Northeast

• The topography of the northeast region of the US includes mountains and hills, with sizeable rivers and lakes scattered throughout. The Appalachian mountain range runs through the middle of the region. The Appalachian range is a relatively low range with forest scattered throughout. States within the northeast region include New York, Maine, Maryland and the US capital, Washington D.C.
  
  

South

• The southern region---which can be further subdivided into the southwest and southeast---consists of mostly flat land, with some forest and mountainous areas scattered throughout. Most of the southwest consists of four states: Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas. This region has limited moisture and is home to a number of deserts, including the Mojave, Sagebrush and Sonora. Famous landmarks include Death Valley, as well as the Grand Canyon.
  
  Much of the southeast portion of the US grows a sub-tropical environment. States include Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. Florida is a unique peninsula, containing large stretches of wetlands and swamps, acting as a home to several crocodile species. Large river systems, such as the Mississippi River, also flow through the region.
  
  

West

• Much of the western region---including California, Washington and even Alaska and Hawaii---include jagged mountains and open plains. California contains many hilly regions, as well as the largest trees in the world, known as Redwoods. Nevada, like its southwest counterparts, mostly consists of deserts and mountainous terrain. Hawaii is one of the most tropical regions in the US, formed from continuous volcanic eruptions. Alaska contains some of the coldest winter months in the world, regularly dropping to 30 degrees below zero, Fahrenheit, during the winter months.
  
  

Midwest

• The Midwest contains many of the interior states, including Iowa, Michigan, Illinois, Kansas and Nebraska. Though they're just east of the Rocky Mountains, these states are predominantly flat. A vast stretch of grasslands, known as the Great Plains, also extends throughout the Midwest. The Great Lakes---some of the largest lakes on the North American continent---are situated around Michigan, providing large bodies of water in the middle of the country.