Physical and Human Characteristics in Geography

Physical Characteristics

• Physical characteristics are features of the land itself, including landforms, rivers, coasts, bays, mountains, canyons, valleys, and lakes.
• The United States has a rugged terrain with many mountains, including the Rocky Mountains, Appalachian Mountains, Cascades, Alaska Range, and Sierra Nevada mountains.
• Mount McKinley in Alaska is the largest mountain in the United States, and Mount Whitney in California is the largest mountain in the contiguous United States.
• Notable valleys and canyons include Death Valley, the Grand Canyon, and Napa Valley.
• Rivers and lakes are essential for human life, providing drinking water, fertile land, and transportation routes.
• The Missouri River is the longest river in the United States, and the Mississippi River has the largest drainage system.
• Other notable rivers include the Rio Grande, the Colorado River, and the Yukon.
• The United States is home to the Great Lakes, which contain 21% of the world's fresh water, as well as the Great Salt Lake and Crater Lake.

Human Characteristics

• Human characteristics are features of a geographical area caused by human activities, including cities, towns, dams, roads, and communication links.
• The largest cities in the United States are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Philadelphia.
• These cities are often positioned near bodies of water, which provide fertile land, transportation routes, and freshwater for drinking.
• Other major cities include Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego, and Dallas.
• The wider Washington, DC metro area is home to 5.8 million people, and the San Francisco Bay Area has a population of 7.44 million people.

Learn about the physical and human characteristics of a geographical area, including landforms, human-made features, and how to display them on physical maps.