By: Ms. Susan M. Pojer Horace Greeley HS Chappaqua, NY

US Geography Basics Third largest country in the world. Half the size of Russia. One third the size of Africa. Half the size of South America. 2 ½ times the size of Western Europe.

Topography of the US

The Contour of the US

Topography of the Northeast

Topography of the Southeast

Topography of the Midwest

The Great Plains

Topography of the West

Grand Canyon

The Continental Divide The Continental Divide in the Americas is the line that divides the flow of water between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean. Rain or snow that drains on the east side of the Continental Divide flows toward the Atlantic Ocean while precipitation on the west side drains and flows toward the Pacific Ocean. (However, some rivers empty into the desert and don't end up in the oceans.)

Bodies of Water Chesapeake Bay Chesapeake Bay Great Salt Lake Lake Okeechobee

Great Salt Lake 2000 square miles. 10’ – 28’ deep. 6 times saltier than the oceans.

RiversRivers Hudson R. Potomac R. Mississippi R. Ohio R. Missouri R. Arkansas R. Colorado R. Columbia R. Yukon R. Rio Grande R. St. Lawrence R.

The Mississippi: America’s Great River Road The “Big Muddy”. 2,350 miles. Draining all or part of 31 states & 2 Canadian provinces. Covers 40% of the U. S.

MountainsMountains Appalachian Mts. Rocky Mts. Cascade Mts. Sierra Nevada Mts. Alaskan Range ^ Mt. Whitney ^ Mt. McKinley ^ Pike’s Peak Adirondack Mts.

PlainsPlains Central Plains Atlantic Coastal Plains Gulf Coastal Plains Great Basin

The Great Plains

PlateausPlateaus Cumberland Plateau

Cumberland Plateau & ‘Gap’ AL, KY, TN, VA, WV 24,640 sq. mi. Natural passage [Gap] through the Cumberland Mts.

DesertsDeserts Mohave Desert Death Valley

Mohave Desert – 3,000’

Death Valley, CA 3.3 million acres. 95% wilderness. 82’ below sea level Less than 2 “ of rain annually No rain fell in – record 134 degrees Farenheit!

Completed Map Lake Okeechobee Chesapeake Bay Chesapeake Bay Appalachian Mts. Rocky Mts. Cascade Mts. Sierra Nevada Mts. Alaskan Range ^ Mt. Whitney ^ Mt. McKinley ^ Pike’s Peak Adirondack Mts. Central Plains Atlantic Coastal Plains Gulf Coastal Plains Great Basin Cumberland Plateau Hudson R. Potomac R. Mississippi R. Ohio R. Missouri R. Arkansas R. Colorado R. Columbia R. Yukon R. Rio Grande R. St. Lawrence R. Great Salt Lake Mohave Desert Death Valley

303,824,640303,824,640 One birth every 7 seconds. One death every 13 seconds. One international migrant (net) every 35 seconds. Net gain of one person every 10 seconds. U. S. Population as of August 22, 2003

Seismography Data: Earthquakes!

Tornadoes Per Year:

Hurricane Camille: “The Storm of the Century” until … Katrina?!? August 17, 1969 Category 5 Killed 412 people

Katrina: The Most Expensive Hurricane August 2005 The nation's most costly natural disaster Katrina killed more than 1,600 people Destroyed 200,000 Gulf Coast homes Displaced about 1 million people. News reports place insured property damage at $25.3 billion in 1.7 million insurance claims ,000 of them in Louisiana.