英美概况笔记 American Survey.doc

Part One Geography: I. A Brief Introduction to Physical Geography: The United States is the worlds third or fourth?largest nation by total area?(land and water), ranking behind Russia and Canada and just above or below?China.?The United States is situated in the central part of North America. The U.S. is bounded by Canada on the north and by Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico on the south. To the west of America lies the Pacific Ocean. To the east of America lies the Atlantic Ocean. The United States includes 50 states and a federal district, the District of Columbia. 1. 3 Geographical Divisions: (1) The eastern part: It is made up of the highlands formed by the Appalachian Range which begins form north Maine and reaches in central Alabama, covering a distance of 1200 miles. It holds 1/6 of the national territory on the continent. These highlands are relatively low, only 800 meters above sea level. The Atlantic Coast Plain stretches from New York to Florida and lies in the east of the upland belt. (2) The western part: It consists of high plateaus and mountains formed by the Great Cordillera Range, extending form Canada through the western side of the U.S. to Mexico. From west to east, this mountain system is composed of the Coast Range, the Cascades and the Rocky Mountains. The Colorado Plateau and the Columbia Plateau lie in the west of the Rocky Mountain. The Colorado Plateau is in the south along with the Colorado River and the Columbia Plateau in the north with the Columbia River running through the plateau. The Colorado Plateaus are threaded by many deep valleys or canyons, among them the best known is Colorado Valley or Great Canyon which lies in northern Arizona which is cut by the Colorado River. Between the two plateaus lies the Great Basin. The whole area of this part holds 1/3 of the country’s territory on the continent. The area of the Pacific coast is known for its growth of fruits, vegetables and wheat, especially in California. Yellowstone National Park