Interior Plains, Physiographic province in central North America.
The Interior Plains stretch through central North America from the Gulf of Mexico to the Beaufort Sea along the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains. This broad plain holds grasslands, fertile soils, and gently rolling terrain that spreads across much of Canada and the United States.
This province formed between 2000 and 1800 million years ago when several ancient rock plates merged together. During the late Cretaceous, a shallow inland sea divided the region and left marine deposits still visible in the soil today.
The open grasslands shaped how communities hunted and traded across the territory for centuries. Traces of old trails and settlements remain visible across the flat terrain today.
The terrain is mostly flat and easy to cross, though weather can vary greatly by season. Winter brings harsh conditions in the northern sections, while southern parts offer milder climate year-round.
A shallow inland sea once covered the entire region from Alaska to the Gulf, leaving fossil-rich layers behind. These marine sediments contribute to the remarkable fertility of the soils today, enabling intensive farming.
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