1. As you view the slides, add
definitions and pictures
of each region to your
geographic dictionary foldable
2. LANDFORMS
Landforms are the kinds of land formations
a place has.
The types of landforms a place has are
influenced by its climate.
Physical Regions are often defined by the
landforms found there.
3.
4. 1. MOUNTAIN REGION
A mountain is a
landform that rises at
least 2,000 feet above
surrounding land;
usually wide at the
bottom and
narrowing at the top.
Mountains form a
Mountain range,
which is several
mountains in a row.
Rocky Mountains,
Western United States
5.
6. PLATEAU
Plateaus are landforms
that are found in
mountain regions.
Plateaus often come off of
mountains.
The Great Plains are
located on a plateau that
comes off the Rocky
Mountains.
Great Plains
7.
8. 2. VALLEY REGION
Valleys are low lands that
often lie between mountain
ranges.
Mountain valleys are often
good places for communities
because water runs down from
the mountains and they have
rich soil to grow crops.
There are many different types
of valleys: mountain, glacial,
canyons and rift. Appalachian Valley, USA
9.
10. Types of Valleys
Mountain Valley ~ A valley
that exists between two
mountain ranges
Glacial Valley ~ A valley that
exists in a polar region,
formed by glaciers (moving
sheets of ice). Glacial Valleys
can also be called fjords.
Canyon ~ A deep valley in an
arid region that has been
carved into a mountain by
water
Rift ~ A valley that is formed
along a fault line
Glacial Valley in Norway
Grand Canyon, USA
Great Rift Valley, Africa
11.
12. 3. RIVER BASIN REGION
A river basin is a low-lying area of land, shaped kind of like
a bowl
Basins are areas that are drained by rivers and their
tributaries. Water from the basins eventually reaches the
river mouth and runs into a sea or ocean.
A tributary is a smaller river or stream that flows into a larger one
As a river flows into
Tributary
a large body of water
a delta may form,
which is triangular
shaped and formed
from rock, sand and
other materials left
behind at the river
mouth.
Mouth
and Delta
Mississippi River Basin, USA
13.
14. 4. DESERT REGION
A desert is dry land that receives less than 10
inches of rain a year and has little to no
vegetation.
Deserts can be hot, like the Sahara in Africa,
or cold, like Antarctica.
15.
16.
17. Mesas and Buttes
Some common landforms found in desert regions are
two types of plateaus: mesas and buttes.
Table Rock Mesa in Idaho
Mesa means table.
Buttes in Monument Valley (Utah)
18.
19. 5. PLAINS REGIONS
A plain is a large area of flat or
gently rolling land.
Plains are often used by ranchers to
graze their cattle
Plains have different names
depending on location:
Plain ~ United States (also called a
prairie)
Pampas ~ South America
Steppe ~ Russia/Siberia
Savannah ~ Africa
20.
21. 6. COASTAL PLAIN REGION
The area of flat land along a sea or ocean is a
coastal plain.
A beach is a type coastal plain, but not all
coastal plains are sandy.
22.
23.
24. PENINSULA
A peninsula is part of a coastal plain that
has water on only 3 sides and is attached to
another piece of land.
A good example of a peninsula is
Florida.
A cape is like a peninsula, but is pointy
A good example of a cape is
Cape Cod in Massachusetts
25.
26. GULF and BAY
A gulf and a bay are bodies of water almost
surrounded by land.
A gulf is larger than a bay.
Bays and gulfs are located
next to coastal plains
27.
28. SEA
A sea is a large body
of water that may be
partially enclosed by
land.
A sea is larger than a
gulf and smaller than
an ocean.
29.
30. 7. ISLAND REGION
An island is a body of land totally surrounded by water
An archipelago is a series of islands
The state of Hawaii and the country of Japan are
examples
31.
32. 8. Other Words To Know…
STRAIT
A strait is a skinny
piece of water in
between two bodies of
land.
33.
34. ISTHMUS
An isthmus is a
skinny piece of land
that attaches two
bigger pieces of land.
The country of
Panama is a perfect
example. It attaches
South America to
Central America.
