英语国家概况Chapter-7

AGuidetoEnglish-SpeakingCountries英语国家概况TheUnitedStatesofAmericaChapter7GeographyandPeople英语国家概况ContentsGeography1Climate3NaturalResources4People5MajorCities2WatchthemapofU.S.Acarefullyandfindcluestothefollowingitems§location(borderingneighbors)§States(thesmallest&thelargeststate)SizeandLocationInthecentralpartofNorthAmerica(exceptAlaskaandHawaii);CanadaonthenorthMexicoandtheGulfofMexicoonthesouthAtlanticOceanontheeastPacificOceanonthewesttotalarea—9,6millionsquarekilometers;50statesandthefederaldistrictofColumbia—theseatoftheFederalGovernment.Statesoriginal48statesAlaskaandHawaii,separatedfromthecontinent,becamethe49thand50thstatesin1959.AlaskabordersonnorthwesternCanadaHawaiiliesinthecentralPacificOceanAlaska—thelargestRhodeIsland—thesmallestTexas—thelargestonthemainland1.ThreeGeographicDivisionsGeographicDivisionsCentralpartEasternpartWesternpartTheEasternPartTheeasternpart—thehighlandsformedbytheAppalachianRange(阿巴拉挈亚山脉).onesixthoftheterritoryrelativelylow,withanaveragealtitudeof800metersabovesealevelTheGreatCentralPlainsBetweentheAppalachiansintheeastandtheRockyMountainsinthewest.halfofAmerica’slandmassonthecontinentstretchfromtheGreatLakesinthenorthtotheGulfofMexicointhesouthdrainedbytheMississippianditstributariesfivegreatlakesandNiagaraFallsTheWesternPartHighplateaus(高原)andmountains—extendingfromCanadathroughthewesternpartoftheUnitedStatestoMexicoandfurthersouth.Onethirdofthecountry’sterritoryRockymountains2.MainGeographicalRegionsNewEnglandTheMid-AtlanticStatesTheSouthTheMidwestTheWestTheSouthwestNewEnglandincludingsixstatesinthenortheasterncorner.longhistory—theEuropeans’firstsettlementfeaturedwithmountains,valleysandrivers,andcitiesandtownswithhistoricsitestop-rankinguniversitiesHarvardYaleMassachusettsInstituteofTechnology(MIT)NewENGLANDTheSouthRegionincluding13stateswithplentifulrainfallandamildtowarmclimatefavorableclimateforagriculturefastgrowingindustryandpopulationinrecentyearsgreatsizewithfewlargecitiesNewOrleansMiamiMemphisAtlantaBirminghamAmericanSouthernAreaTheWesternRegionincluding11states,likeWashington,OregonandCalifornia,etc.Oregon--wealthofbeautifulforestsandstreamsCaliforniastrikingnaturalfeatures--centralvalley,highmountains,andhotdrydeserts.notablecities•SanFrancisco•LosAngeles•SanDiego14percentofAmericangrossdomesticproductpredominantagricultureyieldinghigh-techindustrycentreOregon&CaliforniaAlaskanorthwesternpartofAmericaAlaska--glaciers,waterfallsandlakesNativepopulationEskimos--halfofallAlaskaNativesIndiansAleutsmainagricultureoutput—seafoodindustrialoutputs—crudepetroleum,naturalgas,preciousmetals,seafoodprocessing,timber,andtourism,etc.AlaskaHawaiieightmajorislandsabout2575kilometreslongsoutheasttonorthwestmildtemperaturechiefproducts—canesugar,pineapple,andflowersanddairyproducts.coffeebeans,bananas,andmacadamianuts.touristbusiness—largestsourceofincome.HawaiiHawaiiDance3.RiverandLakesTheMississippiRiverthelongestandthemostimportantriverinthesystemoftheGulf.length—6,262kilometersdrainagearea—3,225,000squarekilometers.Knownasthe“fatherofwaters”toAmericanIndiansAsMarkTwainwasraisedontheriver,hismostpopularandimportantwritingsareconcernedwiththisarea．TheAdventuresofHuckleberryFinntellsthestoryofhowtheboyHuckleberryFinnandhisblackfriendJim,arunawayslave,saileddowntheMississippionaraft.TheMissouriandtheOhiotwoofthelargesttributariesoftheMississippi.formanimportantinlandnavigationandirrigationsystem.TheHudsonRiverlinkedbycanalswiththefiveGreatLakesflowsthroughthestateofNewYorklength—520kilometers.LakeHuronLakeSuperiorLakeMichiganLakeOntarioLakeErieTheGreatLakesBoundaryBetweenAmericaandCanadaTheGreatLakesThemostimportantsystemofinlandwaterwaysintheworld.LakeMichigan—whollywithintheUnitedStatespartofthenationalboundarybetweentheUnitedStatesandCanadarunsthroughthischainoflakes.theGreatLakesLakeSuperiorLakeHuronLakeMichiganLakeErieLakeOntarioNiagaraFalls--locatedontheU.S.–CanadianborderbetweenLakeErieandLakeOntario.NiagaraFallsNiagaraFallsClimateMainlytemperate,withsomemildsubtropicalzones,withonlythesouthernFloridaandHawaiibeingtropical.50centimeterrainfalllineintheeast—comparativelymorerain,soeasyagriculture;inthewest—muchlessrain(lessthan50cm.ayear)withtheexceptionofthecoastalareasalongthePacific.MajorCitiesWhentalkingaboutAmerica,isthereanycitythatyouarefamiliarwith?Andwhy?Tips:NewYork—commercialandfinancialcenteroftheUnitedStatesWashingtonD.C.—seatofthefederalgovernmentLosAngles—secondlargestcityChicago—thewindycitySeattle;Philadelphia;SanFrancisco;etc.NewYorkSituatedonthreeislands—ManhattanIsland,LongIslandandStatenIslandatthemouthofHudsonRiver.Fiveboroughs—Manhattan,Brooklyn,Bronx,RichmondandQueens.theheadquarteroftheUnitedNationsTimeSquare&CentralParkThestatueoflibertyisahugesculpturelocatedonLibertyIslandinNewYorkHarbor.ThismonumentwasagifttotheUSAfromthepeopleofFranceinrecognitionoftheFrench-AmericanallianceduringtheAmericanRevolution.TheformalnameofthestatueisLibertyEnlightening