The United States of America

Major Physical Features

• Eastern Lowlands– Flat coastal plain that runs along the Atlantic

Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico

• Piedmont– Low plateau area, rolling hills, with many fast-

flowing rivers and streams– Lies between the Eastern Lowlands and the

Appalachian Mountains

• Appalachian Mountains– West of the coastal plain/piedmont areas– Extend 1,600 miles from Newfoundland to

Alabama– Contain several different ranges such as the Great

Smoky Mountains, Blue Ridge Mountains, Green Mountains, and the Catskill Mountains

– The chain is over 400 million years old, and have been eroded

– The highest peaks range from 1,200 -2,400 feet high

The Interior Lowlands:

Interior Plains• Spread from the

Appalachian Mountains to about 300 miles past the Mississippi River

• Gradually rise from just above sea level to over 2,000 feet

Great Plains• Lie between the Interior

Plains and the Rocky Mountains

• A mostly treeless area• Rises from 2,000 to 4,000

feet above sea level

•Huge expanse of mostly level land•Flattened by glaciers thousands of years ago•Includes lowlands, rolling hills, thousands of lakes and rivers, and very fertile soil

• Rocky Mountains – Western mountain chain– Extends 3,000 miles from Alaska to New Mexico– Only 80 million years old, many peaks are over

12,000 feet high– They have many jagged, snow covered peaks– Continental Divide is made up of the line of

highest points in the Rockies• Separates rivers that flow eastward and westward

• Area between Rockies and coastal mountains is full of steep cliffs, deep canyons, and lowland desert areas – Death Valley temperatures can reach 130⁰ F.• This is the lowest point in the Western hemisphere at

282 feet below sea level

• Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountains – Line the west coast from California to Alaska– North America’s highest peak:• Mt. McKinley in Alaska is 20,320 feet above sea level

Oceans and Waterways• The United States is surrounded by three oceans:

the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic Oceans• Great Lakes– Five of the world’s largest lakes: Lake Huron, Lake

Erie, Lake Ontario, Lake Michigan, Lake Superior.– All five flow into the St. Lawrence River to create one

of the world’s largest shipping routes.• Mississippi River– Runs from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico– North America’s longest and busiest river system– The Ohio river and the Missouri rivers are the main

tributaries of the Mississippi

Climate and Vegetation

• Alaskan Tundra– Long, cold winters and brief, chilly summers– July temperatures are only around 40⁰F– Largely a treeless plain– Permafrost is permanently frozen ground found in

the Tundra.

• The Rocky Mountains and Pacific Coast have a highland climate.– Temperatures vary with elevation and latitude– Rocky Mountains influence rainfall • Moisture from the Pacific ocean gets trapped in the

coastal areas, making those areas fairly rainy– Areas along the Pacific Coast are described as having a Marine

climate.– Climate is also affected by Pacific currents and prevailing winds, which are winds that blow from west to east

in the middle of the latitudes.– Washington’s coastal area has a cool, wet rainforest!

• Areas to the East of the Rocky Mountains are very dry.

• The North central and Northeastern United States have a Moderate climate.– Winters are cold, Summers are warm.– The climate and fertile soil of this area make it a

productive agricultural area.– Mixed forests are also abundant in this area.

• Southwestern states have a desert climate.– Less than 10 inches of rainfall per year.– Mostly barren, rock or sand areas.

• The Great Plains also have a dry climate.– Less than 15 inches of rainfall per year– Vegetation is mostly short grasses and shrubs

• Southern states have a humid subtropical climate.– Summers are hot and humid, with temperatures

between 75⁰ F and 90⁰ F.– Winters are generally mild and cool.– Mild temperatures and adequate rainfall give this

area an extended growing season for crops.

• Tropical climates are only found in Hawaii and southern Florida.– Temperatures hover around 70⁰F most of the year.– Hawaii’s climate supports lush rainforests.– Kauai receives 460 inches or rain annually– Southern Florida is home to the Everglades, a

swampland that covers over 4,000 square miles.

Westward Expansion

• In the 1840s, the northern states had become a booming industrial area. The southern states were mostly agricultural.

• Immigrants from Europe began pouring into the United States. Over 14 million immigrants arrived between 1860 and 1900.

• Some Americans began settling in areas west of the Mississippi river.

• Pioneers usually traveled in wagon trains, or groups of covered wagons across the Great Plains to the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Coast.

• Traveler’s on the Oregon Trail faced up to six months of travel time!

Railroads

• The first transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869.– This allowed people, products, and cattle to travel

from the East and West much faster than before.– By 1890, over 17 million people lived between the

Mississippi river and the Pacific Ocean.

Urban Sprawl

• Urban sprawl is poorly planned development that spreads a city’s population over a wider and wider area.

• Other causes of urban sprawl are widespread uses of autos and expressways. Most Americans prefer this type of transportation over mass transit.

• Populations in U.S. cities have declined by 20% since 1970 due to people moving to suburbs and outlying areas.

• Urban sprawl can have a negative impact.– Commuter traffic strains a city’s infrastructure.– Infrastructure is the basic facilities, services, and

machinery needed in a community.• Road and bridge maintenance.• Additional pollution caused by cars and trucks.

• Roads and utilities in suburban areas are often more expensive than in high-density cities.

• Urban sprawl can also separate classes of people.– Those with higher incomes often move to suburban

areas, leaving those with lower incomes in the inner-city areas.

• Plans for smart growth, or efficient use and conservation of land and resources, are one solution to urban sprawl.

• This usually includes encouraging development inside city limits.

• Good public transportation systems also allow smart growth by cutting down on auto traffic.

• Megalopolis is the term used to describe several nearby built-up urban areas. – One example would be the area from Washington

D.C. to Boston.

Growth of Transportation and Communication

• 1790–1830 – The Horse and Wagon Era

• 1830 – Joseph Henry developed an electromagnetic signal that would later become the telegraph.

• 1838- Samuel Morse developed signals to be sent over an electric telegraph wire. These symbols became known as Morse code.

• 1830-1870 – The development of regional railroads.

• 1870 – Transcontinental Railroad begins the development of national railroad systems.

• 1876 – Alexander Graham Bell invented the electrical speech machine, also known as the telephone.

• 1913 - Ford Auto Plants streamline manufacturing with an assembly line, allowing cars to be produced cheaper and faster.

• 1920 – Beginning of the Automobile and Airplane Era.

• 1920 - KDKA Pittsburgh began mass broadcastings of radio programming.

• 1947- First mass television broadcast of the World Series.

• 1959 – First computer use made possible.

• 1961 – U.S. begins sending astronauts into outer space.

• 1969 – The U.S. Department of Defense developed a computer network that would later lead to the Internet.

• 1973 – Martin Cooper of the Motorola Corporation made the first cell phone call.

• 2000 – Scientists successfully mapped human DNA and created new fields in Biotechnology.