Where is the continental divide
Continental Divide Video
one of our geography terms is
continental divide many students don't
understand this concept so my goal in
this video is you to be able to
successfully answer this guiding
question what is the continental divide
a continental divide is a natural
boundary often a mountain range that
separates a continents river systems
each river system flows into a certain
Basin Bay or sea the map on the Left
shows the Chesapeake Bay watershed all
of the rivers and creeks highlighted in
this area flow into the Chesapeake Bay
and eventually the Atlantic Ocean this
map shows all the rivers and creeks that
flow into the Mississippi River and
eventually the Gulf of Mexico all the
rainwater that falls on one side of the
divide will flow into one basin and the
precipitation that falls on the other
side will flow to another basin for
instance in North America the Rocky
Mountains form the natural boundary or
divide that separates the river systems
if rainwater falls west of the divide
the rivers eventually find their way to
the Pacific Ocean
however if rain falls east of the Rocky
Mountains it will flow into streams and
rivers that flow into the Atlantic Ocean
while hiking and climbing in the Rocky
Mountains you will fight find signs that
mark the Continental Divide this is not
the only Continental Divide though
continental divides are found on every
continent in South America the Andes
Mountains form the Continental Divide
that separates the river systems since
the Andes Mountains are located so close
to the Pacific Ocean the water that
falls on the west side of this continent
do not have very far to go
both continental divides in North
America and South America run together
to form what we call the Great Divide
this divide run
from Alaska through the Rocky Mountains
of Western Canada and the continental
United States then through the Sierra
Madre Occidental Mountains in Mexico
through Central America and along the
Andes Mountains of South America another
Continental Divide exists between Europe
and Asia with the Ural Mountains forming
the natural boundary when rainwater
Falls west of the Ural Mountains the
water flows to the Mediterranean Sea and
the Atlantic Ocean
but if the water flows east of the Ural
Mountains the Himalayan mountains also
form a Continental Divide in southern
Asia separating river systems between
the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian
Ocean
so to recap a Continental Divide is any
natural not man-made boundary normally a
mountain range separating rainwater that
falls in creeks and rivers that flow
into two oceans in other words this is
like a barrier that stops rivers on one
side from flowing into oceans and seas
on the other side it follows the
principle of the drainage basin but on a
more significant and larger scale so how
do I know that you watched this video
great question
I'm going to check here's the proof that
you washed the whole thing open up your
notebook title the next blank page
continental divide and number one
through three right true or false
depending on what you think from the
video number one a Continental Divide is
a natural boundary often a mountain
range that separates a continents river
systems I hope you said true number two
there is only one Continental Divide in
the world and that is the one that runs
through North America I hope you said
false
number three since the Andes Mountains
are located so close to the Pacific
Ocean the water that falls on the west
side of this continent does not have
very far to go
if you said true you are correct
