Unit 2

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• Unit 2 Part 2
• GEOGRAPHY OF THE
• UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

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USA QUICK FACTS

• Capital City Washington, D.C
• National Independence July 4, 1776
• Motto In God We Trust
• Largest Cities New York, Los Angeles, Chicago,
  Houston, Philadelphia, Phoenix
• Highest Point Mt. McKinley, Alaska
• Lowest Point Death Valley, California
• Largest State Alaska
• Smallest State Rhode Island
• National Bird Bald Eagle
• National Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner

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BORDERS AND STATES

• ? 50 states
• 48 contiguous states
• 2 non-contiguous states
• Alaska
• Hawai
• Capital city Washington D.C.

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Associate Territories

• Common wealth of PUERTO RICO and VIRGIN ISLANDS
  OF THE US
• in the Caribbean Sea
• The islands of AMERICAN SAMOA and GUAM, in the
  Pacific Ocean.
• http//www.yellowmaps.co
  m/ to identify states with their acronyms and
  explain borders.

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SIZE AND POPULATION
USA UK SPAIN
SIZE 9,826,630 sq km 244,110 sq km 504,645 sq km
POPULATION 307,212,120 61,113,205 46,157,822
DENSITY 33,5 persons per sq km 253 persons per sq km 92 persons per sq km
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STATE FACTS

• Largest states Alaska gt Texas California
• Smallest state Rhode Island
• Largest population California gt Texas gt New York
• Least populated is Wyoming
• Most mountains Colorado
• Most deserts Arizona and New Mexico
• More about the States in the US in
• http//gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/maps/usaindex.htm

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PHYSICAL RELIEF

• ATLANTIC PLAIN
• APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS
• CENTRAL LOWLAND (BADLANDS)
• GREAT PLAINS
• ROCKY MOUNTAINS
• PACIFIC RANGE
• ALASKA
• (Mt. McKinley 6,194m)

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• Natural Resources EAST
• Atlantic Plain (E) ? mostly poor soil, a fertile
  citrus-growing region Cotton Belt (South). Most
  important wealth crude oil natural gas
  reserves (along the Gulf coast)
• Piedmont ? fertile plateau. To the E, waterfalls
  used to generate power, first industrial cities.
• Appalachians ? iron,
• building stone and coal (PA WV).
• Central Lowland ? (nations bread basket) soil
  and fuels.(oil natural gas in TX, OK, KS)

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Natural Resources WEST

• The Great Plains ? ranching farming
• The Rocky Mountains The Pacific Coastal Ranges
  ? valleys with rich soils that supply all US with
  fruits and vegetables.
• Cordillera? precious metals (silver gold), also
  copper and lead. Fuels like oil and gas.
• The Colorado Plateau ? uranium, oil, coal.
• Alaska ? gas oil reserves
• Hawaii ?vegetable riches commercial forest
  tropical farming

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COASTS AND RIVERS

• MISSISSIPI RV
• MISSOURI RV
• RIO GRANDE
• St LAWRENCE RV
• COLORADO RV
• GREAT LAKES
• Great SALT LAKE

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The Great Lakes

• The Great Lakes ? biggest group of fresh-water
  lakes in the world, they carry more shipping than
  any other inland lakes, and connect to the sea
  through St. Lawrence Seaway
• ? Surrounding lakes fertile farmland and iron,
  lumber fossil fuels. INDUSTRIALIZATION
• Detroit (OH) automobile industries
• http//www.greatlakes-seaway.com/en/navigating/map
  /index.html

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CLIMATE

• Artic and tropical climates ? high mountaintops,
  inland Alaska, Hawaii and southern Florida.
• MidWest ? great variation North/South
• (Generally the more distant a place from the
  ocean, the more it has temperature extremes in
  the summer and winter).
• Due to the Pacific Ocean and the Cordillera, the
  West Coast only has a small differential between
  winter summer temperatures.

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MAJOR REGIONS OF THE USA
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NATIVE AMERICA (CULTURAL REGIONS)

• THE EAST
• GREAT PLAINS
• SOUTHWEST
• NORTHWEST
• COAST
• ALASKA

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FORUM facts about each region

• States included
• Main cities
• Economy
• Cultural traits