usa geographypptx

Regional Geography
USA


Facts:
- 3th biggest country (9,8 million km²)
- situated in North America
-Population: 310 million
- Capital: Washington D.C.
- maritime country (Atlantic, Pacific
Ocean)


50 States and a district


Population


Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange, the world's largest
bourse by dollar volume


The west front of the United States Capitol, which houses the
United States Congress


The White House, home and workplace of the U.S. president


Barack Obama taking thepresidential oath of office from U.S.

Chief Justice John Roberts, January 20, 2009


A photograph from Apollo 11of Buzz Aldrin on the surface of the
Moon


The landscape


The landscape

Cordilleras


Occupy the western part



Ranges of young mountains – orogenesis began in the Mesozoic, continued in the Tertiary
period in the Cainozoic



3 ranges: Island Range, Coast range, Rocky Mountains



Large basins among the ranges



Natural beauty



Important natural resources: ores of various kinds


Landscape
The Great Plains


Situated east of the Cordilleras



Hilly area

Central Lowlands
Follows the GP towards the east
Divided into 2 parts: Great Lakes, basin of the Mississippi


Landscape
Appalachian Mountains
 Old mountains (Palaeozoic: Northern section
Variscan orogeny)

-Caledonian orogeny, Southern section:



Natural resources: coal, iron ore, copper, zinc



The first states were formed in that part – the cradle of the industry of the USA


Climate




In the temperate zone on the Northern Hemisphere



! Alaska exception: partly in the cold zone



Diff. Climates can be found because of:



1. large size



2. variety of landforms


I. Temperate marine climate



Northern and Central sections of the West coast

II. Mediterranean climate



California

III. Climate of high elevations



Cordilleras



Basins: dry areas


IV. Arid and semi-arid areas



The Great Plains

V. Continental Climate



Appalachian Mountains



Central Lowlands (open from the N and S, no mountains which could block air masses coming
from the polar region or from Equator – leads to the formation of tornadoes)


A powerful tornado in Texas
Total devastation in
Gulfport, Mississippi
following
Hurricane Katrina in 2005


VI. Humid subtropical



Southern part of the Central Lowlands



Florida


Hydrogeography


Rich in waters



1. Biggest lakes – Great Lakes



Lake Superior



Michigan



Huron



Erie



Ontario



2. connected with the ocean by the St. Lawrence river


Great Lakes –
satellite view




3. Mississippi-Missouri system



The largest river system in North-America



4. rivers of the Cordilleras



Can be used to generate electric power



A short history of development




Relatively young country
Declaration of Independence

(1776)






vast territories in the West




Foreign capital

Railroads
Shortage of labour force
Machines were used

Skilled immigrants

helped the development


Leading power in the world economy



American firms have become large multinational companies



„Brain drain”: highly qualified experts are still welcome



Migration is controlled by laws



1 st country with POSTINDUSTRIAL SOCIETY



Majority of occupied population work in : TERTIARY sector