the Canadian Shield extend?
Northern reaches in the Adirondack Mountains
Southern Florida peninsula
Pacific Northwest coastal plain
Deserts of the Southwest
Which statement best describes population and industry on the Canadian Shield?
Sparse population with minimal industrial development, but mining is very prevalent
Densely populated and highly urbanized with little mining
Uninhabited wilderness with no economic activity
Primarily agricultural with extensive farming settlements
What overall shape is used to describe the Canadian Shield?
U-shaped and almost semi-circular, like a warrior’s shield
Long, linear chain like a straight ridge
Circular basin with steep walls
Flat plain with no relief
Where are the Appalachian Mountains located?
Eastern North America
Western South America
Central Europe
Northern Africa
About how long ago were the Appalachian Mountains formed?
Approximately 480 million years ago
About 65 million years ago
Roughly 10 million years ago
Around 2 million years ago
Why did the Appalachian Mountains historically act as a barrier to east–west travel?
Alternating ridgelines and valleys are oriented in opposition to roads running east–west
Heavy tropical rainfall washes out roads seasonally
Sand dunes shift across the passes
Permafrost prevents construction year-round
What is the highest peak in the Appalachian Mountains?
Mount Mitchell in North Carolina
Mount Washington in New Hampshire
Mount Marcy in New York
Mount Robson in British Columbia
The Hawaiian Islands are best described as what type of geographic feature?
An archipelago of islands, atolls, islets, and undersea seamounts
A continental peninsula connected by an isthmus
A single volcanic island on a mid-ocean ridge
A chain of coral reefs attached to a continent
What geologic process formed the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain that includes the Hawaiian Islands?
Volcanic activity over a hotspot in the Earth’s mantle
Subduction along a convergent plate boundary
Sea-floor spreading at a mid-ocean ridge
Sediment accumulation on a passive margin
Approximately how far are the Hawaiian Islands from the nearest continent?
About 1,860 miles
About 860 miles
About 3,600 miles
About 120 miles
Which statement summarizes how freshwater lakes and rivers have supported the U.S. and Canada?
They satisfy urban and rural water needs and help move resources across the continent
They are used mainly for recreation and have little economic impact
They primarily irrigate tropical crops in coastal regions
They exist mostly in deserts and support few industries
What does the Continental Divide (Great Divide) determine in the United States?
The direction in which rivers flow
The locations of major deserts
The boundaries of federal forests
The average elevation of the Plains
On which mountain range is the Continental Divide described here located?
The Rocky Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains
The Sierra Nevada
The Cascades
Where do waters east of the Continental Divide flow?
Toward the Arctic Ocean, Hudson Bay, Atlantic Ocean, and Gulf of Mexico
Into the Pacific Ocean only
South into the Caribbean Sea exclusively
Into inland salt lakes with no outlet
Which two major U.S. rivers have their headwaters near the Continental Divide?
The Colorado River and the Rio Grande
The Mississippi River and the Missouri River
The Columbia River and the Snake River
The Ohio River and the Tennessee River
Approximately how long is the Mississippi River from its source to its mouth?
About 2,350 miles
About 750 miles
About 1,200 miles
About 6,684 miles
What notable change occurs to the Mississippi River as it flows south toward the Gulf of Mexico?
It reaches a width of about 1.5 miles near its mouth
It becomes a narrow canyon river with rapids
It turns into a series of waterfalls
It dries into an inland delta with no outlet
The Mississippi River’s drainage basin includes all or part of how many U.S. states and Canadian provinces?
31 U.S. states and 2 Canadian provinces
10 U.S. states and 10 Canadian provinces
50 U.S. states and 1 Canadian province
20 U.S. states and 5 Canadian provinces
How long is the St. Lawrence River and what bodies of water does it connect?
About 750 miles, from Lake Ontario to the Gulf of St. Lawrence in the Atlantic Ocean
About 2,350 miles, from the Rockies to the Pacific Ocean
About 1,200 miles, from Hudson Bay to the Arctic Ocean
About 600 miles, from Lake Erie to the Mississippi River
Which statement about the St. Lawrence River is accurate?
It forms part of the border between Canada and the United States
It lies entirely within the United States
It separates Alaska from Russia
It flows south into the Gulf of Mexico
Which major Canadian cities along the St. Lawrence River depend on it for trade?
Quebec, Montreal, and Ottawa
Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver
Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Halifax
Regina, Saskatoon, and St. John’s
On what river are Niagara Falls located, and what international boundary do they help form?
The Niagara River; a part of the border between the U.S. and Canada
The St. Lawrence River; the border between Canada and Greenland
The Mississippi River; the border between the U.S. and Mexico
The Columbia River; the border between the U.S. and Canada
Which pair correctly matches the two separate drops at Niagara Falls with their national sides?
Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side and American Falls on the U.S. side
American Falls on the Canadian side and Horseshoe Falls on the U.S. side
Horseshoe Falls on both sides of the border
American Falls on both sides of the border
Approximately how much water flows over Niagara Falls and how many tourists visit each year?
About 600,000 U.S. gallons per second; around 12 million tourists per year
About 60,000 U.S. gallons per second; around 1 million tourists per year
About 6 million U.S. gallons per second; around 2 million tourists per year
About 100,000 U.S. gallons per second; around 20 million tourists per year
Which statement best describes the role of Niagara Falls in energy production?
It is a major source of hydropower for both the United States and Canada
It produces geothermal energy used primarily in Canada
It is a minor source of wind power on the U.S. side only
It supplies tidal energy to cities on the Atlantic coast
Which lake is identified as the largest and deepest among the Great Lakes: Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario, or Lake Superior?
Lake Erie
Lake Huron
Lake Michigan
Lake Ontario
Lake Superior
What major waterway links the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean so cities along the lakes can ship goods to the Atlantic and other parts of the world?
Panama Canal
Erie Canal
St. Lawrence Seaway System
Mississippi River System
Large deposits of coal, iron, and other minerals near the Great Lakes favored what kind of growth in the area?
Rural depopulation
Urbanization
Suburban sprawl only
Agricultural collectivization
The Great Lakes provide a link between which types of waterways that is crucial to North America’s economic development?
Mountain streams and desert canals
Inland and coastal waterways
Arctic routes and Pacific currents
Irrigation ditches and reservoirs
Abundant natural resources made the U.S. and Canada wealthy, but what do these resources and the areas in which they are found need?
Privatization
Protection
Export subsidies
Complete automation
Access to natural wealth in the U.S. and Canada helped speed which process in both countries?
Decolonization
Industrialization
Desertification
Feudalization
Fossil fuels are nonrenewable primarily because they cannot be replenished within what time frame?
A short period of time
One human generation
One fiscal year
One election cycle
Texas and Alaska rank first and second in U.S. oil reserves that are known to still be in the ground. Which state also has the greatest reserves of natural gas?
Alaska
California
Texas
North Dakota
Minerals are nonrenewable, and after mining as much as possible the land is used for which activities listed in the notes?
Wildlife parks
Orchards
Public hunting and fishing
Grazing livestock
Open-pit expansion
Mining uses heavy equipment, large quantities of water, and moves a great deal of rock and other materials. What kinds of damage can mining cause according to the notes?
Land damage
Water system damage
Air system damage
Ozone layer healing
Which region produces important metallic resources such as gold, silver, and copper according to the notes?
Appalachian Mountains
Rocky Mountains
Great Plains
Atlantic Coastal Plain
Iron ore is present in northern Minnesota and Michigan, while Canada produces 28% of the world’s supply of which mineral used in fertilizers?
Gypsum
Phosphate rock
Potash
Limestone
Commercial lumber operations face the challenge of harvesting timber responsibly because trees are renewable resources only under what condition?
If forests are left untouched
If people protect and preserve forests
If wood prices rise
If logging is fully mechanized
Housing, paper, and furniture are identified as the main uses of which resource in the U.S. and Canada?
Natural gas
Timber
Iron ore
Coal
Over-fishing led the Canadian government to ban cod fishing to protect the species. What practice increased as a result, according to the notes?
Subsistence whaling
Deep-sea trawling
Aquaculture (fish farming)
Offshore oil drilling
What were the “Grand Banks” off Canada’s southeast coast once known for?
One of the world’s largest coral reefs
One of the world’s richest fishing grounds
A global shipping choke point
A major oil spill site
Aquaculture can be used instead of fishing in the natural environment because it helps protect wildlife and produces what for people to eat?
Fertilizer salts
Usable fish
Timber products
Bottled water
How many people live in the United States?
About 215 million
About 315 million
About 415 million
About 515 million
Why did immigrants come to the United States? Select all that apply.
To seek political and religious freedom
To find better economic opportunities
To flee wars or natural disasters
To avoid all forms of cultural change
What is the population density of the United States?
20 people per square mile
50 people per square mile
80 people per square mile
120 people per square mile
What is the Sunbelt?
A region of farms in the Midwest with long, cold winters
A densely forested zone along the Pacific Northwest coast
A U.S. region across the South and Southwest known for warm climate and rapid population growth
An urban corridor in the Northeast with heavy snowfall
Urbanization is described as the movement of people from rural areas to cities mostly in search of work in heavy industry.
Movement from rural areas to cities to find industrial jobs
Movement from cities to farms to grow food
Migration from one country to another for political asylum
Relocation from suburbs to small towns for lower costs
Most people today live in what kind of areas referred to in the notes as Metropolitan Areas?
Metropolitan Areas
Frontier settlements
Rural hamlets
Unincorporated territories
A metropolitan area is a city with a population of at least 50,000 people along with outlying communities called suburbs.
City of at least 50,000 people with surrounding suburbs
Any town with fewer than 10,000 residents
Only the central city without nearby communities
A rural county with scattered farms
As metropolitan areas become crowded, they lead to the further spreading of people and suburban development, a process referred to as urban sprawl.
Urban sprawl
Urban renewal
Gentrification
Deindustrialization
According to the notes, which set lists the biggest U.S. metropolitan areas?
New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago
Houston, Phoenix, San Diego
Boston, Seattle, Miami
Dallas, Philadelphia, Atlanta
U.S. history has been influenced by Native Americans, European colonization, a war for Independence, the creation of a new government, westward expansion, and industrial growth.
Native Americans
European colonization
War for Independence
Antarctic exploration
Industrial growth
The Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) essentially divided the newly discovered lands between which two countries?
Spain and Portugal
England and France
Netherlands and Spain
France and Portugal
Other European nations ignored the Treaty of Tordesillas and set out to build their own empires in the Americas, resulting in a struggle for North America.
They ignored the treaty and built their own empires, leading to struggle
They strictly obeyed the treaty, preventing conflicts
They left the Americas untouched for a century
They formed a single joint colony with Spain
Jamestown colonists eventually gained luck and Jamestown became England’s first permanent settlement in North America.
Jamestown became England’s first permanent settlement in North America
Roanoke became England’s first permanent settlement in North America
Plymouth became England’s first permanent settlement in North America
Quebec became England’s first permanent settlement in North America
In Jamestown, great wealth was found when farmers learned to plant and grow tobacco, turning it into a profitable cash crop.
Tobacco
Cotton
Rice
Wheat
The area was named Jamestown in honor of which English monarch?
King James
Queen Elizabeth I
King Charles I
King George III
In 1620, a group known as the Pilgrims founded England’s second colony in North America after leaving England in search of religious freedom.
Pilgrims
Puritans
Quakers
Huguenots
In 1630, people seeking religious freedom known as Puritans settled near Plymouth and wanted to build a model community that would set an example for other Christians to follow.
Puritans
Pilgrims
Separatists
Shakers
Unlike Jamestown, the Massachusetts Bay colony’s population grew fast, with numerous families in the colony instead of only men.
Numerous families lived there instead of only men
It was populated only by single men
It banned families from migrating
It relied solely on military settlers
Early Native Americans (nomads) crossed a land bridge from Asia into Alaska.
Asia into Alaska
Europe into Greenland
Africa into South America
Australia into Asia
Before independence, who controlled the colonies along the Atlantic coast?
The British
The Spanish
The French
The Dutch
Under the Articles of Confederation, the government deliberately created was weak and established only one branch of government.
Only Congress as the single branch
A strong executive branch only
Three coequal branches
Only a federal court system
Under the Articles of Confederation, each state had one vote in Congress.
One vote per state
Votes proportional to population
Two votes per state
Votes based on land area
Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress had the right to declare war, enter into treaties, and coin money but did not have the power to collect taxes or regulate trade.
Could declare war and coin money but could not collect taxes or regulate trade
Could collect taxes and regulate trade but could not declare war
Had unlimited powers over taxation and trade
Had only the power to regulate trade
To pass a law under the Articles of Confederation, how many of the 13 states had to agree?
9 of 13
7 of 13
11 of 13
5 of 13
Why did immigrants go to Canada?
In search of political and religious freedom
Economic and educational opportunities
Refuge from wars
To escape warmer weather across Canada
To avoid paying any taxes
What is a Province?
A political unit similar to a state in the U.S.
A military district controlled by the army
A type of Canadian currency
A local village council
Where do most of the people in Canada live?
Along the U.S.–Canadian border
In the Arctic region
Evenly distributed across the country
Primarily on the Pacific coast
Canada’s Government Today?
Constitutional Monarchy
Absolute Monarchy
Federal Dictatorship
Direct Democracy
What type of economies do the U.S. and Canada have?
Market economies
Command economies
Traditional economies
Centrally planned economies
Which laws protect people in the U.S. and Canadian market economies?
Laws protecting private property rights, employment opportunities, and the health and safety of workers
Laws setting prices and profits for all private companies
Laws banning private ownership of businesses
Laws requiring citizens to meet government production quotas
What are some of the key agricultural products in the U.S. and Canada?
Cattle, wheat, and corn
Rice, tea, and rubber
Coffee, cocoa, and bananas
Olives, grapes, and citrus
Why is the development of reliable transportation necessary in the U.S. and Canada today?
Because of large land area, dispersed population, and the need to move goods and services
Because both countries are small and densely populated
To reduce imports of foreign vehicles
Primarily to increase international tourism
Which type of communication has made the region successful by making telephone communication more mobile?
Cellular and digital services
Satellite television networks
Expanded postal mail service
Shortwave radio broadcasts
What are the people in the U.S. and Canada most concerned about?
Rising trade tariffs
The possible effects of global warming
Population decline
A shortage of fresh water
Which observed effects of global warming have people in Alaska and Canada reported? Select all that apply.
Thinning ice
Animals migrating farther north
Permafrost beginning to thaw
Increased volcanic activity
What are the countries doing to try to reduce global warming?
Increasing reliance on coal power
Depending less on fossil fuels by adopting alternate energy sources
Banning public transportation
Encouraging deforestation to create farmland
