The Impact of Water through US History Flashcards
What are the two major oceans in the US?
The Atlantic & Pacific
What is the significance of the Atlantic Ocean
It was a major highway for explorers, early settlers, and later immigrants.
Ohio River
Gateway to the west prior to the Louisiana purchase
The Mississippi and Missouri River…
Transport farm and industrial products
Columbia River
Explored by the Spanish
Rio Grande River
Forms part of the border with Mexico
Saint Lawrence River
Borders with Canada and connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean
What are Mountains?
Natural elevations of the earth’s surface rising to an altitude higher than a hill.
What are Rivers?
Natural streams of water, usually of large size and flowing in a definite direction.
What are gulfs and bays?
Portions of an ocean that are partly enclosed by land.
What are hills?
Natural elevations of land that is smaller than a mountain.
What are lakes?
Bodies of water surrounded by land.
Extensive level - usually treeless areas of land.
Plains
Elevated areas of land with level surfaces
Plateaus
Areas of land completely surrounded by water
Islands
Areas of land almost completely surrounded almost completely surrounded by water
Peninsulas
Streams that flow into larger bodies of water.
Tributaries
This plain is along the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. It has broad lowlands providing many excellent harbors.
Coastal Plain
These Mountains are west of the Coastal Plain extending from eastern Canada to Western Alabama including Piedmont. They are old, eroded, mountains and the oldest mountain range in North America.
Appalachian Mountains
The __________ is wrapped around the Hudson Bay in a horseshoe shape. It includes hills worn by erosion and hundreds of lakes covered by glaciers.
The Canadian Shield
The ___________ are west of the Appalachian Mountains and east of the Great Plains. They are rolling flatlands with many rivers, broad river valleys and grassy hills.
Interior Lowlands
The ____________ are west of the interior Lowlands and east of the Rocky Mountains.
- flat land that gradually increases in elevation westwards.
- contain grasslands.
Great Plains
The _______ Mountains are west of the Great Plains and east of the Basin and Range.
-Rugged mountains stretching from Alaska almost to Mexico with high elevations
-Contain the Contintenial Divide
Rocky Mountains
