continental divide

Continental Divide

The hydrographic line extending from Alaska to Mexico that divides the parts of North America whose waters drain to the Pacific Ocean from those parts that drain to the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. The portion of it running along the crest of the Rocky Mountains is often called the Great Divide.

continental divide

n. An extensive stretch of high ground from each side of which the river systems of a continent flow in opposite directions.

continental divide

n (Physical Geography) the watershed of a continent, esp (often caps.) the principal watershed of North America, formed by the Rocky Mountains

continen′tal divide′

n. 1. a divide separating river systems that flow to opposite sides of a continent. 2. (caps.) Also called Great Divide. the watershed in North America formed by the Rocky Mountains, separating streams flowing west from those flowing east. [1865–70]

con·ti·nen·tal divide

(kŏn′tə-nĕn′tl) A region of high ground, from each side of which the river systems of a continent flow in opposite directions. ♦ In North America, the Continental Divide is a series of mountain ridges stretching from Alaska to Mexico.

Thesaurus

Noun

continental divide - the watershed of a continent (especially the watershed of North America formed by a series of mountain ridges extending from Alaska to Mexico)water parting, watershed, divide - a ridge of land that separates two adjacent river systemsGreat Divide - that part of the continental divide formed by the Rocky Mountains in the United StatesNorth America - a continent (the third largest) in the western hemisphere connected to South America by the Isthmus of Panama

Translations

Continental Divide

See also: National Parks and Monuments (table)National Parks and Monuments

National Parks
Name Type¹ Location Year authorized Size
acres (hectares)
Description
Acadia NP SE Maine 1919 48,419 (19,603) Mountain and coast scenery.
..... Click the link for more information.

Continental Divide,

the "backbone" of a continent. In North America, from N Alaska to New Mexico, it moves along the crest of the Rocky Mts., which separates streams with outlets to the west of the divide from those with outlets to the east. In SW New Mexico the divide crosses an area of low relief; it becomes more distinct in N Mexico, where it follows the Sierra Madre Occidental. In the United States it has been called the Great Divide, a name also occasionally used to designate the whole Rocky Mt. system, especially the southern section, where the high, rugged ranges presented an almost impenetrable barrier to westbound explorers and settlers. GlacierGlacier National Park,
1,013,572 acres (410,497 hectares), NW Mont.; est. 1910. Straddling the Continental Divide, the park contains some of the most beautiful primitive wilderness in the Rocky Mts.
..... Click the link for more information. , YellowstoneYellowstone National Park,
2,219,791 acres (899,015 hectares), the world's first national park (est. 1872), NW Wyo., extending into Montana and Idaho. It lies mainly on a broad plateau in the Rocky Mts., on the Continental Divide, c.
..... Click the link for more information. , and Rocky Mountain national parks lie on the Continental Divide, and the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail runs along it (see National Parks and MonumentsNational Parks and Monuments

National Parks
Name Type¹ Location Year authorized Size
acres (hectares)
Description
Acadia NP SE Maine 1919 48,419 (19,603) Mountain and coast scenery.
..... Click the link for more information. , table). There also are other, lower and less extensive divides in North America, such as the eastern one formed mainly by the Appalachian Mts.

continental divide

[¦känt·ən¦ent·əl di′vīd] (geology) A drainage divide of a continent, separating streams that flow in opposite directions; for example, the divide in North America that separates watersheds of the Pacific Ocean from those of the Atlantic Ocean.

continental divide

Related to continental divide: continental drift, Continental Divide Trail

noun

Words related to continental divide

noun the watershed of a continent (especially the watershed of North America formed by a series of mountain ridges extending from Alaska to Mexico)

Related Words

water parting
watershed
divide
Great Divide
North America