US Physical Characteristics

Regions

West

From the Rocky Mountains to the Western edges of the nation (including Hawaii and Alaska)

Region with varied climate (arctic to tropical).

Economy goes from agriculture to technology development to tourism and everything in between.

Includes: Pacific Ocean, Rocky Mountains, and San Francisco.

Midwest

Between the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains

Has moderate climate with four distinct seasons.

Economically focused on agriculture (livestock, corn, wheat, soy beans, etc.).

Includes: Mississippi River, Missouri River, Ohio River, Chicago, Great Lakes

Northeast

Located east of the Appalachian Mountains and North of the Mason-Dixon Line.

Climate tends to have cooler summers and cold winters.

Economic activity relies heavily on industry.

Includes: Atlantic Ocean, New York, Boston, Appalachian Mountains.

Southeast

South of the Ohio River and East of the Mississippi/Missouri.

Hot summers with mild winters.

Economy is largely focused on agriculture (livestock, cotton, fruit, tobacco, etc.) and service industry.

Includes: Atlantic, Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio Rivers, Appalachian Mountains, Miami, New Orleans.

Southwest

Located between the Colorado and Mississippi Rivers in the Southern US.

Climate tends to be hot and dry.

Economic activities include agriculture (livestock) and mining.

Includes: Rio Grande, Colorado Rivers, Gulf of Mexico, Houston.

North Carolina Geography

Four Regions of North Carolina

• Tidewater

• Coastal Plain

• Piedmont

• Mountains

Tidewater Region

• Borders Atlantic Ocean

• Barrier Islands-Long chain of islands off the coast of NC include the most famous, Outer Banks.

• The barrier islands are ever shifting and vary in size due to tides and wind patterns.

• Among the barrier islands are some famous Capes in North Carolina

• Cape-a pointed piece of land

that sticks out into a sea, ocean

lake, or river.

North Carolina Capes:

Cape Fear and Cape Hatteras

• A sound is a wide inlet of the sea or ocean that is parallel to the coastline; it often separates a coastline from a nearby island.

• Major Sounds in North Carolina:

• Currituck Sound, Albemarle Sound, Pamlico Sound, Core Sound and Bogue Sound.

• The largest and deepest sound is the Pamlico Sound

• Climate of the Tidewater Region:

• Mild Winters and Moderate Summers make the climate of this area welcoming to visitors.

Coastal Plain Region

• Has some of the best farmland in NC due to rich sandy soil.

• Sandhills, an area of flat rolling hills part of Coastal Plain. Poorest soil in the state.

• Pinehurst is a popular part of the Sandhills due to the golf courses

Piedmont Region• Known for the red clay.

• Portion of NC that we live in

• Fall Line separates the Piedmont from the Coastal Plain

• Distinct landform in Piedmont is the monadnocks.

• Monadnocks- a point of land that stands out because all the land around it has been eroded around it.

• Pilot Mountain is the most famous of these

Mountains

• Mountain Region is the region furthest west in NC.

• Blue Ridge Mountains form the eastern boundary of the Appalachian Mountains.

• Appalachian Mountains contain Mt.Mitchell, which is the tallest Mountain east of the Rocky Mountains.

• Great Smoky Mountains another famous mountain range in NC