A Survey of Major English Speaking Countries 9.ppt

A Survey of Major English Speaking Countries 9. USA Country The Territory The fourth largest country in size. Forty-eight contiguous states lie between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, Canada and Mexico Alaska in the far northwest corner of the continent Hawaii in the middle of the Pacific Ocean The Caribbean and the Pacific possessions Diversity – the most pronounced feature Natural environment: from the arctic to the tropic from the rainforest to desert from vast plains to cliffs and mountain peaks “a nation with an abundance of geography, but a shortage of history” Physical Features A huge interior lowland Middle America The Mississippi River – the traditional dividing line in America between East and West Interior Plains Mississippi River Mountains -- The Appalachians From Alabama to Canadian border and beyond Much-eroded old mountains Set back from the Atlantic by a broad belt of coastal lowland Contains no remarkable scenery nor much mineral wealth The original 13 colonies were all located in this narrow belt Since the American Revolution, settlers began to move westward into the interior lowlands Cordillera A collective term for all the high rough country of the western part Geologically young and topographically varied Has almost no coastal plain Both complicated and varied, with high mountains, basins, plateaus, and isolated ranges A peculiar and portentous place -- a land of impressive scenery, considerable environmental variety, and great mineral wealth Settled by adventurous folk in search of quick rich The west -- a wild eccentric kind of place Climate Situated in the northern temperate zone Different types of climates in different regions The humid east Almost half of the present-day U.S. Drought is a rare occurrence 4 major sub-regions: the northernmost zone – long and cold winters southward – milder winters, hot summers still farther southward – short cool winters the southernmost – tropical part The arid west Desert in the rai