©2007 Clairmont Press North Carolina: Land of Contrasts Chapter 1 The Lay of the Land Study Presentation

Chapter 1: The Lay of the Land Section 1: The Tidewater RegionThe Tidewater Region Section 2: The Coastal Plain RegionThe Coastal Plain Region Section 3: The Piedmont RegionThe Piedmont Region Section 4: The Mountains RegionThe Mountains Region Section 5: North Carolina’s Weather and ClimateNorth Carolina’s Weather and Climate

Section 1: The Tidewater Region ESSENTIAL QUESTION – What are the major features of the Tidewater Region?

Section 1: The Tidewater Region What words do I need to know? 1.sound 2.barrier islands 3.inlet 4.Gulf Stream 5.wetland 6.estuary 7.pocosin 8.savanna

Section 1: The Tidewater Region

Narrow strip of North Carolina (NC) along the Atlantic Ocean miles wide Tides affect the region’s water sounds: inland bodies of salt/fresh water mix

Barrier Islands Islands form the beach of the Tidewater Part of a chain of sand pits sticking up out of the ocean near the shore Most less than two miles across, barely above sea level, and ever changing due to surf and wind The Outer Banks are the most famous barrier islands At Cape Hatteras islands are widest; Jockey’s Ridge is tallest point (114’)Cape Hatteras Inlets: low places in the sand; allows water from the ocean into the sound “Graveyard of the Atlantic”: nickname for waters near Cape Hatteras – dangerous due to storms caused by warm Gulf Stream colliding with cold Labrador Current Cape Fear: true break in the island chain; Cape Fear River flows directly into the Atlantic

The Sounds Each sound fed by fresh water river Oldest towns in NC near the sounds Great location for trade along river routes and ocean Fishing is an important industry Sediment (soil, clay, gravel) is deposited by the rivers in the sounds – makes them too shallow for large ships estuaries: salt water wetlands; these marshes are home to shellfish and shrimpestuaries Largest Sounds Currituck Albemarle Pamlico Core Bogue

Swamps and Lakes pocosins: wetland type; Indian name means “swamp on a hill” –trees: laurel, bay, scrub oak –Alligator and Big Pocosin are the largest savanna: wetland type –tall grasses mix with various pines –example: Green Swamp (home of Venus Fly Trap) Most natural lakes in NC are in the Tidewater Lake Mattamuskeet is largest (only 6’ deep) Least populated area of the state Click here to return to Main Menu.

Section 2: The Coastal Plain Region ESSENTIAL QUESTION – What are the major features of the Coastal Plain Region?

Section 2: The Coastal Plain Region What words do I need to know? 1.crossroads hamlets 2.tobacco towns 3.Carolina bays

Section 2: The Coastal Plain Region

Stretches from Virginia to South Carolina and about 100 miles wide Covers about 1/3 of the state Rich soil and flat land make area good for farming Crossroads hamlets: serve rural areas, usually a one or two stores, church, school, etc.

Tobacco Towns Towns whose life and culture were dominated by tobacco farming Largest tobacco growing area in the world More than a half dozen tobacco warehouses per town In mid-1900s, nearly every town in the coastal plain had at least one tobacco warehouse Traditional tobacco barns are being replaced by computer-controlled “barns” Tobacco farming is declining because of health risks associated with smoking and loss of government payments to guarantee farmers’ income Longleaf pines were original plants of the region; millions of acres cut down for tobacco farming

Carolina Bays Carolina Bays are an unusual feature of the state Hundreds of elongated depressions in the ground, from ½ to 2 miles long and a mile wide Some filled with water; others are wet and mucky in wet times, and dry other parts of the year Origin unknown

The Sandhills Located northwest of the bays Sandy, rolling ridges left by ancient coast of the Atlantic Ocean Very poor soil Used as home for golf courses and Fort Bragg military installationFort Bragg Click here to return to Main Menu.

Section 3: The Piedmont Region ESSENTIAL QUESTION – What are the major features of the Piedmont Region?

Section 3: The Piedmont Region What words do I need to know? 1.fall line 2.headwaters 3.sectionalism 4.mill village 5.NASCAR 6.monadnock

Section 3: The Piedmont Region

Large region of NC known for hills and red clay soil Red clay is a subsoil brought up through the black woods dirt as a result of timber loss and plowing fields Kudzu brought from Asia to reduce erosion and save the soil This fast growing vine has grown like a weed and covered thousands of acres in the state

The Fall Line fall line: divides the coastal plain from the Piedmont – noted by the last “waterfall” a river hits on its way to the ocean Piedmont: from Latin, means “foot of the mountains” Technically, the Piedmont is a plateau, but it’s a hilly one Principal rivers: Yadkin-Pee Dee and Catawba – flow into South Carolina River “highways” connected people in western NC with SC more than they did with eastern NC, resulting in “sectionalism” Over ½ of region is forests; pines cover old farms biological succession: fast-growing pines die off and give way to oaks and hickory trees

Farms and Factories Soil made farming difficult in the Piedmont Livestock and dairy farms were more profitable, but have declined Economy of the region has depended on factories to produce textiles, furniture and cigarettes mill villages: clusters of homes in a town where mill workers lived; the company often provided the homes, schools, and stores 1990s: decline in industry Textile and furniture factories moved to Asia

Banking and Racing Charlotte: national banking center and home to NASCAR, and NASCAR Hall of FameCharlotte Winston-Salem and Durham have grown in medical service industries linked to Wake Forest and Duke Universities Salisbury: home to grocery industry Research Triangle Park: leader in pharmaceuticals and computers

The Uwharries monadnocks: geological formation in which a point of land sticks out due to erosion of surrounding land (ex. Pilot Mountain on pages 3 and 24)monadnocks Uwharrie Mountains: cluster of monadnocks south of Greensboro (ex. Morrow Mountain) – slopes and slate soil discouraged settlement Piedmont Crescent: string of towns from Raleigh to CharlottePiedmont Crescent Click here to return to Main Menu.

Section 4: The Mountains Region ESSENTIAL QUESTION – What are the major features of the Mountains Region?

Section 4: The Mountains Region What words do I need to know? 1.elevation 2.bald 3.cove

Section 4: The Mountains Region

Blue Ridge: more than 1,000 ft above the Piedmont hills; eastern boundary of the Appalachians Blue Ridge Parkway: road that runs along the top of the ridge – Cherokee NC to Waynesboro, VABlue Ridge Parkway Continental Divide – streams on the east run to the Atlantic; streams on the west run to the Gulf of Mexico

The Blue Ridge Runs from Pennsylvania to GeorgiaPennsylvania to Georgia One long landform (like the barrier islands) with peaks and gaps Early settlers depended on gaps to get through the mountains Areas in the west very isolated 1870s: tunnels and road beds laid through Swanannoa Gap – near current I-40 from Old Fort to Black Mountain

The Appalachians Run from New York to AlabamaNew York to Alabama 43 peaks in NC over 6,000 feet Mt. Mitchell (6,684 ft): highest point east of the Rockies Ranges –Black Mountains: known for dark shadows during thunderstorms –Great Smoky Mountains: dew rises in mists creating a smoky effect; tallest peaks are Clingman’s Dome and Mt. Guyot; great variety of plants –Balsams: large number of balds (places where few trees grow) example: Wayah Bald

Mountain Streams and Rocks Rivers run north and west out of NC New River and French Broad are examples Asheville is largest city in the region Cherokee built their villages along the Tennessee River Most of the over 100 lakes are manmade (ex. Lake Lure & Fontana Lake) Fontana Dam (1930s) is highest in eastern US ; built to provide cheaper electricity Famous sites: Blowing Rock, Chimney Rock, Grandfather Mountain, Nantahala River GorgeBlowing RockChimney Rock Grandfather MountainNantahala River Gorge

The Mountains Economy Early settlers isolated from others Farming, traveling, trading were more difficult Towns developed in valley areas Known for sales of local plants with medicinal properties Tourism is a major industry Christmas tree is a new and growing industry; Fraser firs most popularFraser firs Click here to return to Main Menu.

Section 5: North Carolina’s Weather and Climate ESSENTIAL QUESTION – What are characteristics of North Carolina’s climate?

Section 5: North Carolina’s Weather and Climate What words do I need to know? 1.weather 2.climate 3.westerlies 4.humidity 5.precipitation 6.tornado 7.hurricane

Section 5: North Carolina’s Weather and Climate weather: short-term atmospheric conditions climate: long-term atmospheric conditions temperate climate: general climate zone for NC; known for few extremes of temperature or precipitation during the year Day-to-day weather, however, varies

“It’s Not the Heat; It’s the Humidity” Westerly winds bring warmer air in the winter and cooler air in the summer – keeps temperatures similar across the state Mountain peaks usually coldest; Sandhills usually the warmest -34°F: record cold at Mt. Mitchell (1985) Humidity (moisture in the air) can make temperatures feel uncomfortably warm

Different Storms in Different Places Precipitation rates vary across the state SW mountains get most rain; Piedmont is the driest region (precipitation is blocked by the mountains) Mountains get most of the state’s snow Ice can cause major property damage Thunderstorms occur all over NC in summer; tornadoes less common here than in the Great Plains tornadoes NC third in US in deaths due to lightning

The Path of Hurricanes Hurricane damage sources: storm surge (huge tide on the beach); wind (can destroy homes, trees, property); flooding (slowing storm rapidly dumps the tropical rain)Hurricane Notable hurricanes: 1845, cut two inlets; Hazel (1954) winds over 150 mph; Floyd (1999) several towns in coastal plain flooded; Hugo (1989) power outages for weeks Hurricane season: June – November, peaks in September Click here to return to Main Menu.