The Appalachian Mountains are a major North American mountain system extending 600 miles (2,570 km) Southwest from Canada's Quebec province to Alabama. Their rugged hills and valleys are from the much-eroded leftovers of a very old mountain mass.

The Appalachian Mountains are heavily forested and contain deposits of iron ore, anthracite, bituminous coal, zinc, slate, limestone, asbestos, mica, granite, and emery. There are also numerous rivers that make their way through the Appalachians.