PHYSIOGRAPHY and LANDSCAPE REGIONS
  • Landscape regions (Physiographic provinces):
    The landscape features of the northeast United States can be summarized (and simplified) in the map and outline below.

  • Atlantic Coastal Plain:
    Where:   Long Island (including Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau & Suffolk Counties), plus part of Staten Island;
        continuing north into coastal parts of eastern Connecticut, all of Rhode Island, easternmost Massachusetts, and coastal N.H. & ME
        also continuing south into coastal parts of New Jersey and other coastal states as far as Florida.
    Features:   Largely unconsolidated sands and gravels; generally low elevation.   Well inhabited.  Little agriculture.

  • New England Highlands Province (Metamporphic region):
    Where:   Eastern part of N.Y. State (including Hudson Valley and Taconic Mountain Range), but excluding Long Island;
        continuing north and east into most of interior New England;
        also continuing south into northern New Jersey and parts of easternmost Pennsylvania.
    Features:   Mostly hilly country (lots of woodlands, not great for agriculture);
        bedrock geology is mostly metamorphic rocks of Paleozoic era (530-270 million years old).

  • Adirondack Province:
    Where:   Most of northern N.Y. State.
    Features:   Heavily forested and mountainous; bedrock geology is very old (Proterozoic), intensely metamorphosed rock.

  • Interior Lowlands:
    Where:   Central and western N.Y. State near Lake Ontario, also north and south of Adirondacks.
    Features:   Mostly flat land, well-suited for agriculture (see below).
        Bedrock is mostly sedimentary, of Ordovician and Silurian age; soil rich in nutrients for plants.

  • Allegheny Plateau:
    Where:   Central and western N.Y. State south of 43oN Latitude, continuing south into Pennsylvania.
    Features:   Mostly flat land, but at somewhat higher elevation; well-suited for agriculture (see below).
        Bedrock is mostly sedimentary, of Devonian age; soil rich in nutrients for plants.

  • AGRICULTURE in New York State:
    Central and western New York State has rich soil and supports significant agriculture ($3.6 billion annually).
        Major crops include dairy, apples, cabbage, cauliflower, wine, corn, and maple syrup.
        New York State is the nation's #1 producer of Cottage Cheese, the #2 producer of apples and cabbage, and the #3 producer of milk, wine, and maple syrup.





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