Volume One the United States of America.doc

Volume One the United States of AmericaChapter 1 Brief introduction to the country (position, area, geographical features, climate)General view The United States of America is a federal republic, one of the frequently-mentioned countries in the world, has established a highly developed national economy within a matter of about two hundred years, counting from the time of its independence. One indisputable factor, perhaps, stems from the generosity of nature. It provides Americans with a large piece of fertile land sandwiched in between two large oceans. The rich natural resources and the variety of climatic conditions all contribute to economic as well as cultural development. Some Americans described their country as a “land of opportunities” and claimed that “Heaven and earth never agreed better to frame a place for mans habitation.”(Lai, 214)Position and areaThe full name of the country is the United States of America, abbreviated to the United States (U.S.) or America. Mainland America is situated in the south of North America, mainly within the northern temperate zone. America has two land neighbors: Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The boundary between America and Canada is open and undefended. On the west, the United States borders on the Pacific Ocean which provides convenient sea routes for Americas foreign trade with the Far East. To the east of America lies the large Atlantic Ocean which witnessed numerous European immigrants sailing to their dreamland in the New World.The US consists of 50 states with a total area of about 9.4 million square kilometers which makes it the fourth largest country in the world. Two states are separated from the continental United States: Alaska which faces Russia across the Bering Strait, is separated from mainland America by Canada; Hawaii lies about 3200 kilometres away to the west and in the Pacific Ocean. Besides the 50 states, the United States also includes a number of overseas territories. The main ones are Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands (in Latin America). Mainland America extends about 5000 kilometres from east to west, and some 2500 kilometers from south to north. Its coastline is about 20 000 kilometres.Americas position on the globe and its relative position in relation to other countries both provide advantage for the country in its development.(Lai, 217) Canada has been Americas most important trading partner and the trade between America and Mexico is also climbing. The three nations have reached an agreement on establishing the North America Free Trade Agreement(NAFTA).In 1994, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) came into effect, creating one of the worlds largest free trade zones and laying the foundations for strong economic growth and rising prosperity for Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Since then, NAFTA has demonstrated how free trade increases wealth and competitiveness, delivering real benefits to families, farmers, workers, manufacturers, and consumers. /Geographical features （图示）Mainland America can be generally divided into three basic geographical areas or surface regions: the Atlantic Seacoast and the Appalachian Mountains in the east; the great Mississippi River Basin in the middle; and the Rockies west to the Pacific Ocean. (or roughly divided into : the eastern part, the western part, and the great central plain in between.) (Lai, 217224)The eastern part is made up of the highlands formed by the Appalachian Range. It holds 1/6 of the national territory. The Appalachians are old mountains with rounded tops and densely-wooded hills, usually not exceeding an elevation of 800 metres. The western part consists of high plateaus and mountains formed by the Great Cordillera Range(科迪勒拉山系). From west to east, this mountain system is composed of the Coast Range,（海岸山岭） the Cascades （喀斯喀特山脉），the Sierra Nevada Mountains（内华达山脉）and the Rocky Mountains, “the backbone of the continent”. These high mountains, sharp and rugged, stretch all the way from Mexico to the Arctic, with their tops of bare rock often capped with snow. The whole area of this part holds 1/3 of the countrys territory on the continent. The striking and varied scenery of the Rockies has led to the establishment of a number of national parks here, 38 in all. One of the most famous is the Yellow Stone National Park. In the park there are deep canyons, towering water falls, great caves far beneath the earth, hot springs and dense virgin forests. The National Grand Canyon Park is also world-famous.Between the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Rocky Mountains there is a large desert of 170,000 square kilometers. Close to the western edge of this region, there is a particularly lonely stretch of desert known as Death Valley(死谷) with an area of 6700 square kilometers. It is the lowest place with 85 meters below the sea level and the highest temperature in America.Between the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachians lies the central plain (also the Great Mississippi River Basin) which occupies 1/2 of Americas landmass on the continent. Rivers rising in both mountain chains flow toward each other down the sloping sides of this vast bowl, emptying into the mighty Mississippi River, the “Father of Waters”. The northeastern part of the Mississippi Basin is also known as the Middle West, or Midwest (also called the central lowlands), which is the most important agricultural area in the US. The western part of the central plain is also called the Great Plains. The Great Plains run north and south through the entire country, covering a distance of about 640 kilometres in width. With a sparse population and featureless level ground, they display best Americas largeness. Now many large tracts of land in this area have been turned into agricultural fields. This area is still important for beef production.The US has many rivers and lakes. The longest river is the Mississippi, 2 348 miles (3 779km) long. Next is the Missouri, 2 115 miles (3 725) from its most distant headwater to its mouth in the Mississippi. The combined Missouri-Mississippi is the third longest river in the world. The most important lakes in America are the Great Lakes including Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario, covering an area of about 240 000 square kilometres. Only Lake Michigan belongs to America completely while the other four are shared with Canada. These five lakes are the largest lake group in the world and contain about half of the worlds fresh water. Climate(Luo, 5)The climate in the US varies from coast to coast. Almost through the middle of the country, north and south runs a well-known 50 centimeter Rainfall Line, in the east of which there is comparatively more rain so agriculture is easy ; but in the west of which there is much less rain with the exception of the coastal areas along the Pacific.1) A humid continental climate(湿润的大陆性气候) is found in the north-eastern part of the country.2) In the south-eastern United States you can find a humid subtropical climate.(湿润的亚热带气候-东南部)3) The Pacific northwest is favored with a maritime climate海洋性气候太平洋西北岸)4) The southern part of the Pacific coast in California（加州太平洋沿岸南部） has a Mediterranean climate (地中海式气候)with warm, dry summers and moist winters.Many factors besides latitude influence the climate in the United States. Perhaps the most important forces are the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the Gulf of Mexico ,and the Great Lakes.影响美国气候的最主要的因素为：太平洋，和大西洋，墨西哥湾，五大湖。Land resources and mineral resourcesFor many years in history, America seemed to have inexhaustible land resources and overpopulation was possible. The Americans sense of being an American has been partially based on the feeling that he is a citizen of a fortunate country with generous givings from nature. Nature was generous in giving plenty of fertile soil to America. About 47% of Americas land area can be used for farmland of which some 400 million acres (2400 million Chinese mu) are harv