The United States is located in North America, and is bordered on the north by Canada and the South by Mexico. To the east is the Atlantic Ocean and to the west in the Pacific Ocean.

Concerning the geography, the architecture, and the people, the United States is a very interesting place. Because it covers such a large area, there are many different climates, and also many different types of people, attitudes, and styles. Unlike other smallers countries, a single visit to the United States is not enough to get an accurate idea of what the land and the people are like.

The northeast, which was the first area to be settled, reflects its age in architecture and style, and can have extreme seasonal weather. There are many rolling hills and fields, and there are many trees, both decidious (lose leaves in winter) and coniferous. Mt. Washington in New Hampshire is the highest mountain east of the Mississippi River, at around 7000 feet. Winters in the northeast can be very cold, and a lot of snow is the norm, while summers get very hot and humid. As they say, "if you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes."

In the south and southeast, the landscape is less diverse, as the ground becomes very flat, especially in the far south. Although there are mountain ranges which continue from the northeast down into the Carolinas and Georgia. It can get cold in the winter in the south, but snow is not normal. In the deep south, summers get very hot, with high humidity, especially in the Gulf of Mexico region. And then in south Florida, the weather is tropical year round.

Out west, things are very different. West of the continental divide, there are large mountain ranges which in some places reach almost 15000 feet, which go from the north near Canada and extend all the way into Mexico. In fact, the highest point in West, and the entire continental US for that matter is Mt. Whitney, at 14,494 feet. In the southwest, the region is very diverse. There are all sorts of extremes, with tall moutains and hot deserts, and of course the well know beaches of southern California. Being that the west was settle much later than the east, the architecture is more modern, and again more diverse. The diverse land formations play a large role in the weather patterns. Most of the coastal areas, even up into the northwest, stay mild for the most part year round, and as you move east away from the coast, you get more extremes; hotter in the desert and colder in the mountains. The west coast is also known for its people; many people consider the west coast to be more eccentric than the east coast, and people think of more progressive and liberal attitudes.

East of the continental divide, the land flattens out into the Great Plains, which make up the middle portion of the United States. Here again, the weather can vary greatly, getting hot and humid in the summers, and cold with snow in the winters.

This description was last modified Jan 23 2005, 11:51 PM  [ View Page History ]
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