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Section 1
The Land
Vocabulary
• Contiguous~ referring to areas that touch or
share a boundary.
• Urban~ related to a city or densely
populated area.
• Megalopolis~ area in which neighboring
urban areas blend into one “super city.”
• Rural~ relating to the country side not the
city.
• Coral Reef~ low-lying ocean ridge made of
coral.
Places To Locate
• Appalachian Mountains~ curving west
along the Atlantic Coastal Plain.
• Mississippi River~ large river system in
the central United States that flows
southward into the Gulf of Mexico.
• Great Lakes~ lie in the northern part of
the central lowlands.
Places To Locate (Cont.)
• Great Plains~ the continental
slope extending through the
United States and Canada.
• Rocky Mountains~ mountain
system in western North
America.
A Huge Country
~ 48 out of the 50 states stretch 2,807
miles across the middle part of NA.
~ These states are contiguous, or joined
together.
~ These 48 states touch 3 major bodies of
water--- 1)the Atlantic Ocean 2)the Gulf
of Mexico 3)and the Pacific Ocean.
~ The 2 states that are not joined are
Alaska and Hawaii.
~ The U.S., the world’s 4th largest country,
has a total land area of 3,536,340.
The Coastal Plains
~ A broad lowland runs along the Atlantic Ocean
and the Gulf of Mexico.
~ It is divided into 2 parts: 1)the Atlantic
Coastal Plain- from Massachusetts to Florida
2)the Gulf Coastal Plain- from Florida to
Texas.
~ The Mississippi River drains much of the Gulf
Coastal Plain.
~ The river runs 2,340 miles from north central
U.S. to the Gulf of Mexico.
~ Barges carry goods to and from cities along
the Mississippi.
The Appalachian Mts.
~ The Appalachians are the 2nd
longest mountain range in NA.
~ They run almost 1,500 miles from
eastern Canada to western Alabama.
~ They are the oldest mountain range
on the continent.
~ The rounded mountain peaks show
their age.
The Interior Plains
~ The central part of the country’s
landscape is the Interior Plains.
~ The eastern region of these plains is
called the Central Lowlands.
~ This area includes thick forests,
broad river valleys, rolling flatlands,
and grassy hills.
~ The largest group of freshwater
lakes in the world are the Great
Lakes.
Cont.
~ They lie in the northern part of the
Central Lowlands.
~ The 5 lakes are: 1)Lake Superior,
2)Lake Michigan, 3)Lake Huron,
4)Lake Erie and 5)Lake Ontario
millions of years ago.
~ In the Interior Plains region lie the
Great Plains, a broad, high area.
Rocky Mountains
• Rocky Mountains are the largest mountain
range in North America.
• The Rocky Mountains run more than 1100
miles from north to south.
• The Rocky Mountains have some peaks
rising more than 14000 feet.
• Colorado, Missouri, Arkansas, and Rio
Grande are all rivers that begin in the
Rocky Mountains.
Rocky Mountains (Cont.)
• Death Valley is the hottest place in the
U.S. and is just southwest of the Rocky
Mountains.
• West of the Rockies lies an area of largely
empty basins and plateaus.
• A valley there-called the Great Basinholds the Great Salt Lake.
The Pacific
• The Pacific Ocean forms the western border of the
United States’ landscape quilt.
• Near the coast lie are two major mountain ranges: The
Sierra Nevadas and the Cascade Range.
• Like the Rockies, these mountain ranges were formed
by plate movements.
Continued
• Melting of these plates created
volcanoes and lava flows , which formed
the Cascade Range.
• West of the pacific mountain ranges are
coastal lowlands and fertile valleys.
• Alaska and Hawaii are part of the
Pacific region.
• Glaciers, islands, and bays line Alaska’s
southern border.
Continued
• Central and southern mountain ranges are
broken up by lowlands and plateaus.
• Mount. McKinley is North America’s largest
mountain. It is 20,320 feet high.
• The Hawaiian Islands were formed by
eruptions from volcanic mountains on the
Ocean floor.
• Some of the islands have coral reefs.
Climate
• Tropical climates, mid-latitude climates, and
high latitude climates are all found in the
United States.
• The country’s size, changing elevations, and
the flow of ocean and wind currents create
the variety of climates.
Mid-Latitude Climates
• Most of the United States lies in mid-latitude climate regions.
• Winters in this area are cold and moist; summers long and
hot.
• The southeastern United States has a humid subtropical
climate which winters are mild and cool, and summers are hot
and humid. In this region thunderstorms and tornados are
common.
Continued
• The area along the Pacific coast from northern California to
southeastern Alaska has a marine west coast climate.
• Temperatures are mild there all year round, and has plenty of rain fall.
• Southern California has a Mediterranean climate of dry, warm
summers and rainy, mild winters.
Dry Climate
1. A dry climate prevails in the plateaus and
basins between the Pacific mountain
ranges and the Rockies.
2. Hot, dry air gets trapped here when the
Pacific ranges block humid ocean winds.
3. Summers here tend to be hot and dry, and
winters very cold.
High Latitude Climate
1. High Latitude Climate areas are found in
the mountains in the western part of the
contiguous United States.
2. Winters in these areas are bitterly cold
and summers are very cool.
Tropical Climates
1. Tropical Climates can be found in Hawaii
and on the southern tip of Florida.
2. Climates in these areas consist of warm
temperatures and plenty of rainfall.