U.S. Geography

U.S. Geography Breakdown

• Broken into 7 regions:

1. The Atlantic-Gulf Coastal Plain

2. Appalachian Highlands3. Interior Plains4. Interior Highlands5. Rocky Mountain System6. Intermountain Region7. Pacific Mountain System

U.S. Geography Shapes

• The terrain of the northern United States was formed by continental ice sheets

• Mountains and lakes were formed by glaciers

• Rivers came from glacial runoff as the world became warmer

The East and Gulf Coast

• The Atlantic- Gulf Coast plain runs from SE MA to the Rio Grande River in TX

• This region is consists of:1. Estuaries 5. Sandspits2. Embankments 6. Lagoons3. Islands 7. Bays4. Harbors

• The Atlantic Coastal Plain rises into the Piedmont – an area of rolling hills between the coast and Appalachian Mountains

Interior Plains and Highlands

• Extend over 1,000 miles from the Appalachian Mts. to the Rocky Mts.

• Once covered by an inland sea and comprised of sedimentary rock

• Drained by the Mississippi and Missouri River

• Divided into 2 regions:1. Central Lowlands2. Great Plains

• The BLACK HILLS are the region’s only upland area

Western Mts. And Great Basin

• Rocky mountain system divided into 4 sections:1. Northern Rockies2. Middle Rockies3. Wyoming (Great Divide)

Basin4. Southern Rockies

• Continental Divide: A drainage divide where water is drained to a different sea on each side

Western Mts. And Great BasinContinued

• Intermountain Region: Lies between the Rockies and Coastal Ranges

• Comprised of:1. Plateaus2. Basins3. Ranges

• This region includes the Colorado Plateau which is where the Grand Canyon formed from the Colorado River

• Lowest point in N. America is Death Valley

Pacific Mountain System

• Made up of 2 ranges:1. Cascade Mts.2. Sierra Nevada Mts.

• These mountains were formed from faulting and volcanism

The Pacific

• The Pacific coast lies along the San Andreas Fault from San Francisco, CA to NW Mexico

• It is a Coastline of Emergence – Often the mountains plunge directly into the sea and there are few islands or quality harbors

• Major Harbors Include:1. Puget Sound2. San Francisco3. San Diego

Alaska and Hawaii• Alaska is Broken into 4 regions:

1. Arctic Lowlands2. Rocky Mountain System3. Central Basins and Highlands4. Pacific Mountain System

• Much of the Pacific Mountain System is high in volcanic activity

• The Hawaiian Islands make up part of the Pacific Mt. System and are mainly extinct volcanoes except for Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa (both on Hawaii)

Major Rivers and Lakes• The Mississippi-Missouri River system is the

longest in the U.S. (3890 mi. long)

– Major Tributaries Include:1. Red River2. Ohio River3. Arkansas River

• The Great Lakes are the largest in North America– Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario

• Great Salt Lake and Lake Lliamna are the largest outside the great Lakes