United States Landforms Quiz

Landforms of the United States

• The Rocky Mountains are the longest range in the United States and stretch across several states and into Canada, reaching heights of 14,440 feet.
• The Appalachian Mountains are located on the eastern side of the country, are smaller than the Rockies, and reach peaks of 6,664 feet.
• The Sierra Nevada mountains in California, the youngest of the three major US ranges, began its uplift 4 million years ago.
• Death Valley in southern California is the hottest place on Earth with summer temperatures often over 120 degrees.
• The Great Appalachian Valley encompasses land from Canada south to Alabama and includes the Tennessee Valley and the Shenandoah Valley.
• The Grand Canyon in Arizona, designated as a national park in 1926, is 227 miles long, 18 miles wide, and a mile deep.
• Palo Duro Canyon in Texas, designated as a state park, was formed by an ancient river less than 1 million years ago and shows evidence of human occupation 12,000 years ago.
• The Mississippi River, stretching 2,350 miles, is the most famous river in the United States and serves as the source of 84% of the freshwater used in the country.
• The Great Lakes, formed by melting glaciers around 14,000 years ago, are connected to the Atlantic Ocean and provide valuable transportation routes.
• The topographical map of the United States shows the location of major landforms, including the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Death Valley, Rocky Mountains, Mississippi River, Great Lakes, Great Appalachian Valley, and Appalachian Mountains.
• The North American Landforms Map shows the extension of the Rocky Mountains into Mexico and Canada, the boundary created by the Great Lakes between the United States and Canada, and the glaciers on the island of Greenland.