The natural environment of the United States

The United States of America is located in the middle of North America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean in the east, the Pacific Ocean in the west, Canada in the north and Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico in the south. Alaska is located in the northwest of North America, and Hawaii is located in the north of the central Pacific Ocean. The total area is 93726 1.4 square kilometers. The coastline is 22,680 kilometers long.

It was originally a settlement of Indians. /kloc-At the end of 0/5, Spain, the Netherlands, France and Britain immigrated here one after another. /kloc-Before the 8th century, Britain established 1 3 colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America. 1 7 7 5, the war of independence against British colonial rule broke out. 1 7 7 6 On July 4th, the colonial people issued the Declaration of Independence, announcing the establishment of the United States of America. 1 7 8 3 The war of independence ended, and Britain recognized 1 3 colonial independence. 1 7 8 7, the constitution of the United States was passed and a federal republic was established. Louisiana was purchased from France in 1 8 0 3 (located in a vast area of central America), Florida was purchased from Spain in 1 8 1 9, and Texas in Mexico was occupied in 1 8 4 5. /kloc-after the war against Mexico in 0/848, it won New Mexico, Arizona, California and other places. 1 8 5 3, another piece of land located in present-day southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico was seized from Mexico. 1 8 6 7 Alaska and Aleutian Islands were purchased from Russia. 1 8 9 8 annexed Hawaii. These places later applied to join the Federation, forming the United States, which now has 5 0 States. 1 9 7 9 65438+ 10/establish diplomatic relations with China.

resident

Residents are mostly descendants of European immigrants, as well as blacks (about 65438+ 0.2% of the national population), Indians, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Chinese Americans and overseas Chinese. Black Americans are descendants of African slaves sold from Africa to the American continent by European colonists more than 3 0 0 years ago. Half a century ago, 80% was concentrated in the southern12 state. At present, most blacks live in cities such as new york, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Detroit and Washington. Indians were the earliest inhabitants of America, and half of them were forced to live on "Indian reservations". Mexicans mainly live in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Texas in the west and southwest. Puerto Ricans are mainly concentrated in new york, Chicago and other cities. Religious believers in the United States account for 85% of the total population, mainly believing in Protestantism and Catholicism. , commonly used English.

natural environment

The local terrain is high in the east and low in the west, and the main mountains run north and south. In the east, there is an Atlantic coastal plain composed of ancient mountains and Appalachian mountains; There are vast plateaus and mountains composed of Cordillera Mountains in the west, including Rocky Mountains in the east, Sierra Nevada and coastal mountains in the west, and inland plateaus and great basin between the two mountains. The highest peak in China is Mount McKinley in Alaska, with an altitude of 6654.38+0.93 meters. The death valley in the southwest of the plateau is 8 5 meters above sea level, which is the lowest point in the American continent; The central plain is the most important agricultural area in the United States, with low terrain and fertile soil, and the western plain is a famous prairie. The Mississippi River, 6262 kilometers away from the Missouri River, is the fourth longest river in the world, flowing southward across the plain and into the Gulf of Mexico. The Great Lakes in the northeast are the largest freshwater lakes in the world. Lake Superior covers an area of 82,400 square kilometers and is the largest freshwater lake in the world. Between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, there is the famous Niagara Falls. The Great Salt Lake in the middle is the largest and saltiest saltwater lake in North America. The northeast coast and the Great Lakes region belong to the continental temperate broad-leaved forest climate. Affected by the Labrador cold current and the cold air southward, it is cold in winter and mild and rainy in summer, with an average annual precipitation of about 1 1,000 mm; The southeast and the coast of the Gulf of Mexico belong to the subtropical forest climate, which is warm and humid due to the Gulf warm current, with an average annual precipitation of more than 2000 mm; In the Central Plains, cold and warm air can drive in directly, with hot summer and cold and snowy winter. The western inland plateau is dry and cold in winter and hot in summer, and the average annual precipitation is below 5 0 0 mm; The southern part of the western Pacific coast has a subtropical Mediterranean climate, and the northern part has a marine temperate broad-leaved forest climate.

natural resource

Rich in natural resources. The reserves of coal, oil, natural gas, iron ore, potassium salt, phosphate, sulfur and other minerals are among the highest in the world. Other minerals include aluminum, copper, lead, zinc, tungsten, molybdenum, uranium and bismuth. The total coal reserves are 360 billion tons, crude oil reserves are 27 billion barrels, and natural gas reserves are 560 billion cubic meters. Appalachian mountains are rich in coal, iron and non-ferrous metals, and oil and natural gas are mainly distributed in the central plains. The forest area is 2.05 million square kilometers. Grassland and mountain pastures account for 28% of the country's total area, and the hydraulic reserves are about1300,000 kilowatts. There are 1 1 0 nuclear reactors in operation.

General situation of economy

World economic power. The economy is highly developed, the industrial and agricultural production categories are complete, the degree of intensification is high, and the gross national product ranks first in the world. 1 9 9 3 has a gross national product of more than 6.4 trillion US dollars, and its industries include electric power (including oil, natural gas, coal mining and electric power), steel, nonferrous metallurgy, machinery manufacturing (including aviation rockets, automobiles, shipbuilding and motors), atoms, chemistry, textiles, arms and other departments. Output of main industrial products 1 9 9 2: 2.6 billion barrels of crude oil, coal1000 million tons, total power generation of more than 278 billion kwh, more than 93 million tons of steel, and more than 0.000 million cars/kloc, with a large proportion. The annual output is nearly 40 million tons of sulfuric acid, 60 million tons of cement and 60 million tons of paper and cardboard. The industrial distribution in the United States can be roughly divided into three regions: one is the Northeast Industrial Zone, which is located east of the Mississippi River and north of the Ohio River and the Potomac River. This area occupies a dominant position in the national economy. Mainly in the processing industry, as well as metallurgical, machinery manufacturing, chemical, textile and other industrial sectors. Second, the southern industrial zone is dominated by mining, and various departments of processing industry have developed, among which petroleum, chemistry, shipbuilding and military industry occupy a major position in the national economy. Third, the western industrial zone, the industrial sector is relatively simple, aviation rockets, electronics industry, atomic industry and other rapid development. The western mountainous area is a mining area.

Agriculture in the United States is mainly operated by large farms, which is highly developed and mechanized. There are two main parts: animal husbandry and planting. Cattle are the main animal husbandry, followed by pigs and poultry, with more than 50 million cows 1 100 million pigs. Corn, wheat, soybeans and cotton are the most important crops, followed by tobacco, potatoes, oats, rice, oranges and beets. The total grain output accounts for about 1/5 of the world, and the foreign exchange income of agricultural products is one of the largest foreign exchange income items in the United States. The output of wheat, corn and soybean ranks among the top in the world.

The United States has the largest import and export trade volume in the world. Its main foreign trade targets are Canada, Japan, Germany, Britain, Mexico and so on. Mainly exporting chemicals, machinery, vehicles, airplanes, computers and weapons. It also dumps a lot of soybeans, wheat, grains, cotton and so on. It mainly imports automobiles, electronic equipment, machinery, steel, textiles and natural rubber, platinum, tin, chromium, manganese, antimony, nickel, zinc, copper, aluminum, lead, tungsten and petroleum.

The freight in the United States is mainly railway, with a total length of more than 310.8 million kilometers, including 3,090 kilometers of electrified railway. The railway connecting the major cities along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and across the country is the main trunk line. Railway freight volume accounts for about 2/5 of the total freight volume in China. China's inland navigation mileage exceeds 4 10000 km. Domestic water freight volume accounts for more than 1.5% of the national freight volume, among which the Great Lakes are the most abundant, accounting for about 3% of domestic water freight volume, and the other main waterways are Mississippi River and Erie Canal. Since the 20th century, pipelines have become an important mode of transportation, mainly transporting oil and natural gas, and also transporting coal in the last decade. Pipeline transportation accounts for about 1/5 of the national freight volume. The passenger traffic in the United States is dominated by roads, accounting for more than 4/5 of the total passenger traffic. There are about 6.3 million kilometers of roads in China, with the most dense roads in the south of the Great Lakes and the Atlantic coast, and fewer roads in the vast west. Aviation is mainly for passenger transport, and all major cities in China have airline connections. The maritime traffic is developed, with nearly 8 0 0 ocean-going merchant ships, with a total tonnage exceeding 1000 tons, accounting for 24 million tons. More than 2,700 oil tankers,160,000 dwt. The main seaports are new york, Norfolk, Baltimore, Portland, Boston, Philadelphia and Jacksonville on the Atlantic coast, New Orleans, Houston and Port Arthur on the Gulf Coast, and San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle on the Pacific coast.

Important city

The capital, Washington, was built in 1 7 9 1 year, and was named in memory of the first president of the United States, George Washington. It is the political center of this country. There are only printing and a few food industries in this city. New york: The largest city in the United States, one of the largest cities in the world and the largest seaport. National transportation hub and industrial financial center. The foreign trade volume accounts for about 1.7% of the whole country. There are more than 6 0 satellite cities around this city. Harlem is a black community, and the United Nations Headquarters is downtown. The center of finance and business is Wall Street. Chicago: The second largest city in the United States is the national railway hub, where 3 2 trunk lines meet. The vast hinterland is developed in agriculture and animal husbandry and rich in coal and oil resources. It is the national grain and livestock market and the commercial, financial and industrial center of the central and western regions. Meat processing and ferrous metallurgy rank first in the country. On May 1 8 8 6, hundreds of thousands of American workers in Chicago and other places held a huge and heroic struggle against bourgeois exploitation and oppression and for their rights. May Day International Labor Day originated here. Los Angeles: the largest city on the Pacific coast of the United States. It is also one of the cities where blacks are concentrated. It is an industrial and commercial city and an important seaport in western China. There are also industries such as aircraft manufacturing. Hollywood in the suburbs is the center of American film industry. Philadelphia: When the United States declared its independence, it was the temporary capital. This is an important railway hub. Detroit: the largest automobile manufacturing center in the United States. Steel, aircraft and instrument manufacturing industries are developed. San Francisco: the second largest city on the Pacific coast. Western financial center, an important port for trade between the United States and the Far East. The industry is developed and earthquakes often occur. Houston: an important seaport in the southern United States, it is the center of petroleum processing and petrochemical industry, and the steel and food processing industries are also developed. Boston: A big city and seaport on the northeast coast. Textile industry center, machinery manufacturing, hardware, food processing industry is also very developed. There is a famous Harvard University in Cambridge, west of Bo Shi. Miami: the southernmost big city, port and tourist center in the United States.

other

Important Festival: July 4th, National Day. Thanksgiving.

Date of establishing diplomatic relations with China: 1 9 7 9 65438+ 10/.

Currency: USD.

Time difference: the whole country is divided into four time zones, time difference 1 hour. New york is 5 hours later than GMT; 1 3 hours later than Beijing time. Los Angeles is 8 hours later than GMT; 65438+ 0.6 hours later than Beijing time.

National flower: rose.

National bird: vulture.

National emblem motto: e pluribus unum.

Definition of country name: the United States and the United States are the same word in English.

Reputation: the melting pot of nationalities (almost accommodating people of all nationalities in the world).

The Capitol, made of white sandstone and marble, is the symbol of the capital, Washington.

First of all, the central plains of the United States have a temperate continental climate, while the southern plains of the Mekong River have a tropical monsoon climate, which determines that the former must have less rainfall and less heat than the latter. However, the biggest advantage of the United States in this respect is its vast plain and thick land, which is not available in an alluvial plain in the southern Mekong River plain. These natural characteristics, as well as America's vast territory and sparse population, developed transportation, high scientific level, developed industry, developed economy and convenient irrigation, make it a developed technology-intensive and capital-intensive commodity agriculture, and its agricultural products face the world market; But Mei Nanping's principle is to be located in the populous Southeast Asia. Natural conditions, large population and large agricultural population determine that this area can only develop self-sufficient and labor-intensive rice cultivation.