Give an account of the geographical position of the US, its advantages and disadvantages. The size of the country, its composition.

The USA is the world’s 3largest country with an area of 9.6 (mkm2), the population – over 300 mil people (2007). Most of the country is in the central part of North America. It is boarded by Canada on the north and Mexico on the south.

Due to its geographical position 48 states are conterminous, or enclosed within one common boundary. The other 2states, Hawaii (in the Pacific Ocean) and Alaska (in the far northwestern part of North America), are located apart from the rest of the country.

The physical geography of the US is varied. There are huge forests, large areas of flat, grassy plains and deserts. An average elevation of about 762 meters masks some great variations. These variations range from a low of 86 meters below sea level in California to a high of over 6,000 meters above sea level in Alaska.

The people of the US are descended from many different groups of people from around the world. It’s a country of immigrants. The first inhabitants came from Asia.

The country can be divided from the point of view of physical geography into 9regions:

1) the Coastal plains, a lowland area sweeps from Massachusetts to Texas along the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. This coastal plain, which extends for more than 3,219 km. is divided into 2parts – the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the Gulf Coastal Plain.

2) the Appalachian Highlands, the region takes its name from the A. Mountains. The highlands stretch 1,931 km. from northern Maine to central Alabama. The eastern edge of the highlands is known as the Piedmont. West of the Piedmont are the Appalachian Mountains.

3) the Interior Plains, a huge “plain region” covers the middle of the US between the Appalachian Mountains and the Rockies.

4) the Interior Highlands, 2separate highlands regions rise above the plains in the central US. These are the Superior Highlands (around Lake Superior) and the Ozark Plateau (between the Missouri and Arkansas rivers west of the Mississippi River).

5) the Rocky Mountains, west of the Great Plains. The RMs extend from Canada south to New Mexico and Western Texas. The region occupies an area over 1,600km long. It varies in width between 200 to 600 km.

6) the Interior Plains, the region lies between the Rocky Mountains and mountain ranges along the Pacific Ocean. The mountains block rain – the territory is dry. Grand Canyon, Arizona.

7) the Pacific Coastal Ranges, they extend from Canada in the north to the border with Mexico in the south. The area is about 322 km. wide from east to west.

8) Alaska, the wealth is connected with the sea (salmon) and the mines (copper, uranium. Nickel, oil). Alaska was purchased from Russia in 1867 and became the 49^th state of American union in 1959.

9) Hawaii, consists of hundreds of mostly volcanic islands stretching over 2897km in the North Pacific Ocean. Its strategic position for trans-Pacific communications makes it an important sea and air transport center. Pearl Harbor is an important military base of the US. In 1959 Hawaii became the 50^th state.

Outline the physical features of the US, referring to the chief mountain ranges and plains. Give a general survey of the main rivers and lakes of the US. Describe the climate and the chief climatic provinces of the USA. Account for the chief mineral resources of the US and their role.

Rivers: The Mississippi River, along with its tributary, the Missouri, is one of the world’s largest rivers. It flows from the Rocky Mountains for nearly 6,437km to the Gulf of Mexico.

The Rocky Mountains are known as the Continental Divide, because all the waters to their east are destined for the Atlantic Ocean and those to their west for the Pacific. The Colorado River and its many branches drain much of southwestern US. River systems have great value as sources for irrigation and hydroelectric power.

A large area in southwestern US has no surface drainage to the sea. This desert area is known as the Great Basin. In the hot months of the year the rivers evaporate or dry up before they can reach the ocean. But after sudden desert storms they turn into savage torrents.

The Yukon River in the north rises in the Canadian Rockies, but in its lower course it flows westward across Alaska and empties into the Bering Sea.

Lakes: North America has more lakes by far than any other continent. The largest of these are the Great Lakes. They are the greatest collection of fresh water lakes in the world. Lakes Superior and Ontario form a natural border between northeastern US and Canada. Between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, on the Niagara River, which connects the two lakes, are the Niagara Falls.

Another large group of lakes lies west of the Rockies. The most famous of these lakes is the Great Salt Lake, which contains 6billion tons of salt.

Climate: Part of the US (Alaska) lies north of the Arctic Circle, part of the country lies south of the Tropic of Cancer, and part lies in the middle latitude. In combination with variations in altitude, these locations give the US many different climates.

The US has areas of all 5major climate groups. In the conterminous US east of the Rocky Mountains, climate changes greatest from north to south. West of the Rockies, elevation is a very important influence. Alaska has 2climates and Hawaii has one with small variations due to elevation. With the exception of Southern Florida, most of the southeastern US has a moist, mild winter climate.

Minerals: the US has large reserves of all the more widely used minerals except tin. These minerals include coal, petroleum, nuclear fuels, natural gas, iron, copper, lead and others. The country extracts enough of some minerals to satisfy all its own needs and to ship to other countries as well. Most of the oil and natural gas deposits are located in California. Alaska too has become reputed for its oil reserved. The main deposits of uranium are located in New Mexico.

Describe how the New World was settled paying special attention to the story of Native Americans, one that is unique, tragic and inspiring? How do Native Americans fare today, their contribution to the country and the American English?

Th e first AM immigrants, beginning more than 20, 000 years ago, were intercontinental wanders. A party of Icelandic Vikings sailed to the eastern coast of North AM, landed at a place they called Vinland, but they failed to establish any permanent settlements. When Christopher Columbus “discovered” the New World In 1492, about 1.5mil Native Americans were already living in what is now the continental US, mistaking the place where he landed Columbus called the NA – “Indians”. The story of Native AM is unique, because they are the original inhabitants; tragic, because of the conflict between Native am. and Europeans; inspiring, because they have survived, asserted their rights, retained their identity and contributed immensely to the AM heritage

The white settlers described an Indian town, where the local people brought them corn bread and tobacco smoked in clay pipes. Of all that the Indians gave to the white settlers food was probably the most important thing at that time. Indian foods and methods of planting, hunting, and fishing helped the settlers to survive in their new home. Two of the most important crops in the world today — Indian corn and white potatoes - were first planted by American Indians, who also introduced the settlers to more than 80 other foods, including the sweet potato, pumpkin, squash, banana, pineapple, and avocado. The Native Americans showed the settlers how to cook these unknown plants to make grits, hominy, popcorn, succotash, and tapioca. Cacao (for chocolate), and tobacco were also among the new crops. Many of the drugs which Indians received from plants (such as cocaine, which was used to kill pain) are used today for medical purposes. They helped by introducing them to Indian utensils, clothing, methods of transportation. They include canoes, dog sleds, hammocks, pipes, rubber balls, snowshoes, moccasins, parkas.

The influence of Indian cultures is quite evident in American English. Countless US place-names derive from Indian words, including 28 states (Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Idaho, Mexico, Montana), thousands of mountains, lakes, rivers as well as common nouns -tobacco, skunk, moose, canoe, and others.

Contribution in language, place names, 28 state names, names of plants, animals, food, close, habits, traditions, weather and climate traditions.

Today there are 2,5mil AM Indians and Alaska Natives. About 62 per cent of them live in large cities or rural areas. The rest live in some 300 federal reservations. Altogether, the reservations make up 2,5 per cent of US territory, mostly west of the Mississippi River.

Examine the beginning of the colonization of North America by the first settlers from Europe. What considerations influenced many people to move to America? Who were Pilgrim Fathers? Why are they held so high by the Americans? The May flower Compact?

The USA was originally peopled by Indians and was opened to European colonization by the first voyage of C Columbus in 1492. By the time the white man appeared, the Indians had spread and occupied all parts of the new world. The first Europeans to arrive in North America were the Norse or Vikings travelling west from Greenland where they had founded a settlement in the year 985.

The AM continent was named after Amerigo Vespucci, a man from Florence who helped to organize Columbus’s second voyage in 1493.

In 1497 a navigator named John Cabot arrived in Newfoundland on a mission for the EN king. It also opened the way to the rich fishing grounds. In 1607 EN would try again and this time the colony succeeded at Jamestown in Virginia, named after the EN king James I. thus a new era was opened in the colonization of North AM.

Most EU emigrants left their homelands to escape political and religious oppression, as well as economic difficulties and poverty. The colonists might have not survived had it not been for the help of friendly Indians, who taught them how to grow native crops (corn, beans, potatoes, tobacco).

Another significant event was the arrival in August 1619 of a Dutch ship with Negro slaves, of whom it sold twenty to the settlers. This marked the beginning of the slave trade.

An important event in the colonization of North AM took place in 1620 when a group of colonists known as the Pilgrim Fathers came to North AM on the famous ship the Mayflower and settled at Plymouth, Massachusetts. They were separatists in EN, or members of Puritan movement (to make pure) wishing to purify the Church of EN by making religious services simpler and discipline stricter. The Pilgrim leaders knew that in order to organize their lives in the new land they had to establish rules of behavior. So 41 men abroad the Mayflower signed a special document known as the Mayflower Compact, which was the first agreement for self-government in America. They also chose their first governor.

Describe the role of immigration in the making of the AM nation – a “melting pot” of nations. Characterize the main ethnic groups. Give a brief survey of the present population of the USA: density, distribution and other characteristics.

The EN was the dominant ethnic group among early settlers of what became the US, and English became the prevalent AM language. They came not only from GB, but also from other EU countries, including Spain, France, Holland, Germany and Sweden. In 1780 three out of every four citizens of the US were of EN or Irish descent. Between 1840 and 1860 the US received its first great wave of immigrants. Today there are about 39mln AM of Irish descent.

During the late 19^th century, so many people were entering the US that the government operated a special port of entry on Ellis Island in NY City’s harbor. Between 1892 and 1954 Ellis Island was the doorway to the US for 12mln people. During the peak immigration years, from 1905 to 1907, there were 10,000 immigrants a day.

First immigrants had to pass the inspection (diseases, under 16, don’t have 25 sent back)

As a result of mass immigration the US is termed as the “melting pot” of nations. A “melting pot” meant that as immigrants from many different cultures came to the US, their previous national identity melted away and they became part of a completely new culture. The US was likened to a big melting pot when different cultures blended together forming a new cultural identity.

African Americans: There was one group of immigrants came to North America unwillingly. These were Africans, 500 000 of whom were brought over as slaves from 1619 until 1808, when slave trade became illegal. Slavery was abolished throughout the US with passage of the 13^th Amendment to the US Constitution in 1865 (by President Abraham Lincoln). Even after the end of slavery, AM blacks were hampered by segregation and inferior education. In search of opportunity, African Americans formed an internal wave of immigration, moving from rural South to the Urban North.

Asian Americans: They include groups such as Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Pakistani Americans and others whose national origin is from the Asian continent. Today Asian Americans are one of the fastest-growing ethnic groups in the country. About 10 million people of Asian descent live in the US. Although most of them have arrived recently, they are among the most successful of all immigrant groups. They have a higher income than many other ethnic groups (many of them working in high-tech industry), and large members of their children study at the best US universities as undergraduate and graduate students.

The 1^st census was taken in 1790 much of the country had not even been explored. There were only 13 states and the population was about 4mil. By the middle of the 19^th century the population reached 24mil. The average density of population as a whole, without Alaska and Hawaii, is 30 people per 1 sq. km. Traditionally, more than half of the population is concentrated in the industrial Northeast, and the density of population here is very high. Today the US has a total population of 308,285,000.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-16