1. The Northeast Region

2. What are the BIG IDEAS about the environment of the Northeast?
From the mountains to the coast
Forests and farms
Seaways and cities

3. Along the Atlantic Coast

4. What are the 2 major landforms of the Northeast?
Atlantic Coastal Plain
Mountain Ranges

5. The Atlantic Coastal Plain
Landform that is shared with the Southeast region
Flat land along the Atlantic coast with many deep harbors
Allows cities such as Philadelphia and NYC to easily trade with other regions and countries
**This has helped make the Northeast an important trading center.**
Many bays that border the jagged Atlantic coast—provide seafood

6. Quick check! What features make up the Atlantic Coastal Plain?
Flat land
Deep harbors
Major cities
Bays

7. Mountain Ranges
Appalachian Mountains—mountain chain that runs through Northeast and Southeast
Made up of several smaller groups of mountain chains (Green Mountains, White Mountains, Catskill Mountains, and Allegheny Mountains)
Not very high due to wind, water, and ice wearing them down
Appalachian Trail—longest marked footpath in the world
*stretches from Maine to Georgia for more than 2,000 miles

9. Trees and forests
Trees grow well due to closeness to ocean and lots of precipitation.
Two types of trees:
Broadleaf—wide leaves, change color in autumn
Needleleaf—long, thin, needle-like leaves that do not change color in autumn; also called “evergreens”

10. A Colorful Environment

11. Why four seasons? Fall Foliage
Earth spins on a tilt as it circles the sun
Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the sun in July, making it warmer
Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the sun in December, making it colder
Leaves stop making green pigment when the temperature falls in autumn
Without the green pigment, other colors in the leaves show through.

12. Natural Resources Soil Trees Water Rock and Stone
*Best soil for growing crops found in Middle Atlantic states
*Lettuce, sweet corn, tomatoes, and onions
*New England soil is rockier
*Most farmers raise animals
Trees
*Important natural resource
*Used to make paper and pencils
Water
*Atlantic Ocean—important!
*Thousands of freshwater lakes and underground springs inland
Rock and Stone
*Large deposits of granite in VT and NH
*Rocks and stone are mined from quarries

13. Seaways and Cities

14. St. Lawrence River 1959—St. Lawrence Seaway was completed
Made it possible to travel from Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes
Connects northeastern cities such as Buffalo to cities in Canada, like Montreal, Quebec
A system of canals was built so it was easier for large ships to travel on the St. Lawrence River.
Locks on the canal help ships move from one level to another

15. Cities Rise in the Northeast
Construction of buildings, highways, bridges, and tunnels as people moved to the region
Largest cities in the Northeast and the country—Boston, Philadelphia, New York City, and Washington, D.C.
Suburbs sprung up close to the large cities
New forms of transportation allowed people to move away from the city (subways, buses, cars)
People could commute to work
Suburbs and urban areas (cities) make up a metropolitan area
Northeast has more metropolitan areas than any other region