What Are Major Landforms of Louisiana?

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Louisiana contains numerous landforms, including salt marshes, the Mississippi River Delta, the Red River Valley and rolling hills. Louisiana resides in the southeastern part of the United States. It enjoys a warm climate with little variation in seasonal temperatures and features a surface covered with large areas of water, marshes and swamps.

The Mississippi River, one of the most iconic landmarks in the U.S., runs through Louisiana. Five distinct natural regions exist within Louisiana’s borders, which include coastal floodplains, the Mississippi River Basin, the Red River Valley, terraces and hills. Louisiana sits close to sea level. Its highest point, Mount Driskill, reaches 535 feet, while its lowest land areas, found in New Orleans, dip below the sea level surface.

Louisiana resides along the Gulf Coast, giving it a long shoreline and creating salt marshes along the coast. In addition to the Mississippi River, Louisiana contains numerous other rivers. These rivers include the Ouachita, Pearl, Sabine and Red rivers. Smaller streams and river valleys form the geography of Louisiana, along with valleys produced by the processes of sedimentary deposit and erosion.

Louisiana contains multiple lakes, which vary in size and location. Lakes in this state include the Charles, White, Sabine and Grand. Louisiana also contains a large reservoir called the Toledo Bend Reservoir.