What Are Some of the Major Landforms of the Midwest Region of the United States?
The Midwest area of the United States has a variety of major landforms, but the bulk of the area is taken up by grasslands known as The Great Plains. The Midwest is bordered on either side by large mountain ranges, with the Appalachian Mountains to the east and the Rocky Mountains to the west.
Between the two large mountain ranges that border the Midwest, the land is comprised mostly of flat grasslands or rolling hills. The Midwest is composed of 12 states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Ohio and Wisconsin. One noticeable feature of the Midwest is the Great Lakes region, the region that borders Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario. This region is home to the largest freshwater lakes in the world.
The Great Plains stretch all the way from Iowa to the Rocky Mountains. This region is devoid of many landforms except for the large, rolling prairie that is often used for agriculture and farming.
Other than the plains and lakes, there are notable landforms in both North and South Dakota. North Dakota is home to the Badlands, and South Dakota has the Black Hills. The Black Hills are particularly famous, as they are the location of Mount Rushmore. The Black Hills are also home to the Devil’s Tower, a large granite spire.
Beyond the major landmarks, there are a variety of hills and valleys throughout the Midwest. Indiana is home to the Indiana Dunes, a national park with wooded acres and unique sandy dunes.
