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Physical
Characteristics
The geographic features of the Earth include different landforms, bodies of water, and biomes.
Landforms include mountains, islands, peninsulas, and continents. Bodies of water include oceans, bays,
and rivers. A biome can be described as a region that has a certain type of plant and animal life as
well as a certain climate. Biomes of the world include rainforests, tundra, and grasslands.
Bodies of Water
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Ocean: An ocean is one of the five large bodies of salt water that surround the continents of the
world.
Examples: the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean
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Bay: A bay is a large body of water that is partly surrounded by land, usually on three sides.
Examples: San Francisco Bay, Hudson Bay
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Gulf: A gulf is a large area of water that is usually considered part of an ocean. Gulfs are partially
surrounded by land but are distinct from bays because of their size.
Examples: Gulf of Mexico, Persian Gulf
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Lakes: A lake is a large body of freshwater that is completely surrounded by land.
Examples: Lake Erie, Lake Superior
Bodies of Water
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River: Rivers are natural waterways that usually flow toward the ocean. Typically, the source of a
river will be a natural spring located in a mountain range or some other elevated piece of land.
The place where the river reaches the ocean is called the mouth of the river.
Examples: Mississippi River, Missouri River, Rio Grande
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Delta: A delta will form where a river empties into a larger body of water, like an ocean.The
river carries dirt and sand, known as silt, and deposits it to form a fan shaped area of land.
Examples: Nile Delta, Mississippi Delta
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Strait: A strait is a narrow channel of water that connects two larger bodies of water.
Examples: Bering Strait, Strait of Gibraltar, Strait of Hormuz
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Tributary: A stream or river that flows into a larger river
Examples:the Missouri River is a tributary of the Mississippi River
Biomes
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Wetlands: Marshes and swamps are both considered wetlands. A marsh is an
area of low wet land, usually treeless, that has different kinds of grasses
growing in it. Similar to a marsh, a swamp is a slow-moving body of water,
often with trees and is usually rich in minerals from decaying vegetation.
Example: Florida Everglades
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Desert: A desert is a region that gets very little to no rain and is usually
very hot.
Examples: areas of the American Southwest have large deserts, including
the Mojave Desert, the Great Basin, and the Chihuahuan Desert
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Grassland: A grassland is a region of that is covered in different types of
grasses and may contain some small trees. Grasslands in the United States
are called prairies.
Biomes
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Rainforest: A rainforest is a biome that receives a large amount of rainfall.
They are usually found near the equator and have a very warm climate.
Example: the Amazon Rainforest
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Temperate Coniferous Forest: Temperate coniferous forests have wet winters
and dry summers. They feature conifers, which are trees that have needles
instead of leaves.
Examples: areas in the northern United States, Canada, northeastern
Asia, Russia, and western and central Europe
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Tundra: Tundra is a biome found mostly in arctic regions where the
temperatures stay very cold throughout the year. This biome gets very little
precipitation.
Examples: areas of northern Canada and Alaska
Landforms
Continent: A continent is one of seven large landmasses of the Earth.
Examples: North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Antarctica
Island: An island is a piece of land that is entirely surrounded by water.
Examples: Iceland, Ireland, New Guinea, the Hawaiian Islands
Isthmus: An isthmus is a narrow piece of land that connects two larger pieces of land.
Example: the Isthmus of Panama
Mountain: A mountain is a large landmass that rises steeply from the surrounding land.Often, a
mountain is a part of a group of mountains. This is known as a mountain range.
Examples: Mount Everest, the Rocky Mountains, the Alps
Landforms
Peninsula: A peninsula is a piece of land that has water on three sides.
Examples: the Yucatan Peninsula, the Arabian Peninsula
Plain: A plain is a flat area of land that does not change much in elevation.
Example: the Great Plains
Plateau: A plateau is an area of land with a flat top that is higher than the surrounding land.
Example: the Andean Plateau
Valley: A valley is an area of land that is lower than the land surrounding it. Valleys are often
longer than they are wide and are usually found in mountain ranges. A valley that is very deep
is sometimes called a canyon or gorge.
The U.S. has access to both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, the Great
Lakes, and numerous rivers. These bodies of water provide resources
and transportation routes.
North America extends
from the Arctic Circle to
the Tropics. It is located
entirely within the
Northern Hemisphere, and
it is located between the
Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Did You Know?
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The Colorado River is a river in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. The natural
course of the river flows into the Gulf of California. Since the river is used as an irrigation source, much of
the part of the river in Mexico has dried up and does not always flow to the sea.
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It flows from
British Columbia in Canada through Washington. It forms much of the border between Washington and
Oregon before emptying into the Pacific Ocean.
The Hudson River flows from Upstate New York to the Atlantic Ocean. It serves as part of the border
between the states of New York and New Jersey.
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river in the United States. It flows from Minnesota to the Gulf
of Mexico. Minneapolis, St. Louis, and New Orleans are major cities that are located on the Mississippi
River.
The Missouri River is the longest river in the United States. The river begins in Montana and flows south
and east into the Mississippi River near St. Louis, Missouri.
The Ohio River is located in the eastern United States. It was a major transportation route during the
westward expansion of the early United States. The Ohio River begins in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where
the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers meet. It flows west to the Mississippi River.
The Rio Grande is the third-longest river system in the United States and serves as a natural boundary
along the border between Texas and Mexico. Rio Grande is Spanish for "Big River."
The St. Lawrence River connects Lake Ontario to the Atlantic Ocean. It also serves as the border between
Ontario and New York.
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Rocky Mountains: The Rocky Mountains, located in the western part of North America, extend from
Alaska, through Canada to the southern part of the United States.
Appalachian Mountains: The Appalachian Mountains are located in the eastern part of North America.
They extend from Alabama to Quebec.
Sierra Madre Mountains: The Sierra Madre Mountains are made up of three mountain ranges in Mexico.
The ranges are the Sierra Madre Oriental in the eastern part of Mexico, the Sierra Madre Occidental in the
western part of Mexico, and the Sierra Madre del Sur in the southern part of Mexico.
Gulf of Mexico: Part of the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico is bordered by the United States, Mexico,
and Cuba.
Caribbean Sea: Located to the north of South America and to the east of Central America, the Caribbean
Sea is part of the Atlantic Ocean and contains the islands of the West Indies.
Great Lakes: Ontario, Erie, Huron, Superior, and Michigan are the five lakes that are called the Great
Lakes. All of the lakes except Michigan serve as the border between the United States and Canada. Water
pollution is an ongoing environmental problem for the Great Lakes region.
Gulf of Alaska: The Gulf of Alaska is located off of the southern coast of Alaska in the northern Pacific
Ocean.
Hudson Bay: Located in northern Canada, the Hudson Bay is a large inland sea. The Hudson Strait
connects the Hudson Bay to the Atlantic Ocean.
St. Lawrence River: The St. Lawrence River connects Lake Ontario to the Atlantic Ocean. It also serves as
the border between Ontario and New York.