unit 2 Land and People - handout 3.doc

Text 1 United States of America Population: 307,212,123 (July 2009 estimate)Capital: Washington D.C.Area: 3,794,100 square miles (9,826,675 sq km)Bordering Countries: Canada and MexicoCoastline: 12,380 miles (19,924 km)Highest Point: Denali (also called Mount McKinley) at 20,335 feet (6,198 m)Lowest Point: Death Valley at -282 feet (-86 m) Geography and Climate of the United States The U.S. borders both the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans and is bordered by Canada and Mexico. It is the third largest country in the world by area and has a varied topography. The eastern regions consist of hills and low mountains while the central interior is a vast plain (called the Great Plains region) and the west has high rugged mountain ranges (some of which are volcanic in the Pacific Northwest). Alaska also features rugged mountains as well as river valleys. Hawaiis landscape varies but is dominated by volcanic topography. Like its topography, the climate of the U.S. also varies depending on location. It is considered mostly temperate but is tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the plains west of the Mississippi River and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest. The United States of America is the third largest country in the world based on population and land area. The United States also has the worlds largest economy and is one of the most influential nations in the world. Independence and Modern History of the United States The original 13 colonies of the United States were formed in 1732. Each of these had local governments and their populations grew quickly throughout the mid-1700s. However during this time tensions between the American colonies and the British government began to arise as the American colonists were subject to British taxation but had no representation in the British Parliament. These tensions eventually led to the American Revolution which was fought from 1775-1781. On July 4, 1776, the colonies adopted the Declarat