• 4 yr old Geography expert on Ellen

the United States of America

Human Geography • Political

– Representative Democracy• People rule through elected

representatives• Power divided between

federal and state governments

• Economic– World’s largest economy

• Leader in agricultural, manufacturing and global trade

– Free enterprise system• 50% of citizens employed• 1 in 10 ten citizens live in

poverty

• Population– Country of immigrants

• 70% from Europe• English is dominant language• Religious freedom is

cornerstone of society

– 5% of World’s population (280 million people)

• Urban– 7% of World’s land – 80% of citizens live in cities

and suburbs

Regions of the United States

NORTHEAST

• Gateway to America– Along the Atlantic Coast

• Many first settlements

– 5% of the land with 20% of population• Heart of trade, commerce and industry– Philadelphia, Boston, New York City

MaineVermontNew HampshireMassachusettsRhode IslandConnecticutPennsylvaniaNew YorkNew Jersey

• Megalopolis: region in which several large cities and surrounding areas grow together

Megalopolis: BosWashBoston, Philadelphia, New York City, Washington DC

New York

Boston

Philadelphia

Washington DC

MIDWEST• America’s Heartland– Fertile soil, adequate rainfall, favourable

climate– Produce more food than farmers

anywhere in the world

– Includes Great Lakes and Mississippi/Missouri Rivers

• Settled by immigrants from Germany, Britain and Scandinavia

• 20% of the land with 25% of the population

N DakotaS Dakota

NebraskaKansas

MinnesotaIowa

MissouriIllinois

IndianaOhio

MichiganWisconsin

SOUTH

• Mix of Peoples– Settled by British, Africans and

Hispanic peoples, Cajun and Creole• 25% of the land with 1/3rd of the

population• Built on agriculture, industry,

tourism

DelawareMarylandWashington DCWest VirginiaVirginiaNorth CarolinaSouth CarolinaKentuckyTennesseeGeorgiaFloridaAlabamaMississippiLouisianaArkansasOklahomaTexas

WEST • America’s Frontier– Half of the land with 20%

of the population– Includes desert, farmlands,

coasts

• Most rapidly growing region– Los Angeles, Seattle,

Phoenix, Salt Lake City

MontanaWyomingColoradoNew MexicoIdahoUtah ArizonaAlaskaWashingtonOregonCaliforniaNevadaHawaii

* America why I love her

What is a National Park?

• A piece of land protected by the government.

• Land free from most human development and pollution.

• Area set aside for the preservation of wildlife, plant life, and natural land and water formations or for scientific or historical purposes.

America’s First National Park

• Yellowstone National Park was established in 1871.

• Located in the states of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.

• Most famous for its large Geysers.

• Home to a wide variety of wildlife (including: elk, buffalo, bison, sandhill cranes, ravens, bald eagles, sheep, and bears.

Interesting Facts

• There are over 388 National Parks in the U.S.

• California has the most National Parks of all the Fifty States

• National Parks are located on every continent.• The United States is the Continent with the most National

Parks.

America’s Top Five• Acadia National Park: Maine

• Bryce Canyon National Park: Utah

• Death Valley National Park: California

• Everglades National Park: Florida

• Glacier Bay National Park: AlaskaRetreived from: www.nps.gov

Facts About Acadia• Located in Bar Arbor, Maine

• Known for its granite mountains, ocean shoreline and diverse wildlife including the Yellow nosed Albatross, six types of bats, the red fox, and the American toad.

• Home to Cadillac Mountain, which is the highest point on the U.S. Atlantic Coast (1,530feet)

Retrieved from: http://www.nps.gov/acad/index.htm

Facts About Bryce Canyon

• Located in the Paunsaugunt Plateau in southern Utah

• Known for the natural limestone carvings created by years of erosion

Retrieved from: http://www.nps.gov/brca/index.htm

• Death Valley is located in the states of California and Nevada

• It is one of the hottest and driest places in the world.

• Average rainfall is only about 1.96 inches a year

• It covers over 3 million acres of desert.

• The only animals which can survive in such extreme conditions are small mammals. Although, mountain lions, coyotes and bobcats are present in certain areas.

Retrieved from: http://www.nps.gov/deva/index.htm

Death Valley National Park

Facts About Everglades National Park

• Located in the Southern tip of the Florida Peninsula

• Is the only subtropical preserve in the United States

• It is the only place in the world where crocodiles and alligators live side by side

• The everglades is a highly endangered ecosystem due to pollution and human tampering

Retrived from: http://www.nps.gov/ever/index.htm

Facts About Glacier Bay National Park• Located in the Northern regions of Alaska

• Glacier Bay is known for its snow capped mountain ranges which soar up to 15,000 feet

• Home to various marine life including the humpback whale, killer whale and the porpoise.

Retrieved from: http://www.nps.gov/glba/index.htm