Natural Barriers to Invasion in the U.S.

The video discusses the unique geographic defenses of the United States, highlighting how natural barriers such as oceans, mountains, deserts, and rivers protect the country from potential invasions. The western side is shielded by the Pacific Ocean and mountain ranges, while the south is protected by deserts and the Rio Grande. The north has the Great Lakes and Canadian Shield, and the Gulf of Mexico is guarded by swamps. These features collectively secure the U.S. from all directions.

What natural features make it difficult for an invasion to occur from the east and west of the United States?

• The Appalachian Mountains and the Great Lakes

• The Cascade and Sierra Nevada Mountains

• The Atlantic and Pacific Oceans

• The Mojave and Chihuahuan Deserts

Which mountain ranges in the west of the United States act as barriers to invasion?

• The Himalayas and the Pyrenees

• The Appalachian and Blue Ridge Mountains

• The Cascade, Sierra Nevada, and Rocky Mountains

• The Andes and the Alps

What additional natural features in the west help prevent invasions?

• The Mississippi River and the Everglades

• The Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway

• The Hudson Bay and the Canadian Shield

• The Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan Deserts

Which features protect the northern border of the United States?

• The Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada

• The Rio Grande River and the Mojave Desert

• The Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Seaway, and Canadian Shield

• The Appalachian Mountains and the Gulf of Mexico

What natural barriers in the south help protect the United States from invasion?

• The Cascade Mountains and the Pacific Ocean

• The Great Lakes and the Canadian Shield

• The Appalachian Mountains and the Great Plains

• The Rio Grande River and dense swamps in Louisiana and Florida

How do the dense swamps in Louisiana and Florida contribute to the United States' defenses?

• They prevent earthquakes and natural disasters

• They act as a buffer against northern invasions

• They slow down amphibious assaults from the Gulf of Mexico

• They provide a natural barrier against air attacks