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Geographical
profile of the USA
The United States of America lies in North America and is washed
by the Pacific Ocean in the west and the Atlantic Ocean in the
east. The USA borders on Canada in the north and Mexico in the
south. It has a sea border with Russia too.
The landscape of the country varies: there are mountain chains,
plains, canyons and deserts. The first mountains from the east
are the Rocky Mountains (or the Rockies), which are the highest
in the country. To the west of the Rockies there are vast
plateaus: the volcanic Columbia Plateau, the Great Basin and the
Colorado Plateau. The western part of America (including Alaska)
is made up of high mountain ranges, tablelands and plateaus of
the Cordillera system. The Cordilleras consist of rows of
mountain ranges, tablelands and plateaus. In Alaska the mountain
ranges stretch in the west-eastern direction and include the
Brooks Range, the Yukon Tableland, the Aleutian Range with Mount
McKinley, which is the highest peak in North America.
Further west there are the Cascade Mountains and the Sierra
Nevada Range.
There are a lot of lakes and rivers in the USA. The Mississippi
which joins the Missouri is the longest river in the United
States (and the longest in the world). It flows to the south and
runs into the Gulf of Mexico at New Orleans. The Hudson River
which flows across the north-eastern part of the country and
empties into the Atlantic Ocean at New York is another important
river in the country. The rivers in the west of the country are
not navigable as they flow through deep canyons and are cut by
numerous rapids. These rivers start in the Cordilleras and flow
into the Pacific Ocean. The largest among them are the Columbia
River and the Colorado River.
The region of the Great Lakes is in the north-east of the United
States bordering on Canada. It is a system of five great lakes
(Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake
Ontario) joined together by natural channels. The famous Niagara
Falls are situated in New York State and are the biggest falls
in the" world.
The climate of the USA varies. The country is situated mainly in
the temperate and subtropical zones. Alaska lies in the
subarctic and arctic zones. Winter temperature in Alaska is 25
degrees below zero. The southern part of Florida and Hawaii are
in the tropical zone. In southern states it is warm all year
round while in northern states the climate is changeable.
The United States is rich in mineral resources such as: coal,
iron, gas, oil and different metals. There are coal mines in the
Cordilleras, in the Kansas City region and in the east near
Birmingham and Pittsburgh. Iron is mined near the Great Lakes
and in Pittsburgh, Birmingham and Philadelphia. In California
and Texas there are oil fields. There are also silver and gold
deposits.
ПЛАН-ОТВЕТ. GEOGRAPHICAL PROFILE OF THE USA
1. Рассказать о географическом положении Соединённых Штатов
(North America; borders on).
2. Рассказать об океанах, воды которых омывают США (the Atlantic
Ocean; the Pacific Ocean).
3. Рассказать о ландшафте США (varies; mountain
chains/plains/canyons/ deserts; the Rockies; plateaus: Columbia
Plateau, Great Basin, Colorado Plateau; the Cordillera system;
Alaska, the Brooks Range, the Yukon Tableland, the Aleutian
Range, Mount McKinley; the Cascade Mountains, the Sierra Nevada
Range).
4. Рассказать о крупных реках и озёрах (the Mississippi, the
Missouri; the Gulf of Mexico; the Hudson River; the Columbia
River, the Colorado River; the Great Lakes: Lake Superior, Lake
Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario; the Niagara
Falls).
5. Рассказать о климате США (temperate, subtropical, subarctic,
arctic, tropical).
6. Рассказать о полезных ископаемых США (coal, iron, gas, oil
and different metals, silver and gold deposits).
QUESTIONS
1. Where geographically is the USA situated?
2. What is the country washed by?
3. What is the landscape of the USA characterised by?
4. Where are mountainous areas situated?
5. What mountain ranges are there in the USA?
6. What is the highest peak in North America?
7. What's the longest river in the USA?
8. What other rivers are there in the country?
9. What five lakes are there in the Great Lakes region?
10. What are the biggest falls in the world?
11. How can you describe the climate of the USA?
12. What mineral resources are there in the country?
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