The document describes the major physical regions of the United States and North Carolina. It divides the US into five regions - West, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, and Southwest - and provides details on each region's location, climate, and economy. North Carolina is further divided into four regions: the Tidewater region along the coast with barrier islands and sounds; the Coastal Plain with farmland and the Sandhills; the Piedmont region containing red clay and monadnocks; and the western Mountain region containing the Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountains, including Mt. Mitchell.

1. US Physical
Characteristics

2. Regions

3. West
From the Rocky Mountains to the Western edges of
the nation (including Hawaii and Alaska)
Region with varied climate (arctic to tropical).
Economy goes from agriculture to technology
development to tourism and everything in between.
Includes: Pacific Ocean, Rocky Mountains, and San
Francisco.

4. Midwest
Between the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains
Has moderate climate with four distinct seasons.
Economically focused on agriculture (livestock, corn,
wheat, soy beans, etc.).
Includes: Mississippi River, Missouri River, Ohio River,
Chicago, Great Lakes

5. Northeast
Located east of the Appalachian Mountains and North
of the Mason-Dixon Line.
Climate tends to have cooler summers and cold
winters.
Economic activity relies heavily on industry.
Includes: Atlantic Ocean, New York, Boston,
Appalachian Mountains.

6. Southeast
South of the Ohio River and East of the
Mississippi/Missouri.
Hot summers with mild winters.
Economy is largely focused on agriculture (livestock,
cotton, fruit, tobacco, etc.) and service industry.
Includes: Atlantic, Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi,
Missouri, Ohio Rivers, Appalachian Mountains, Miami,
New Orleans.

7. Southwest
Located between the Colorado and Mississippi Rivers
in the Southern US.
Climate tends to be hot and dry.
Economic activities include agriculture (livestock) and
mining.
Includes: Rio Grande, Colorado Rivers, Gulf of
Mexico, Houston.

8. North Carolina
Geography

9. Four Regions of North
Carolina
• Tidewater
• Coastal Plain
• Piedmont
• Mountains

11. Tidewater Region
• Borders Atlantic Ocean
• Barrier Islands-Long chain of islands off the coast of
NC include the most famous, Outer Banks.
• The barrier islands are ever shifting and vary in size
due to tides and wind patterns.

12. • Among the barrier islands are some famous Capes in
North Carolina
• Cape-a pointed piece of land
that sticks out into a sea, ocean
lake, or river.
North Carolina Capes:
Cape Fear and Cape Hatteras

13. • A sound is a wide inlet of the
sea or ocean that is parallel to
the coastline; it often
separates a coastline from a
nearby island.
• Major Sounds in North
Carolina:
• Currituck Sound, Albemarle
Sound, Pamlico Sound, Core
Sound and Bogue Sound.
• The largest and deepest sound
is the Pamlico Sound
• Climate of the Tidewater
Region:
• Mild Winters and Moderate
Summers make the climate of
this area welcoming to visitors.

14. Coastal Plain Region
• Has some of the best farmland in NC due to rich
sandy soil.
• Sandhills, an area of flat rolling hills part of Coastal
Plain. Poorest soil in the state.
• Pinehurst is a popular part of the Sandhills due to the
golf courses

15. Piedmont Region• Known for the red clay.
• Portion of NC that we live in
• Fall Line separates the Piedmont from the Coastal
Plain
• Distinct landform in Piedmont is the monadnocks.
• Monadnocks- a point of land that stands out
because all the land around it has been eroded around
it.
• Pilot Mountain is the most famous of these

17. Mountains
• Mountain Region is the region furthest west in NC.
• Blue Ridge Mountains form the eastern boundary of
the Appalachian Mountains.
• Appalachian Mountains contain Mt.Mitchell, which is
the tallest Mountain east of the Rocky Mountains.
• Great Smoky Mountains another famous mountain
range in NC