The USA

The USA

- Land of freedom -

- America America America the free -

The United States is situated almost entirely in the western hemisphere: the contiguous United States stretches from the Pacific on the west to the Atlantic on the east, with the Gulf of Mexico to the southeast, and bordered by Canada on the north and Mexico on the south. Alaska is the largest state in area; separated from the contiguous USA. by Canada, it touches the Pacific on the south and Arctic Ocean on the north. Hawaii occupies an archipelago in the central Pacific, southwest of North America. The United States also possesses several insular territories scattered around the West Indies (e.g., the commonwealth of Puerto Rico) and the Pacific.

The coastal plain of the Atlantic seaboard gives way further inland to deciduous forests and the rolling hills of the Piedmont. The Appalachian Mountains divide the eastern seaboard from the Great Lakes and the grasslands of the Midwest. The Mississippi–Missouri River, the world's fourth longest river system, runs mainly north south through the heart of the country. The flat, fertile prairie land of the Great Plains stretches to the west, interrupted by a highland region along its southeastern portion.

The Rocky Mountains, at the western edge of the Great Plains, extend north to south across the continental United States, reaching altitudes higher than 14,000 feet (4,300 m) in Colorado. The area to the west of the Rocky Mountains is dominated by the rocky Great Basin and deserts such as the Mojave. The Sierra Nevada range runs parallel to the Rockies, relatively close to the Pacific coast. At 6,194 m, Alaska's Mount McKinley is the country's tallest peak. Active volcanoes are common throughout the Alexander and Aleutian Islands, and the entire state of Hawaii is built upon tropical volcanic islands. The supervolcano underlying Yellowstone National Park in the Rockies is the continent's largest volcanic feature.

Because of the United States' large size and wide range of geographic features, nearly every type of climate is represented. The climate is temperate in most areas, tropical in Hawaii and southern Florida, polar in Alaska, semi arid in the Great Plains west of the 100th meridian, desert in the Southwest, Mediterranean in Coastal California, and arid in the Great Basin. Extreme weather is not uncommon—the states bordering the Gulf of Mexico are prone to hurricanes, and most of the world's tornadoes occur within the continental United States, primarily in the Midwest's Tornado Alley.

The "West Coast", "Western Seaboard", or "Pacific Seaboard" are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the Western United States, comprising most often California, Oregon and Washington. Arizona and Nevada, while not coastal states, are also often included in the West Coast due to their proximity to the Pacific Coast and their economic and cultural ties to California (such as Arizona's two largest universities which are members of the Pacific 10 Conference). Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean and could be included in the West Coast.

The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard or Atlantic Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the central and northern United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. While in a strict geographical sense it includes the entire eastern seaboard, in popular usage the term "East Coast" is most often used to specifically refer to the northern half of this region, which is also known as the Northeastern U.S. The southern half of this region is frequently considered to belong more strongly to the South or Southeast.

New England is a region of the United States located in the northeastern corner of the country, consisting of the modern states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut.

The Mid-Atlantic States (also called Middle Atlantic States or simply Mid Atlantic) form one of the nine geographic divisions within the United States that are officially recognized by the United States Census Bureau. The division consists of three states: New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. This definition corresponds with the region's traditional definition as the section of the Atlantic Seaboard between New England and the South. However, many people consider the Mid- Atlantic to be the states south of the Northeast, centered in Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.

The Midwestern United States (also called the Midwest, the Middle West, and The Heartland) is an informal name for a group of north-central states of the United States of America, usually including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive region in the southeastern and south-central United States. Because of the region's unique cultural and historic heritage, including Native Americans; early European settlements of Spanish, English and French heritage; importation of tens of thousands of enslaved Africans; growth of a large proportion of African Americans in the population, reliance on slave labor, and legacy of the Confederacy after the American Civil War, the South developed its own customs, literature, musical styles, and varied cuisines. In the last few decades, the South has become more industrialized and urban, attracting internal and international migrants. As parts of the South are among the fastest-growing areas in the nation, they are developing new cultures.

The Great Plains are the broad expanse of prairie and steppe which lie east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. In Canada the term prairie is more common, and the region is known as the Prairie Provinces or simply "the Prairies".

The Northwestern United States comprise the northwestern states up to the western Great Plains regions of the United States, and consistently include the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, to which Southeast Alaska is sometimes added. Occasionally parts of Northern California are included in the Northwest.

The Southwest contains many large cities and metropolitan areas of the country, despite the low population density of the region as a whole. Phoenix, Los Angeles, Dallas, San Antonio, San Diego and Houston all rank among the top ten most populous cities in the country. Fort Worth and Austin are in the top 20. Many of the states in this region, such as Nevada, New Mexico and Arizona, have witnessed some of the highest population growth in the United States. Urban areas in this region, like Las Vegas, Albuquerque, Phoenix and El Paso are some of the fastest growing cities in the country.

Extremes in elevation

Mount McKinley, Alaska (20,320 feet; 6,194 meters) — highest point in all of US territory
Mount Whitney, California (14,505 feet; 4,421 meters) — highest point in the 48 contiguous states
Winter Park, Colorado (12,060 feet; 3,676 meters) — highest town in all of US territory
Climax, Colorado (11,360 feet; 3463 meters) - now a ghost town, formerly home of the highest US post office. That honor now goes to Alma
Alma, Colorado (10,355 feet; 3,156 meters) — highest town with permanent residents above 10,000 ft.
Leadville, Colorado (10,152 feet; 3,094 meters) — highest city in all of US territory
Badwater Basin (Death Valley), California (-282 feet; -86 meters) — lowest point in all of US territory
Calipatria, California (-184 feet; -56 meters) — lowest city in all of US territory

Northernmost

Point Barrow, Alaska — northernmost point in all of US territory
Barrow, Alaska — northernmost town in all of US territory and most northerly community on the North American mainland.
Northwest Angle, Minnesota — northernmost point in the 48 contiguous states

Southernmost

Rose Atoll, American Samoa — southernmost point in all of US territory
Ka Lae, Hawaii — southernmost point in the 50 states
Naalehu, Hawaii — southernmost town in the 50 states
Kaalaulu, Hawaii - southernmost town/city in the 50 states
Western Dry Rocks, Florida — southernmost point in the 48 contiguous states occasionally above water at low tide
Ballast Key, Florida — southernmost point in the 48 contiguous states continuously above water
Key West, Florida — the southernmost city in the 48 contiguous states
Cape Sable, Florida — southernmost point on the US mainland

Easternmost

Point Udall, St. Croix, US Virgin Islands — easternmost point in all of US territory, by direction of travel
Sail Rock , just offshore of West Quoddy Head, Maine — easternmost point in the 50 states, by direction of travel
West Quoddy Head, Maine — easternmost point on the US mainland
Lubec, Maine — easternmost town in the 50 states
Pochnoi Point, Semisopochnoi Island, Alaska — easternmost point in all of US territory, by longitude
Peacock Point, Wake Island — first sunrise (at equinox) in all of US territory

Westernmost

Udall Point, Guam — westernmost point in all of US territory, by direction of travel
Peaked Island, offshore from Cape Wrangell, Attu Island, Alaska (172°26'E) — westernmost point in the 50 states, by direction of travel, and last sunset (at equinox) in all of US territory
Adak, Alaska — westernmost town in the 50 states, by direction of travel
Amatignak Island, Alaska — westernmost point in all of US territory, by longitude
Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska — westernmost point on the North American continent
Umatilla Reef, offshore from Cape Alava, Washington — westernmost point in the 48 contiguous states occasionally above water at low tide
Bodelteh Islands, offshore from Cape Alava, Washington — westernmost point in the 48 contiguous states continuously above water
Cape Alava, Washington - westernmost point on the U.S. mainland (contiguous)
Ozette, Washington — westernmost town in the 48 contiguous states

River borders of USA states

Arkansas River: Oklahoma, Arkansas
Arthur Kill: New Jersey, New York
Big Sandy River: Kentucky, West Virginia
Big Sioux River: South Dakota, Iowa
Blackwater River: Virginia, North Carolina
Bois de Sioux River: South Dakota, Minnesota, North Dakota
Brule River: Michigan, Wisconsin

Catawba River: North Carolina, South Carolina
Chattahoochee River: Alabama, Georgia
Chattooga River: Georgia, South Carolina
Colorado River: Arizona, Nevada, California
Columbia River: Washington, Oregon
Connecticut River: New Hampshire, Vermont
Delaware River: New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware
Des Moines River: Iowa, Missouri
Detroit River: Michigan, Ontario
Great Miami River (mouth only): Ohio, Indiana
Halls Stream: New Hampshire, Canada
Hudson River (lower part only): New Jersey, New York
Kentucky River: Kentucky, Tennessee
Kill Van Kull: New Jersey, New York
Menominee River: Michigan, Wisconsin
Mississippi River: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana
Missouri River: South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas
Montreal River: Michigan (Upper Peninsula), Wisconsin
Monument Creek: Maine, New Brunswick
Niagara River: New York, Ontario
Ohio River: Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia
Palmer River: Rhode Island, Massachusetts
Pawcatuck River: Connecticut, Rhode Island
Pearl River: Mississippi, Louisiana
Perdido River: Florida, Alabama
Pigeon River: Minnesota, Ontario
Piscataqua River: Maine, New Hampshire
Pocomoke River: Maryland, Virginia
Poteau River: Arkansas, Oklahoma
Potomac River: Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., West Virginia
Poultney River: Vermont, New York
Rainy River: Minnesota, Ontario, Canada
Red River of the North: North Dakota, Minnesota
Red River (Mississippi watershed): Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas
Rio Grande: New Mexico, Texas, Mexico
Runnins River: Rhode Island, Massachusetts
Sabine River: Texas-Louisiana
St. Clair River: Michigan, Ontario
St. Croix River (Maine-New Brunswick): Maine, New Brunswick
St. Croix River (Wisconsin-Minnesota): Minnesota, Wisconsin
St. Francis River (Missouri-Arkansas): Arkansas, Missouri
St. Francis River (Quebec-Maine): Maine, Quebec
St. John River: Maine, Quebec
St. Lawrence River: New York, Ontario
St. Louis River: Minnesota, Wisconsin
St. Marys River (Florida-Georgia): Florida, Georgia
St. Marys River (Michigan-Ontario): Michigan, Ontario
Salmon Falls River: New Hampshire, Maine
Savannah River: South Carolina, Georgia
Snake River: Idaho, Washington, Oregon
Tennessee River: Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama
Tug Fork River: Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia
Tugaloo River: Georgia, South Carolina
Wabash River: Illinois, Indiana