Download The 5 Major Geographic Regions of Pennsylvania

The 5 Major
Geographic Regions
of Pennsylvania
The Atlantic Coastal Plain Region
• Very Narrow and Flat
• Southeastern Tip of Pa along the Delaware
River
• First part of our state to be settled
• Location of Pa’s first industries and farms
• Climate is the mildest part of the state
• This provides a longer growing season before
the first frost
The Piedmont Region
• Most of the Southeastern part of the state
• Piedmont is French for “the foot of the
mountains”
• Contains rich limestone soil for excellent
farming
• Also contains a large amount of iron ore
• Many immigrants found this region to be
second to none
The Ridge and Valley Region
• Very large region that includes about one third of
the state
• This region is mostly made up by the Appalachian
Mountains
• The most important feature in this region is The
Great Valley
• The Great Valley was formed by wind and rain and
is excellent for farming
The Allegheny Plateau
Region
• This is the largest region in the state
• Comprised mostly of rolling hills, valleys
and streams
• The region also contains the states
highest point. Mount Davis 3,213 feet
above sea level
• Iron ore, soft coal, oil and gas helped this
part of the state to become a great
industrial area
• It also contains the center of the states
lumber industry
The Erie Plain Region
• This region is very narrow and fertile
• It extends a few miles inland along
the shore of Lake Erie
• The Erie Plain land has rich fertile soil
• Today the region contains vineyards,
orchards and farmland
• The region also has a mild climate