Geography of the United States

Relief map of the 48 states of the U. S. mainland
Area
Total	3,717,813 sq mi 9,629,091 km²
Land	3,536,294 sq mi 9,158,960 km²
Water	181,519 sq mi 470,131 km²
Latitude	38°0' N
Longitude	97°0'W
Borders
Canada	5,526 miles 8,893 km
Mexico	2,067 miles 3,326 km
Coastlines	12,380 miles 19,924 km
Maritime claims
Contiguous zone	24 nautical miles (44 km)
Economic zone	200 nautical miles (370 km)
Territorial sea	12 nautical miles (22 km)

The United States is a nation in the Western Hemisphere. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of A mile is a unit of Length, usually used to measure Distance, in a number of different systems including Imperial units United States The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand A nautical mile or sea mile is a unit of Length. It corresponds approximately to one minute of Latitude along any meridian. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Western Hemisphere, also Western hemisphere or western hemisphere, is a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies West It consists of forty-eight contiguous states on the North American continent; Alaska, an enormous peninsula which forms the northwestern most part of North America, and Hawaii, an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. A US state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States of America that share Sovereignty with the federal government Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent A peninsula is a piece of land that is nearly surrounded by Water but connected to Mainland via an Isthmus. The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the An archipelago (ɑrkəˈpɛləgoʊ is a chain or cluster of Islands The word archipelago literally means "chief Sea " from Italian The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions It also holds several United States territories in the Pacific & Caribbean. United States territory is any extent of Region under the Jurisdiction of the federal Government of the United States, including all The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting The country shares land borders with Canada and Mexico and a water border with Russia. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending

Area

By total area including water, the United States is either slightly larger or smaller than the People's Republic of China, making it the world's third or fourth largest country. This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Its rank depends on whether one includes two territories claimed by India but governed by China when calculating China's size. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Both China and the United States follow behind Canada and Russia in total area. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending By land area (exclusive of waters), the United States is the world's third largest country, following Russia and China. ^[1] In total area, the United States is:

• three-tenths the size of Africa
• half the size of South America
• half the size of Russia
• roughly the same size as China
• slightly larger than Brazil
• slightly more than one and a quarter times the size of Australia
• two and a half times the size of Western Europe
• roughly 14 times the size of France
• roughly 39 times the size of the United Kingdom

General characteristics

A satellite composite image of the contiguous United States. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Western Europe at its most general meaning means 'all the countries in the West of Europe ' This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The term continental United States refers to the 48 contiguous states located on the North American continent south of the border with Canada plus the District Deciduous vegetation and grasslands prevail in the east, transitioning to prairies, boreal forests, and the Rockies in the west, and deserts in the southwest. Botany Autumn leaf color. See --> In Botany and Horticulture, deciduous Plants, including Grasslands (also called greenswards) are areas where the Vegetation is dominated by Grasses ( Poaceae) and other Herbaceous (non-woody Prairie, from the French prairie ("meadow" "grassland" "pasture" refers to an area of land of low topographic relief that historically Mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a Mountain range in western North America. A desert is a Landscape or region that receives very little precipitation. In the northeast, the coasts of the Great Lakes and Atlantic seaboard host much of the country's population. The Laurentian Great Lakes are a chain of freshwater lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada–United States border. The East Coast of the United States, also known as the "Eastern Seaboard" or "Atlantic Seaboard" refers to the easternmost coastal states in the central and northern

The United States shares land borders with Canada (to the north) and Mexico (to the south), and a territorial water border with Russia in the northwest. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Territorial waters, or a territorial sea, as defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is a belt of coastal waters extending at most Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The contiguous forty-eight states are otherwise bounded by the Pacific Ocean on the west, the Atlantic Ocean on the east, and the Gulf of Mexico to the southeast. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world Alaska borders the Pacific Ocean to the south, the Bering Strait to the west, and the Arctic Ocean to the north, while Hawaii lies far to the southwest of the mainland in the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions The Bering Strait (Берингов пролив Beringov proliv) is a sea Strait between Cape Dezhnev, Russia, the easternmost point (169°43' The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the

Forty-eight of the States are in the single region between Canada and Mexico; this group is referred to, with varying precision and formality, as the continental or contiguous United States, and as the Lower 48. The term continental United States refers to the 48 contiguous states located on the North American continent south of the border with Canada plus the District Alaska, which is not included in the term contiguous United States, is at the northwestern end of North America, separated from the Lower 48 by Canada. Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent The State of Hawaii is an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the An archipelago (ɑrkəˈpɛləgoʊ is a chain or cluster of Islands The word archipelago literally means "chief Sea " from Italian The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions The capital city, Washington, District of Columbia, is a federal district located on land donated by the state of Maryland. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D (Virginia had also donated land, but it was returned in 1847. The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state ) The United States also have overseas territories with varying levels of independence and organization. The political units and divisions of the United States include The 50 states (four of these being officially styled as Commonwealths) which are typically

In total area (including inland water), Russia and Canada are larger than the United States. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Ranking for third-largest status is disputed. Some sources (including Encyclopædia Britannica and all publications of the People's Republic of China), list China as larger than the U. The Encyclopædia Britannica is a general English-language encyclopaedia published by Encyclopædia Britannica Inc Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES S. Many other sources list the U. S. as larger. The dispute appears to hinge on Taiwan, without which China takes fourth place. The controversy regarding the political status of Taiwan hinges on whether Taiwan, including the Pescadores (Penghu should remain effectively independent as territory Total U. S. area is 3,718,711 square miles (9,631,418 km²), of which land is 3,537,438 square miles (9,161,923 km²) and water is 181,273 square miles (469,495 km²). The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of Ranked by land area, the top countries in order are Russia, China, the U. S. , and Canada.

Physiographic divisions

Main article: United States physiographic region

Mount McKinley, Alaska, the highest point in North America at 20,320 ft (6,194 m)

The eastern United States has a varied topography. There are eight distinct physiographic divisions within the Continental United States. "Denali" redirects here For other meanings see Denali (disambiguation. Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent A broad, flat coastal plain lines the Atlantic and Gulf shores from the Texas-Mexico border to New York City, and includes the Florida peninsula. Areas further inland feature rolling hills and temperate forests. The Appalachian Mountains form a line of low mountains separating the eastern seaboard from the Great Lakes and the Mississippi Basin. The Appalachian Mountains ( often called the Appalachians, are a vast system of mountains in eastern North America. The five Great Lakes are located in the north-central portion of the country, four of them forming part of the border with Canada. The Laurentian Great Lakes are a chain of freshwater lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada–United States border. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The southeast United States contain subtropical forests and, near the gulf coast, mangrove wetlands, especially in Florida. Mangroves (generally are Trees and Shrubs that grow in saline coastal habitats in the Tropics and Subtropics. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the West of the Appalachians lies the Mississippi River basin and two large eastern tributaries, the Ohio River and the Tennessee River. The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to The Ohio River is the largest Tributary by volume of the Mississippi River. The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. The Ohio and Tennessee Valleys and the Midwest consist largely of rolling hills and productive farmland, stretching south to the Gulf Coast. The Ohio River is the largest Tributary by volume of the Mississippi River. The Tennessee Valley is the Drainage basin of the Tennessee River and is largely within the U The Gulf Coast region of the United States comprises the coasts of states which border the Gulf of Mexico.

The Great Plains lie west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains. The Great Plains are the broad expanse of Prairie and Steppe which lie east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada A large portion of the country's agricultural products are grown in the Great Plains. Before their general conversion to farmland, the Great Plains were noted for their extensive grasslands, from tallgrass prairie in the eastern plains to shortgrass steppe in the western High Plains. The tallgrass prairie is an Ecosystem native to central North America, with fire as its primary periodic disturbance The shortgrass prairie Ecosystem of the North American Great Plains is a Prairie that formerly encompassed lands from the eastern foothills of the Elevation rises gradually from less than a few hundred feet near the Mississippi River to more than a mile high in the High Plains. The generally low relief of the plains is broken in several places, most notably in the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains, which form the U.S. Interior Highlands, the only major mountainous region between the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains. The Ouachita Mountains are a mountain range located in west central Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma. The US Interior Highlands is a mountainous region spanning eastern Oklahoma, western and northern Arkansas, southern Missouri, and the extreme southeast Mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a Mountain range in western North America. The Appalachian Mountains ( often called the Appalachians, are a vast system of mountains in eastern North America. ^[2][3] The Great Plains come to an abrupt end at the Rocky Mountains. Mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a Mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains form a large portion of the Western U.S., entering from Canada and stretching nearly to Mexico. The Western United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American West or simply the West &mdashtraditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The Rocky Mountains generally contain fairly mild slopes and low peaks compared to many of the other great mountain ranges, with a few exceptions (such as the Teton Mountains in Wyoming and the Sawatch Range in Colorado). The Teton Range is a Mountain range of the Rocky Mountains in North America. The State of Wyoming ( is a sparsely populated state in the western region of the United States. The Sawatch Range is a Mountain range in central Colorado which includes eight of the twenty highest peaks in the Rocky Mountains, including Mount The State of Colorado ( or chiefly by nonresidents) is a state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. In addition, instead of being one generally continuous and solid mountain range, it is broken up into a number of smaller, intermittent mountain ranges, forming a large series of basins and valleys.

West of the Rocky Mountains lies the Intermontane Plateaus (also known as the Intermountain West), a large, arid desert lying between the Rockies and the Cascades and Sierra Nevada ranges. Physiographic regions of the US InteriorSee legend For purposes of description The Intermountain West is a region of North America lying between the Rocky Mountains to the east and the Cascades and Sierra Nevada to the west The Sierra Nevada ( Spanish for "Snowy Range" is a Mountain range located in the U The large southern portion, known as the Great Basin, consists of salt flats, drainage basins, and many small north-south mountain ranges. The Great Basin is a large arid region of the western United States. The Southwest is predominantly a low-lying desert region. The Southwestern area of the United States could be defined as the states west of the Mississippi River, with the qualification of a certain northern limit such as the 37 A portion known as the Colorado Plateau, centered around the Four Corners region, is considered to have some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. The Colorado Plateau, also called the Colorado Plateaus Province, is a physiographic region of the Intermontane Plateaus, roughly centered on the The Four Corners is a region of the United States consisting of southwest Colorado, northwest New Mexico, northeast Arizona and southeast It is accentuated in such national parks as Grand Canyon, Arches, and Bryce Canyon, among others. Grand Canyon Grand Canyon National Park is one of the United States' oldest national parks and is located in Arizona. Arches National Park is a US National park in southern Utah. It is known for preserving over 2000 natural sandstone arches, including the Bryce Canyon National Park (ˈbraɪs is a National park located in southwestern Utah in the United States

The Grand Canyon from Moran Point. The Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon is among the most famous locations in the country.

The Intermontane Plateaus come to an end at the Cascade Range and the Sierra Nevada. The Sierra Nevada ( Spanish for "Snowy Range" is a Mountain range located in the U The Cascades consist of largely intermittent, volcanic mountains rising prominently from the surrounding landscape. The Sierra Nevada, further south, is a high, rugged, and dense mountain range. It contains the highest point in the contiguous 48 states, Mount Whitney (14,505 ft; 4,421 m). Mount Whitney is the highest summit in the Contiguous United States with an elevation of. These areas contain some spectacular scenery as well, as evidenced by such national parks as Yosemite and Mount Rainier. Mount Rainier National Park is a United States National Park located in southeast Pierce County and northeast Lewis County in Washington West of the Cascades and Sierra Nevada is a series of valleys, such as the Central Valley in California and the Willamette Valley in Oregon. The Central Valley is a large flat valley that dominates the central portion of the U California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The Willamette Valley () is the region in northwest Oregon in the United States that surrounds the Willamette River as it proceeds northward from its emergence Oregon ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Along the coast is a series of low mountain ranges known as the Pacific Coast Ranges. The Pacific Coast Ranges are the series of Mountain ranges that stretch along the west coast of North America from Alaska to northern and central Mexico Much of the Pacific Northwest coast is inhabited by some of the densest vegetation outside of the Tropics, and also the tallest trees in the world (the Redwoods). The Pacific Northwest is a region in the northwest of North America (the term refers to the land not the ocean The Tropics are centered on the Equator and limited in Latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately 23°26' (23 Sequoia sempervirens is the sole living Species of the Genus Sequoia in the cypress family Cupressaceae (formerly

Alaska contains some of the most dramatic and untapped scenery in the country. Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent Tall, prominent mountain ranges rise up sharply from broad, flat tundra plains. On the islands off the south and southwest coast are many volcanoes. Plate tectonics and hotspots Divergent plate boundaries At the Hawaii, far to the south of Alaska in the Pacific Ocean, is a chain of tropical, volcanic islands, popular as a tourist destination for many from East Asia and the mainland United States. The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions

The geography of the United States varies across their immense area. Within the contential U. S. , eight distinct physiographic divisions exist, though each is composed of several smaller physiographic subdivisions. There are eight distinct physiographic divisions within the Continental United States. ^[4] These major divisions are:

• Laurentian Upland - part of the Canadian Shield that extends into the northern United States Great Lakes area. The Laurentian Upland (or Laurentian Highlands) is a physiographic province which when referred to as the "Laurentian Region" is recognized by Natural The Canadian Shield &mdash also called the Laurentian Plateau, or Bouclier Canadien (French &mdash is a large geological shield covered by The Laurentian Great Lakes are a chain of freshwater lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada–United States border.
• Atlantic Plain - the coastal regions of the eastern and southern parts includes the continental shelf, the Atlantic Coast and the Gulf Coast. The Atlantic Plain is one of eight distinct United States physiographic regions This major division consists of the Continental Shelf and Coastal Plain The East Coast of the United States, also known as the "Eastern Seaboard" or "Atlantic Seaboard" refers to the easternmost coastal states in the central and northern The Gulf Coast region of the United States comprises the coasts of states which border the Gulf of Mexico.
• Appalachian Highlands - lying on the eastern side of the United States, it includes the Appalachian Mountains, Adirondacks and New England province. The Appalachian Mountains ( often called the Appalachians, are a vast system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachian Mountains ( often called the Appalachians, are a vast system of mountains in eastern North America. The Adirondack Mountains are a Mountain range located in the northeastern part of New York, that runs through Clinton, Essex, Franklin History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the
• Interior Plains - part of the interior contentintal United States, it includes much of what is called the Great Plains. The Interior Plains is a vast physiographic region that spreads across the Laurentian craton of North America The Great Plains are the broad expanse of Prairie and Steppe which lie east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada
• Interior Highlands - also part of the interior contentintal United States, this division includes the Ozark Plateau. The US Interior Highlands is a mountainous region spanning eastern Oklahoma, western and northern Arkansas, southern Missouri, and the extreme southeast
• Rocky Mountain System - one branch of the Cordilleran system lying far inland in the western states. Physiographic regions of the US InteriorSee legend For purposes of description The American cordillera consists of an essentially continuous sequence of Mountain ranges that form the western "backbone" of North America, Central
• Intermontane Plateaus - also divided into the Columbia Plateau, the Colorado Plateau and the Basin and Range Province, it is a system of plateaus, basins, ranges and gorges between the Rocky and Pacific Mountain Systems. Physiographic regions of the US InteriorSee legend For purposes of description The Columbia River Plateau is a geologic and geographic region that lies across parts of the U The Colorado Plateau, also called the Colorado Plateaus Province, is a physiographic region of the Intermontane Plateaus, roughly centered on the The Basin and Range Province is a large geologic province which includes parts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, typified by Basin and It is the setting for the Grand Canyon, the Great Basin and Death Valley. The Grand Canyon The Great Basin is a large arid region of the western United States. Death Valley is the lowest driest and hottest Valley in the United States.
• Pacific Mountain System - the coastal mountain ranges and features in the west coast of the United States. Physiographic regions of the US Interior (See legend) For The " West Coast " " Western Seaboard " or " Pacific Seaboard " are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the Western United States

Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, Utah

The Atlantic coast of the United States is, with minor exceptions, low. Arches National Park is a US National park in southern Utah. It is known for preserving over 2000 natural sandstone arches, including the The Appalachian Highland owes its oblique northeast-southwest trend to crustal deformations which in very early geological time gave a beginning to what later came to be the Appalachian mountain system. This system had its climax of deformation so long ago (probably in Permian time) that it has since then been very generally reduced to moderate or low relief. The Permian is a geologic period and system that extends from 299 It owes its present day altitude either to renewed elevations along the earlier lines or to the survival of the most resistant rocks as residual mountains. The oblique trend of this coast would be even more pronounced but for a comparatively modern crustal movement, causing a depression in the northeast resulting in an encroachment of the sea upon the land. Additionally, the southeastern section has undergone an elevation resulting in the advance of the land upon the sea.

The following map, known as a physiographical map, shows geographical and terrain information about the regions of the contiguous 48 states of the U. Physical geography (also known as geosystems or physiography) is one of the three major subfields of Geography. Geography (from Greek γεωγραφία - geografia) is the study of the Earth and its lands features inhabitants and phenomena Terrain, or relief, is the third or vertical dimension of land surface. S. used by earth scientists. Earth science (also known as geoscience, the geosciences or the Earth Sciences) is an all-embracing term for the Sciences related to the planet The map indicates the age of the exposed surface as well as the type of terrain. More information about the regions is covered in several sub articles found in the additional topics subsection below.

Physiographic Regions of the United States. There are eight distinct physiographic divisions within the Continental United States.

While the Atlantic coast is relatively low, the Pacific coast is, with few exceptions, hilly or mountainous. This coast has been defined chiefly by geologically recent crustal deformations, and hence still preserves a greater relief than that of the Atlantic.

The low Atlantic coast and the hilly or mountainous Pacific coast foreshadow the leading features in the distribution of mountains within the United States. The east coast Appalachian system, originally forest covered, is relatively low and narrow and is bordered on the southeast and south by an important coastal plain. The Cordilleran system on the western side of the continent is lofty, broad and complicated having two branches, the Rocky Mountain System and the Pacific Mountain System. The American cordillera consists of an essentially continuous sequence of Mountain ranges that form the western "backbone" of North America, Central In between these, lie the Intermontaine Plateaus. Heavy forests cover the northwest coast, but elsewhere trees are found only on the higher ranges below the Alpine region. The intermontane valleys, plateaus and basins range from treeless to desert with the very arid region being in the southwest. In Geography, an intermontane is a feature that lies between Mountains.

Both the Columbia River and Colorado River rise far inland near the easternmost members of the Cordilleran system, and flow through plateaus and intermontaine basins to the ocean. The Columbia River (known as The Colorado River (' Aha Kwahwat in Mojave) is a River in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately

The Laurentian Highlands, the Interior Plains and the Interior Highlands lie between the two coasts, stretching from the Gulf of Mexico northward, far beyond the national boundary, to the Arctic Ocean. The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major The central plains are divided by a hardly perceptible height of land into a Canadian and a United States portion. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page It is from the United States side, that the great Mississippi system discharges southward to the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi River is the second longest River in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to The upper Mississippi and some of the Ohio basin is the semi-arid prairie region, with trees originally only along the watercourses. The Ohio River is the largest Tributary by volume of the Mississippi River. The uplands towards the Appalachians were included in the great eastern forested area, while the western part of the plains has so dry a climate that its native plant life is scanty, and in the south it is practically barren.

See also: List of North American deserts

Elevation extremes:

• Lowest point: Death Valley, Inyo County, California 282 feet below sea level (-86 m)
• Highest point: Mount McKinley, Denali Borough, Alaska 20,320 feet above sea level (+6,194 m)

Climate

Main article: Climate of the United States

Climate zones of the lower 48 United States. This is a list of North American deserts. There are four major Deserts, in North America, all located in the Western United States and northern Death Valley is the lowest driest and hottest Valley in the United States. Inyo County is located in east-central California in the southwestern United States, on the east side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and south of Yosemite Mean sea level (MSL is the average (mean height of the Sea, with reference to a suitable reference surface "Denali" redirects here For other meanings see Denali (disambiguation. Denali Borough is a borough located in the US state of Alaska and was formed in 1990 The United States includes a wide variety of climate types due to its large size range of geographic features and noncontiguous arrangement

Average precipitation

Due to its large size and wide range of geographic features, the United States contains examples of nearly every global climate. The climate is temperate in most areas, tropical in Hawaii and southern Florida, polar in Alaska, semiarid in the Great Plains west of the 100th meridian, Mediterranean in coastal California and arid in the Great Basin. The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent The Great Plains are the broad expanse of Prairie and Steppe which lie east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The Great Basin is a large arid region of the western United States. Its comparatively generous climate contributed (in part) to the country's rise as a world power, with infrequent severe drought in the major agricultural regions, a general lack of widespread flooding, and a mainly temperate climate that receives adequate precipitation.

Deep snow during the Blizzard of 2006 Nor'easter in Brooklyn, New York City. The Blizzard of 2006 was a Nor'easter that began on the evening of February 11, 2006. A nor'easter (also northeaster; see below is a macro-scale Storm along the East Coast of the United States and Atlantic Canada. Brooklyn (named after the Dutch town Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. The City of New York

The main influence on U. S. weather is the polar jet stream, which brings in large low pressure systems from the northern Pacific Ocean. Jet streams are fast flowing relatively narrow air currents found at the Tropopause, the transition between the Troposphere (where temperature decreases The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions The Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, and Rocky Mountains pick up most of the moisture from these systems as they move eastward. The Sierra Nevada ( Spanish for "Snowy Range" is a Mountain range located in the U Mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a Mountain range in western North America. Greatly diminished by the time they reach the High Plains, much of the moisture has been sapped by the orographic effect as it is forced over several mountain ranges. This article is about a geographic region in the United States In Meteorology, precipitation (also known as one class of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric However, once it moves over the Great Plains, uninterrupted flat land allows it to reorganize and can lead to major clashes of air masses. The Great Plains are the broad expanse of Prairie and Steppe which lie east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada In addition, moisture from the Gulf of Mexico is often drawn northward. The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world When combined with a powerful jet stream, this can lead to violent thunderstorms, especially during spring and summer. Sometimes during late winter and spring these storms can combine with another low pressure system as they move up the East Coast and into the Atlantic Ocean, where they intensify rapidly. These storms are known as Nor'easters and often bring widespread, heavy snowfall to the Mid-Atlantic and New England. The Mid-Atlantic States (also called Middle Atlantic States or simply Mid Atlantic) form one of the nine geographic divisions within the United States that History See also History of New England New England's earliest inhabitants were Algonquian -speaking Native Americans including the The uninterrupted flat grasslands of the Great Plains also leads to some of the most extreme climate swings in the world. The Great Plains are the broad expanse of Prairie and Steppe which lie east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada Temperatures can rise or drop rapidly and winds can be extreme, and the flow of heat waves or Arctic air masses often advance uninterrupted through the plains.

The U. S. State of Hawaii has a year-round tropical climate, and is known for its many beaches, such as this one on O'ahu. The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the A tropical climate is a kind of Climate typical in the Tropics. Oahu (usually Oahu outside Hawaiian and Hawaiian English) known as ''"The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the

The Great Basin and Columbia Plateau (the Intermontane Plateaus) are arid or semiarid regions that lie in the rain shadow of the Cascades and Sierra Nevada. The Great Basin is a large arid region of the western United States. The Columbia River Plateau is a geologic and geographic region that lies across parts of the U Physiographic regions of the US InteriorSee legend For purposes of description The Sierra Nevada ( Spanish for "Snowy Range" is a Mountain range located in the U Precipitation averages less than 15 inches (38 cm). Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. The Southwest is a hot desert, with temperatures exceeding 100°F (38°C) for several weeks at a time in summer. The Southwestern area of the United States could be defined as the states west of the Mississippi River, with the qualification of a certain northern limit such as the 37 The Southwest and the Great Basin are also affected by the monsoon from the Gulf of California from July-September, which brings localized but often severe thunderstorms to the region. A monsoon is a seasonal prevailing wind which lasts for several months " Sea of Cortez " redirects here For the book by John Steinbeck, see The Log from the Sea of Cortez.

map Comparing between US contigious Lands and other regions and Countries of the world

Much of California consists of a Mediterranean climate, with sometimes excessive rainfall from October-April and nearly no rain the rest of the year. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. A Mediterranean climate is one that resembles the Climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, which includes over half of the area with this climate type world-wide In the Pacific Northwest rain falls year-round, but is much heavier during winter and spring. The Pacific Northwest is a region in the northwest of North America (the term refers to the land not the ocean The mountains of the west receive abundant precipitation and very heavy snowfall. The Cascades are one of the snowiest places in the world, with some places averaging over 600 inches (1,520 cm) of snow annually, but the lower elevations closer to the coast receive very little snow. Another significant (but localized) weather effect is lake-effect snow that falls south and east of the Great Lakes, especially in the hilly portions of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and on the Tug Hill Plateau in New York. Lake-effect snow is produced in the winter when cold Arctic winds move across long expanses of warmer lake water providing energy and picking up Water vapor which freezes The Laurentian Great Lakes are a chain of freshwater lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada–United States border. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the northern of the two major land masses that comprise the U Michigan ( is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. The Tug Hill Plateau is an upland region in upstate New York in the USA, famous for heavy winter snow. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The lake effect dumped well over 5 feet of snow in the Buffalo, New York area throughout the 2006-2007 winter The Wasatch Front and Wasatch Range in Utah can also receive significant lake effect accumulations off of the Great Salt Lake. The Wasatch Front is an Urban area in the north-central part of the U The Wasatch Range is a Mountain range that stretches about from the Utah- Idaho border south through central Utah in the western United States The State of Utah (ˈjuːtɔː or) is a western state of the United States. Great Salt Lake, located in the northern part of the US state of Utah, is the largest salt lake in the western hemisphere the fourth-largest terminal

Extremes

In northern Alaska, tundra and arctic conditions predominate, and the temperature has fallen as low as minus 80 °F (−62 °C). In physical Geography, tundra is an area where the Tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons The Arctic is the Region around the Earth 's North Pole, opposite the Antarctic region around the South Pole. Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724 The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. ^[5] On the other end of the spectrum, Death Valley, California once reached 134 °F (56. Death Valley National Park is a mostly Arid United States National Park located east of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in southern Inyo County 7 °C), the second-highest temperature ever recorded on Earth. ^[6]

On average, the mountains of the western states receive the highest levels of snowfall on Earth. The greatest annual snowfall level is at Mount Rainier in Washington, at 692 inches (17,580 mm); the record there was 1,122 inches (28,500 mm) in the winter of 1971–72. Mount Rainier is an active Stratovolcano (also known as a composite volcano in Pierce County Washington, located southeast of Seattle, Washington Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. This record was broken by the Mt. Baker Ski Area in northwestern Washington which reported 1,140 inches of snowfall for the 1998-99 snowfall season. Other places with significant snowfall outside the Cascade Range are the Wasatch Mountains, near the Great Salt Lake, and the Sierra Nevada, near Lake Tahoe. The Wasatch Range is a Mountain range that stretches about from the Utah- Idaho border south through central Utah in the western United States Great Salt Lake, located in the northern part of the US state of Utah, is the largest salt lake in the western hemisphere the fourth-largest terminal The Sierra Nevada ( Spanish for "Snowy Range" is a Mountain range located in the U Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater Lake in the Sierra Nevada mountains of the United States. In the east, while snowfall does not approach western levels, the region near the Great Lakes and the mountains of the Northeast receive the most. Along the northwestern Pacific coast, rainfall is greater than anywhere else in the continental U. S. , with Quinault Ranger in Washington having an average of 137 inches (3480 mm). ^[7] Hawaii receives even more, with 460 inches (11,680 mm) measured annually on Mount Waialeale, in Kauai. Mount Waialeale (pronounced wai uh-lay uh-lay (literally "rippling water" or "overflowing water" in Hawaiian and also often spelt Kauai (in standard Hawaiian kauˈaʔi in Kauai- Ni{{okina}}ihau dialect; usually spelled Kauai outside the Hawaiian Islands and ˈkaʊɑɪ or /kaʊˈɑɪ/ The Mojave Desert, in the southwest, is home to the driest locale in the U. For the indigenous American tribe see Mohave. The Mojave Desert (moʊˈhɑːvi or /məˈhɑːvi/ ( Hayikwiir Mat'aar in Mojave S. Yuma, Arizona, has an average of 2. Yuma is a city in and the County seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. 63 inches (66. 8 mm) of precipitation each year. In Meteorology, precipitation (also known as one class of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric ^[8]

In central portions of the U. S. , tornadoes are more common than anywhere else on Earth^[9] and touch down most commonly in the spring and summer. A tornado is a violent rotating column of air which is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a Cumulonimbus cloud or in rare cases the base of a Cumulus Deadly and destructive hurricanes occur almost every year along the Atlantic seaboard and the Gulf of Mexico. A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a low pressure center and numerous Thunderstorms that produce strong winds and Flooding The Appalachian region and the Midwest experience the worst floods, though virtually no area in the U. S. is immune to flooding. The Southwest has the worst droughts; one is thought to have lasted over 500 years and to have decimated the Anasazi people. "Anasazi" directs here For the X-Files episode see Anasazi (The X-Files. ^[10] The West is affected by large wildfires each year.

Natural disasters

The United States is affected by a large variety of natural disasters yearly. Although severe drought is rare, it has occasionally caused major problems, such as during the Dust Bowl (1931-1942), which coincided with the Great Depression. The Dust Bowl, or the dirty thirties, was a period of severe Dust storms causing major ecological and agricultural damage to American and Farmland failed throughout the Plains, entire regions were virtually depopulated, and dust storms ravaged the land. More recently, the western U. S. experienced widespread drought from 1999-2004, and signs of a major, long-term drought across the Great Plains have developed. The Great Plains are the broad expanse of Prairie and Steppe which lie east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada [1] In the past year, drought has spread from the Southern Plains westward through the Southwest and east along the Gulf Coast to Florida.

A powerful tornado in Texas

The United States also experience, by a large margin, the most frequent and powerful tornadoes in the world. A tornado is a violent rotating column of air which is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a Cumulonimbus cloud or in rare cases the base of a Cumulus The Great Plains and Midwest, due to the contrasting air masses, sees frequent severe thunderstorms and tornado outbreaks during spring and summer. The strip of land from north Texas north to Kansas and east into Tennessee is known as Tornado Alley, where many houses have tornado shelters and many towns have tornado sirens. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. Kansas ( is a Midwestern state in the central region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the American " Tennessee ( is a state located in the Southern United States. For the book by William S Burroughs, see Tornado Alley (book. Another natural disaster that frequents the country are hurricanes, which can hit anywhere along the Gulf Coast or the Atlantic Coast as well as Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. A tropical cyclone is a storm system characterized by a low pressure center and numerous Thunderstorms that produce strong winds and Flooding The Gulf Coast region of the United States comprises the coasts of states which border the Gulf of Mexico. The Atlantic Coast is any Coast fronting the Atlantic Ocean. The term differentiates the coasts of countries or continents with coastlines on more than one body of The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions Particularly at risk are the central and southern Texas coasts, the area from southeastern Louisiana east to the Florida Panhandle, the east coast of Florida, and the Outer Banks of North Carolina, although any portion of the coast could be struck. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America The Florida Panhandle is the region of the state of Florida which includes the westernmost 16 counties Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the The Outer Banks is a 200-mile (320-km long string of narrow Barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina, on the east coast of the United States. North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, with a peak from mid-August through early October. Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Events 1700 - Battle of Narva — A Swedish army of 8500 men under Charles XII defeats Some of the more devastating hurricanes have included the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, Hurricane Andrew in 1992, and Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Hurricane Andrew is the second most powerful and the last of three Category 5 hurricanes that made U Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest in the history of the United States The remnants of tropical cyclones from the Eastern Pacific also occasionally impact the southwestern United States, bringing sometimes heavy rainfall.

Total devastation in Gulfport, Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Gulfport is the second largest city in Mississippi after the state capital Jackson. Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest in the history of the United States

Like drought, widespread severe flooding is rare. Some exceptions include the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, the Great Flood of 1993, and widespread flooding and mudslides caused by the 1982-1983 El Niño event in the western United States. This article is about the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 For the Mississippi Flood of 1993 see Great Flood of 1993. The Great Flood of 1993 occurred in the American Midwest, along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and their tributaries from April to October El Niño-Southern Oscillation ( ENSO; commonly referred to as simply El Niño) is a global coupled ocean-atmosphere phenomenon Localized flooding can, however, occur anywhere, and mudslides from heavy rain can cause problems in any mountainous area, particularly the Southwest. Large stretches of desert shrub in the west can fuel the spread of wildfires. A wildfire, also known as a wildland fire, forest fire, brush fire, vegetation fire, grass fire, Peat fire, The narrow canyons of many mountain areas in the west and severe thunderstorm activity during the monsoon season in summer leads to sometimes devastating flash floods as well, while Nor'Easter snowstorms can bring activity to a halt throughout the Northeast (although heavy snowstorms can occur almost anywhere). A monsoon is a seasonal prevailing wind which lasts for several months A flash flood is a rapid flooding of geomorphic lowlying areas - washes rivers and streams

The West Coast of the continental United States and areas of Alaska (including the Aleutian Islands, the Alaskan Peninsula and southern Alaskan coast) make up part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of heavy tectonic and volcanic activity that is the source of 90% of the world's earthquakes. The Aleutian Islands (possibly from Chukchi aliat, " Island " are a chain of more than 300 small volcanic islands forming a Volcanic The Alaska Peninsula is a Peninsula extending about 800 km (500 miles to the southwest from the mainland of Alaska and ending in the Aleutian Islands. The American Northwest sees the highest concentration of active volcanoes in the United States, in Washington, Oregon and northern California along the Cascade Mountains. Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Oregon ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Northern California is the northern portion of the US state of California. There are several active volcanoes located in the islands of Hawaii, including Kilauea in ongoing eruption since 1983, but they do not typically adversely affect the inhabitants of the islands. The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the There has not been a major life-threatening eruption on the Hawaiian islands since the 17th century. Volcanic eruptions can occasionally be devastating, such as in the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington. The 1980 eruption of Mount St Helens, a volcano located in Washington state in the United States was a major volcanic eruption.

The Ring of Fire makes California and southern Alaska particularly vulnerable to earthquakes. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer Earthquakes can cause extensive damage, such as the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake or the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake near Anchorage, Alaska. California is well known for seismic activity, and requires large structures to be earthquake resistant to minimize loss of life and property. Outside of devastating earthquakes, California experiences minor earthquakes on a regular basis.

Natural hazards: tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquake activity around Pacific Basin; hurricanes along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts; tornadoes in the midwest and southeast; mud slides in California; forest fires in the west; flooding; permafrost in northern Alaska, a major impediment to development; and on occasion a terrorist attack. The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean.

Public lands

The United States holds many areas for the use and enjoyment of the public. These include National Parks, National Monuments, National Forests, Wilderness areas, and other areas. A national park is a reserve of land usually declared and owned by a national Government, protected from most Human development and pollution A National Monument in the United States is a Protected area that is similar to a National Park except that the President of the United States "National forest" redirects here for the National Forest in England see National Forest England; for those in Brazil see List of Brazilian National Forests A wilderness area is a region where the land is in a natural state where impacts from human activities are minimal—that is as a Wilderness. For lists of areas, see the following articles:

• List of U.S. National Parks
• List of U.S. National Forests
• List of U.S. wilderness areas
• List of miscellaneous U.S. public areas

See also

• Counties of the United States
• Extreme points of the United States
• Geographic centers of the United States
• Geography of Puerto Rico
• Geography of the Eastern United States
• Geography of the Interior United States
• Geography of the Western United States
• Historic regions of the United States
• List of islands of the United States
• List of mountains of the United States
• List of North American deserts
• List of US government designations for places
• Mountain peaks of the United States
• Public Land Survey System
• Regions of the United States
• Territorial evolution of the United States
• Russia-United States maritime boundary

References

External links

• USGS: Tapestry of Time and Terrain
• United States Geological Survey - Maintains free aerial maps
• National Atlas of the United States of America