Physical and Human Characteristics in Geography

Study Notes

Physical characteristics are natural features of the land, 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.
The largest mountain in the United States is Mount McKinley in Alaska, while the largest mountain in the contiguous United States is Mount Whitney in California.
Notable valleys and canyons include Death Valley, the Grand Canyon, and Napa Valley.
Rivers and lakes are crucial for human life, providing drinking water, water for farming, and fertile land.
The Missouri and Mississippi Rivers are the largest and most important rivers in the U.S., with the Missouri being the longest river at 2,341 miles.
Other notable rivers include the Rio Grande, the Colorado River, and the Yukon.
The United States has the Great Lakes in the Northeast, which contain 21% of the world's fresh water, as well as the Great Salt Lake in Utah and Crater Lake.

Human characteristics are features of a geographical area caused by humans, including cities, towns, dams, roads, and communication links.
The largest cities in the United States are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Philadelphia, with many of these cities located near bodies of water.
River cities include New York, New Orleans, Washington, DC, and Philadelphia, while coastal cities include Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, and San Francisco.
Water is important for population growth, as it provides fertile land, transportation, and drinking water.
Other major U.S. cities include Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego, and Dallas.