Geography of the u s

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NHÓM 3:


Geography of the U.S.


Contents
A brief survey of the American physical geography
Eastern United States
Central United States
Western United States


1. A brief survey of the American physical geography
is a federal republic of 50 states.
There are 48 conterminous states
The other two states, Hawaii and Alaska are situated respectively in the tropical part of the Pacific
Ocean, near the Arctic circle.


Topography


Topography
Tremendous variety in physical features, ranking from most rain forest to arid desert and bald
mountain peaks.
The Eastern coast (coastal plains) is a long, gently rolling lowland area.

- Stretch from Maine to Texas, are very flat and often swampy.
- Poor soil, except the fertile southern part.

- a chain of low, almost unbroken mountains at the western edge of the Atlantic coastal plain.
(Appalachian Mount)


Topography
The Central Plains is vast , broken by the Superior Upland and Black Hills in the North and Ozark
Plateau in the South.
- The interior plains are divided into 2 major parts: the wetter, eastern portion is called the Central
plains and the western portion is the Great plains


Topography
The U.S. has several immense long rivers.
There are a large number of rivers in the eastern part of the nation.
The Mississippi – Missouri – Red Rock system extends for 6,176 km before entering the Gulf of
Mexico near New Orleans.
Two other tributaries of the Mississippi – the Ohio and Tennessee – are more than 1,250km long.


Weather and Climate
Every type of climate can be found somewhere in the U.S. – from arctic in Alaska to subtropical in
Florida.
Most of the country has a humid continental climate with hot summers & cold winters.
Lack of natural barriers either to north or the south => cold , dry air to flow south from Canada &
warm, humid air north from the Gulf of Mexico.
rise to spectacular weather of every possible type in the Great plains and Midwest.


Weather and Climate
Summer are hot & very humid in the Great Plains and Midwest.

Rainfall decreases to the west as a result of the rain shadow created by the West Pacific range
and Sierra Nevada.
The southwest portion of the Great Plains is the hottest & most arid region of the U.S.


Weather and Climate
The Pacific coast is almost rainless in the summer, although often fog. In winter, there is frequent
drizzle, but the remains warm and dry.
The part of the country is moderately rainy. Summers tend to be extremely humid, especially
along the coast of Texas and Florida.
is subject to a range of climate-related calamities such as hurricanes in the Southeast, tornadoes
on the Plains, flooding around the main rivers, severe snowstorms in the mountains.


Natural resources
The major resource is iron (3/4 in the Lake Superior region of the Great Lakes).
Other basic metals and minerals mined on large scale are zinc, copper, silver, and phosphate
rock (used for fertilizers).
Produces one-quarter of the world’s coal and one-seventh of its petroleum.
Nuclear power is also used in many places, using uranium mined in New Mexico and Wyoming.


2. Eastern United States
is not a region of impressive topographic characteristics. However, the concentration of numerous
urban areas is greater than any other regions in the U.S.
Divided into 2 main parts:

1.
2.

The Atlantic Coast and the Gulf Coast
The Appalachian Mountains.


The Atlantic Coast & the Gulf Coast

The Atlantic coastline stretches 3,330 km from the northern reaches of Maine to the southern tip
of Florida.


The Atlantic Coast & the Gulf Coast
The Gulf of Mexico coastline extends 2,625 km from the southern tip of Texas to the southern
reaches of Florida.


The Atlantic Northeast
is a land of bare rock, thin soils, rugged coastlines, swift streams and slow-growing forests.
limited resources, poor soils and distant location from the main flow of U.S. commercial activity.


The Atlantic Northeast
the economy is very restricted and offers limited employment opportunities.
harsh climate, thin soils, and short growing season rule out most cultivated crops.
the main rural economy depends on dairy and poultry farms.


The Southeastern coast
is a narrow strip along the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
begins in southern Virginia, extends along the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, ends in
Texas at the border with Mexico.

is dynamic with a range of both traditional and modern characteristics in its culture and economy.


The Appalachian Mountains


The Appalachian Mountains
cover a huge, almost unbroken area, over 932 km long & a couple of hundred km wide.
is dominated by steep slopes & narrow valleys
The entire range of the Appalachian Mountains is cloaked in deep, thick, dense forests.


3. Central United States


3. Central United States
often called the Interior Plains
is a vast, almost unbroken plain, which extends from Canada southward to Mexico and from the
Appalachian westwards to the Rocky Mountains.
may be divided into 2 sections:

- The fertile central lowland in the East
- The Great Plains in the West


Central Lowland
Divided into 5 sections:

1.
2.

3.
4.
5.

The Northern Forests
The Heartland
The inland South
Great Lakes
Mississippi River


3.1. The Northern Forests
extend through much of central Canada and Alaska.
include much of northeastern Minnesota as well as northern Wisconsin and Michigan.
characterized by abundant rivers and lakes
economy relies on the export via shipping routes of the Great Lakes.


3.2. The Heartland
The term Heartland is used as a synonym for the Midwestern U.S. (Midwest).
To the South of the northern forests is the vast central lowland.
is the most extensive area of highly productive farmland, as well as the industrial core of the
continent.
contains the largest population of any region of the nation.