Name, Location, Climate, Landforms, and Regions of Pennsylvania Lesson 1 & 2

5 Themes of Geography 1. L ocation – location of city or your community 2. P lace – where something is in relation to its surroundings ex. City in contrast to smaller communities 3. Human-Environment I nteraction – how people depend on the environment or change land 4. M ovement – connection between places and patterns of movement 5. R egion – ex. Tourist, political, business, rural, urban, suburban, or even school district

1681 – name of state provided by William Penn and the King of England. – Penn wanted to call colony “Sylvania” (woods) – King added Penn in honor of William’s father Penn’s woods Commonwealth – Pennsylvania is one of only four states that carry title – Massachusetts, Virginia, and Kentucky

View with surrounding states and waterways

Location Pennsylvania is 45,333 square miles – Square mile – – 302 miles wide and 158 miles length – Panhandle –

Climate Humid continental – Adequate rainfall and is suitable for farming Average temperatures – July – 76 ̊ in southeast, 68 ̊ along Lake Erie – December – 31 ̊ in southeast, 24 ̊ along Lake Erie – Record high – 111 ̊ Record low ̊

Landforms and Regions 5 distinctive geographic regions – Regions – – Each region has common landforms and elevations – Landform –

5 Landform Regions of Pennsylvania

← ATLANTIC COASTAL PLAIN

Atlantic Coastal Plain Along Eastern Coast of United States Elevation ranges from 26 feet above sea level to sea level Contains the city of Philadelphia

PIEDMONT

Piedmont Southeast region between Philadelphia and Harrisburg Reaches elevation of 600 feet above sea level Includes some of the most fertile soil in the United States Allentown, Reading, Lancaster, York Farms, fields, and forests

RIDGE AND VALLEY

Ridge and Valley Hills – Ridges – Valleys – Contains the Appalachian Mountains – mountain chain that runs from Georgia to Maine Ridges and valleys have individual names

Mt. Davis – state’s highest elevation at 3,213 feet above sea level, located in southern Somerset County Pennsylvania mountains are low in elevation to other parts of the country

ALLEGHENY PLATEAU

Allegheny Plateau Covers 60% of Pennsylvania Plateau – – Elevations range from 700 to 2,500 feet Pocono Mountains – formed by glacial forces

←ERIE PLAIN

Erie Plain Northwest corner of state along Lake Erie – Only 4 miles wide, stretching from shoreline Soil is rich in sand and silt Erie – Pennsylvania’s third largest city