1. Aim #1: Physical Characteristics of the United States
Do Now: Describe where the United States is located. What countries/features surround the United States?
Homework: p. 12 #4

2. Do Now:

3. Geography
The study of the Earth and its physical features.

4. Features of the United States
Variation in Climate and Vegetation: Climate ranges from cold to mild to hot, can grow almost anything.
Range and Abundance of Resources
Fortunate Location: Oceans provide security and trade routes, friendly borders.
Geographic Isolation
Room to Grow: By world standards, the U.S. is lightly populated

5. Population Density
How crowded a place is. Found by dividing the population of a place by its area, giving the number of people living in each square mile.
Picture: United States at night- How can you tell where the most people live? Where is the U.S. lightly populated?

6. The Creation of U.S. Landforms
Landforms: Natural features of the Earth’s surface. Caused By:
Continental Drift: Continents float on immense plates of rock that gain or lose land when they collide.
Volcanoes and Earthquakes: occur frequently along boundaries between shifting continental plates. Play key roles in shaping the land.
Glaciers: Moving masses of snow and ice. Can slice mountains, fill valleys and create lakes.
Erosion: Wearing away of land by wind, rain, or ice.

7. Geography Terms:
48 Contiguous States: Those that share an uninterrupted expanse of territory (48+2=50)
Ice Age: When global temperatures dipped sharply and glaciers spread
Plateau: Flat or gently rolling expanses at high altitudes
Plain: Large area of level or gently rolling land
Tributary: Smaller rivers that flow into a larger river
Archipelago: Chain of islands
Fossil Fuel: Energy sources that originated from a combination of ancient organisms and minerals ex- coal, petroleum and natural gas