1. 1. As you view the slides, adddefinitions and picturesof each region to yourgeographic dictionary foldable
2. 2. LANDFORMSLandforms are the kinds of land formationsa place has.The types of landforms a place has areinfluenced by its climate.Physical Regions are often defined by thelandforms found there.
3. 3. 1. MOUNTAIN REGION A mountain is alandform that rises atleast 2,000 feet abovesurrounding land;usually wide at thebottom andnarrowing at the top.Mountains form aMountain range,which is severalmountains in a row.Rocky Mountains,Western United States
4. 4. PLATEAU Plateaus are landformsthat are found inmountain regions. Plateaus often come off ofmountains. The Great Plains arelocated on a plateau thatcomes off the RockyMountains.Great Plains
5. 5. 2. VALLEY REGION Valleys are low lands thatoften lie between mountainranges.Mountain valleys are oftengood places for communitiesbecause water runs down fromthe mountains and they haverich soil to grow crops. There are many different typesof valleys: mountain, glacial,canyons and rift. Appalachian Valley, USA
6. 6. Types of Valleys Mountain Valley ~ A valleythat exists between twomountain ranges Glacial Valley ~ A valley thatexists in a polar region,formed by glaciers (movingsheets of ice). Glacial Valleyscan also be called fjords. Canyon ~ A deep valley in anarid region that has beencarved into a mountain bywater Rift ~ A valley that is formedalong a fault lineGlacial Valley in NorwayGrand Canyon, USAGreat Rift Valley, Africa
7. 7. 3. RIVER BASIN REGION A river basin is a low-lying area of land, shaped kind of likea bowl Basins are areas that are drained by rivers and theirtributaries. Water from the basins eventually reaches theriver mouth and runs into a sea or ocean. A tributary is a smaller river or stream that flows into a larger one As a river flows intoTributarya large body of watera delta may form,which is triangularshaped and formedfrom rock, sand andother materials leftbehind at the rivermouth.Mouthand DeltaMississippi River Basin, USA
8. 8. 4. DESERT REGIONA desert is dry land that receives less than 10inches of rain a year and has little to novegetation. Deserts can be hot, like the Sahara in Africa,or cold, like Antarctica.
9. 9. Mesas and Buttes Some common landforms found in desert regions aretwo types of plateaus: mesas and buttes.Table Rock Mesa in IdahoMesa means table.Buttes in Monument Valley (Utah)
10. 10. 5. PLAINS REGIONS A plain is a large area of flat orgently rolling land. Plains are often used by ranchers tograze their cattle Plains have different namesdepending on location: Plain ~ United States (also called aprairie) Pampas ~ South America Steppe ~ Russia/Siberia Savannah ~ Africa
11. 11. 6. COASTAL PLAIN REGION The area of flat land along a sea or ocean is acoastal plain.A beach is a type coastal plain, but not allcoastal plains are sandy.
12. 12. PENINSULA A peninsula is part of a coastal plain thathas water on only 3 sides and is attached toanother piece of land.A good example of a peninsula isFlorida. A cape is like a peninsula, but is pointy A good example of a cape isCape Cod in Massachusetts
13. 13. GULF and BAY A gulf and a bay are bodies of water almostsurrounded by land. A gulf is larger than a bay. Bays and gulfs are locatednext to coastal plains
14. 14. SEA A sea is a large bodyof water that may bepartially enclosed byland. A sea is larger than agulf and smaller thanan ocean.
15. 15. 7. ISLAND REGION An island is a body of land totally surrounded by water An archipelago is a series of islands The state of Hawaii and the country of Japan areexamples
16. 16. 8. Other Words To KnowSTRAIT A strait is a skinnypiece of water inbetween two bodies ofland.
17. 17. ISTHMUS An isthmus is askinny piece of landthat attaches twobigger pieces of land. The country ofPanama is a perfectexample. It attachesSouth America toCentral America.