The United States of America is the largest state located in North America. The name of the country speaks for itself, in it the administrative units are the states united in the state. The US geography is unique due to its location between two oceans. Let's take a closer look at this country.
Location
USA is located in the central mainland of North America. Includes 48 states located directly on the continent, and two - outside it.
These are Alaska, located in the very north of the mainland and having no border with the main state, and Hawaii - islands located in the Pacific Ocean.
The United States also owns some separate territories located in the Caribbean, such as Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands. As well as islands located in the Pacific Ocean, in the Alaska region. Separately, it must be said that the central federal district of Columbia does not belong to any state.
ThanksIn such a vast location, the geography of the United States and its climatic zones are very diverse.
Physical geography
On the territory of the country there are several, or rather, 5 natural zones that are radically different from each other. The geography of the United States briefly shows how different the landscape of just one country can be. The main part of the state is divided into 4 regions: Northeast, Midwest, South and West.
Thus, the eastern part of the country, off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, is covered by the Appalachian Mountains. There are many bays convenient for ships to enter, the coast with its lowlands attracted the attention of the first settlers from Europe. Later, the first large cities in America sprang up there.
The physical geography of the United States, especially in the central part of the country, attracts the attention of tourists with the beauty of the valleys, which were formed due to the lowering of the relief. There are also many large rivers, lakes, swamps and waterfalls of extraordinary beauty.
Further to the west, the landscape of the area is replete with vast plains covered with steppe vegetation, called prairies. This area is well suited for agriculture. Humidity and abundance of precipitation favor the cultivation of corn and wheat here.
The Cordilleras are rather high mountains. There are many natural parks in this part of the country. It is replete with canyons, which are visited by many tourists every year. The mountains come close to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Small stretch of coastattracts with its subtropical climate and magnificent beaches.
The northern part of the USA, the state of Alaska, is located above the Arctic Circle. A large part of the peninsula is occupied by the mountain ranges of the northern Cordillera. Due to the extreme cold, it is very difficult to explore Alaska.
For a more detailed description of the United States by geography, see below.
Appalachian Region
Let's take a closer look at the states located in the east of the country. These include those located in the northeastern region. It is interesting that it was they who accepted the first settlers. There are 10 states in total. Chief among them - Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey - the most densely populated in America. I must say that it is here that the largest number of emigrants live, of which the US population consists. The geography and climatic conditions in this region are similar to those of Europe.
Due to the not very mild climate, although the Atlantic Ocean partially softens it, the mountains have quite long and cold winters. Therefore, in this part of the country, industry is more developed than agriculture. In addition, there are many minerals in the mountainous area. It was here that coal was discovered and its extraction was organized. Across the country, mineral developments have led to the fact that the economy began to actively develop. At the moment, the economic geography of the United States is vast and includes four regions developing in different directions.
The Appalachian Mountains stretch for 1900 km along the entire coast of the Atlantic Ocean from Maine to Alabama in the south of the country. The highest in the system, Mount Mitchell, - totaljust over 2000 meters. Several rivers originate in the mountains: the Hudson, which divided the Appalachians into northern and southern ones, and the Roanoke, which divided the southern Blue Ridge in half. Despite the presence of rivers and forests, the soil in this area is very acidic, which requires constant alkalization and fertilization.
Atlantic Lowlands
This is a lowland that borders the Atlantic coast from the state of New York to the state of Florida located in the south. The region has a mild subtropical climate. The geography of the United States makes an unforgettable impression on travelers, and the Atlantic lowlands are one of the main reasons for this. It is divided into several parts.
The northern part from the states of New York to Virginia is characterized by a jagged coastline with large peninsulas separated by the Long Island Sounds and the bays of New York, Delaware, Albemarle and Pamlico. All these areas are favorable for shipping. It is this part of the plain that includes wetlands with beaches. New York State is home to the most beautiful waterfall in the world, the Niagara Falls.
Center and South
The central part of the lowlands is located in the states of North and South Carolina and Georgia. Its landscape is very hilly. There are fewer bays in this place, and their dimensions are insignificant. The ocean-facing islands have delightful sandy beaches. The southern part is in the state of Florida, located on the peninsula of the same name. There are low hills and large swamps. In the south of Florida there is a swampythe Everglades area, it was here that cypress trees from the distant past and steppes with tall grass remained. This rare section of the subtropics is mostly part of the national park of the same name.
It is not for nothing that in reference books the description of the US country - geography, climate, economy, tourism - begins with the state of Florida.
Mexican Lowlands
Mexican lowland, located in the south from the state of Alabama to the state of New Mexico. Its border is the Ri Grande. It also goes deep into the continent almost to the southern part of Illinois and is divided into three parts: eastern, Mississippi and western. Large port cities are located on the coast: New Orleans, Houston and Veracruz.
In the eastern part of the lowland, low hills and lowlands alternate, elongated parallel to the southern tip of the Appalachians. Interestingly, there are no waterfalls in the Fall Line Hills, which is farthest from the coastline. This characteristic of the United States is unique in geography, since the main part of the mountain ranges is replete with many cascades of water. The western part of the plain is similar in structure to the eastern one, so we will not dwell on its description. But the part adjacent to the Mississippi is very interesting.
The Mississippi River Plain is 80 to 160 km wide, framed by ledges up to 60 meters high. A powerful water artery slowly flows through a vast valley with a slight slope. Numerous sections indicate how the position of the river bed changed. In the floodplain area there are fertile alluvial soils. Besides, herecontains significant deposits of gas and oil. In this area, US geography, economy and industrial activity are of considerable interest.
Great Plains
This is a plateau east of the famous Rocky Mountains. The height of the plateau is 700-1800 meters above sea level. The Great Plains are home to the states of New Mexico, Nebraska, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, North and South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana.
All rivers flow along the general slope of the surface in an easterly direction and are related to the Mississippi and Missouri river basins. The Missouri Plateau is distinguished on one side by a flat, and on the other, by a hilly surface, cut through by countless deep river valleys. Interestingly, the bottoms of the valleys are much wider than the rivers themselves, and are limited by steep cliffs rising up to 30 meters. The plateau is highly divided, in some places the network of valleys is too frequent to be used for farming. In the north are badlands, or, as they are also called, "bad lands", with little or no soil cover. To the south - in the state of Nebraska - the Sand Hills. On the territory of the state of Kansas - the relatively low mountains of the Smoky Hills and Flint Hills, as well as the high Red Hills. The high valleys are almost unsuitable for agriculture, but wheat grows excellently and there is an abundance of pasture for livestock.
Rocky Mountains
Across the western part of the United States stretches the Cordillera mountain system, which stretches from north to southeast in parallel ridges andseparating them by plateaus, depressions and valleys. The longest mountain range that I would like to mention is the Rocky Mountains. They are smaller in area than the Appalachians, but abound with higher elevations, more rugged terrain, colorful scenery, and complex geological structure.
Colorado
The plan-description of the US country in geography in all textbooks includes the natural features of the state. These include the Southern Rocky Mountains, located in the state of Colorado. They consist of several significant ranges and large basins. One of the highest mountains, Elbert, reaches 4399 meters. The most beautiful, often snow-covered peaks, raised 900 meters above the upper edge of the forest, form a vivid panorama of the highlands. Large rivers of the USA - Colorado, Arkansas, Rio Grande - originate on lush forest slopes.
There is a seismically active zone along the western edge of the Middle Rocky Mountains. There are earthquakes from time to time. It is in this area that the world-famous Yellowstone Park is located.
Cascade Mountains
The Cascade Mountains, located mainly in the states of Oregon and Washington, are to some extent volcanic in origin. Lava creates an undulating surface strewn with volcanic craters. The largest of them rise above the border of the forest, which is located at an altitude of up to 2700 meters.
The highest peak of the Cascades, Rainier, stands out for its regular cone shape and is covered in glaciers. This is where the national park is located. Mount Rainier.
US geography briefly shows what elevation differences - from small in the east of the country to more than 4000 meters in the west - can be on one mainland. This leads to a huge number of natural disasters on both sides of the continent.
California
Next to the Cascade Mountains, another one is located - the Sierra Nevada. They are found mainly in California. It is interesting that this colossal ridge, stretching for 640 km, is composed mainly of granite. Its eastern edge drops sharply to the Great Basin, while the western slope drops relatively gently to the Central California Valley. At the same time, the southern part is the highest and is known as the High Sierras. In this place, seven snow-covered peaks exceed 4250 meters. And Mount Whitney with a height of 4418 meters - the highest point in the United States - is located only 160 km from Death Valley.
The steep eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada is an arid zone, and the flora there is very poor. There are only a few rivers on this slope. But the gentle western slope is cut by countless deep valleys. Some of them are beautiful canyons, such as the famous Yosemite Valley on the Merced River in Yosemite National Park and the large canyons of the Kings River in Kings Canyon National Park. A significant part of the slope is shrouded in forests, and it is here that giant sequoias grow.
Alaska
Much of the state is riddled with mountains, stretching from west to east. The northern part is flatArctic Lowland. It is bordered in the south by the Brooks Range, which includes the De Long, Endicott, Philip Smith and British mountains. In the center of the state is the Yukon Plateau with the river of the same name flowing. The Aleutian Range curves in a semicircle near the Susitna River valley and passes into the Alaska Range, thus creating the Alaska Peninsula and the adjacent Aleutian Islands. It is on the Alaska Range that the highest point in the United States is located - Mount McKinley with a height of 6193 meters.
Alaska is the largest US state in terms of area and the smallest in terms of population. According to the latest data, it is inhabited by 736,732 people. There are active volcanoes in Alaska. The Valley of Ten Thousand Houses arose precisely because of the volcanic eruption in 1912. Most of the population of the peninsula are natives of America, as well as Eskimos, Aleuts and Indians.
In the US, the geography of the states, so dramatically different from each other, attracts the attention of many tourists. Traveling all over the country, you can get great pleasure from the views of majestic mountains, excellent canyons and mighty rivers.
