Geography is… the study of the earth in all its variety

1. Geography is… the study of the earth in all its variety 

2. Five Themes of Geography – link history with geography Location – Where is it? Absolute location – one exact spot on the earth Relative location – where a place is compared to another place Place – What is it like? Features and characteristics that give a place its own qualities Physical (landforms, climate, plants, animals, etc) Cultural (language, religion, music, architecture, etc.) Human Environment Interaction – How does the relationship between people and their surroundings influence the way they live? Shows how people use the environment, and how their actions change the environment Movement – How do people in one area relate to people in other areas? Study the movement of people, places, and ideas Show how people get connected to others Region – What common characteristics does an area share? Physical similarities – mountains, forest, etc. Cultural similarities - government, language, etc.

5. The Land 8 Physical Regions make up the U.S. Coastal Plains - sea level –1000 ft above Atlantic Coastal Plain Borders the Atlantic from MA to FL Excellent harbors, large cities (megalopolis) Gulf Coastal Plain Borders the Gulf of Mexico from FL to TX Fed by the Mississippi River Wider than the Atlantic Plain Appalachian Highlands – 15,000 miles Run from Canada to AL Includes the oldest mountain range (Appalachian Mts.) Descends from the Mts. to the Piedmont and to the Atlantic Interior Plains – central U.S. Central lowlands – forests, rivers, flatlands, hills Largest group of freshwater lakes (Great Lakes) Great Plains – western portion High plateaus – good for fields and pastureland

6. Canadian Shield – north central U.S. Rocky, hills, and lakes - MN, MI, WI, and Canada Rocky Mountains – up to 14,000 ft. above sea level AK – Mexico Continental Divide–a ridge separating flowing waters in the U.S. W. flow to Pacific – E. to Gulf of Mexico Intermountain Region – west of Rockies Basins, plateaus, & deserts – least populated Includes the Grand Canyon and Death Valley Pacific Coast 2 major mountain ranges - Sierra Nevada and Coast Ranges western most edge – lowlands, fertile valleys Alaska is part of this region Islands, bays, and glaciers (frozen rivers of ice) Largest mountain in U.S. Mount McKinley (20,320)

8. Climate – usual pattern of weather events that occur in an area over a long period of time Affected by the distance from equator, closeness to water, elevation, etc. 10 Climate regions in the U.S. Midlatitude climates (Between the Equator and the North Pole) 1)Humid Continental – cold, wet winters; long hot summers 2)Humid Subtropical – mild, cool winters; hot, humid summers 3)Marine – mild year round with lots of rain 4)Mediterranean – warm dry summers, mild, rainy winters Dry Climate 5)Desert – trapped hot, dry air from the Pacific Mountain Ranges 6)Steppe – very cold winters, hot, dry summers High Latitude Climates 7)Tundra – bitter cold winters, summers barely above freezing 8)Subarctic – bitter cold winters slightly warmer summers 9)Highland – year round cool or cold temperatures Tropical Climates 10)Tropical – humid, high rainfall, hot summers, warm winters

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