map skills physical features & man-made features mrs. walker 4 th grade

Map SkillsPhysical Features & Man-Made Features

Mrs. Walker4th Grade

Atlantic Coastal Plain

Atlantic Coastal Plain

Atlantic Coastal Plain

• 2,220 miles from New York to Florida

• It includes many rivers, marshes and swamps

• Soil is rich for agriculture

Great Plains

Great Plains

Great Plains

• Just east of the Rocky Mountains• Large expanses of grasslands with

few trees• Climate is harsh with dust storms,

difficult winters and low rainfall• Homestead Act of 1862 gave

people the incentive to move to this region (westward expansion)

Continental Divide

Continental Divide

Continental Divide

• “The Great Divide” (drainage divide)

• Separates the “watersheds” of the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic/Artic Oceans

• Runs from Alaska along the Rocky Mountains to the Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico

The Great Basin

The Great Basin

The Great Basin

• Largest interior watershed in the United States

• Collection basin that has no outflow to rivers or ocean

• Arid (dry) conditions• Covers a wide area of land from

Reno, Nevada to Salt Lake City, Utah.

Death Valley

Death Valley

Death Valley- View from space

Death Valley

• Located in Eastern California

• Hottest and driest location in North America

• Average high in July is 116 degrees Fahrenheit. Record high of 134 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Badwater Basin is located in Death Valley. The lowest elevation in America, 282 feet below sea level.

Gulf of Mexico

Gulf of Mexico

Gulf of Mexico

• Ocean basin surrounded by North America and the island of Cuba

• Called the “third coast”

• Known for its warm beautiful, clear waters

Great Lakes

Great Lakes

Great Lakes

• Collection of freshwater lakes on the Canada and United States border

• Connected to the Atlantic Ocean by the St. Lawrence River

• Made of 5 Lakes (HOMES): Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior

• Major source of trade and aquatic species

St. Lawrence River

St. Lawrence River

St. Lawrence River

• Large river connecting the Great Lakes and Atlantic Ocean.

• Forms part of the international boundary between Ontario, Canada and New York.

New York City, NY

New York City, NY

New York City, NY (1920)

New York City, NY (Today)

New York City, NY

• Crucial city during the Revolutionary War

• Seized by the British in 1776

• Throughout history continued to be an important city for trade

• Today it is the most populous city in the United States

Boston, MA

Boston, MA (1918)

Boston, MA (Today)

Boston, MA

• Central role in American history

• Settled by Puritans in 1630

• Center of trade for New England region

• American Revolutionary War erupted here in reaction Boston Tea Party

Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia, PA (1920)

Philadelphia, PA (Today)

Philadelphia, PA

• Founded in 1682 by William Penn

• 1750- Busiest and largest city in British America

• Played an instrumental role during the Revolutionary War

• Meeting place for the Founding Fathers

Erie Canal

Erie Canal

Erie Canal

• 363 miles from Albany, NY (Hudson River) to Buffalo, NY (Lake Erie)

• Navigable water route from Atlantic Ocean to Great Lakes

• Completed in October 1825

• Cut transportation costs for goods by 95%