New Hampshire Geography

General Features

New Hampshire is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered on the north by the Canadian province of Quebec; on the south by Massachusetts; on the east by Maine and the Atlantic Ocean; and on the west by Vermont and Quebec. The geographic center of the state is in Belknap County.

The landscape of New Hampshire can be divided into three main divisions:

• The Coastal Lowlands:The region where the state borders the Atlantic Ocean is called the Coastal Lowlands. The region is characterized by sandy beaches and many rivers and tidal wetlands. The Great Bay is lies in this region.
• The White Mountains : Covering the northern portion of New Hampshire, the White Mountains comprises rugged mountains, narrow valleys and heavily forested hills.
• The Eastern New England Upland: The southern region of the state that extends from northern Maine south to eastern Connecticut is part of the Eastern New England Upland. This region is divided in three areas: the Merrimack Valley, the Hills and Lakes Region, and the Connecticut River Valley.

 

Geographical Facts About New Hampshire

Area	9,351 square miles
Land Area	8,969 square miles
Water Area	382 square miles
Mean Elevation	305 meters
Highest Point	Mount Washington (1,917 meters)
Lowest Point	Atlantic Ocean
Geographic Center	Belknap County

Climate of New Hampshire

New Hampshire has a humid continental climate with warm and humid summers, while the winters are cold and snowy. There is uniform precipitation throughout the year. The highest temperature recorded in the state was 41°C at Nashua on July 4, 1911. Te lowest recorded temperature was ’44°C at Mount Washington on January 29, 1934. New Hampshire is prone to snow storms and blizzards, and sometimes hurricanes occur too.

Mountains

There are many mountain ranges in the state of New Hampshire. The highest mountain peak in the state is Mount Washington followed by the summits of Mount Adams and Mount Jefferson. The other major mountain peaks are:

 

Mount Lincoln Mount Franklin Mount Clay South Twin Mountain Mount Eisenhower

Mount Hancock Mount Flume Mount Willey Mount Kelsey

Rivers

The major rivers in New Hampshire include:

Beech River Ammonoosuc River Browns River Ellis River Fowler River

Little Cold River Knox River Melvin River Sawyer River

Lakes

According to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, there are 959 lakes and reservoirs in New Hampshire. The major ones are:

Arlington Mill Reservoir Canaan Street Lake Great East Lake Harrisville Lake Highland Lake

Massabesic Lake Mascoma Lake Sunrise Lake Wickwas Lake