1. U.S. Geography

2. How does geography affect the way you live here in Saratoga Springs?

5. Major Physical Features of the United States

8. Atlantic Ocean

9. Atlantic Ocean
Ocean: one of four major bodies of salt water that surround the continents
Second largest ocean
Eurasia and Africa to the east, Americas to the west
Connects to the Arctic Ocean to the north, Indian Ocean to the southeast
covers about 22% of the Earth’s surface

11. Appalachian mountains
Mountain: land with steep sides that rises sharply from surrounding land; generally larger and more rugged than a hill
Eastern North America, extends into Canada
Divides eastern seaboard from Midwest region

12. Appalachian mountains

18. The Great Lakes

19. The Great Lakes Lake: a large inland body of water Freshwater lakes
Lake Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario
Largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth
Sea-like characteristics

20. The Great Lakes

21. The Great Lakes

22. The Great Lakes

23. Ohio River Valley

24. Ohio River Valley

25. Ohio River Valley Valley: area of low land between hills or mountains
Flows through six states
Many Native American civilizations formed along river; was used for transportation and trade
Important territory before and after the Revolutionary War
Part of border between free and slave territories
Used as part of the Underground Railroad

26. Ohio River Valley

27. Ohio River Valley

28. Mississippi River

29. Mississippi River Flows entirely in the US Fertile agricultural region
Many Native Americans lived along the river
Used for transportation, trade, and communication
About 2,500 miles long
Birthplace of several music genres (jazz, blues, country, folk, gospel), home of Mark Twain, essential during the Civil War

30. Mississippi River

31. Mississippi River

32. Ozark Plateau

33. Ozark Plateau
Plateau: large area of flat or rolling land at a high elevation
Most mountainous region between the Appalachians and the Rocky Mountains
Broad dome

34. Ozark Plateau

35. Ozark Plateau

36. Ozark Plateau

37. Gulf of Mexico
Gulf: part of a large body of water that extends into a shoreline, generally larger and more deeply indented than a bay
Bordered by the US (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida), Mexico, and Cuba
Ocean basin
Powerful hurricanes
Oil and fishing

38. Gulf of Mexico

39. Gulf of Mexico

40. The Great Plains
Plain: area of level land, usually at a low elevation and often covered with grasses
Broad expanse of land: prairie, steppe, and grassland
Cattle ranching, farming, bison

41. Great Plains

44. The Great Plains

45. Utah Lake
Freshwater lake in arid area of Utah Valley (largest in Utah)

46. Utah Lake

47. Utah Lake

48. Rocky Mountains Extends from Canada to New Mexico
Includes the Wasatch Range
Highest peaks in central North America

53. The Great Basin
Basin: area of land drained by a given river and its branches; area of land surrounded by lands of higher elevations
Arid climate, many deserts
No connection to the ocean, so water does not flow into rivers or oceans, but creates lakes and swamps

58. Pacific Ocean Earth’s largest ocean
Bordered by the Arctic Ocean and Antarctica. Also bordered by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.
Covers about 1/3 of the Earth’s total surface area (more than all land combined)