Landforms Western Mountains and Plateaus Pacific Coastal Ranges Sierra Nevada Cascade Range Coast Range Alaska Range: Mt. McKinley Tallest Point in N. America Rocky Mountains Link the US and Canada, over 3,000 miles long Cascade Range Sierra Nevada Alaska Range Mt. McKinley 20,320 ft. Great Basin Death Valley: Lowest pt. in N. America Great Basin Death Valley -282 ft.

Sierra Nevada Range Cascade Range

Rocky Mountains

Great Basin and Death Valley, CA

Death Valley

Interior Lowlands The Great Plains Aka- interior Plains, they can reach up to 6,000 ft of elevation. They may seem flat, but actually slope gradually (10ft/mi) down to the Mississippi River Valley. Breadbasket This is the main grain-growing region of N. America

The Great Plains

Eastern Mountains and Lowlands and Lowlands Appalachian Mountains Old worn-down mountains. Extend north into Canada Canadian Shield Area of Bedrock surrounding Hudson Bay Coastal Plains Atlantic and Gulf Appalachian Mountains

CanadianShield

Coast Ranges Alaska Range and Mt. McKinley

Islands Manhattan Island: NY US and World Economic Center Hawaiian Islands Volcanic Archipelago in the Pacific Ocean Greenland World ’ s largest Island that is not a continent Manhattan

Hawaiian Islands

Water Rivers from the Rockies Continental Divide Also called the Great Divide. E. of the Divide rivers flow toward the Arctic, Hudson Bay, the Atlantic and the Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico. To the west rivers flow into the Pacific Ocean

The Mississippi River System 2,350 miles long, it begins in Minnesota and empties into the Gulf of Mexico. It drains 1,200,000 mi 2 of land. Tributaries of the Miss. Ohio and Missouri Rivers. Mississippi River Ohio River Missouri River Gulf of Mexico Colorado River Columbia Rio Grande

MISSISSIPPI RIVER

Mississippi River One of the largest river systems in the world

RIO GRANDE Forms the international boundary between United States and Mexico

Rio Grande Located in Southern Texas

Illegal immigrants attempting to cross into the United States Rio Grande

Columbia River Northwestern US

COLORADO RIVER Southwestern US Formation of the Grand Canyon

COLORADO RIVER Main source of irrigation and hydroelectric power for much of the western United States

Eastern Rivers St. Lawrence River One of Canada ’ s most important rivers, it forms part of the U.S./Canadian border. Pittsburgh, PA A place where several rivers merge is called a: Confluence Site Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio Rivers St. Lawrence River *Pittsburgh

Confluence: where two bodies of water meet Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh is an area of confluence

St. Lawrence River Located In Eastern Canada

ST. LAWRENCE RIVER Useful for trade as a link between the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes

Fall Line Cities The boundary where the higher land of the Piedmont drop to the lower Atlantic Coastal Plain, here rivers break into rapids and waterfalls making ship travel impossible. Philadelphia, PA Baltimore, MD and Washington D.C. Niagara Falls On the Niagara River which forms part of the border between Ontario, Canada and New York State in the U.S. it provides a lot of Hydroelectric power for the region.

From Glaciers to Lakes The Great Lakes Formed by glaciers during the last ice age about 14,000 years ago. St. Lawrence Seaway A series of canals, rivers, and inland waterways linking the Great Lakes with the Atlantic. Lake Superior Lake Michigan Lake Huron L. Erie L. Ontario