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Peaks in the Tetons

The Teton Range in Wyoming is one of the most spectacular in the United States. Grand Teton, the highest of these jagged peaks, rises 4,197 metres (13,770 feet) above sea level. Among these peaks are what remains of glaciers that covered the region millions of years ago.

Scars on the Landscape

Enormous copper deposits were discovered in 1911 at Chuquicamata, near the Bolivian border. Their excavation, initially financed by mining companies from the United States, has led Chile to become the world’s largest copper producer. However, exploitation of copper ore is very damaging to the environment and has led to scenes such as this, where huge areas of the landscape are devastated. Chile’s economy depends heavily on the export of this ore, but it has made efforts to reduce its traditional dependence on copper in favour of aluminium smelting.

Snow-covered French Alps

In the southeast corner of France, the majestic peaks of the Alps begin just south of the Jura Mountains and form the country’s border with Italy. Above 2,400 metres (7,874 feet), a thick blanket of snow always covers the mountains, and at lower elevations there are dense woods and swift streams. Shown here is Savoie Tignes, part of the Haute Savoie alpine region. The area is home to some of the world’s best skiing and to Mont Blanc, the highest peak in France and in the Alps, at 4,810 metres (15,781 feet).

St Lawrence Seaway

Ocean-going ships and smaller vessels travel the St Lawrence Seaway, an important commercial waterway co-operatively run by Canada and the United States. The elaborate system of canals and locks allows ships to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to more than 50 ports along the Great Lakes. With competition from other modes of transport and maritime traffic being diverted elsewhere because some container ships are too large for the seaway, Canada has suffered heavy financial losses in recent years.

Temperate Grasslands (North America)

The Great Plains region in North America is an enormous grassland plateau that rises from 457 metres (1,499 feet) above sea level in the east to 1,830 metres (6,004 feet) in the west. The wetter east is characterized by tall grasses, whereas short grasses thrive in the more arid west. Much of the natural vegetation, however, has been replaced by fields of wheat and corn. Places such as Ordway Prairie Preserve in South Dakota ensure that some of the natural prairie land survives.