This document provides information about the key geographic regions of North Carolina: Tidewater, Coastal Plain, Piedmont, and Mountains. The Tidewater region borders the Atlantic Ocean and is characterized by barrier islands, sounds, and a mild climate. The Coastal Plain has rich soil suitable for farming. The Piedmont region features hills and red clay soil and contains over half of North Carolina's forests. The mountainous region includes the Blue Ridge Mountains, with Mount Mitchell being the highest point in Eastern US.

1. North Carolina
Geography
Tour Guide:
Ms. Gilmore

2. Flipped Lesson
• Lecture Online
• Students view and take
notes.
• Completed as Homework
• Class time = application
and deeper exploration.
• You will need SS notebook
and pen/pencil
• Make sure your sound is on.

3. Key Terms
• Geography- study of the
earth’s landscape, people,
places, and environments
• Bonus: What are the five
themes of geography?

4. Key Terms
• Region: Area defined by
shared landforms, culture,
or climate.
• Sectionalism: Extreme
loyalty to one’s own region
of the country

5. US Physical Characteristics: Regions

6. North Carolina’s Geographic Regions
• Tidewater
• Coastal Plain
• Piedmont
• Mountains

7. The Tidewater Region
• 30-50 miles wide strip of North Carolina (NC)
along the Atlantic Ocean
• Water affected by tidal shifts, often brackish

8. The 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.

9. The Tidewater Region
• 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

10. The Tidewater Region
• 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.

11. The Coastal Plain Region
• Stretches from Virginia to South Carolina and
is about 100 miles wide
• Covers about 1/3 of the state
• Rich soil and
flat land make
area good for farming

12. The 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

13. The Piedmont Region
• Large region of NC known for hills and red clay soil
• Red clay is a subsoil brought up through the black
woods dirt as a result of timber loss and plowing fields
• Portion of NC in which we live.
• Piedmont: from Latin,
means
“foot of the mountains”
• Over ½ of region
forests

14. The Fall Line
• fall line: divides the coastal plain from the Piedmont
– noted by the last “waterfall” a river hits on its way
to the ocean

15. The Mountains Region
• Blue Ridge: more than 1,000 ft above the Piedmont
hills; eastern boundary of the Appalachians
• Blue Ridge Parkway: road that runs along the top of
the ridge Cherokee NC to Waynesboro, VA
• Asheville is largest city in the region
• Mt. Mitchell (6,684 ft):
highest point east
of the Rockies

16. NC Weather and Climate
• weather: short-term atmospheric conditions
• climate: long-term atmospheric conditions
• temperate climate: general climate zone for
NC; known for few extremes of temperature
or precipitation
• Day-to-day
weather,
however,
varies

17. North Carolina’s Geographic Regions
• Tidewater
• Coastal Plain
• Piedmont
• Mountains