Chapter 4 The United States & Canada

Section 1 From Sea to Shining Sea The United States is located on the continent of _________________________. North America The United States stretches ____________ miles from coast to coast. 2,807 There are 48 states in the ______________ United States – What two states are missing? Alaska Hawaii

The United States The U.S. is the __________largest country in the world. A: 4th What countries are larger than the U.S. – Russia – Canada – China

The United States 5 Physical Regions of the United States Coastal Plains Atlantic Coastal Plains Gulf Coastal Plains Appalachian Mountains Peidmont Plateau Interior Plains Central Lowlands Great Plains Mountains and Plateaus Rocky Mountains Continental Divide Pacific Coast Willamette Valley (Oregon) Central Valley (California) Cascade Mountains Sierra Nevada

Coastal Plains – Lowland that runs along the eastern and southeastern coasts of the United States. – Eastern Lowlands are called ATLANTIC COASTAL PLAINS – The southeastern lowlands are called the GULF COASTAL PLAINS because they run along the Gulf of Mexico. – The Gulf Coastal Plain is wider and has better soil than the Atlantic Coastal Plain.

Coastal Plains – When large cities are clustered into a region such as those in the Atlantic Coastal Plains geographers call this a _______________________________. – A: megalopolis

The Appalachian Mountains – West of the Atlantic Coastal Plains is a very hilly region known as the __________________. – A: Piedmont Plateau – These hills run into the APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS. – The Appalachians rum from Alabama all the way into Canada in the East.

The Appalachian Mountains – Did you know that the Appalachians are the oldest mountains on the continent? The highest peak on the Appalachians is Mount Mitchell in North Carolina reaching a height of 6,684 feet. – How do you think scientist can tell this fact? _________________________________________ ____.

Interior Plains – When you have crossed the Appalachians moving westward, the next physical feature you will find is the INTERIOR PLAINS. – There are two parts to the INTERIOR PLAINS. – 1) East of the Mississippi River - __________________ – A: Central Lowlands – 2) West of the Mississippi River – ________________ – A: Great Plains

Interior Plains The CENTRAL LOWLANDS consists of grassy hills, rolling flatlands, and thick forests. This is a farming area because the land is extremely fertile. – In the central lowlands you can also find the largest group of freshwater lakes in the world the ___________________________. – A: Great Lakes Name them: _______________________, ______________________, ________________, _______________________, _____________ _______ A: HOMES

Interior Plains – The GREAT PLAINS is a checkerboard pattern of grassy pastures and fields of grain. – The Great Plains are around 500 miles wide and stretch west to the Rocky Mountains, north into Canada, and south to the Mexican border. – What resources was the Great Plains a major source of in the 1800 hundreds? – A: Bread giving it the name the BREAD BASKET

Mountains and Plateaus – ROCKY MOUNTAINS – begin in Alaska and run south into Mexico. – CONTINENTAL DIVIDE - a ridge that lies on the top of the Rocky Mountains which separates the rivers that will flow west into the Pacific Ocean and eastward toward the Mississippi river. – Name some rivers that flow west from the Continental Divide? ______________________, _______________________. Some that runs east ________________________, ______________________.

The Pacific Coast – There are two other mountain ranges in the Pacific Coast region. The Cascade Range and the Sierra Nevada Ranges. – The Cascade Range reaches from Washington State south to California. The Sierra Nevada ranges along the California’s eastern side. – Does anyone know what Nevada means? _________________________________ – A: snow covered

The Pacific Coast West of the Pacific Ranges are two fertile valleys. Willamette Valley ( Oregon) Central Valley (California ) These valleys are both very rich in nutrients and therefore are able to produce abundant crops.

Alaska – Alaska is the home to many mountain ranges. Part of one of these mountain ranges is the tallest mountain peak in North America ______________________________ which reaches 20,320 feet high. – A: Mt. McKinley – Most people in Alaska live in the southern coastal plain or in the Yukon River Valley.

Hawaii –H–Hawaii consists of eight large islands and more than 120 smaller ones. –H–Hawaii was formed by _________________________ –A–A: Volcanoes –S–Some of the islands have _______________________ which formed from the skeletons of small animals. –A–A: Coral Reefs