Coastal plain

A coastal plain is flat, low-lying land adjacent to a seacoast. One of the world's largest coastal plains is located in eastern South America. The Gulf Coastal Plain of North America extends northwards from the Gulf of Mexico along the Lower Mississippi River to the Ohio River, which is a distance of about 500 miles (800 km).

During the Cretaceous time, the central area of the United States was covered by a shallow sea, the Western Interior Seaway, which disappeared as the land rose. Large fossilized aquatic birds called Hesperornis and Ichthyornis, found in western Kansas, indicate that the shallow sea was live with fish.

See also

• Alluvial plain
• California coastal prairie

External links

• Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture - Coastal Plains

Coastal plain