American geography
USA
- federal republic of 50 states - 48 conterminous states - 2 states situated in Pacific Ocean (Hawaii and Alaska) - area: over 9 mil. square km - is situated on northern American continent between Canada in the north and Mexico in the south - on the west coast there is Pacific Ocean and on the east coast there is Atlantic Ocean
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
-Highest mountain: Mount McKinley in Alaska (6194 m) -Lowest point: Death valley in California (89 below sea level)
1.The eastern part – the coastal plains - flat, swampy, long area - poor soil, fertile is only southern part (Florida)
2. The Appalachian Mountains - in the west of the coastal plains - low, unbroken mountains - accessible coal and iron - heavy industry - Piedmont hills - the second biggest agricultural producer
3. middle of USA – vast, interior plains - 2 parts: - Central Plains- east - Great Plains –west - both very fertile
4. Cordillera - 1/3 of USA area - 2 parts: a) The Rocky Mountains - east, from Alaska to Mexico - rugged mountains contain many important metals (lead, uranium, gold) b) Sierra Nevada, Cascades, Coastal ranges – west, coastal chain of high mountains, among them - broad, fertile valleys - between a) and b), there is a large plateau region, with steep cliffs and canyons, basins and isolated ranges
RIVERS
- several immensely long rivers – most of them are in the eastern part - longest - Missouri – 3942 km – it´s a tributary of the Mississippi (3760 km) - other tributary of Mississippi - Ohio, Tennessee - Rio Grande – forms part of USA - Mexico border - Colorado, Columbia, and San Joaquim - Sacramento – only they reach the pacific
plain - nížina, rovina peak - vrchol swampy - močaristý fertile - úrodný accessible - dostupný valley - údolie tributary - prítok rieky basin - kotlina range - pásmo broad - široký vast - obravský rugged - kamenistý, zvrásnený, rozbitý sharply - prudko
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