Alabama’s Natural Alabama’s Natural EnvironmentEnvironment

Chapter 2Chapter 2

Lesson 1 – Alabama’s RegionsLesson 1 – Alabama’s Regions

• Our state has many different kinds of landforms.

• The green areas on the map are the lowest points.

• The brown areas on the map are the highest points.

Our 5 RegionsOur 5 RegionsHighland Rim region-

1. Located in the northwestern corner of Alabama

2. Land is hilly

3. It is to the west of the Appalachian Mountains

Our 5 RegionsOur 5 RegionsCumberland Plateau

region-

1. Located southeast of the Highland Rim

2. Has plateaus, which are large areas of flat land that are higher than the land around it

3. It has the Appalachian Mountains

Our 5 RegionsOur 5 RegionsRidge and Valley region-

1. Located east of the Cumberland Plateau

2. Jagged and uneven land

3. It has valleys and sharp mountain ridges

4. The city of Birmingham is in this region

Our 5 RegionsOur 5 RegionsPiedmont region-

1. Located south and east of the first 3 regions

2. Similar in height to the Cumberland Plateau, but lower than the Ridge and Valley

3. It has Cheaha Mountain, the highest point in the state

Our 5 RegionsOur 5 RegionsCoastal Plain region-

1. The largest landform region in Alabama

2. Forests in the northern part, sandy soils in the southern part, and rich farmland in between

3. Mainly flat land

Lesson 2 – Alabama’s RiversLesson 2 – Alabama’s Rivers

• We have three main river systems– Alabama – Coosa – Tallapoosa– Tennessee– Black Warrior – Tombigbee

River SystemsRiver Systems• Two of Alabama’s river systems are connected

by the Tennessee – Tombigbee Waterway, which helps Alabama transport goods to other places in the world.

Dams were built to hold back water and to Dams were built to hold back water and to control the flowcontrol the flow

Generators in the dams use the power of the Generators in the dams use the power of the water to produce electricitywater to produce electricity

This is called hydroelectric powerThis is called hydroelectric power

Some Water Dams in AlabamaSome Water Dams in Alabama

Lesson 3 – Alabamians and the Lesson 3 – Alabamians and the EnvironmentEnvironment

• We have many natural resources• Natural resources are things in the environment

that people can use.– Water– Soil– Forests

Natural ResourcesNatural Resources

• Our temperate climate and rich soil is good for farming

• Our major crops are– Corn– Soybeans– Peanuts

Natural ResourcesNatural Resources

• Trees are an important resource in Alabama

• They provide wood, which is a raw material

• A raw material is something that is changed so that people can use it

Natural ResourcesNatural Resources

• People in Alabama have changed the natural environment

• There is now less farmland, and forests are being cut down to make new houses

• There are groups in Alabama that are trying to conserve, or save, our natural environment

George Washington CarverGeorge Washington Carver

• He found that peanuts and sweet potatoes grew well in Alabama and invented many different uses for them