Geography of the United States

The United States, sometimes known as the United States of America, commonly referred to as America, is a federal republic with 50 states in North America. The 48 contiguous states that are located in the central latitudes of the continent are joined by Hawaii, an island state in the centre of the Pacific Ocean, and Alaska, a state at the far western end of North America. The conterminous states are encircled by Canada to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Gulf of Mexico and Mexico to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

In terms of land area, the United States ranks fourth in the globe. Washington, which includes the District of Columbia, is the country's capital.

Physical Features

The United States' greatest strength is likely its enormous variety. Its physical habitat spans the Arctic and the subtropics, a lush rain forest and a parched desert, and a rough mountain top and a flat prairie. Despite having a sizable overall population by global standards, the United States has a comparatively low population density. The nation includes some of the largest urban regions in the globe as well as some of the largest landscapes that are nearly entirely devoid of human settlement.

Currently, the CIA World Factbook gives 9,826,675 km² as the total area of the United States. With 11,351,000 km², the US has the second-largest Exclusive Economic Zone behind China. The United States is either slightly larger or slightly smaller than the People's Republic of China by total area (land and water combined), ranking third or fourth in the globe.

Divisions

Over its vast territory, the landscape of the United States varies. There are eight different physiographic divisions in the U.S. mainland, albeit each is made up of a number of smaller physiographic subdivisions. These key divisions include −

Pacific Coast Ranges

The Pacific Coast Ranges are a group of mountain ranges that run along North America's west coast from Alaska south to northern and central Mexico. In the United States, they are formally known as the Pacific Mountain System. The geologically unique Insular Mountains of Vancouver Island are further west, despite the fact that they are typically considered to be the westernmost mountain range in the continental United States and Canada.

The Pacific Coast Ranges are a part of the North American Cordillera, which also includes the Rocky Mountains, Columbia Mountains, Interior Mountains, Interior Plateau, Sierra Nevada, Great Basin Mountain ranges, and other mountain ranges as well as numerous plateaus and basins. This region is also sometimes referred to as the Western Cordillera.

Intermontane Plateaus

The Intermontane Plateaus is one of the eight physiographic zones that make up the contiguous United States. Between the Rocky Mountains on the east and the Cascade and Sierra Nevada Mountains on the west, the area is largely made up of plateaus and mountain ranges. The three physiographic provinces that make up this region are the Colorado Plateau in the southeast, the Basin and Range Province in the centre and southwest, and the Columbia Plateau in the north. These provinces are further broken down into a number of physiographic sections.

Rocky Mountain System

The greatest mountain system in North America is the Rocky Mountains, sometimes referred to as the Rockies. The Rocky Mountains extend 3,000 miles in a straight line from New Mexico in the southern United States to the farthest north of western Canada. Depending on how Canada and the U.S. define it, the northern terminus of the Brooks Range/British Mountains, which face the Beaufort Sea coasts between the Canning River and the Firth River across the Alaska-Yukon border, is either in northern British Columbia's Terminal Range south of the Liard River and east of the Trench, or in the north-eastern foothills of those same mountains.

Interior Highlands

The U.S. Interior Highlands are a hilly area in the Central United States that stretches over extreme southeast Kansas, southern Missouri, and northern and western Arkansas. The designation is used to refer to the combined subregions of the Ouachita Mountains south of the Arkansas River and the Ozark Plateaus north of the Arkansas by the United States Geological Survey. One of the few mountainous areas between the Appalachians and the Rockies is the U.S. Interior Highlands.

Interior Plains

The Interior Plains are a significant physiographic region that cover the Laurentian Craton in central North America, stretching from the Gulf Coast region to the Arctic Beaufort Sea along the east face of the Rocky Mountains. It includes the Boreal Plains and Taiga Plains east of the Mackenzie and Richardson Mountains in Canada as well as the Canadian Prairies separating the Canadian Rockies from the Canadian Shield. In the United States, it also includes the Great Plains of the West/Midwest and the tallgrass prairie region to the south of the Great Lakes extending east to the Appalachian Plateau region.

Appalachian Mountains

A series of mountains in eastern to northern North America is known as the Appalachian Mountains, or the Appalachians. Approximately 480 million years ago, during the Ordovician Period, the Appalachians initially began to form. Before being eroded by nature, they originally reached altitudes comparable to the Alps and the Rocky Mountains. The Appalachian Mountain range creates a series of alternating ridgelines and valleys that are angled counter to the majority of roads and trains that go east to west, creating a barrier to east-west transit.

Atlantic Plain

One of the eight distinct physiographic regions in the US is the Atlantic Plain. Parts of the coastal states of Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia are included in the Atlantic Plain of the United States. Sand beaches, marshes, bays, and barrier islands make up the territory that borders the Atlantic Ocean. The coastal plain and continental shelf physiographic provinces make up this main division. It spans 2,200 miles and is the most level of the physiographic divisions in the United States.

Laurentian Upland

Natural Resources Canada recognizes the Laurentian Upland (or Laurentian Highlands) as one of the five provinces that make up the greater Canadian Shield physiographic division. It is also known as the "Laurentian Region" or the "Grenville geological province." The Laurentian Upland is regarded by the United States Geological Survey as the greater overall upland region of the Canadian Shield.

Conclusion

The United States is a substantial nation with a variety of geographical features. It includes rainforests, deserts, mountains, and prairies and stretches from the Arctic to the subtropics. The Pacific Coast Ranges, Intermontane Plateaus, Rocky Mountain System, Interior Highlands, Interior Plains, Appalachian Mountains, Atlantic Plain, and Laurentian Upland are the dominant features of the landscape.

The United States boasts breath-taking natural beauty and a diverse spectrum of ecosystems thanks to its varied physical features. It has a major presence on the international stage being the third-largest nation in terms of both population and land area.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many states are there in the United States?

The United States consists of 50 states.

What is the Pacific Coast Ranges?

The Pacific Coast Ranges are a group of mountain ranges that run along the west coast of North America from Alaska to Mexico, forming part of the North American Cordillera.

Where are the Rocky Mountains located?

The Rocky Mountains stretch from New Mexico in the southern United States to western Canada, covering a distance of approximately 3,000 miles.

What are the major physiographic divisions in the United States?

The major physiographic divisions in the United States include the Pacific Coast Ranges, Intermontane Plateaus, Rocky Mountain System, Interior Highlands, Interior Plains, Appalachian Mountains, Atlantic Plain, and Laurentian Upland.