Chapter 1
Lesson 2
The American Landscape
Page 18-25
Landforms – land features such as mountains, hills, valleys, plains, etc
United States is the 4th largest country in the world.
The United States in located in North America.
Sea level – level with the surface of the ocean
Coastal plains – area of low land that lies along the coast of an ocean
Appalachian Mountains:
*highest lands in eastern United States
*oldest mountains in North America
* about 1500 miles long
Interior Plains – west of Appalachian Mountains; low grassy land in the middle of
the United States
Interior Plains has 2 parts: *Central Plains
*Great Plains
South Dakota is west of the Mississippi River
Great Lakes – largest group of freshwater lakes in the world
Great Lakes are Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario (in order of size)
Plateau – high, flat area of land
Great Plains includes the Black Hills of South Dakota
Mississippi River – one of the longest river in North America; 2340 Miles long
Chapter 1
Lesson 2
Page 2
Source – place where a river starts or begins
Mouth – place where a river empties into a larger body of water
The source of the Mississippi River is a small lake in Minnesota.
The mouth of the Mississippi River is the Gulf of Mexico.
Tributary – a river or stream that flows into a larger river
Some tributaries of the Mississippi River:
*Ohio River
*Missouri River
*Arkansas River
A river system is a river and its tributaries.
West of the Interior Plains is the Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies
Rocky Mountains are the longest mountain range; more than 3000 miles long
Intermountain Region – west of the Rockies; land between mountain ranges
Basin – low, bowl-shaped land with higher ground around it
Canyon – deep, marrow valley with steep sides
Mountains west of the Rockies, near the Pacific Ocean:
*Sierra Nevada
*Cascade Range
* Coast Ranges
Mount McKinley – highest peak in North America; part of the Alaska Range
Elevation – height of land above sea level
Relief – differences in elevation