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 4 th 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 2 nd 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 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 Basin- holds 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.