Appalachian Mountains

The Appalachian Mountains are an ancient mountain system in eastern North America, extending from Newfoundland and Labrador to central Alabama. Their long history of uplift and erosion produced folded ridges, broad valleys, and rounded peaks.

Appalachian orogeny: A series of mountain-building events that formed the Appalachian region through collisions between ancient continents. These collisions created the mountain belt’s major structures over hundreds of millions of years.
Appalachian Mountains physiographic provinces: Geographic subdivisions of the Appalachian region defined by characteristic landforms and geology. These provinces organize the mountain system into recognizable landscapes.
Appalachian Trail: A long-distance hiking trail running about 2,190 miles from Georgia to Maine. The trail follows the Appalachian crest through a chain of protected lands.
Appalachian culture: The diverse cultural traditions and identities associated with the Appalachian region. Mountain geography helped shape, but does not define, the region’s varied communities.
Plate tectonics: The theory that Earth’s lithosphere is divided into moving plates that interact at their boundaries. Plate convergence explains the collisions that raised the Appalachians.
Blue Ridge Mountains: A long mountain range forming a prominent eastern belt of the southern Appalachians. The Blue Ridge contains some of the system’s highest southern peaks.
Appalachian National Scenic Trail: A federally designated scenic trail corridor extending from Georgia to Maine. Its protected corridor is distinct from the broader mountain system it traverses.
Appalachian English: A group of English dialects spoken in parts of the Appalachian region. Regional speech reflects the history and settlement patterns of mountain communities.
Laurentia: An ancient continental landmass that formed the core of much of present-day North America. The Appalachians grew along Laurentia’s eastern margin.
Great Smoky Mountains: A forested mountain range on the Tennessee–North Carolina border within the southern Appalachians. This range exemplifies the high, deeply dissected southern section.

Linked from 44 pages