1. PHYSICAL FEATURES OF THE UNITED STATES!

2. APPALACHIAN MOUNTAIN RANGE! MOUNTAIN RANGES OF THE UNITED STATES! The Appalachian Mountains cover much of the eastern United States. They stretch all the way from southeastern Canada to Alabama. The Appalachians were formed more than 250 million years ago, and over time erosion caused wind and water has worn them down. Today, the highest peaks of the Appalachians are less than 7,000 feet.

3. MOUNTAIN RANGES OF THE UNITED STATES! ROCKY MOUNTAIN RANGE! The Rocky Mountains cover much of the western United States. They extend from Alaska to Mexico. The Rockies formed more than 30 million years ago, so they have eroded much less than the Appalachians. The Rockies appear to be sharp and jagged, and more than 50 peaks in Colorado alone are taller than 14,000 feet. Because of their altitude, many peaks in the Rockies are covered in snow year-round.

4. MOUNTAIN RANGES OF THE UNITED STATES! SIERRA NEVADA AND CASCADE RANGES! Sierra Nevada is Spanish for “Snowy Mountain Range.” The Sierra Nevada Range runs almost the entire length of California. North of the Sierra Nevada Mountains is the Cascade Range which extends from northern California into Washington state. This range even contains several active volcanoes, such as Mount St. Helens in Washington. MOUNT ST. HELENS!

5. TALLEST MOUNTAIN IN NORTH AMERICA! MOUNT McKINLEY (aka DENALI)! Mount McKinley in Alaska is the highest mountain peak in North America. Mount McKinley’s summit reaches an elevation of 20,320 feet above sea level. The mountain is sometimes called by its Native American name, Denali, which means “The Great One.” Mount McKinley was not climbed successfully until 1913.

6. LOWLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES! GREAT PLAINS! The Great Plains are part of the very large Interior Plains which extend across the middle region of the United States, from the Appalachians in the east to the Rockies in the west. The Great Plains make up the western part of the Interior Plains, stretching from southern Texas into Canada. Most of our nation’s food is grown on the Great Plains, earning its nickname as the “breadbasket” of our country.

7. LOWLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES! COASTAL PLAIN! The Coastal Plain extends from Massachusetts in the north to Florida in the south and west along the Gulf of Mexico. The land along the Coastal Plain usually lies close to sea level and gradually rises inland.

8. LOWLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES! GREAT BASIN! The Great Basin covers the state of Nevada and extends into five other states. It is a low, bowl-shaped area with higher ground surrounding it. At the southwestern edge of the Great Basin lies Death Valley, the lowest point in North America. The Great Salt Lake of Utah is also located within the Great Basin. The lake is fed by streams carrying small amounts of salt, making it as salty as the ocean. GREAT SALT LAKE!

9. DESERTS OF THE UNITED STATES! MOJAVE DESERT AND DEATH VALLEY! The Mojave Desert is the smallest yet driest North American desert. Historically, the remote area has been used as a military testing site for experimental aircraft and nuclear weapons. Death Valley, the lowest point in North America, lies more than 280 feet below sea level. It is also considered to be the hottest location in North America with a record temperature of 134° F. DEATH VALLEY

10. DESERTS OF THE UNITED STATES! SONORAN DESERT! The Sonoran Desert covers approximately 100,000 square miles and includes most of the southern half of Arizona, southeastern California, most of the Baja California peninsula, and much of the state of Sonora, Mexico. Because of its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, the Sonoran Desert receives more annual rainfall than the Mojave (approximately 10 inches per year).

11. NATURAL WONDER OF THE UNITED STATES! GRAND CANYON AND COLORADO RIVER! Located in northern Arizona, the Grand Canyon is known throughout the world for its size and colorful landscape. Measuring over 270 miles long, up to 18 miles wide, and a mile deep, the canyon’s walls contain rock layers that reveal a timeline of Earth’s history. The Grand Canyon was carved out by the Colorado River over the course of the last 5 million years! WATCH THE VIDEO: http://www.history.com/topics /grand-canyon GRAND CANYON

12. WATERWAYS OF THE UNITED STATES! THE GREAT LAKES (FROM SPACE)! North America has more lakes than any other continent. The five largest lakes in North America are collectively known as the Great Lakes. They are located along the border between Canada and the United States. The St. Lawrence River connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. These five lakes—Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior—are among the largest freshwater lakes in the world. The Great Lakes contain 6 quadrillion gallons of water—20% of the available freshwater on the planet! ST. LAWRENCE RIVER HURON ONTARIO MICHIGAN ERIE SUPERIOR

13. WATERWAYS OF THE UNITED STATES! NIAGARA FALLS! Niagara Falls is the collective name for three waterfalls that straddle the border of New York state and the Canadian province of Ontario. These falls are the largest in North America with some 3,160 tons (or more than 757,000 gallons) of water flowing over Niagara Falls every second! NIAGARA FALLS

14. WATERWAYS OF THE UNITED STATES! COASTLINE OF THE GULF OF MEXICO! The Gulf of Mexico is a large ocean basin near the southeastern United States. It is a part of the Atlantic Ocean and is bounded by Mexico, Cuba, and the Gulf Coast of the United States. The Gulf of Mexico is bordered by 1,680 miles of U.S. coastline and is fed with water from 33 major rivers that flow out of the U.S. The largest of these rivers is the Mississippi River.

15. WATERWAYS OF THE UNITED STATES! CONTINENTAL DIVIDE! The Continental Divide is a mountainous ridge extending from northern Alaska to the southern tip of South America. Rivers that begin east of the Continental Divide, such as the Missouri River and Rio Grande, flow into the Atlantic Ocean. Rivers that begin west of the Continental Divide, such as the Colorado and Columbia, flow into the Pacific Ocean.

16. WATERWAYS OF THE UNITED STATES! MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES! SOURCE: LAKE ITASCA MOUTH: MISSISSIPPI DELTA The Mississippi River, along with its major tributaries—the Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, and Red Rivers—creates a gigantic drainage basin. Water from most the of land between the Appalachians and the Rockies drains into the mighty Mississippi. The source of the Mississippi is Lake Itasca in Minnesota. From there, the river flows more 2,300 miles south to the Gulf of Mexico, making the Mississippi River the longest river in North America. When combined with the Missouri River, it is the fourth longest river in the world at more than 3,900 miles in length!

17. WATERWAYS OF THE UNITED STATES! RIO GRANDE RIVER! Since 1845, the Rio Grande has formed part of the border between the United States and Mexico. In Mexico, the river is known as the Rio Bravo. It flows for more than 1,800 miles from the San Juan Mountains of Colorado to the Gulf of Mexico.

18. APPALACHIAN MOUNTAIN RANGE! ROCKY MOUNTAIN RANGE! SIERRA NEVADA AND CASCADE MOUNTAIN RANGES! GREAT PLAINS! COASTAL PLAIN! GREAT BASIN! MOJAVE DESERT! GREAT LAKES! MISSISSIPPI RIVER! GULF OF MEXICO! MT. McKINLEY! RIO GRANDE RIVER! TOUR OUR NATION’S GEOGRAPHY: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= M1qXoAqfJXE