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Chapter 1, Section 1 What is Geography? A survey by the National Geographic Society in 1988 revealed that 1 in 7 U.S. students couldn’t find their own country on a world map. Geography is the study of the Earth’s physical features and how people interact with them. It helps us understand ourselves and where we live, as well as our relationship with the environment and with other people and places. Geography helps answer basic questions: • Where did the earliest Oklahomans come from? • Why did they grow certain crops? • Why were their settlements located where they were? • What influenced their cultures? Globes are divided into hemispheres. The Equator divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The Prime Meridian divides the Earth into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. The axis is an imaginary line running through the center of the Earth between the North Pole and the South Pole. The Earth rotates on its axis, putting half the planet in daylight and half in darkness. Lines of latitude measure distances north or south of the Equator. These imaginary East-West lines run parallel to each other around the Earth. The Equator, the imaginary line dividing the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, o is 0 latitude. Oklahoma is in the Northern Hemisphere. Lines of longitude measure distances east or west of the Prime Meridian. These imaginary North-South lines are not parallel; they meet at the North and South Poles. The Prime Meridian, the imaginary line dividing the Eastern and Western Hemispheres, o is 0 longitude. Oklahoma is in the Western Hemisphere. Degrees are units of measurement equal to 69 miles. The North Pole and the South Pole o are 90 from the Equator. Each degree can be further divided into smaller units called minutes and seconds. When the Prime Meridian crosses the North and South Poles, it becomes the o International Date Line, or 180 longitude. Latitude and longitude can be historically important. In the Missouri Compromise of 1820, latitude 36o 30’ N was the boundary below which slavery was permitted. Most of Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory were included. Oklahoma is in the center of the United States: it is 1,160 miles from Washington, DC, and 1,160 miles from Los Angeles, California. It is 450 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico and 950 miles south of the Canadian border. Three major interstate highways make Oklahoma “The Crossroads of America.” Its location is ideal for the national distribution of products. The Oklahoma “Panhandle” is a strip of land that extends from the main body of the state. The three westernmost counties give our state a distinctive shape and one that is easily spotted on a map. The Oklahoma Panhandle is made up of Cimarron County, Texas County, and Beaver County. Oklahoma is not the only state with a panhandle. Missouri and New Mexico have “Bootheels.” Oklahoma borders six states: the mountain states of Colorado and New Mexico; the plains states of Kansas and Texas; and the plateau states of Missouri and Arkansas. Much of Oklahoma is part of The Great Plains, a large oval area of grasslands that extends from Canada southward through the central part of the United States. Its location is ideal for farming and cattle-raising. The location of our state affects its environment and creates different geographical regions. Chapter 1, Section 2 Geographic Regions Originally, Oklahoma was covered by a shallow sea. Tectonic pressure buckled the Earth’s surface, creating mountain ranges that rose above the water. The mountain regions of Oklahoma were whittled down over time by erosion. Erosion is the wearing away of land by wind, rain, and ice. When the prehistoric sea evaporated, depressions in Anadarko and Arkoma were formed. Today, they contain valuable mineral deposits. A basin is a wide, flat area that is lower than the surrounding land. Although it is part of the Great Plains, Oklahoma’s topography varies greatly, with ten distinct regions. Topography is the physical features of the land, such as mountains, plateaus, mesas, hills, and plains. The state declines from northwest to southeast. Black Mesa, in Cimarron County, is the highest point in Oklahoma. It is 4,973 feet above sea level. Little River, in McCurtain County, is the lowest point in Oklahoma. It is only 287 feet above sea level. The High Plains include the Panhandle and the northwest border of the state. They were formed by lava from a prehistoric volcano in southeast Colorado. Black Mesa is located here. A mesa is a flat-topped, steep-sided landform. The High Plains have an abundance of wildlife and fossils. The Gypsum Hills cover the northwest region of the state from Kansas to the Texas Panhandle. The gypsum deposits were left when the ancient sea evaporated. A series of buttes called the Glass Mountains are located here. A butte is an isolated, steep-sided hill that is smaller than a mesa. The region is also the home of the Alabaster Caverns. The Red Bed Plains cover the west central region of the state from Kansas to Texas. They take their name from the reddish-orange shale and clay soil. The area is noted for its agriculture, including wheat and hay, alfalfa, cotton, and grasslands for cattle. The capital, Oklahoma City, is located here. The Wichita Mountains are in the southwest corner of the state. These landforms are among the oldest on Earth. Quartz Mountain State Park is located here. This region includes a wildlife refuge featuring herds of buffalo. The military base at Fort Sill was established 20 years before the Land Run. The Sandstone Hills are in the east central region of the state. The hills are heavily eroded and only rise to heights of about 400 feet. The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve is its major ecosystem. An ecosystem is a region where living organisms – plant and animal life – interact with nonliving elements – air, soil, and water – for survival. The Arbuckle Mountains are in the south central region of the state, near the Texas border. This region has the most diverse mineral resources in the state. In 1870, a random spot here was chosen for the Initial Point Marker, dividing the territory into townships and land sections. Its best-known tourist attraction is Turner Falls. The Prairie Plains are an L-shaped area in the northeast region of the state. Tulsa, the state’s second-largest city, is located in the Prairie Plains. In the rich soil here, farmers grow everything from strawberries to tomatoes. Water is another major feature: Eufaula, Oklahoma’s largest lake, and the McClellan-Kerr/Arkansas River Navigation System are located here. The Ozark Plateau is on the northeast border and is linked to mountains in Missouri and Arkansas. A plateau is an elevated, relatively level area of land. This region is heavily forested with oak, hickory, and elm trees. The Pensacola Dam was used to create Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, and the Illinois River is popular for float trips. The Ouachita Mountains are on the southeast border with Arkansas. This region is some of the roughest land in the state. The timber-covered terrain and caves provided safety for Native American peoples, and later, hideouts for outlaws. Talimena Drive is especially known for its fall foliage. The Red River Plains run from south central to southeast Oklahoma along the Texas border. The sandy soil here and long growing season were ideal for the Native Americans to raise melons, squash, corn, and pumpkins. The Red River was once so jammed with debris it took 40 years to clear. Sympathetic to the South during the Civil War, it was called “Little Dixie.” Chapter 1, Section 3 Oklahoma’s Natural Resources Natural resources are those things found in the environment that are useful to humans: soil, vegetation, minerals, and water. Soil is one of Oklahoma’s most important natural resources. It is composed of organic matter, loose rock material, water, and air. Port silt loam is the official state soil. It is excellent for grazing. The sandy soil in the west must be irrigated. Irrigation is supplying water to dry land by artificial means like canals and pipes. It is expensive, but sustains crops during dry spells. The clay soil of the Red Bed Plains usually requires fertilizer before it is suitable for planting. State farmers must also contend with droughts. A drought is a long period without rainfall. It causes the topsoil to dry up and blow away. A particularly lengthy drought in the 1930s contributed to “The Dust Bowl.” Oklahoma has two major vegetation zones: the eastern woodlands and the western grasslands. The woodlands are humid and the grasslands are drier. In 1832, author Washington Irving, on a surveying mission in Indian Territory, called the Cross Timbers “forests of cast iron.” These hardwoods in the east account for almost 20% of the state’s land and today are milled for fiberboard, plywood, and paper. Early settlers on Oklahoma’s western grasslands often found them as tall as a wagon bed. The pioneers had to cut paths so their children could walk to school. A region of flat land covered with grasses is called a prairie. North America has the world’s largest prairie, known as The Great Plains. Fossil fuels were created underground millions of years ago from the remains of prehistoric plants and animals. These energy resources continue to be a major part of our state’s economy. The first major oil discovery in the state came in 1897 near Bartlesville. Word traveled quickly and wildcatters (oil industry workers) flooded into the territory. Tulsa soon became known as the “Oil Capital of the World.” As of 2014, Oklahoma ranked fifth in the nation for oil production. Oklahoma also ranked fourth in the nation in the production of natural gas in 2014. Coal was first mined near McAlester in 1873. We still produce more than a million tons a year from surface mines. Oklahoma ranked 22nd out of the 32 coal-producing states in 2014. Oklahoma granite is called “grey gold.” The State Capitol Building rests on a foundation of granite. Oklahoma has the purest gypsum in the country. Among its many uses are: Oklahoma is the only state that produces iodine, which is used in medicines and dietary supplements. It is an oilfield byproduct and it is usually added to salt, which is a resource the state has produced since the early 1800s. Another valuable resource lies beneath the surface: the groundwater in our aquifers. Aquifers are underground basins of porous gravel, rock, and sand. They hold water that seeps down from rainfall, lakes, and ponds. Nearly half of the fresh water used in Oklahoma comes from aquifers. Spring water Well water Oklahoma has more than 500 rivers and streams, 34 major reservoirs, and hundreds of lakes. Our two largest lakes are Eufaula at 105,000 surface acres, and Texoma, at 88,000 surface acres. Since the 1930s, most lakes in Oklahoma have been manmade. Rivers are dammed to provide water for cities and for flood control. One of the newest lakes, opened in 1987, was Arcadia Lake in Edmond. Two major rivers, the Arkansas River and the Red River, provide drainage for Oklahoma. Both rivers are tributaries, or streams and rivers that flow into larger rivers. The Arkansas River actually begins in Colorado. It carries two-thirds of the state’s runoff water before it empties into the Mississippi River. The longest river is the North Canadian, crossing 766 miles from the Panhandle to Arkansas. In the Panhandle, it is also known as The Beaver River; and in the central part of the state, it is designated as The Oklahoma River. In the 1970s, the North Canadian River had to be mowed twice a year. This is a view of the “new” Oklahoma River, looking north toward Downtown and Bricktown. At various times in the history of North America, the Red River has been an area of conflict. France vs. Spain U.S. vs. Mexico The Union vs. The Confederacy The University of Oklahoma and The University of Texas Chapter 1, Section 4 Oklahoma’s Climate As the famous Oklahoman Will Rogers once said, “If you don’t like the weather, just wait a minute… it’ll change.” Weather measures the current conditions of the atmosphere: temperature, precipitation, and wind. Climate is the average weather of an area over a long period of time. Oklahoma’s climate is considered temperate, or mild. Precipitation is water that falls to the Earth as rain, snow, hail, or sleet. A location’s climate will be affected by its latitude, or distance from the Equator. ALASKA will always be cold. HAWAII will always be hot. Precipitation and climate are affected by elevation, or the height of a place above sea level. Lower elevations tend to have more rainfall; higher elevations have less. Lower elevations tend to have less snow; higher elevations have more. Mt. Kilimanjaro is an example of how climate can be affected by elevation. It is less than 100 miles from the Equator – but it is 19,300 feet above sea level. Severe weather in Oklahoma includes thunderstorms, hail, and dangerous lightning. Frequent hailstorms have damaged property and destroyed crops. Oklahoma averages a million lightning strikes each year. The Jet Stream is a fast-moving air current that crosses North America from west to east. Dry, polar air is pulled along, where it collides with moist, tropical air. A tornado occurs when a cold, dry air mass collides with a warm, moist air mass to create a funnel that rotates at destructively high speeds. The Enhanced Fujita Scale measures the intensity of a tornado. The scale was originally created by Dr. Tetsuya “Theodore” Fujita at the University of Chicago in 1971 and revised in 2007. Central Oklahoma is at the heart of a region known as Tornado Alley. Since 1950, Oklahoma has averaged 54 tornadoes a year. The National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman uses state-of-the-art technology to monitor weather and provide advance warnings. “Oklahoma… where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plains…” Although the wind is sometimes damaging, it is also responsible for a new industry: wind farms. The giant turbines generate electricity. There are wind farms located in Woodward, Ft. Supply, Weatherford, and Lawton. Our state is also examining renewable energies, or alternative power sources like water and solar. Water produces hydroelectricity and solar panels convert sunlight into usable power.