United States Physical Features

The United States is the third biggest country in the world, after Russia and Canada. It occupies slightly less than one-half of the North American Continent. A continent is a large land mass on Earth’s surface.

The geography of the United States includes a wide variety of landform and climates. A landform is a natural geographical feature. For example the St. Lawrence River, which flows 1,900 miles in a northeasterly direction, connects the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean on the Eastern coast of Canada. Part of this river forms the international boundary between Canada and New York State. In 1959, Canada and the United States completed a joint project, the St. Lawrence Seaway Project, which opened the waterway to deep-water ships.

The Atlantic Coastal Plain extends from northern New Jersey down the eastern seaboard to Florida. This region has many marshes, bays, deep harbors, and swamps. It is used mainly for agriculture. The western edge of the Atlantic Coastal Plain is bound by the Appalachian Mountains. This mountain chain includes remnants of much older and higher mountains. After millions of years of wind and rain, they are now low and rounded. The Appalachians extend for over 1,500 miles from Canada through New England to the southeastern United States.

The Great Lakes are located in the north-central region of the United States. The combined area of these five lakes represents the largest surface of fresh water in the world. To the west of the Great Lakes, the Mississippi River rises in the North Woods of Minnesota. The Mississippi is on the longest rivers in North America and the third longest in the world. It flows about 2,350 miles through the Midwestern region of America down to the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf of Mexico is a large body of water adjoining the coastlines of the southern states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. To the west of the Mississippi River are the Great Plains. Plains are a generally flay, grassy region with few or no trees. Together with the Midwest, the Great Plains region is sometimes called America’s breadbasket because of its fertile soil. The region features miles of flat farmland where corn, oats, and wheat provide grain for America and the world.

Rising up from the western edge of the Great Plains are the Rocky Mountains. The Rockies stretch almost 3,000 miles from Canada to New Mexico. Some of the country’s most unspoiled wilderness areas are found among the many mountain ranges that make up the Rocky Mountains. The Continental Divide runs along the crest, or highest peaks, of the Rockies. It divides the flow of water into east and west directions. Rivers that flow east from the Rockies drain into the Hudson Bay and the Mississippi River. Rivers that flow west from the Rockies drain in to the Pacific Ocean.

West of the Rockies lies the Great Basin. The Great Basin covers almost 200,000 square miles. It includes most of the state of Nevada, as well as the western half of Utah. The Basin consists of north-south mountain ridges which are separated by broad valleys. There are many mineral resources in the Great Basin.

Death Valley is located in southeastern California. Death Valley is the lowest, hottest, and driest part of North America. The valley runs north-south and measures about 140 miles long and about 5-15 miles wide. Death Valley is now a national park.

Assignment:

Create a bubble map with the Landforms of the U.S. as your topic title and list the following subtitles around the circle map. You must write down the states that each land form crosses.

  • Subtopics:
  • The Continental Divide
  • The Atlantic Coastal Plains
  • The Great Plains
  • Death Valley
  • The Gulf of Mexico
  • The Great Basin
  • The St. Lawrence River
  • The Great Lakes

Resources:

  • Landforms of the U.S. Handout
  • Map on pg R54-R55 in Social Studies text.