United States Geography
Terms
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- Mauna Loa
- Southern part of Big Island: Hawai'i, lava flow causes growth of Island, 4169 ft sister peak Mauna Kea is taller at 4205 ft
- Cascade Range
- Northern CA to British Columbia, 700 mi, volcanic peaks, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainier tallest at 14410 ft, 27 Separate Glaciers, rich timber for logging industry
- Gulf Coastal Plain
- flatlands that circle N and W of Gulf of Mexico, low, sandy, marshy, bayou flooding
- Great Salt Lake
- 41*N 112*W, remnant of Lake Bonnevile, salt and magnesium chloride, 1000 mi, largest body of salt water
- Great Basin
- desert region between Rocky MTs. and Sierra Nevada, short steep mtns, Death Valley lowest point at 282 ft., flash floods
- Mt. Mckinley (Alaska Range)
- Southern range in Alaska, tallest mountain in Alaska 20320 ft., called Denali, Park is size of Massachusetts, glaciers
- Rocky Mountains
- 3000 miles from alaska to mexico, young, jagged peaks, some volcanoes, Mt. Elbert highest peak at 14431 Ft, some permanent snow, continental divide
- Atlantic Coastal Plain
- Chesapeake bay to Florida
- St. Lawrence River
- Lake ontario to Atlantic, US/Canada bordder, canals for navigation, 744 miles, hydro-electric power
- Rio Grande River
- Border between Mexico and US, small at El Paso, Col. and NM use its water, unnavigable and hot
- Appalachian Mountains
- from St. Lawrence River to Alabama, old, rolling hills, good for farming, natural barrier,Mt. Mitchell tallest peak 6684 ft, geologic folding
- Sierra Nevada Mountains
- separates California and Nevada, 430 mi. long, Bakersfield to Lassen, largest peak is Mt. Whitney 14494 ft. highest point in US (excluding Alaska), major source of CA water, young,
- Pacific Ocean
- 1/3 of earth's surface- 70 million sq. mi; largest ocean, avg. depth 14000', deepest part 36,000', misnamed
- Missouri River
- border between Iowa/Nebraska, Big muddy, 2265 mi, Mississippi R. swallows it near St. Louis ;)
- Hudson River
- Empties into NY harbor, Erie canal connects it to Great Lakes
- Colorado River
- Grand Canyon, 1450 mi, 1000 mi of canyons, 6.5 inches of rain per 1000 years, controversies with Mex. about water
- Cape Cod
- landform at 40* N like fishhook, 1620 Pilgrims landed, glacier carved, inlets and bays, a peninsula:not cape
- Columbia River
- forms border between 2 nw states, flows into Pacific, 1210 mi from Brit. Columbia, swallows Snake River, Explored by L&C, finishs Oregon Trail, silt deposit problem
- Central Valley
- between Sierra Nevada and Coast Range, rich farmlands after 49ers gave up gold, most farms and vineyards in US, 450 by 50 mi
- Gulf of Mexico
- body west of florida, oil deposits tapped by offshore wells, 700000 sq. miles, 12714 deep
- Ohio River
- Forms a border between Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky
- Great Lakes (Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario)
- border between US/Canada, rich in furs, glacier-carved, largest body of fresh water, 95000 sq mi, HOMES
- Coast Range
- along Pacific Coast from Alaska to Baja, formed by faults and folds, friction between two plates, young
- Brooks Range
- Only E-W range, north of Alaska, can see Arctic Ocean, northern slo
- San Francisco Bay
- 50 mi. long by 3 to 13 mi., wide mouth to Pacific, Sir Francis Drake 1579
- Atlantic Ocean
- 2nd largest ocean avg depth 12,000
- Great Plains
- between Rocky Mountains and Mississippi River, N. Canada to Texas, vast inland sea, high grassland region, rich soil, wheat
- Mississippi River
- Largest River by volume, NS tranportation, fish and shrimp 2350 mi long, 1 mi wide
- Chesapeake Bay
- 200 mile long inlet east of DC, fed by many rivers,drowned mouth of Susquehanna River, protection from rough Atlantic