The United States of America

1. The United States of America

2. 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

3. 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

4. The Interior Lowlands: • 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 Interior Plains 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 • 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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

11. 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.

13. 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!

14. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. 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.

19. 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.

20. 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.

21. 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.

22. 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.