US Geography Flashcards
Great Lakes from west to east
SMH EO!
Which Great Lake is the only one entirely within the US?
Lake Michigan
The Great Lakes connect to which river to form a shipping route to the Atlantic Ocean?
St Lawrence River
Which Great Lake is the smallest and at the lowest elevation?
Lake Ontario
Which Great Lake is the largest fresh water lake by surface area in the world? Also the highest in elevation and deepest of the five
Lake Superior
A resort area located in northeast New York
Adirondack Mountains
Near Cleveland, the heart of the US rubber industry
Akron
Bordered by Yukon, Canada to the east. The 49th state admitted in 1959
Alaska
Volcanic islands located off of western Alaska
Aleutian Islands
The western part of the Appalachian Mountains. Runs from northern Pennsylvania to southwest Virginia
Allegheny Mountains
Location of US naval academy
Annapolis, Maryland
The major coal mining region of the US and very impoverished
Appalachia
Runs from the valley of the St Lawrence River to the Gulf of Mexico
Appalachian Mountains
Which city was the inspiration for the street names in monopoly?
Atlantic City
Who founded a colony in Maryland that became the largest city in the state?
Lord Baltimore
The location of the Massachusetts capitol building
Beacon Hill
A mountain chain in western Massachusetts
The Berkshires
Which city is called the Pittsburgh of the south due to its production of steel and iron?
Birmingham
Located in southwest South Dakota and northeast Wyoming. A sacred place for the Sioux. White settlement led to the battle of Little Bighorn in 1874
Black Hills
Part of the Appalachian Mountains from southern Pennsylvania to northern Georgia
Blue Ridge Mountains
Located on Lake Erie and the Niagara River
Buffalo
Formerly Cape Kennedy, home of the JFK Space Center
Cape Canaveral
A promontory island off the coast of North Carolina between the Atlantic Ocean and Pamlico Sound. Nicknamed the “Graveyard of the Atlantic”
Cape Hatteras
A volcanic chain from British Colombia to northern California
The Cascades
The designer of Central Park, ground of the US Capitol, Biltmore, and the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago
Olmsted
City named for the wife of King George III
Charlotte
Located on the Atlantic Ocean in Maryland and Virginia
Chesapeake Bay
Called the “Windy City” because of the 1893 expo. Also known as “Second City” and “Hog butcher of the world.” Downtown area is called the Loop because of the El train running around it
Chicago
An Ohio city located on the Ohio River
Cincinatti
The largest city located on Lake Erie
Cleveland
This river carved the Grand Canyon, also the site of the Hoover Dam
Colorado River
Runs from British Columbia through to Washington and Oregon. Known for salmon, the Bonneville dam, and the Coulee dam
Columbia River
An area that settlers used to pass through the Cumberland mountains to move west
Cumberland Gap
The lowest point in North America, 282 feet below sea level
Death Valley
States that seceded the Union before the firing on Fort Sumter
Deep South States
Established by acts of Congress in 1790 and 1791 on a site chosen by George Washington
Washington DC
The avenue that separates the east side of Manhattan from the west
5th Avenue
Grassland prairies that extend from Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba in Canada down through to Texas. Called the “Dust Bowl” in the 1930s due to the topsoil depletion
Great Plains
The largest body of salt water in North America
Great Salt Lake
A mountain range in the Appalachians, runs north to south in Vermont and gave the state its name
Green Mountains
The black upsurge of literature, music, and theater
Harlem Renaissance
The center of the US insurance industry
Hartford, Connecticut
The 50th state that joined in 1959
Hawaii
The beginning of the Sante Fe Trail in western Missouri
Independence
A nickname due to the fighting between those who supported the state being free vs slavery
“Bleeding Kansas”
City located at the junction of the Kansas and Missouri rivers
Kansas City
In 1957, troops were sent there to enforce “Brown vs Board of Education” ruling that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. Protect 9 students integrating into Central High School
Little Rock
Riots that took place in 1965 LA due to racism and discrimination. Sparked when Marquette Frye was pulled over by local police
Watts Riots
A summer resort island southeast of Massachusetts
Martha’s Vineyard
Part of the boundary between Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and West Virginia that was surveyed and established in the 1760s
Mason Dixon Line
Flows from Montana and joins the Mississippi River near St Louis
Missouri River
The low barren mountains and valleys located in southern California
Mojave Desert
The range featuring Mount McKinley, highest peak in North America
Alaska Range
Which 4 presidents are on Mount Rushmore?
Washington, Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt, Lincoln
The highest point in Washington state and part of the “Decade Volcanos” list
Mount Rainier
Erupted in 1980 after 123 years of inactivity
Mount Saint Helens
The home of George Washington located in northeast Virginia overlooking the Potomac River
Mount Vernon
Located in the Sierra Nevadas in eastern California, this is the highest peak in the contiguous US
Mount Whitney
A resort island off of Cape Code, known for the whaling industry
Nantucket
The location of Yale
New Haven
In 1815, Jackson repulsed the British. He hadn’t received word yet that the Treaty of Ghent had ended the War of 1812
Battle of New Orleans
A resort city in southeast Rhode Island, center of yachting in the US
Newport
Runs from Pittsburgh to the Mississippi River
Ohio River
From Missouri to Columbia River before railroads were built
Oregon Trail
What are the three pacific islands held by the US?
Caroline, Marshall, and Marianas (Guam)
Sandstone formations in northeast Arizona
Painted Desert
A mountain in high central Colorado in the front range
Pike’s Peak
Founded by Roger Williams after being exiled from Massachusetts
Providence
The capital of the Confederate states during the Civil War
Richmond, VA
A river running from Colorado to the Gulf of Mexico which creates a border bewtween the US and Mexico
Rio Grande
Located in central California, an agriculturally important area where Fresno is the largest city
San Joaquin Valley
A resort city in eastern New York known for spas and horse racing
Saratoga Springs
Located in northern Virginia between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains
Shenandoah Valley
Formed by the Holston and French Broad rivers, enters the Ohio River in western Kentucky
Tennessee River
The state named for Queen Elizabeth I, the “Virgin Queen”
Virginia
A village in New York where the military academy is located. Defended by Benedict Arnold during the Revolutionary War
West Point
A forested range in New Hampshire with Mount Washington being the highest point
White Mountains
The 1st national park in the US
Yellowstone
A place in California known for dramatic rock formations and waterfalls
Yosemite
Which military base is known as the home of the United States Air Force Academy?
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Which U.S. military base is located in Japan and is known for its strategic importance in the Asia-Pacific region?
Yokota Air Base
Which military base is the primary center for training and deploying Army forces in the U.S.?
Fort Benning, Georgia
Which military installation is known as the home of the U.S. Marine Corps?
Marine Corps Base Quantico
