Social Studies Chapter 7 Section 1 Landform Regions of North America

Appalachian Highlands

The Appalachian mountains rise to the west and north of the Piedmont. The Appalachians stretch from Alabama to southeastern Canada and include several mountain ranges. Among these are the Blue Ridge, Catskill, and Green Mountains. The mountains are low, and eroded.

Rocky Mountains

The Rocky Mountains stretch from New Mexico to Canada. There are many high peaks, with several mountain ranges. High plains and valleys separate the region. There is also tall, rocky, and rigid mountain ranges.

Western United States and Canada

The landforms are newer with a younger landscape. There you will find steep mountains, active volcanoes, deep canyons, and high plateaus.

Eastern United States and Canada

The landforms are older than those of the western half. Have been eroded, and rolling hills and flatland cover most of the region.

Gulf-Atlantic Coastal Plain

A long coastal plain that stretches along the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico from New England to Mexico. This low plain lies close to sea level and rises gradually inland. Some barrier Islands have formed.

Interior plains

Between the Appalachians and Rocky Mountains lie the vast interior plains. The Mississippi River and its many tributaries drain most of this region. Glaciers covered most of the interior plain during the last ice age. There are thousands of lakes and rivers there because of this. The area includes rolling hills, and productive soil.

Great Plains

Farther west are the Great Plains, a subregion of the interior plains. The Great Plains stretch from south-central Canada into Texas and Mexico and reach to the eastern edge of the rockies. This land has fertile soil, and elevated land.

Piedmont

Inland from the Coastal plain lies the Piedmont. It is an area at or near the foot of a mountain range. It stretches from New Jersey to Alabama.

Interior Highlands

It stretches from Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Like the Appalachians, these interior highlands are a region of old eroded uplands. The land is elevated, and is very fertile.

Canadian Shield

North of the interior plains lies the Canadian Shield. This arc of ancient rock covers half of Canada. The Canadian shield is centered on the Hudson Bay. It stretches from the Arctic Ocean eastward to the Atlantic coast. This area has been thoroughly scraped by glaciers . This process left a rough rocky landscape with little soil for productive farmland.

Intermountain Basin and Plateaus

Stretch from north west part of Canada to the west of the United States and to the lower area of the United states. It Is The area in between the Sierra Nevada's and the Rockies. Has deep canyons, desert basins, and plateaus.

Pacific Mountains and Valleys

Stretch from the North West part of Canada, and from Washington down to California. Is on the eastern edge of the Pacific Ocean. This region has 3 mountain systems and a series of valleys between these mountains. Has a mountains system with valleys in between them.