2. With a partner, think of some major
geographic landforms in the United States.
List them out, be sure to mention them by
name!
Ex. The Rocky Mountains
3.
4. The vast and varied landscape and abundant
resources have attracted immigrants and shaped
the development of the United States
5. All major types of
landforms are
found in U.S. from
towering mountain
ranges to low lying
coastal plains as
well as tropical
forests and
deserts.
6. The Coastal Plain
is a low lying, flat
area that extends
from Delaware
down to Florida.
This area features
many excellent
harbors such as
the Chesapeake
Bay
7. Appalachian Mountains run
1,600 miles from Maine to
Alabama
- include Green and Catskill
mountains in the north
- Blue Ridge and Great Smoky
mountains in the south
More than 400 million years old
Erosion has created gentle
slopes, peaks from 1,200–2,400
feet
The Appalachian Trail is a
scenic hiking path along the
chain
8.
9.
10.
11. Mt. Rushmore is
probably one of
the most famous
monuments in
the United States
carved out the
side of the
mountain in the
Black Hills, South
Dakota.
12. Because the Black Hills are
sacred to the Native American
Lakota people, a more fitting
monument is that of Crazy
Horse.
Crazy Horse was a great,
compassionate leader of the
Lakota’s during their darkest
days.
Because the original sculptor
died in 1982, the memorial has
no timetable to be completed.
Funding has been an issue since
they refuse assistance from the
government.
13. When complete,
the sculpture will
be 641 feet wide
and 563 feet high.
- compare that to Mt.
Rushmore where the
heads are 60 ft. high
It will be the
largest sculpture
in the world.
14. Ancient glaciers
leveled the land,
left fertile soil
The Great Plains
extend from west
from the
Mississippi River all
the way to the
Rocky Mountains
15.
16. I thought the Rocky
Mountains would be a
little rockier than
this…
So did I…
That John Denver is full
of it, man!
17. Rocky Mountains run
3,000 miles from Alaska
to New Mexico
Relatively young: 80
million years old
Less erosion means
rugged, 12,000-foot,
snow-covered peaks
Continental Divide—the
line of highest points
along the Rockies
18.
19.
20.
21. Between the
Rockies and the
Pacific Ocean is a
land of varied
landforms.
Such landforms
include mountain
ranges, valleys,
canyons and
deserts.
22.
23. Mt. McKinley is the
tallest mountain in
the United States.
It is measured at
20,320ft!
The natives
originally named it
Denali, meaning
“the high one”.
26. Death Valley is the
lowest, driest,
hottest location in
North America.
The hottest
temperature ever
recorded there was a
staggering 134
degrees Fahrenheit!
That’s just 2 degrees
shy of the world
record!
27.
28. The Grand Canyon
is one the largest
canyons in all the
world.
Carved out by the
Colorado River for
millions of years,
it is 277 miles
long, up to 18
miles wide and
over a mile deep
in some areas!
31. The United States does
not have many large
islands.
The largest would be the
Hawaiian Islands which
are linked to the United
States politically rather
than geographically.
Alaska’s Aleutian Islands
and the Florida Keys are
other small island chains.
32.
33. The United States is
bound by waterways
including the Atlantic
and Pacific Ocean and
the Gulf of Mexico.
The country also has
many large lakes and
rivers that provide -
transportation,
hydroelectric power,
irrigation, fresh
water, fisheries.
35. The Mississippi River is
the longest river in the
United States and 4th
longest in the world.
It flows for 2,320
miles!
The Mississippi and its
tributaries, the Ohio
and Missouri Rivers,
make it the largest and
busiest system in the
United States.
36.
37. The United States
consists of thousands
of lakes.
Some of the largest
freshwater lakes in
the world are the
Great Lakes in the
Midwest which border
Canada.
- Huron - Michigan
- Ontario - Erie
- Superior
38. Utah’s Great Salt
Lake is the largest
salt water lake
(inland sea) in the
Western Hemisphere!
The lake has very
high salinity and is
far saltier than sea
water.