Size & Variation: North America is with diverse geography: in the north-west and north-east, Great Plains' , cold northern regions, hot deserts in the south, and the Rocky Mountains in the west.
Barriers: The Mountains and the River initially deterred settlers from moving inland, as they believed the midwestern land was a .
California: Fertile but prone to destructive El Niño winds and mountain-driven fires.
 
Great Plains Environment in 1840
Great American Desert: Early explorers labeled the Plains inhospitable, considering it and .
Really dangerous: Wolves, bears, mountain lions, , scorpions, locusts, and large bison herds posed dangers. Indigenous Nations lived here.
Enormous: The Plains were vast, flat, and featureless, making navigation difficult. The Rockies formed a significant .
Availability of resources: Limited and semi-; though unknown gold and silver deposits at the time.
Terrible Weather: with extreme summer heat, cold winters, and severe winds including and winter ''.