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Chapter 1 SocialStudies Test Study Guide

Geography

Land and Regions

What are landforms? Landforms are physical features on the Earth’s surface, such as plains, mountains, hills, and valleys. Each landform is unique because of its shapes and the way it came to be made.

The two largest mountain ranges in the United States are the Appalachian Mountains and the Rocky Mountains

Which region extends across most of the center of the United States?

Interior Plans

The height of land in relation to sea level is called elevation.

Bodies of Water

What is the major river system in the United States?

The Mississippi River Region

Name the Great Lakes.

Heron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior

What is a tributary? A tributary is a stream or a river that flows into a larger stream or river.

What is a drainage basin? A drainage basin is the land drained by a river system.

Which river forms part of the border between the United States and Mexico?

The Rio Grande

Climate and Vegetation

Define vegetation:

Vegetation is the plant life that grows naturally in a place.

What four main vegetation regions cover most of the United States?

Forest, grassland, desert, and tundra.

What factors affect the climate of a region?

Distance from the equator, distance from the oceans and other large bodies of water, ocean currents, the location on the continent, and elevation

What is the difference between weather and climate?

Weather is the day to day conditions of a place. Climate is the kind of weather a place has most often, year after year.

Using the Land

What is a natural resource?

A natural resource is something found in nature that people can use.

What is the difference between a renewable resource and a non-renewable one? Give an example of each.

Nonrenewable means that a resource cannot be made again by nature or people. Nonrenewable resources can be minerals and fuels. Natural resources include soil, water, minerals, and plants.

Name three ways that people can modify or change their environment.

Irrigating, cutting down trees, building dams and reservoirs, and digging wells.

Where People Live and Work

What are the four regions of the United States based on location?

West, middle west, south, and northeast

Geographic factors such as landforms, bodies of water, and climate usually affect where people settle.

Where are most of the large cities in the United States located?

Near a coast, along rivers, along the shores of the Great Lakes, or on other major transportation routes.

Lines of latitude and longitude describe the exact location of any place on Earth.

Longitude gives you the position north and south of the equator. Latitude gives you the position east and west of the prime meridian.