Mr. Dowling
Physical Regions of the United States
To what extent is the United States a nation of diverse landforms?
There are eight physical regions in the United States.
1. Pacific Coast-Westernmost region of North America-includes high mountain ranges (Sierra Nevada and Cascades
2. Intermountain Region-the area between the mountains on the Pacific Coast and the Rocky Mountains-deserts, mountains, plateaus, canyons
3. Rocky Mountains-highest mountains in North America
4. Interior Plains-fertile soil for farming, grass lands for raising cattle-Great Plains and the Central Plains
5. Appalachian Mountains-eastern part of North America-Stretches from Canada to Georgia-lower and less rugged than the Rocky Mountains
6. Canadian Shield-Mostly in eastern Canada and extends into Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota
7. Coastal Plains-This is where we live. There are 2 sections of the Coastal Plains, the Atlantic Coast and the Gulf Plains (near the Gulf of Mexico)-flat, lowland area
8. Hawaiian Islands-wet, tropical climate, dense tropical rainforest