Download THE US The Contour of the US

2/6/2015
THE US
• Population clusters in the United States are located along the Pacific coast, the
Great Lakes, and in the Northeast.
• Most people of the United States are Native Americans or descendants of
immigrants.
• Most people in the United States enjoy one of the highest standards of living in
the world.
•
The Contour of the US
Mt. McKinley, in Alaska is the tallest mountain in North America
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The Mississippi: America’s Great River Road
The “Big Muddy”.
2,350 miles.
Draining all or part of 31
states & 2 Canadian provinces.
Covers 40% of the U. S.
The Continental Divide
West of the Continental Divide, rivers
flow into the Pacific Ocean.
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MAJOR GEO FEATURES
Columbia R.
Great Great
Basin Salt Lake
Potomac R.
Chesapeake
Bay
^ Mt. Whitney
Death
Valley
Ohio R.
^ Pike’s Peak
Mohave
Desert
Lake
Okeechobee
Yukon R.
^ Mt. McKinley
Alaskan Range
• Climate regions vary with changes in elevation and
latitude.
• Summers generally are long and muggy in the
southeastern United States.
Death Valley, CA
3.3 million acres.
95% wilderness.
Lowest place in US
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The American Landscape
• Tall grasses are common native plants of the Great
Plains.
The Great Plains
• St. Lawrence River forms part of the border between
the United States and Canada.
• lots of arable land, that is suitable for farming
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MAJOR GEO FEATURES
Columbia R.
Great Great
Basin Salt Lake
Potomac R.
Chesapeake
Bay
^ Mt. Whitney
Death
Valley
^ Pike’s Peak
Ohio R.
Mohave
Desert
Lake
Okeechobee
Yukon R.
^ Mt. McKinley
Alaskan Range
Earthquakes
• The Pacific Ranges were formed by the
collision of tectonic plates.
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Tornadoes Per Year: 1950-1997
Hurricanes in the east
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