US Geography: Physical Features and Regions

Study Notes

The US East of the Mississippi River is divided into four subregions: New England, the Mid-Atlantic, the Midwest, and the Southeast.
The Mississippi River is one of the longest rivers in the world, stretching 2320 miles (3733 km) and running through 10 states in the US and one province in Canada.
Facts about the Great Lakes:
- Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area.
- Lake Michigan's shore is home to the largest freshwater sand dunes in the world.
- The Great Lakes are the largest freshwater system in the world.
- More than 20% of all the world's freshwater is in the Great Lakes.
- Lake Superior contains half of the water in all the Great Lakes.

Early America:
- Indigenous people were the first Native Americans.
- Colonists were people who took over a land to settle there.
- In 1492, Christopher Columbus arrived in America, mistakenly thinking it was India.
Colonization:
- European countries started trying to colonize America and push the Native Americans away.
- The Europeans (UK, France, Spain, and Germany) traded with the Native Americans, migrated, and shared technology and religions.
- The Native Americans were impacted by diseases, and many died.
Settling the Land:
- European settlers bought and farmed land inland along the Mississippi River between 1700 and 1800.
- After the discovery of gold in the Southeast during the 1830s, many settlers moved to the region.
- After slavery became illegal, many people relocated from the South to the North.
- In the 1900s, many people moved to cities to work in factories.

Physical Landscape:
- The Great Plains:
  - Located in the West of the Mississippi River.
  - Flat or rolling land.
  - Tilted downward toward the East.
  - Before covered by wild grasses.
  - Now covered by farms and ranches.
- Mountains and Hills:
  - Hills were once mountains.
  - Mountains make 1/5 of the world landscape.
  - Peak reach up to 14000 feet (4267M).
- Landforms of Alaska:
  - Largest US state area.
  - Mont McKinley (or Denali) highest point in the US.
- Landforms of Hawaii:
  - About 2400 miles.
  - Located nearly Southeast of California.
  - Includes 130 islands.
  - 2 active volcanoes Mauna Loa – Kilauea.
Bodies of Water:
- Basins and Plateaus:
  - Facts about the region's bodies of water and landforms.