CHAPTER ONE: THE COUNTRY

I - Key elements

- The USA is 4th largest country in the world (Russia > Canada > China). It is
separated from Europe by the Atlantic Ocean: 3 000 km, same distance between New
York and Los Angeles.
- It is huge country: 3 718 711 miles� or 9 631 418 km� = 14.3 times the size of
France and 2.5 times the size of Europe.
- 272 million inhabitants
- 48 continental states = contiguous states = contiguous 48 and 2 other states
(Alaska, at North West end of North America, and Hawaii, archipelago in the
Pacific Ocean)

II - Geographic presentation

from Canada in the North to Mexico in the South: 4 517 km.

from Canada to Texas: 2 572 km

highest point: Denaly on Mount Mc Kinley in Alaska (6194m) and in the contiguous
48, the Sierra Nevada with Mount Whitney (4421 m)
lowest point: Death valley (-86 m, below sea level)

divided into a mountainous half in the West: the Rockies and the plains in the
East.
The Atlantic coastal plain is banded by the Apalachians on the West separated from
New England.

III - Major areas

1 - Atlantic coastal plain

New England:
collective name for the most tensioned states = Maine, Massachussets, New
Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont and Connecticut.
This place has retained the tradition of Pilgrim Fathers, the tradition
architectural and cultural.
The name given to the New Englanders by the South during the Civil War (1850) is
Yankees. Now for all the Americans.
The southern part of New England is industrial. The states of New York, New Jersey
and Pennsylvania are the most populated, financial, industrial and artistic areas
of the US with New York City (the Big Apple).
The West southern states are different: luxurian vegetation allowing big trees to
grow, agriculture (cotton and tobacco) and vast domains where the slaves used to
work.

2 - The middle West

On the West of the Appalachians, the middle west represent half the surface of the
USA.
Rich prairies with the Mississipi River, providing the necessaring means of
transportation
In the North Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Big Plains which are important for industry, 90% of car manufacturing is based
around the Great Lakes (Ford in Detroit)
The West is the greatest agricultural region.

3 - Te Mississipi valley
Development of the Mississipi valley was helped by steam power. In 1819, the first
inboats were built to reach Pittsburg to New Orleans.
Today, along the Mississipi River, there are chemical and oil industries which
have been set up. Nickname: Cancer Valley.
80% of the inhabitantss are black. During the last flood Katrina (2005), there was
a scandal about the help reluctantly given to them by the government.

4 - High plains
Treeless arid country, cattle breeding
Nebraska, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota (Mount Rushlire: George Washington,
Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt) are flat (agriculture)
and Oklahoma (dust storm, dust bowl)

5 - Cordilleran region
Between the Rockies and the Pacific Ovean.
States of Washington, Oregon and California (Hollywood and Silicon Valley)
South West: States of New Mexico and Arizona, west and original spanish
architecture and a specific vegetation (cactus)

IV - Climate

We can find every type of climate in the USA:

- In most areas, it's temperate.
- In South Florida, Tropical.
- In Alaska, polar.
- In the Great Plains, semi-arid.
- In coastal California, mediterranean.
- in the great Basin, arid.
The state of Hawaii has a year round tropical climate whereas California has a
mediterranean climate with rain falls from October to April, and nothing after.

Northern Alaska: Toundra and artic (-62�C)

Death Valley: 56.7�C (second highest temperature on earth)
In the Center: tornadoes (more in Spring)
Alond the Atlantic sea bord and golf of Mexico: hurricanes.
The Appalachian and Midway: floods.
South West: droughts (wind tournadoes)
West: wildfires

V - Political state

Capital: Washington since 1800's

the biggest states are Alaska, Texas, California, Montana, New Mexico, Arizona,
Nevada.
American flag: 50 stars for 50 states and 13 stripes for the 13 original colonies
(7 are red and 6 are white)

North Carolina: Raleigh

South Carolina: Columbia
Connecticut: Hartford
Delaware: Dover
Georgia: Atlanta
Maryland: Annapolis
Massachussets. Boston
New Heampshire: Concord
New Jersey: Trenton
New York: Albamy
Pennsylvania: Harrisburg
Rhode Island: Providence
Virginia: Richmond
VI - Ressources and Environment

The US consumes 50� of the Earth roussources. It is a rich country in the national
ressources, thanks to the climate good for the crops.
Many minerals, 65% of its needs in petroleum. The agriculture exports tend to
compensate the mineral imports.
19% are arable lands, 25% are permanent pasturages, 30% are forests and woodlands
and 26% are cities.