1. U.S. Geography

2. U.S. Geography Breakdown
Broken into 7 regions:
The Atlantic-Gulf Coastal Plain
Appalachian Highlands
Interior Plains
Interior Highlands
Rocky Mountain System
Intermountain Region
Pacific Mountain System

3. U.S. Geography Shapes
The terrain of the northern United States was formed by continental ice sheets
Mountains and lakes were formed by glaciers
Rivers came from glacial runoff as the world became warmer

4. The East and Gulf Coast
The Atlantic- Gulf Coast plain runs from SE MA to the Rio Grande River in TX
This region is consists of:
Estuaries Sandspits
Embankments 6. Lagoons
Islands Bays
Harbors
The Atlantic Coastal Plain rises into the Piedmont – an area of rolling hills between the coast and Appalachian Mountains

5. Interior Plains and Highlands
Extend over 1,000 miles from the Appalachian Mts. to the Rocky Mts.
Once covered by an inland sea and comprised of sedimentary rock
Drained by the Mississippi and Missouri River
Divided into 2 regions:
Central Lowlands
Great Plains
The BLACK HILLS are the region’s only upland area

6. Western Mts. And Great Basin
Rocky mountain system divided into 4 sections:
Northern Rockies
Middle Rockies
Wyoming (Great Divide) Basin
Southern Rockies
Continental Divide: A drainage divide where water is drained to a different sea on each side

7. Western Mts. And Great Basin Continued
Intermountain Region: Lies between the Rockies and Coastal Ranges
Comprised of:
Plateaus
Basins
Ranges
This region includes the Colorado Plateau which is where the Grand Canyon formed from the Colorado River
Lowest point in N. America is Death Valley

8. Pacific Mountain System
Made up of 2 ranges:
Cascade Mts.
Sierra Nevada Mts.
These mountains were formed from faulting and volcanism

9. The Pacific
The Pacific coast lies along the San Andreas Fault from San Francisco, CA to NW Mexico
It is a Coastline of Emergence – Often the mountains plunge directly into the sea and there are few islands or quality harbors
Major Harbors Include:
Puget Sound
San Francisco
San Diego

10. Alaska and Hawaii Alaska is Broken into 4 regions: Arctic Lowlands
Rocky Mountain System
Central Basins and Highlands
Pacific Mountain System
Much of the Pacific Mountain System is high in volcanic activity
The Hawaiian Islands make up part of the Pacific Mt. System and are mainly extinct volcanoes except for Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa (both on Hawaii)

11. Major Rivers and Lakes
The Mississippi-Missouri River system is the longest in the U.S. (3890 mi. long)
Major Tributaries Include:
Red River
Ohio River
Arkansas River
The Great Lakes are the largest in North America
Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario
Great Salt Lake and Lake Lliamna are the largest outside the great Lakes