Geography USA

The continental US stretches across North America bordering Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. There are three major mountain ranges: the Appalachians in the east, the titanic Rocky Mountains in the west and the Sierra Nevada along the border of Nevada and California. The country has abundant natural resources, incredibly varied topography and many diverse ecosystems.

The Atlantic Coast is the most heavily populated area with the oldest of the American cities such as Boston, New York, Washington and Philadelphia located here. The central plains to the northeast are made up of the Great Lakes (Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario), occupying most of the area. A vast network of lakes and rivers link these lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. The central area is known as the grain basket of the country. To the west are the great plains, being the country's chief grazing areas and known to many as the ‘wild west’ or ‘cowboy country’. The southwest is predominated by desert and has a low population due to bad soil and unfavourable climatic conditions. Cross the Sierra Nevada and you're on the West Coast, which was settled by Americans only 150 years ago. This is famous for its huge evergreens, the sequoia and the redwood, which are believed to be the oldest living things on Earth. The eastern states abound with leafy hardwood forests of maple, oak and elm providing incredible beauty as they burst into colour in Autumn.

The USA is famous for its national parks, the most famous being Yosemite, in the Sierra Nevada; Yellowstone, in the Rockies and the Grand Canyon, in Arizona. Wild animals, such as the Grizzly Bears, roam the northwestern states. The southern states are home to the interesting Marsupial. There are a fair amount of dangerous animals to avoid including rattlesnakes, bears, wild boar and alligators.