Physical Regions of the U.S.

Coastal Lowlands

• Southeastern Maine to Eastern and Southern U.S. to Eastern Texas.– Forests of hickory, oak, pine, and other trees. – Three Subdivisions

• The Piedmont

– Southern New York to Atlanta.– In the north referred to as the fall line.

• The Atlantic Coastal Plain– Piedmont to Atlantic Ocean, New England to

Florida• In the south, cotton, vegetables, citrus fruit, and

tobacco.

• Resorts and Beaches

• Gulf Coastal Plain

– Florida to Southern Texas

• Fertile Farmland

• Petroleum and natural gas

Appalachian Highlands(Mountains)

• Maine to Alabama– White Mts., Green Mts., Cumberland Mts.,

Allegheny Mts., Great Smokey Mountains

Resources

• Coal

• Iron

• Oil

Foliage:

Forest of Pine,

Oak and Maple

• Highest Point:

Mt. Mitchell in N.C. 6,684 ft

Canadian Shield• Area around the Great Lakes

– Covered by glaciers as recently as10,000 years ago

– Forest of Spruce, and Fir – Many winter outdoor activities

Interior Plains

• Extends from Appalachians to the Rocky Mountains

• Sub Regions– Central Lowlands

• From the Appalachian mtns To just west of the Mississippi River.

• Rich farmland for soybeans and corn

– Great Plains• From the Rocky Mountains to west of the

Mississippi

• Known to the pioneers as the “ Great American Desert”

• Grassland

– Bison

– Grain Farming

– Cattle and sheep ranching

Ozark Plateau/Highlands

• Between the Central and Gulf Coastal lowlands in Southern Missouri, Northwest Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma.

• Much of the area is poor farming except in the river valleys.

• Coal, Iron Ore and other minerals are valuable resources

Rocky Mountains

• The largest mountain system in North America that extends from Alaska to Southern New Mexico

• Known as the Continental Divide, it separates water flowing to the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

• Forests cover the lower slopes of the mountains and they are the home to many types of wildlife.

• Timber, mining and recreation are the important industries of the area.

• Some cattle and sheep are raised in the valleys and meadows and crops are grown in the lower valleys.

• The highest place is Mt. Elbert in Colorado at 14,433 ft above sea level.

Intermountain Region

• Located between the Rockies and the Pacific Coast Mountains

• Subdivisions:– Columbia Plateau– Colorado Plateau– The Basin and Range Area

Columbia Plateau

• Located in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Northern Nevada

• Fertile volcanic soil, best grain and fruit crops in the northwest

Colorado Plateau

• Unusual land forms in America such as flat topped rock formations, natural bridges, Grand Canyon

• Indians lived here in cliff dwellings

The Basin and Range Area

• The mountain and desert lowlands between the Columbian and Colorado Plateaus

• Also known as the Great Basin

Includes “Death Valley” the lowest place in elevation in the U.S. at 282 ft. below sea level.

The Pacific Coast Mountains and Valleys

• The coast from southern California to Alaska

• Evergreen forests provide raw material for lumber and paper

• Volcanic activity formed the Cascades, Lassen Peak in California and Mt. St. Helen’s in Washington, volcanoes today.

• The eastern boundary is the Cascade Range in the north and the Sierra Nevada Range in the south.

• The Sierras are granite mountains with many lakes and waterfalls.

• The western boundary is the coast range which hassome major harbors such as Puget Sound and San Francisco Bay.