1. As you view the slides, adddefinitions and picturesof each
region to yourgeographic dictionary foldable
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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. SEA A sea is a large bodyof water that may bepartially
enclosed byland. A sea is larger than agulf and smaller thanan
ocean.
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. 8. Other Words To KnowSTRAIT A strait is a skinnypiece of
water inbetween two bodies ofland.
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.