Download Geography of the Northeast

the region.
Geography of the
valleys,
Northeast
Great Lakes
Canada.
The Northeast is the smallest
region in the United States in terms
of size. Yet, the area is made up of a
of
two of the
separate the Northeast region from
COASTS TO COUNTRYSIDE
variety
Beyond the mountain
different
physical
features.
CLIMATE
The climate in the Northeast
varies across the region.
It also
changes from season to season.
The Northeast has four very
different
seasons.
Winters
are
mostly cold and snowy. In spring, the
weather is warm and sunny. Summers
are often hot and rainy. During
the
cool autumns, the leaves turn orange,
red, and gold before they fall to the
ground.
At
times,
the
Northeast’s
weather can be extreme.
Blizzards,
or snowstorms with strong winds,
sometimes occur.
These storms can
block roads, knock down power lines,
and damage building.
A VARIED LANDSCAPE
The Atlantic Ocean forms the
eastern border of the Northeast
region.
blizzard brought record amounts of
snow to the region.
The northern coast of the
region is rocky and jagged.
has many harbors.
Ig also
A harbor is a
protected area of water where ships
can dock safely.
Farther south, the
flat Coastal Plain hugs the coast all
the way to Delaware Bay.
Inland from the coast, green
valleys and rolling hills spread across
the
land.
Farther
west,
the
Appalachian Mountains cut through
In 2005, a
Blizzard of 2005
NATURAL RESOURCES
The
Northeast
has
many
natural resources. Many people in the
region use the resources to make a
living.
FARMING
The northern parts of the
region have rocky soil and a cool
climate. Yet, people still farm there.
They grow potatoes, blueberries, and
cranberries.
They
also
use
greenhouses to grow crops such as
flowers and shrubs.
Farther south, on the more
fertile soil of the Coastal Plain,
farming is a larger industry. Corn and
other vegetables are major crops.
The inland hills and valleys
provide pasture grasses for dairy
cows.
Milk from the dairy cows is
used to make products such as cheese
and ice cream.
a living. Every state in the region has
stone quarries (KWAR*eez). A quarry
is a large, open pit in the ground, from
which stone is mined. Quarries in the
region produce a large amount of
New Hampshire
and Vermont have many of these
quarries. People use these stones to
buildings,
region’s
bridges,
roads,
statues, and even kitchen counters.
forests
make
logging an important industry. This is
especially
true
in
Maine,
New
Hampshire, and Vermont. People cut
down trees to use as lumber.
They
also use trees to make products such
as toothpicks and paper.
People
produce food.
also
use
trees
to
Many farmers grow
fruits, such as apples and pears.
Others collect sap, a liquid, from
syrup.
Some people mine stone to earn
make
The
maple trees.
MINING STONE
granite and marble.
USING TREES
Sap is used to make
FISHING
metropolitan area often stretches
Fishing is an important industry
across state borders.
The largest
for people living along the coast. The
metropolitan area in the nation covers
Atlantic Ocean provides cod, haddock,
parts of New York and New Jersey.
and plenty of lobsters.
People also
Most metropolitan areas in the
catch freshwater fish in the region’s
Northeast grew along the Atlantic
many lakes and rivers.
coast.
Over time, their boundaries
grew closer together. Eventually, the
CITIES GROW AND CONNECT
Improved
metropolitan areas formed a long
transportation,
chain of cities stretching from New
growing industries, and immigration
Hampshire to Virginia.
helped cities in the Northeast grow.
make
Today, the Northeast is one of the
megalopolis (meh*guh*LAH*puh*lihs).
most crowded regions in the United
A megalopolis is an urban region
States.
formed
up
the
when
These cities
nation’s
two
largest
or
more
metropolitan areas grow together.
NEW YORK CITY
A REGION OF CITIES
The
include
Northeast’s
Boston,
big
cities
Philadelphia,
Pittsburgh, Newark, and New York
City. In fact, New York City has more
people than any other city in the
United States.
As Northeast cities grew, so
did the suburbs around them.
The
result was the growth of metropolitan
areas. A metropolitan area is a large
city together with its suburbs.
A
TRAVELING
BETWEEN
CITIES
TODAY
Today, people can travel easily
between cities
in the
Northeast.
Modern highways, including turnpikes,
or toll roads crisscross the region.
Airlines make many flights each day
between major cities.
Passenger
trains also run many times daily,
connecting Boston, New York City,
Philadelphia,
cities.
and
other
Northeast