The American

Landscape

Landforms are features such as

mountains, hills, plains and plateaus
that make of Earths surface.
 Valley
Avalleyis a low area between hills, often with a river
running through it.
 The United States
The United States is the third largest
country in the world and it has a
variety of landforms such as:
Mountains, plains, hills, and plateaus.
The United States has a variety of
waterways, such as:
The Great Lakes, the Mississippi
River, and the Atlantic and the
Pacific Coasts.
The United States
 Vocabulary
Landforms: are the shapes of Earths surface as mountains, hills, plateaus, plains, etc.
Sea level: is level with surface of the ocean.
Coastal plain: is an area of low land that lies along the coast of an ocean.
Appalachian Mountains: are in the eastern part of United States. They stretch for more than
1,500 miles from Alabama into Canada. They are the oldest mountain range in United States.
Interior Plains: a huge area of low grassy land.
Central Plains: eastern part of the Interior plains. You can see rivers, grassy hills and forests.
Great Plains: you can see some hills and plateaus.
Plateau: is a high, flat area of land.
Great Lakes: form the largest group of fresh water lakes in the world. (Superior, Huron, Erie,
Ontario and Michigan).
Source: of where a river begins
Mouth: is where a river empties into a larger body of water.
Tributary: is a river or stream that flows into a larger river.

Rocky Mountains: are also called Rockies. They are young.
Intermountain Region: land between mountain ranges.
Basin: is a low, bowl shaped land with higher ground around it. For example: Great Basin
Canyon: is a deep, narrow valley with steep sides.
 Plateau
A high, flat area of land.
Source: is the place where a river
begins.
 Mouth: is the place where it
empties into a large body of water.
Tributary: is a river or stream that flows into a larger
river.

Source: Small
lake in
Minnesota
Canyon: is a deep, narrow valley with steep sides.
Basin: is a low, bowl shaped land with higher ground around it.
 Cascade s
Range

Coastal
Ranges

Sierra
Nevada
The Great Basin
lies between two
plateaus
In the East In the Middle In the West
Coastal Plains is at Interior Plains Rocky Mountains form

sea the North Americas

level. largest mountain region.
Central Plains They are steep, rugged
Appalachian Great PlainsGreat and tall.
Mountains are the Ozark
oldest mountains in Plate Lakes Intermountain Region
au Huron
North America. They Great Basin
Ontario
were once very tall but Michigan Colorado Plateau
rain and wing have worn Erie Columbia Plateau
down their peaks so Superior Cascade Range
they appear rounded. Mississippi Coast Ranges
This chain of mountains River Sierra Nevada
stretches more than Runs through the Alaska Range (Mt.
1.500 miles from middle of the McKinley)
Interior Plains
Alabama into Canada. Highest Mt. Peak in N.A
Source: Small
lake in Minnesota
Mouth: Gulf of
Mexico
Along is route the
Mississippi is
joined by many
tributaries.
 QUESTIONS
What are the major landforms in United States?

What are the two major landforms that cover most of the eastern
United States?

Geographers divide the Interior plains into what two regions?

The interior plains is one of the most important farming regions in the
United States. Corn and wheat are major crops.
Why do you think this region is good for farming?

What are the oldest mountains in North America?

Which are the mountains ranges that run through the western
United States?
 ANSWERS
What are the major landforms in United States?
mountains, plateaus, hills and plains.

What are the two major landforms that cover most of the
eastern United States?
The coastal plains and the Appalachian Mountains.

Geographers divide the Interior plains into what two regions?

Central Plains and Great Plains

The interior plains is one of the most important farming regions in

the United States. Corn and wheat are major crops.
Why do you think this region is good for farming?
This region is good for farming because is a flat land, has fertile
soil, enough fresh water and sunlight .

What are the oldest mountains in North America?

The Appalachian Mountains
 Answers
Which are the mountains ranges that run through the
western United States?
Rocky Mountains, Sierra Nevada, Cascade Range, Coast Ranges
and Alaska Range.