Our Country’s Geography Mr. Thompson’s 5th Grade Social Studies

Land and Regions A landform region is a region that has similar landforms throughout. Landforms are physical features on the Earth’s surface, such as plains, mountains, hills, and valleys.

Plains The two largest landform regions in the United States are plains—the Coastal Plain and the Interior Plains. Plains are broad, nearly level stretches of land that have no great changes in elevation. Plains are generally lower than the land around them; they may be found along a coast or inland. Coastal plains generally rise from sea level until they meet higher landforms such as mountains or plateaus. Inland plains may be found at high altitudes.

Plains (Cont.) Plant life on plains is controlled by the climate. Thick forests usually thrive on plains in humid climates, grasslands cover fairly dry plains such as the Great Plains in the United States. Plains are usually well populated because the soil and terrain are good for farming, and roads and railways are easily built between rural towns and cities.

Plains (Cont.) A coastal plain is a stretch of lowland along a seacoast which slopes toward the sea.

Mountains Mountains are high, steeply sloped areas formed by the upward movement of rock. Mountains can be found on land or in the ocean.

Hills Hills are raised areas or mounds of land created by faulting or erosion of a mountain. Hills are usually no more than 30 meters from base to peak.

Valleys Valleys are low areas between hills and mountains where a stream often flows.

America’s Largest Mountains The two largest mountain ranges in the United States are the Appalachian Mountains and the Rocky Mountains. A mountain range is a group of connected mountains. The Appalachian Mountains cover much of the eastern United States. The Rocky Mountains cover much of the Western United States.

Piedmont The area of high land on the high land on the eastern side of the Appalachians is called the Piedmont. A Piedmont is an area at or near the foot of a mountain.

Sea Level & Plateau Sea level is the level of the surface of the oceans. It is used as a starting point in measuring the height and depth of landforms. A plateau is a broad area of high, mostly flat land.

Between the Rocky Mountains and other mountain ranges farther west is a large area sometimes called the Intermountain Region. Intermountain means “between the mountains.” A basin is low, bowl-shaped land with higher ground all around it.

Volcano A volcano is an opening in the Earth through which hot lava, gases, ash, and rocks may pour out. When this happens, a volcano is erupting. Sometimes the lava and ash build up to form a mountain.

Elevation Maps Different maps provide different kinds of information. If you want to know how high or how low the land is, you need to use an elevation map. Elevation is the height of the land in relation to sea level.

The elevation of land is measured from sea level, usually in feet or meters. The elevation of land at sea level is 0 feet (0 m). A contour line connects all points of equal elevation.

The End!