Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains is a mountain system of the east of North America. It extends about 2,570 km (1,600 miles), in a broad belt southwest from the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec province, Canada, to the Gulf coastal plain in Alabama. Main sections in the system are the White Mountains, Green Mountains, Berkshire Hills, Catskill Mountains, Allegheny Plateau, Black Mountains, Great Smoky Mountains, Blue Ridge and Cumberland Plateau. East from the Appalachians is the Piedmont, or foothill, region. The Appalachians are much-eroded remnants of a great mass that was formed by folding and consist largely of sedimentary rocks.
Mount Mitchell in North Carolina's Black Mountains is the highest peak in the Appalachian Mountains. It is 2,037 m (6,684 feet) high. The Great Appalachian Valley is a chain of lowlands, which extends south and west from the Hudson Valley. Its main segments are the Lehigh, Lebanon, Cumberland and Shenandoah valleys. The Valley of Virginia and the Valley of East Tennessee are also part of the Appalachian Mountains.
The Great Appalachian Valley, or Great Valley, is one of the most fertile areas in the eastern United States. It was long a major north-south travel and settlement corridor. The Appalachians are rich in coal. Other resources include iron, petroleum and natural gas. The scenic ranges also abound in resorts and recreation areas, including Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains national parks. The Appalachian Trail winds 3,299 km (2,050 miles) along the ridges of the Appalachians between Mount Katahdin, in Maine, and Springer Mountain, in Georgia.
The Appalachians are crossed by only few passes, which long made them a barrier to early westward expansion and played an important role in U.S. history. Major east-west routes like the Cumberland Gap and Mohawk Trail followed river valleys or mountain notches.
Appalachia is a name that applies to parts of the region, which are characterized by marginal economy, isolation of its people from the U.S. mainstream and distinctive folkways.
