American Geography
U.S. History II 1g, 2c, 1f
Geography
 Geography is:
 The study of the earth’s landforms, bodies
of water, weather, and plant and animal life
 The study of the way people live on the
earth, the way people use the earth, and the
effects that human activities have on the
earth
The Earth
 The surface of Earth is made up of land and water
Continents and Oceans
 Continents: largest masses of land on Earth
 Oceans: largest bodies of salt water on Earth
Measuring Latitude
 Latitude (parallel): a
horizontal line on a
map or a globe that
measures distance
NORTH or SOUTH
from the Equator
Measuring Longitude
 Longitude
(meridian) : a
vertical or curved
line on a on a map
or a globe that
measures distance
WEST or EAST from
the Prime Meridian
How do YOU remember
Longitude vs. Latitude?
 Latitude – Flatitude
Latitude looks like climbing a ladder
 Others?
Longitude and Latitude Song
 Longitude Latitude Song - YouTube
Latitude and Longitude: PRACTICE
DILI 1g: Latitude and Longitude
U.S. Regions, States, and Cities
Preview Video
Region: Northeast
 States
 Maine
 Vermont
 New Hampshire
 Connecticut
 Massachusetts
 Rhode Island
 New Jersey
 Pennsylvania
Geography of the Northeast
 Rocky Coast of New
England
 Farmland in the Ohio
River Valley
 Allegheny Mountains
(part of the
Appalachian
Mountains)
Cities of the Northeast:
New York City
 New York City
 By 1850 is was the most populated American city
 Most immigrants arrived at Ellis Island
Cities of the Northeast:
Boston
 Boston
 Where many Irish and
Italian immigrants
settled
 Major textile industry
center in the early 1900s
Cities of the Northeast:
Philadelphia
 Philadelphia
 Where the Declaration of Independence was written
 Major railroad hub during the late 1800s and early 1900s
Cities of the Northeast:
Pittsburgh
 Pittsburgh
 Steel manufacturing center
Region: Southeast
 States
 South Carolina
 Maryland
 Georgia
 Delaware
 West Virginia  Florida
 Alabama
 Virginia
 Mississippi
 Kentucky
 Louisiana
 Tennessee
 North Carolina  Arkansas
Geography of the Southeast
 Appalachian Mountains
(through 8 different
states)
 Sandy coastal plains
 Bayous and
swamplands
(particularly along the
Gulf Coast)
 Farmland (many
different crops)
Cities of the Southeast:
Washington, D.C.
 Washington, D.C.
 Capital of the United
States
Cities of the Southeast:
New Orleans
 New Orleans
 Major port city and
gateway to the
Mississippi River
 The majority of the city
is below sea level
Cities of the Southeast:
Atlanta
 Atlanta
 Destroyed by General
Sherman during the Civil
War
 Site of sit-ins during the
Civil Rights Movement
 Site of the 1996
Olympics
Region: Midwest
 States
 Ohio
 Indiana
 Illinois
 Michigan
 Wisconsin
 Minnesota
 Iowa
 Missouri
 Kansas
 Nebraska
 South Dakota
 North Dakota
Geography of the Midwest
 Relatively flat land,
some rolling hills
 Prairies cover most of
the Midwest states
Cities of the Midwest:
Detroit
 Detroit
 Center of the
automobile
industry
Cities of the Midwest:
St. Louis
 St. Louis
 Lewis and Clark began their journey west from this
city
 Hosted 1904 Worlds’ Fair
Cities of the Midwest:
Chicago
Chicago
 Center of the meatpacking industry
 1/3 of the city was destroyed by a fire in 1871
 Hotspot for gangsters in 20th century (Al Capone)
Region: Rocky Mountain
 States
 Colorado
 Utah
 Wyoming
 Nevada
 Montana
 Idaho
Geography of the Rocky Mountain
Region
 Contains the Rocky Mountains
 The Continental Divide is located in this region
 Has 16 rivers that flow to 3 oceans
Cities of the Rocky Mountain Region:
Denver
Denver
 Founded during the Gold Rush
 Originally an American Indian encampment
Cities of the Rocky Mountain Region:
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City
 Founded as a Mormon settlement in 1847
 Located on the Great Salt Lake
Region: Southwest
 States
 Texas
 Oklahoma
 New Mexico
 Arizona
Geography of the Southwest
 Geography
 Desert landscape
 Land is irrigated to
allow for the growing
of crops
Cities of the Southwest:
Sante Fe
Sante Fe
 Sante Fe Trail headed west from Independence, MO
in 1850s
 Capital of New Mexico
Cities of the Southwest:
San Antonio
San Antonio
 Texans here staged a revolt
against Mexican rule, but were
slaughtered by Mexican
General Santa Anna at the
Alamo. With the battle cry,
“Remember the Alamo!”,
Texans eventually captured
the Mexican dictator and
Texas became an independent
republic.
Region: Pacific
 States
 Washington
 Oregon
 California
Geography of the Pacific
 Contains 4 mountain ranges
 Lots of rainfall
 Seismically active (volcanoes and earthquakes)
 7 National Parks
 Rolling valleys
Cities of the Pacific:
Los Angeles
Los Angeles
 Originally a Spanish settlement
 Center of culture, science, technology, and higher
education
Cities of the Pacific:
San Francisco
San Francisco
 Founded by the Spanish
 1848 Gold Rush propelled the city into rapid growth
 Destroyed by an earthquake in 1906 but quickly rebuilt
Cities of the Pacific:
Seattle
Seattle
 Major trading post in the late 1800s-early 1900s
 Gateway to Alaska during the Klondike Gold Rush of the
1890s
Region: Noncontiguous
 States
 Alaska
 Hawaii
Geography of Alaska
 Capital is accessible only
by air or boat
 Contains mountains,
glaciers, an Arctic climate
 Large petroleum industry
locate here
Alaska History
 Bought for $7 Million dollars from Russia,
referred to as“Seward’s Folly”
 Didn’t become a state until 1959
Noncontiguous Cities: Juneau
Juneau
 Capital of Alaska
 Began as an Inuit settlement
 Once was a mining town
 Alaskan Pipeline runs near the city
Geography of Hawaii
 Hawaii is the only state:
 Completely in the
tropics
 Completely surrounded
by water
 That continues to grow
 That is an archipelago
Noncontiguous Cities: Honolulu
Honolulu
 Capital and largest city in Hawaii
 Formerly the location of the Hawaiian monarchy
 Major tourist location
American Road Trip Partners &
Puzzle Practice
DILI 2c: Regions, States, and Cities
Review (if time)
 Interactive State Placement Activity:
 http://tinyurl.com/3wuxb
 States and Capitals – Song (Animaniacs)