STUDIES ON THE RELIEF MAP.
The map on the opposite page is intended to show North America as it would look if you were up so high in a balloon that you could not see the trees or houses, but could see only the mountains, hills, valleys, rivers and larger bodies of water. The waters would then look bluish or light in color, the low plains dark green, the mountain tops yellowish brown, and the deep valleys would be in the shadow, just as they are shown on the map.
In what zones or heat belts does North America lie? Turn back to Lesson XII. and read about the zones.
Put your finger on the water lying north of North America. What is its name? Put your finger on the water lying east of North America. What is its name? Put your finger on the water lying west of North America. What is its name?
Find the southern point of Greenland. Trace the Atlantic coast-line of North America as far as the Isthmus of Panama. Notice how many arms of the Atlantic are enclosed so as to form gulfs and bays. Name as many of these arms as you can. Name the peninsulas and islands that enclose them. Name the capes. Cross the Isthmus of Panama and follow the Pacific coast line of North America to the Arctic ocean. Notice the arms of the Pacific that form gulfs and bays. Name all that you can. Name the peninsulas or islands that enclose them. Which ocean has the greater number of arms? Which coast of North America is better suited for commerce?
Move your finger slowly westward from Cape Hatteras. You come first to a dark green strip which shows level land. This-is the Atlantic Coastal plain. Notice which way it extends. Go on slowly westward and you will come to a strip of dark gray color showing the Piedmont, or foothills. Go up these foothills and you come to the Appalachian mountains. Notice that there are several ranges. Can you tell the names of any of these ranges? Cross the mountains into the Great Central plain. Move slowly across the plain. Pass up the hills, and then you are upon the great plateau. There you find the Rocky mountain ranges. What are these mountains called in Mexico? What ranges are near the Pacific coast?
Find the Great Central plain. Find the river that drains the southern part of it. What is the name of the river? Find its mouth and follow it to its source. How many rivers do you find flowing into it from the west? Find the mouth of the first of these rivers and follow it up to its source. Find the second and trace it to its source. Find the third and trace it to its source. Where do you find the sources of these rivers? Find a great river flowing into the Mississippi from the east. This is called the Ohio. Trace it from its mouth to its source. What mountains do you reach? Find two large rivers flowing into the Ohio from the south. Trace these rivers back to their sources. The Mississippi river, with all the rivers that flow into it, makes a river system.
How many rivers can you find that flow down the eastern side of the Appalachian mountains? How many flow into the Atlantic ocean? How many flow into the Gulf of Mexico? How many rivers can you find flowing down from the Rocky mountains on the western side? Into what water do these rivers flow? Follow these rivers back to the mountain tops and notice how close together are the sources of those rivers that flow west and of those that flow east.
Again find the source of the Mississippi river. Just west of it, find the source of another river that flows north into a great lake. This river is called the Red river of the North. Into what lake does it flow? What river flows north from that lake into Hudson bay?
Find the mouth of a great river that flows into the Arctic ocean. Name this river. Follow it up to its source. Name two large lakes that it drains. Find a large river that drains Alaska. Into what water does it flow? These rivers are frozen over about half of each year. The upper part only of the Mississippi river is ever frozen over. Which of these rivers do you think is the more important to commerce? Why?
Start at the source of the Mississippi river; move slowly eastward and count the large lakes. Find the names of these lakes. Water flows from these lakes into a river. What is its name?
Put your finger on those parts of North America that lie in the frigid zone. What sort of climate do the people have there? What plants grow there? (See Lesson XIII.) What animals are found there? (Lesson XIV.) Point out the cold belt of the north temperate zone. What plants grow there? Point out the middle or temperate belt of the temperate zone. What plants grow there? Point out the warm belt of the north temperate zone. What plants grow there? Point out the part of North America that lies in the torrid zone. What sort of climate do the people have there? What plants grow there? Can you find any high mountains in that part of North America that lies in the torrid zone? What effect do these mountains have on the climate? What kind of plants grow half-way up their sides? Why? (See Lesson XII., last paragraph.) What kind of plants grow on their tops?
