Chapter 5 The United States Physical Geography of

Chapter 5 – The United States Physical Geography of the United States Human Geography of the United States People & Their Environment: The United States Physical Geography of Texas Human Geography of Texas

Physical Geography of the United States • The U. S. has over 3. 5 million sq. miles. • Third largest country in the world. • Highest point in the U. S. - Mt. Mc. Kinley (Denali), Alaska, 20, 320

Physical Geography of the United States • Tributaries – a small river or stream that feed into a larger river. • Mississippi River – Longest river in the U. S. • • 2, 350 miles Headwaters are in Minnesota 1. 5 miles wide at its mouth Empties into the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana • Headwaters – the source of a stream or river. • Colorado River & Rio Grande • Rocky Mountains • Divide – the high point or ridge that determines the direction of flow. • Continental Divide – high ridge in the Rocky Mountains. • West flowing rivers flow to the Pacific Ocean • East flowing rivers flow toward Arctic Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Hudson Bay, and Mississippi River • Fall Line – a boundary in the eastern U. S. where the higher land of the Piedmont drops to the lower Atlantic Coastal Plain.

Physical Geography of the United States • Hurricanes - ocean storms hundreds of miles wide with sustained winds of at least 74 miles per hour that form over warm ocean waters, generally off the coast of west Africa • Saffir-Simpson Scale • Categories 1 -5 • Based on wind speed • 74 mph winds

Before & after Hurricane Ike - Galveston

Physical Geography of the United States • The Great Lakes • Superior, Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie (SHOME) • Carved by glaciers • Climates, Biomes, and Resources • Climates range from Tropical to Tundra • Fossil Fuels - a resource formed in the Earth by plant and animal remains over hundreds of millions of years. • Non-renewable • Coal, petroleum, natural gas • Texas & Alaska rank 1 & 2 in U. S. petroleum reserves • U. S. has largest know coal reserves in the world

Human Geography of the United States • Conflicts - a competition or struggle. • Underground Railroad - a network of safe houses in the United States that helped thousands of enslaved people escape to freedom. • Dry farming - a farming method used in dry regions in which crops are grown that rely on the natural precipitation. • Manufacturing Belt - a concentrated region of manufacturing industries in the northeastern and Midwestern United States. • Immigrate - to change residence from a country to begin living permanently in another country. • Sunbelt - a mild climate region in the southern and southwestern portions of the United States. • Megalopolis - a large population concentration made up of several large and many smaller cities, such as the area between Boston and Washington, D. C.

Human Geography of the United States • Post-industrial - economy that emphasizes services and technology rather than industry and manufacturing. • Foreclosure - legal proceeding in which a borrower’s rights to a property are relinquished due to his or her inability to make payments on the loan.

People and Their Environment • Clear cutting – the removal of whole forests when harvesting timber.

People and Their Environment • Acid rain – precipitation carrying large amounts of dissolved acids. • Cars, power plants, & factories release sulfur dioxide & nitrogen oxide that reacts with water vapor. • Kills wildlife • Corrodes buildings • Damages crops • Pollutes soil & water

People and Their Environment • Smog – haze caused by a mixture of atmospheric pollutants. • Car exhaust, carbon monoxide, smoke, etc. • Kills plants • Harm human’s eyes, throats, and lungs

People and Their Environment • Eutrophication - process by which a body of water becomes too rich in dissolved nutrients, leading to plant growth that depletes oxygen in the water. • Red Tide • Acre-foot – the volume of water that will cover an acre in area one foot deep. • ~324, 000 gallons • Serves a family of five for one year • Aqueducts – a system of channels & pipelines used to carry large quantities of water.

Physical Geography of Texas • Natural Regions of Texas • Coastal Plains • • • Largest Region Houston, Corpus Christi, Austin, San Antonio Flat & low-lying on the coast Rolling & hilly inland Plentiful water & fertile soil = good agriculture Natural resources • Pine trees • Grasslands for cattle • Fertile soils • Cotton, rice, veggies, & grains • Petrochemicals – chemicals derived from petroleum or natural gas. • Agribusiness – industries involved in the production, distribution, and marketing of farm products, supplies, and equipment. • South Texas & Rio Grand Valley • Rio Grande – 1270 miles

Physical Geography of Texas • North Central Plains • Escarpments – steep cliffs between higher and lower land. • Higher elevation = colder winter/hotter summer • Great Plains • Dry region • West Central & The Panhandle • Northers - blasts of cold northern air that sweep across the plains, can sometimes drop winter temperatures below freezing. • Llano Basin, Edwards Plateau, & the High Plains • Edwards Aquifer • Palo Duro Canyon Caprock Escarpment

Physical Geography of Texas • Mountains & Basins • Highest & Driest region • Part of the Rocky Mountain System • Davis Mountains • Guadalupe Peak • 2/3 rds of the population live in El Paso • Close economic ties with Mexico, New Mexico, and Arizona • NAFTA – North American Free Trade Agreement • Maquiladoras – factories in Mexico that assemble American-made parts to create finished products…that are sold in the U. S. Guadalupe Peak