Unit 1 Study Guide usi. 2 Geography Skills


Geographic Regions of North America



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8 Geographic Regions of North America

  1. Coastal Plain

  1. Located along the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.

  2. Broad lowland providing many excellent harbors.

  1. Appalachian Highlands

  1. Located west of the Coastal Plain, extending from eastern Canada to western Alabama. Includes the Piedmont.

  2. Old, eroded mountains (oldest mountain range in North America.)

  1. Canadian Shield

  1. Wrapped around Hudson Bay in a horseshoe shape.

  2. Hills worn by erosion & hundreds of lakes carved by glaciers.

  1. Interior Lowlands

  1. Located west of the Appalachian Mountains and east of the Great Plains.

  2. Rolling flatlands with many rivers, broad river valleys, & grassy hills.

  1. Great Plains

  1. Located west of Interior Lowlands and east of the Rocky Mountains.

  2. Flat lands that gradually increase in elevation westward; grasslands

  1. Rocky Mountains

  1. Located west of the Great Plains and east of the Basin & Range.

  2. Rugged Mountains stretching from Alaska almost to Mexico.

  3. High Elevations contains the Continental Divide, which determines the directional flow of rivers.

  1. Basin and Range

  1. Located west of the Rocky Mountains and east of the Sierra Nevadas and the Cascades.

  2. Varying elevations containing isolated mountain ranges and Death Valley, the lowest point in North America.

  1. Coastal Range

  1. Located along the Pacific Coast, stretching from California to Canada.

  2. Rugged mountains and fertile valleys.

Label the Map with the correct letter from the Chart.

Water'>Water

The United States has access to numerous and different bodies of water. Landforms and water features set the stage for and influence the course of events in United States history. Food resources come from oceans, rivers and lakes. Examples are fish and shellfish. One natural resource that is essential for life is fresh water.

Oceans: Atlantic, Pacific

Rivers: Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Columbia, Colorado, Rio Grande, St. Lawrence

Lakes: Great Lakes. Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. (SuperMan Helps EveryOne)

Gulf: Gulf of Mexico. Both Texas and Florida have lengthy Gulf coastlines. Both Texas and Florida were Spanish territory, and therefore the Spanish would use the Gulf of Mexico to travel. Let’s find out something interesting about New Orleans. It was settled by the French. They traveled from the Great Lakes all the way down to the Gulf on the Mississippi River. New Orleans is a port that links the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. Both Spanish and French used the Gulf of Mexico.

Bodies of water support interaction among regions, form borders, and create links to other areas.

Atlantic Ocean

Served as highway to explorers, early settlers and later immigrants.

Ohio River

The Gateway to the West. Settlers used it to move west.

Great Lakes

Inland port cities grew in the Midwest along the Great Lakes.

Mississippi & Missouri Rivers

Used to transport (send) farm and industrial products. They were links to United States ports and other parts of the world. Easy access to ports and docks.

Columbia River

Explored by Lewis and Clark

Colorado River

Explored by the Spanish. Carved the Grand Canyon.

Rio Grande River

Forms border with Mexico

Pacific Ocean

Early exploration destination. Carries products from Asia to United States.

Gulf of Mexico

Provided French and Spanish with exploration routes to Mexico and other parts of America. Touches Mississippi, Louisiana, & Texas.

The St. Lawrence River

Forms part of the northeastern border with Canada.

Connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.



Gave explorers a route into Canada.



Water (draw a map symbol beside it each feature)

Land (draw a map symbol beside each feature)

Lakes

Mountains

Rivers

Hills

Tributaries

Plains

Gulfs & Bays

Plateaus




Islands




Peninsulas


Water Term

What is it?

Draw it

Bay

An area of water surrounded by land on three sides, smaller than a gulf.




Gulf

An area of water connected to an ocean or sea. Partially surrounded by land.




Lake

An area of water surrounded by land on ALL sides




River

A stream of water flowing from high to low elevation. It empties into a lake, ocean, gulf or other body of water.




Tributary

A body of water flowing into a larger body of water




If given a map can you locate key geographic features?

Land Term

What is it?

Draw it

Island

An area of land surrounded by water.




Plateau

A flat area of land with a high elevation compared to the land surrounding it.




Mountain

A land mass with a high elevation.




Plains

An area of land that is usually flat. The might have a FEW hills, plateaus valleys or even a mountain.


Peninsula


An area of land surrounded by water on three sides.




Hill

A land mass with a higher elevation but smaller than a mountain.






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