1. East of the Mississippi River
Chapter 4

2. Bodies of Water
Pages

3. The Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf Coast
Which region?
Mid-Atlantic, New England, Southeast
Atlantic Ocean Facts:
Atlantic Ocean=largest body of water east of the Mississippi River
Shoreline stretches 2,000 miles
Stretches from Maine to Florida
The Gulf Coast
Smaller body of water called Gulf of Mexico
Stretches from Florida to Texas to Mexico
Mississippi River dumps into Gulf of Mexico

4. The Great Lakes What regions? Facts: Mid-Atlantic and Midwest
5 lakes: lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario
St. Lawrence River flows from Great Lakes into the Atlantic Ocean
Formed by glaciers thousands of years ago.
Largest group of freshwater lakes in the world

5. The St. Lawrence Seaway What regions? Facts:
Mid-Atlantic and New England
Facts:
Flows eastward for 750 miles and empties in Atlantic Ocean
United States and Canada built canals and gaged passageways called locks
This has made it easier with shipping resources.

6. The Mississippi River What Regions? Facts: Midwest and Southeast
“Mighty Mississippi”-longest river in North America
Flows for 2,350 miles and dumps into Gulf of Mexico
There are many tributaries that flow east and west from the river
Barges and ships use the river to carry resources.
The government has built levees (walls) to help with flooding

7. The Ohio River Which region? Facts: Midwest and Southeast
Flows westward for 981 miles
Boundary between Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and West Virginia, Kentucky
Has been an important shipping and transportation route.

8. Mississippi River

9. Physical Features
Pages

10. Atlantic Coastal Plain
Mostly underwater forming a shelf around the Atlantic coastline.
Formed by ocean waves moving sandy sediment to form a flat lowland.
Stretches from northeastern U.S to Mexico
Most areas are below sea level meaning more floods.

11. The Appalachian Mountains
Oldest and longest mountains in the U.S.
Begins in Alabama and ends in Canada
Stretches for 1,500 miles
Covered by dense forests
Two parallel mountain ranges are:
Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia
the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee.
Fall line- an area where waterfalls flow from higher land to lower land

12. Climate
Page 122

13. New England and Midwest
See mostly dramatic seasonal changes
Cold winters and hot, humid summers
Autumn is cool and leaves change colors
Springtime brings rainy and sometimes snowy weather and strong storms

14. Coastal Areas Mild climates
Still have seasons but the temperatures are less extreme than they are inland
States more south will have a mild change in season

15. Southeast Humid subtropical climate Summers are rainy and hot
Winters are cooler and drier
Hurricanes can occur in this region.

16. Resources
Page 123

17. Minerals and Energy Resources
New England: iron ore, gold, zinc, coal, oil, natural gas
Mid-Atlantic: iron ore, gold, zinc, coal, oil, natural gas
Midwest: iron ore, gold, zinc, coal, oil, natural gas
Southeast: iron ore, gold, zinc, coal, oil, natural gas

18. Farming and Industry
New England: logging, fishing, automobiles, electronics, clothing
Mid-Atlantic: logging, fishing, automobiles, electronics, clothing
Midwest: grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy foods, wood, sugar, corn soybeans
Southeast: cotton, dairy foods, wood, sugar, corn, soybeans, grains, fruits, vegetables