The United States is comprised of 50 states, one small area which is not part of any state – the Federal District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.) and outlying territories: Puerto Rico, the Panama Canal Zone, Virgin Islands, and some islands in the South Pacific.
The USA is the fourth largest country in the world with its total area exceeding 9,000,000 square km.
The population of the USA is approximately 250.000.000 people.
The largest state: Alaska
The smallest state: Rhode Island
The District of Columbia is the seat of the federal government and Washington D.C. is the national capital.
There are two great mountain ranges in the US: the Appalachian Mountains and the Rocky Mountains. The highest mountain: Mount McKinley (6,194m) in Alaska.
The area between the Appalachians and the Rockies is drained by the longest river in the USA - the Mississippi River. The area is called Mississippi Valley, it is the most fertile plain in the USA.
The second longest is the Rio Grand in New Mexico.
While there are various ways to divide regions of the US, it can be divided into five main land regions:
The Northwest or the New England States. They are much smaller than the rest of the states. It is the most economically and industrially developed region.
The South. Many people travel to the South, especially Texas and Florida, to escape the cold, harsh northern winter.
The Midwest or Great Plain. This area is also known as the Breadbasket of the US because of the heavy concentration of agriculture of all types here.
The West. This area is considered the most beautiful, with many mountains and national parks.
The Great Lakes region. It is estimated that the five Great Lakes contain about half of the world's fresh water.
The five Great Lakes, four of which lie on the border with Canada, are the major lakes of the USA. They are very important because they contain about half of the world's fresh water. This region is important not only for its fresh water but also for its fertile lands and coal mining areas. The names of the Great Lakes are: Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario. Michigan is the only lake wholly in the USA.
The USA has also a lot of national parks. The most famous parks are Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and Yosemite National Park in California.
