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Geography of United States
Physical Features of the United States
• Traveling East to West
the following Phyical
Features will be seen
• Atlantic Coastal Plains:
Located between the
Atlantic Ocean and the
Appalachian Mts. The
plains run from Maine
to Florida.
Gulf coastal Plains
• Gulf Coastal Plains:
Located in the
southeastern United
States from South
Carolina and Florida to
Eastern Texas.
Appalachian Mountains
• A Series of Mountain
ranges running from
Maine to Alabama.
• Older mountains that
over time have been
worn and smoothed by
erosion.
• Major part of the
mountain chain is a
series of parallel ridges
and valleys
Interior Plains
• Interior Plains are found
between the
Appalachian Mts. And
the Mississippi River.
• Region includes the
Great Lakes and part of
the Mississippi River
System.
• Eastern half of the
plains the interior Plains
Great Plains
• The Great Plains Stretch
from Canada to Mexico.
• The Great Plains are
found from about 100
degrees West Longitude
to the Rocky Mts.
• The closer to the Rocky
Mts. The higher the
elevation of the flat
rolling plains
Rocky Mountains
• Rocky Mountains run
from Canada to Mexico
going north to south
• From the Great Plains to
the intermountain
region going east to
west
• A series of Mountain
Ranges separated by
high plains and valleys
Intermountain Region
• Located between the
Rocky Mts. And the
Cascade Mts. And Sierra
Nevada Mts. To the west.
• The region includes the
Great Basin.
• The intermountain region
consists of high plateaus,
deep canyons, isolated
mountain ranges, and
desert basins
Pacific Coastal Mountains
• Cascade Mts. Located in
Pacific Northwest
• Mountains are formed
from volcanoes. Mt.
Hood and Mt. St.
Helens
• Sierra Nevada Mts.
Located in Eastern
California. Run the
length of California.
These are faulted mts.
Pacific Coast
• Found along the Pacific
coast is range of coastal
mts.
• Between the coastal
mts and Sierra Nevada
Mts. And Cascade Mts.
Is a region of valleys.
Puget Sound lowland,
Willamette Valley, and
the Central Valley of
Californial
Great Lakes System
• The Great Lakes are the
largest fresh water
system in the World.
• Contains one-fifth of all
the world’s fresh water
• The five Great Lakes
Superior, Michigan,
Huron, Erie, and Ontario
• The Great Lakes empty
into the Atlantic Ocean by
the way of the St.
Lawrence River(Seaway)
Mississippi River System
• the perspective of natural
geography and hydrology,
the system consists of the
From Mississippi River itself
and its numerous natural
tributaries and. The major
tributaries are the Ohio,
Illinois, Arkansas, Red and
MissouriRivers and,
indirectly, such major Ohio
River tributaries as the
Allegheny, Tennessee, and
Wabash Rivers.
Colorado River
• The Colorado River is a in the
Southwestern United States and
northwestern Mexico,
approximately 1,450 miles (2,330
km) long,[ draining a part of the
arid regions on the western slope
of the Rock Mountains. The
watershed of the Colorado River
covers 246,000 sq mi in parts of
seven U.S. states and two
Mexican states. The natural
course of the river flows from the
Continental Divide at La Poudre
Pass in Rocky Mountain National
Park, Colorado, into the Gulf of
California between the Baja
California peninsula and mainland
Mexico.
Climate and Ecosystem
Climates of The United States
• There are two major climates found east of
the Mississippi River Humid Continental found
in the northern regions of U.S. as far south as
Tennessee.
• Humid Subtropical climate is found in most of
the Southeastern region of the U.S.
• Tropical Wet and Dry is found in the very
southern tip of Florida and the Florida Keys
Climates of U.S.
• Humid Continental and Humid Subtropical
continue west to about the Great Plains region
then a Semi-Arid climate is found.
• A Highland climate is found in the region of the
Rocky moutains.
• Southwestern region of the U.S. is found arid and
semi-arid climates.
• The Pacific Northwest a Marine West Coast
Climate is found as far south as Northern
California
• Southern California is found a Mediterranean
climate.
Vegetation of U.S.
Vegetation of U.S.
• Most of the Eastern region of the United
States is forest.
• The northern region of U.S. is a mixed forest of
Deciduous and conifers. The farther north
conifer forests dominate.
• The southern region goes from deciduous
forests in Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee area
and conifer forest the in the more southern
regions of Eastern U.S.
Vegetation in U.S.
• As one moves west the forest give way to tall
grass Prairies.
• As one moves onto the Great Plains the prairie
gives way to a short grass steppe vegetation.
• Most of the Rocky Mountain region is forests
and short grass steppe vegetation
• The Pacific Northwest is a forest vegetation
with large conifer forests
• The Southwest is mostly short grass and
desert vegetation
Human Geography
• The population of the United States is over
300 million people the 3rd largest country in
the world.
• The United States is an ethnically diverse
country.
• The population in the United States continues
to shift from the former industrial north to the
south and southwest regions (sun belt)
Human Geography
• New York, Los Angles and Chicago are the 3
largest cities in the United States
• The East Coast and California is where the
largest concentration of people are located.
• The United States is predominantly a Christian
in religion.
Economic Geography
• The United States has an abundant amount of
resources available to the country.
• It has energy resources that if used correctly can
power the United States for a long time
• The Corn belt and Wheat belt are some of the
most productive farm land in the World.
• Less than 2% of the U.S. population is involved in
agriculture, but we are the largest producers of
agricultural producers in the World
Economic Geography
• The U.S. is a leader in Industrial development
• Over the past 50 years the United States has
changed from an industrial country to a
service industry country.
• Many of the things once made in the United
States are now being made outside the United
States for American owned companies.
• The highway system, automobile, and cheap
gas has mad Americans a very mobile society
Economic Geography
• The major issues facing the United States
today is the widening gap between rich and
poor.
• The budget deficit and along with the high
rate of unemployment.
• The wars in the Middle East are draining
resources needed to improve the conditions
at home.
Questions on Geography of United
States
1. What are the major physical regions of the
United States?
2. What are the major climate and vegetation
regions of the United States?
3. Why are the Mississippi River System and the
Great lakes important resource for the United
States?
4. How do the Rocky Mountains dominate the
western region of the United States? How do the
mountains affect the development of the region
Questions on Geography of United
States
5. How do the resources of the United States
help to define the country in the past, present
and in the future?
6. How well the shifting of the United States
population affect the country in the future?
7. What do you think are the 3 most important
issues facing the United States tody.