North America

The Colorado Plateau covers over 330,000 square km of the southwestern United States, and holds the Grand Canyon.

Its story is written in rock. Layers of sedimentary rock were slowly pushed up by tectonic forces, then shaped by erosion over millions of years, producing dramatic red rock formations and deep canyons.

It is rich in coal, oil, natural gas, uranium and copper, and the Grand Canyon alone has drawn about 5 million visitors a year.

The Rocky Mountains stretch over 4,800 km, rich in copper, gold and silver, with mining, hydropower, tourism and farming all adding to the economy.

The Rockies were home to large indigenous communities (Native Americans) until about 300 years ago. They depended on the region's rivers, forests and wildlife, and saw the mountains as sacred. Many today live on reservations set up for them.

Yellowstone National Park, in the Rockies, gives a striking lesson in restoring an ecosystem. The park was out of balance because elk (a kind of deer) were overgrazing. In 1995 wolves were brought in; they hunted the elk, the elk numbers fell, the plants came back, and balance was restored. Yellowstone is also home to 'Old Faithful', a geyser: a jet of boiling water and steam caused by volcanic activity deep underground.

The Appalachian Mountains are among the oldest mountain ranges in the world. Fertile valleys, plenty of game and natural travel routes let indigenous communities such as the Cherokee thrive, and the mountains have spiritual meaning there too. They have supplied coal, timber and natural gas, with tourism and renewable energy now growing.

The Great Lakes are a chain of five huge freshwater lakes, vital for trade through their shipping routes and supplying drinking water to several cities, though they face chemical contamination of their mud and pollution from farm run-off and industry.