The United States

Section 1

Physical Features

• The USA is located in the northern hemisphere.

• It has 50 states and 48 of them are located in the middle of North America and stretches between the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean.

• Alaska is located on either side of the Artic Circle• Hawaii is located in the Pacific Ocean

• The United States has many different regions. – It has a vast central plain which allows the harvest of

many crops.– It has the Appalachian Mountains in the east– It has the Rocky Mountains in the west. These are the

highest elevations in the USA– It has the Sierra Nevada mountains in the far west.

There are also many rivers which flow from the highland to the low land.

-This helps to transport goods in the country-Many people settled and formed towns along these transportation routes

Resources• The US has many natural resources like wood,

water and metals which help businesses such as farming, fishing, and building

• Farmers harvest crops such as corn and soybeans in the great plains and prairies.

• The US also produces energy. – Texas produces oil– Wyoming mines coal– Alaska has natural gas

All of this has helped the US economy grow

Climate

• The US has a temperate climate.• The northern states have a colder climate, and

the south has a warmer climate• These mild climates enable our country to

grow and harvest many crops.

Migration and Settlement

• The physical features of the US have had an important influence on where people have settled and built communities

• People chose to build cities and towns close to natural resources

• People also chose to settle by rivers because they were able to transport goods to other cities.

• From the nation’s beginnings, many people immigrated to the United States because they wanted freedom and a better life.

• In the countries early years, enslaved Africans were forcefully immigrated to America– These slaves were settled in the south to work on

plantations

• In the 1800-1900’s many people immigrated from Italy, Ireland, and Germany– Many of these people settled in urban areas to

find jobs