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 a state. The geography of the USA is unique due to its location between two oceans. Let's take a closer look at this country.
Location
The United States is located in the central mainland of North America. They include 48 states located directly on the continent, and two outside it.
These are Alaska, located in the very north of the mainland and not bordering the main state, and Hawaii - islands located in the Pacific Ocean.
Also, the United States owns some separate territories located in the Caribbean, such as Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands. And also islands located in the Pacific Ocean, in the Alaska area. Separately, it must be said that the Central Federal District of Columbia does not belong to any state.
Due to this 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 USA briefly shows how different the landscape of only one country can be. The main part of the state is divided into 4 regions: Northeast, Midwest, South and West.
So, 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 calling ships, the coast with its lowlands attracted the attention of the first immigrants from Europe. Later, the first big cities in America arose there.
The physical geography of the United States, especially in the central part of the country, attracts tourists with the beauty of the valleys that were formed by lowering the topography. There are also many large rivers, lakes, swamps and the extraordinary beauty of waterfalls.
Further, in the west, the landscape of the area abounds with vast plains covered with steppe vegetation, called prairies. This area is well adapted for farming. Humidity and rainfall contribute to the cultivation of corn and wheat.
Cordillera are quite high mountains. There are many natural parks in this part of the country. It is replete with canyons, which are visited annually by many tourists. The mountains come close to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. A small stretch of coast attracts with its subtropical climate and magnificent beaches.
The northern United States, Alaska, is located beyond the Arctic Circle. A large proportion of the peninsula is occupied by the mountain ranges of the northern Cordilleras. Due to severe cold weather, it is very difficult to master Alaska.
For a more detailed description of the United States by geography, see below.
Appalachian District
Let us consider in more detail the states located in the east of the country. These include those located in the north-eastern region. Interestingly, it was they who received the first immigrants. In total there are 10 states. The main ones - Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey - the most populous 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 European ones.
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, not agriculture. In addition, in mountainous terrain, there are a lot of minerals. It was here that coal was discovered and its production organized. Throughout the country, mining has led the economy to grow rapidly. At the moment, the economic geography of the United States is vast and includes four developing in different directions of the region.
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, is just over 2,000 meters. Several rivers originate in the mountains: the Hudson River, which divided the Appalachian Mountains into northern and southern, as well as Roanoke, which halved the southern ridge of the Blue Ridge. Despite the presence of rivers and forests, the soil in this area is very acidic, which requires constant alkalization and fertilizing.
Atlantic lowland
This is the lowland that borders the Atlantic coast from New York to southern Florida. The region has a mild subtropical climate. The geography of the USA makes an unforgettable impression on travelers, and the Atlantic lowland is one of the main reasons for this. It is divided into several parts.
The northern portion from the states of New York to Virginia is characterized by an uneven coastal line with large peninsulas separated by Long Island Straits and the bays of New York, Delaware, Albemarl and Pamlico. All of these water areas favor shipping. It is this part of the plain that includes wetlands with beaches. In the state of New York is the most beautiful waterfall in the world - Niagara.
Center and South
The central part of the lowland is 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. On the islands facing the ocean, there are delightful sandy beaches.
The southern part is located 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 is the Everglades marshland, where cypress trees from the distant past and the steppe with tall grass remained. This rare section of subtropics is for the most part part of the national park of the same name.
It is not without reason that in the directories the description of the USA country - geography, climate, economy, tourism - begins with the state of Florida.
Prime Mexican Lowland
The Prime Mexican Lowland, located in the south of Alabama to New Mexico. Its border is the Ri Grande River. It also goes deep into the continent almost to the southern part of Illinois and is divided into three parts: eastern, Mississippian and western. Large port cities were located on the shore: New Orleans, Houston and Veracruz.
In the eastern part of the lowland alternate low hills and lowlands, elongated parallel to the southern tip of the Appalachians. Interestingly, there are no waterfalls in the Fall Line Hills hills farthest from the coastline. This characteristic of the United States in geography is unique, since the bulk of the mountains 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 plain of the Mississippi River ranges in width from 80 to 160 km, framed by ledges, the height of which reaches 60 meters. 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 are fertile alluvial soils. In addition, it contains significant deposits of gas and oil. In this area, the geography of the United States, economy and industrial activity are of considerable interest.
Great Plains
This is a plateau east of the Rocky Mountains known to all. The height of the plateau is 700-1800 meters above sea level. In the Great Plains , the states of New Mexico, Nebraska, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, North and South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana are located.
All rivers flow along the general slope of the surface eastward and are related to the Mississippi and Missouri river basins. The Missouri Plateau stands out on one side of a flat, and on the other, hilly surface cut by countless deep river valleys. Interestingly, the bottoms of the valleys are much wider than the rivers themselves, and are limited by steep cliffs that rise up to 30 meters.
The highlands are highly divided, in some places the network of valleys is excessively frequent to be used for farming. In the north are the Bedlands, or, as they are also called, “bad lands,” with virtually no soil cover. Further south, in Nebraska, is the Sand Hills Mountains. In Kansas, the relatively low mountains of Smokey Hills and Flint Hills, as well as the Red Hills Upland. High valleys are practically unsuitable for agriculture, but wheat grows excellently and there is an abundance of pasture for livestock.
Rocky Mountains
In the western part of the United States extends the Cordillera mountain system, which stretches from north to southeast parallel ridges and separating them from plateaus, depressions and valleys. The longest mountain range that I want to mention is the Rocky Mountains. They are smaller in area than the Appalachian Mountains, but abound in great heights, a more rugged terrain, colorful landscapes and a complex geological structure.
Colorado
In the plan-description of the country of the United States in geography, all textbooks include natural features of the state. These include the Southern Rockies, located in Colorado. They consist of several significant ranges and large hollows. One of the highest mountains, Albert, reaches 4399 meters. The most beautiful peaks, often covered with snow, raised 900 meters above the upper edge of the forest, form a vivid panorama of the highlands. On the lush forest slopes originate large US rivers - Colorado, Arkansas, Rio Grande.
Along the western edge of the Middle Rockies is a seismically active zone. There are occasional earthquakes. 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 of volcanic origin. Lava creates a wavy surface strewn with craters of volcanoes. 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 Cascade Mountains, Rainier, stands out for the regularity of its conical shape and is covered with glaciers. It is in this place that Mount Rainier National Park is located.
The geography of the United States briefly shows what height differences - from small in the east of the country to more than 4,000 meters in the west - can be on the same mainland. This leads to a huge amount of natural disasters on both sides of the continent.
California
Next to the Cascade Mountains are another one - Sierra Nevada. They are located mainly in California. Interestingly, this colossal ridge, stretching for 640 km, is composed mainly of granite. Its eastern edge abruptly breaks off to the Great Basin, and the western slope is relatively hollow decreases 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 peaks covered with snow exceed 4250 meters. And Mount Whitney with a height of 4418 meters - the highest point in the United States - is only 160 km from the Death Valley.
The steep eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains 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
A significant part of the state is riddled with mountains stretching from west to east. The northern part is a flat Arctic lowland. It is bordered in the south by the Brooks Range, which includes the mountains of De Long, Endicott, Philip Smith and the British. In the center of the state is the Yukon Plateau with a flowing river of the same name. The Aleutian ridge is bent in a semicircle near the valley of the Susitna River and passes into the Alaskan ridge, thus creating the Alaska Peninsula and the adjacent Aleutian Islands. It is on the Alaskan Range that the highest point of the United States is located - Mount McKinley, 6193 meters high.
Alaska is the largest US state in area and the smallest in population. According to the latest data, 736 732 people inhabit it. 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 the Eskimos, Aleuts and Indians.
In the United States, the geography of states so dramatically different from each other attracts the attention of many tourists. Having passed the territory of the whole country, you can get great pleasure from the views of the majestic mountains, excellent canyons and mighty rivers.