CIVILIZATION CIVILIZATION From coast to coast United Sates The United States goes from Canada to Mexico and from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. The U.S. crosses four Time Zones (Eastern, Central, Mountain and Pacific); U.S.A. is a confederation of 50 states, and 1 federal district. Two of the fifty states which form the confederation are separated from the mainland: Alaska is northwest of Canada; the Hawaii Island is in the North Pacific Ocean. Mountains The mountains reliefs are in Alaska; among them is Mount McKinley, the highest peak which is 6,190m high. Three mountains chain run along west coast (Pacific coast): To the west mountain chain the Cost Range and Cascade Range, are situated along Pacific Ocean and the Sierra Nevada. Between Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada are situated the fertile volleys of California; Rocky Mountains (or Rockies) their main Range, called the Continental divide, separate the rivers go to the Atlantic west to Pacific; Appalachians are extending from Maine down to Alabama. To the east of the Appalachians there is a coastal plain that in the northern states is covered by thick forests. Lakes American lakes are: Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Eire and Lake Ontario. It the worlds largest group of lakes. They are on the Canadian border. Another important lake whose water are salty; the name of the city (Salty lakes city) derives from the same lakes. Interior Plains Between the Rockies and the Appalachians lies vast lowland: the Interior Plains. It is divided into two parts: the eastern part, Central Lowland, is crossed by many rivers which make the soil very fertile. The western part is Great Plains. Here the soil is covered by tough grass and is good for farming and for agriculture. The Great Plains gradually raise becoming plateaus crossed by canyons, as the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River. The regions of Utah, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico are desert. Death Valley is nearly 100m below sea level and is the hottest places on earth and the driest. The Rivers The rivers are very important, as a transportation route and a source of power and irrigation. The main rivers into the Pacific Ocean are the Sacramento and the Columbia. The Rio Grande is situated the U.S. and Mexico. The Colorado is one of the longest rivers in the country, 7 American States have water and hydroelectric power. The eastern rivers, the Atlantic Ocean are rather short; Hudson (New York's river), the Potomac (Washington's river), and the Delaware. The main river is Mississippi, its receive some tributaries, the chief of which is the Missouri; the Mississippi flows to the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi is most important river for transportation of the U.S. and today it still is the busiest inland waterway in the country. The Mississippi through Minneapolis, St. Louis and New Orleans. THE CLIMATE The Climate: The U.S. is a vast country with a great variety of climatic conditions from the sub artic climate of Alaska to the subtro Continua »