New York Geography
By: Madison Bowery
Imagine a beautiful sunset over the Adirondacks. As the sun slips away, you see the shadow of the mountain, the prettiest thing you have ever seen. This is what one sees in the beautiful state of New York. New York has an alternating climate leads to wonderful humidity. This state has eight land regions: the Atlantic Coastal Plain, New England Upland, Hudson-Mohawk Lowland, Adirondack Upland, Tug Hill Plateau, St. Lawrence Lowland, Erie-Ontario Lowland, and Appalachian Plateau. New York is an amazing place to visit and see with its beautiful tall buildings and angelic nature.
Basic Facts
New York is located in the northeast region of the United States. There are many big and small states that border New York. Vermont is found to the north of the state. Massachusetts and Connecticut are to the east. Pennsylvania and New Jersey are south. New York covers 54,556 square miles, making it the 27th largest state. New York is the largest state in the Northeast region.
Climate
The climate in New York is classified as being Temperate Continental. This state experiences severe winters and summers. The summer months are May through September with the average temperature during the winter being 33℉ and summer 77℉. The highest temperature ever recorded was in 1926 in Troy measuring 108℉. The lowest recorded was in 1979 at a balmy -52℉ in Old Fridge. The lower part of the state is warmer than the north. The north part of the state is below Canada which is very cold all year round. New York gets a high amount of precipitation with around forty-five inches falling per year. That is almost 4 feet. The climate in New York is an amazing place to go if you want an normal climate to live in.
Atlantic Coastal Plain
New York has many different types of land regions here are all seven of them in brief. The Atlantic Coastal Plain covers the island that is near the state of New York. This region covers Long Island and Staten Island. This forms almost all coastal plain level stretching along the Atlantic Ocean that covers New York. This starts at Massachusetts all the way to the south of Florida. Something one would see there is fishing and farmers raising fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Some places people like to visit in this region are the beaches. They have different ground textures. In the north, beaches have pebbles on the shores while in the south, beaches have regular sand.
New England Upland
The New England Upland has many hills and mountains that cover the eastern side of this region. This mountain range contains some well known mountains and valleys such as the Taconic Mountain and the Hudson River Valley. The Hudson River Valley was formed from melted glaciers many years ago. The Manhattan Island, which is thirteen miles north to south and two miles wide is one of the world’s most attractive tourist sites. This contains sites such as churches, museums, and theaters.
Hudson-Mohawk Lowland
West of The New England Upland is The Hudson-Mohawk Lowland. This region covers most of the Hudson River Valley and the Mohawk River. The Mohawk River flows for 148 miles and is named after the Mohawk people. This region is ten to thirty miles wide and is one of the most important transportation routes in all of New York. Fruit and dairy farms can be located as one passes on the route. An interesting fact about this region is that it’s shaped like an upside down L. This is one reason people remember it better than the other regions.
Adirondack Upland
North of The Hudson-Mohawk Lowland is the Adirondack Upland. This region was formed from ancient rock that could be the oldest in North America. The area covers 100 miles in diameter of hills and mountains and has over forty peaks that reach up to 4,000 feet. Within the 100 miles,one can find beautiful scenic lakes, streams, waterfalls, and peaks. A common job in this area is mining. One will find many minerals here including:garnet, lead, titanium, and zinc.
Land Regions
Tug Hill Plateau
Southwest of the Adirondack Upland is the Tug Hill Plateau. This region is a flat rocky area that is divided from the Adirondack Upland by the Black River Valley. This stands in the path of the cold winter air masses that crosses Lake Ontario and turns into heat and moisture. The climate there is so cold it restricts people from farming and settlement. This region accumulates a large amount of snow, with an average of 225 inches per year. They also have more snow than any other area east of Rocky Mount.
St. Lawrence
Lowland
The St. Lawrence Lowland is located in the south bank of the St. Lawrence River. This river is one of the most important rivers in North America flowing for 800 miles and linking the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The St. Lawrence Lowland is eighteen miles wide and is at land level. Some of the things one will see as they drive by are many dairy farms and fruit orchards. They provide for cities nearby.
Erie-Ontario Lowland
​
The Erie-Ontario Lowland is located south of Lake Erie and Ontario. Long ago, this region was crafted from pebbles and deposits of ice sheets. Starting thirty-five miles north of Syracuse and five miles in width, this region has many swamps, greenhouses, plant nurseries, dairy farms, and lots of farmland. The soil is great for growing a fruit farm. The Oval Hills is a popular set of hills in New York’s Erie-Ontario region that rise 50-200 feet. This is an amazing place to live if you want to start a farm of any kind.
Appalachian Plateau
Directly south of the Erie-Ontario Lowland is the Appalachian Plateau or Allegheny Plateau. This region covers half of New York and supports only small cities and villages. This land rises 800-2000 feet above sea level and empties into the Catskills. Here you might find vineyards, nurseries, and vegetable farms. The Catskills were made by glacier sheets hundreds of years ago and stretch seventy miles long and fifty miles wide. This region contains the breathtaking Appalachian Mountains that stretch from Maine to Alabama and some dairy farms scattered along the way. This is a beautiful region if you like amazing mountains and the best views of a sunset.
Conclusion
Overall, New York has a wide variety of land forms and climate making it an amazing place to visit. The differing land regions tie the state together. New York is such a breathtaking place that offers a multitude of adventures. It has been said, “New York is an ugly and dirty city,” but that is simply not true. The climate is ever changing, there are politics everywhere you turn, the traffic is maddening, and the competition is grueling. These things are only the outer surface of what lies within. As said by John Steinbeck, “there is one thing about it, once you have lived in New York and it has become your home, no place else is good enough.”
