Chapter 4 Section 1 From Sea to Shining Sea

From Sea to Shining Sea United States 2807 miles from middle section of America Bounded by Atlantic, Pacific Oceans, Gulf of Mexico, Canada and Mexico 3rd Largest country in the World. 5 main physical regions Coastal plains, Appalachian , Interior Plains, Mountains and Plateaus and Pacific coast

From Sea to Shining Sea Costal Plains Broad lowlands that run along the coasts of Eastern and southeastern U.S. Excellent Harbors Soil North- Rocky South- better for growing Huge Cities- Megalopolis- huge urban areas where cities seem to connect

From Sea to Shining Sea Appalachian Mountains Piedmont Area Hilly region with good soil and fall line (area where upland region meets coastal plains and waterfalls form. Cities form here because of the ability for Power production and boats couldn’t go any farther up river. Group of Mountains that run from Alabama up to Canada Oldest mountains on North America. Tops are eroded and rounded

From Sea to Shining Sea Interior Plains 2 parts west of the Appalachians Central Lowland East of the Mississippi River Grassy hills, rolling flatlands, very fertile farmland Great Lakes are in this Area which are the largest group of freshwater lakes in the World Great Plains About 500 miles wide from Rocky Mountains east Grains, are grown, in this grassland Ranching is also a major industry

From Sea to Shining Sea Mountains and Plateaus Rocky Mountains Run from Alaska into Mexico Continental Divide- changes which way the rivers flow east vs west Steep, jagged tall peaks Plateau area Area between Rockies and Sierra Nevada Ranges Land is dry, and made up of plateaus, canyon lands Great Basin area in South and Central areas

From Sea to Shining Sea Pacific Coast Along the Pacific Coast runs the Sierra Nevada Mountains Means Snow Covered A lot of Volcanoes are in this group of Mountains The coast itself is rocky in the North and not very flat Warmer climates in the south, cooler, rainy climates in the North Have some fertile areas of Willamette Valley in Oregon and Central Valley in California

From Sea to Shining Sea Alaska Hawaii Not part of the contiguous U.S. Huge Area Has Mount McKinley in North America (20,320 ft) Northern part of the state is cold since it is north of the Arctic Circle Most people live in southern parts along coast. Milder climates Hawaii Made from volcanic eruptions, many types of climates and vegetation 8 Large Island, and many smaller ones.

From Sea to Shining Sea Variety of Climates Due to its size and changes in latitudes and elevation the U.S. has many different climate zones and will vary greatly depending on where you might be.