UNITED STATES

GEOGRAPHYBY: JOHN CARLO C. CABALIT

AB HISTORY

United States Geography, study of the land, physical features, and climate of the United States of America, and the interaction between these natural features and the plants, animals, and people that live in the country.

The United States of America is a federal republic on the continent of North America. It has an area of 9,826,630 sq km (3,794,083 sq mi) and is the third largest country in the world after Russia and Canada. The estimated U.S. population for the year 2008 is 303,824,650, third in the world behind China and India.

GEOGRAPHY OF UNITED STATES

Area 9,826,630 sq km3,794,083 sq mi

Coastline 19,924 km12,380 mi

Highest point Mt. McKinley6,194 m/20,320 ft

Lowest point Death Valley86 m/282 ft below sea level

The United States consists of 48 contiguous states and the noncontiguous states of Alaska and Hawaii. In addition, the United States includes a number of outlying areas, such as the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands of the United States, which are located on the Caribbean Sea, and the islands of American Samoa and Guam, located in the Pacific Ocean.

The national capital is Washington, D.C., located along the banks of the Potomac River between the states of Maryland and Virginia.

The United States is commonly called America and its people Americans. More properly, however, America applies to the entire Western Hemisphere, and Americans to all people who live there.

The 50 U.S. states vary widely in size and population. The largest states in area are Alaska at 1,717,854 sq km (663,267 sq mi), followed by Texas, and California. The smallest state is Rhode Island, with an area of 4,002 sq km (1,545 sq mi). The state with the largest population is California (36,553,215, 2007 estimate), followed by Texas, and New York.

Only 522,830 people (2007 estimate) live on the plateaus and rugged mountains of Wyoming, the least populous state.

Each state is subdivided into counties, with the exception of Louisiana, where comparable political units are called parishes.

Within these counties and parishes, there are communities that range in size from small villages to towns to cities. Extensive areas of urban sprawl exist in larger metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles, California; Chicago, Illinois; and New York City.

The nickname "Uncle Sam" is often used to refer to the United States or its government. In other countries United States citizens are often called Yankees or Yanks. (Within the United States the term Yankee applies only to Northerners, especially New Englanders.) The national bird is the bald eagle. The rose is the national flower.