The United States of America is located on the continent of North America and is the 4th largest country in the world. It has an area of 540,939 sq. miles. It is border ed on the north by Canada, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Gulf of Mexico and Mexico, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.
The population of the US is 238,7 mln people (1986).
The capital of the country is Washington, D.C. It was named in honour of the first President whose name was George Washington (1732-1799).
The official language of the US is English.
There are great climatic variations between different regions of the country.
The eastern continental region is well watered with rainfall. It includes all the Atlantic coast and southeastern states and extend s west to Indiana, southern Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, and eastern Texas.
The climate of the prairie lands lying to the west is drought. Dryness generally increases from east to west. Rain falls in the early summer - a matter of great importance to agriculture, particularly in the growing of grain crops.
The Rockies are characterized by a typical Alpine climate. The Pacific coast is a region of mild winters and moderate ly warm, dry summers.
Climatic conditions vary in Alaska. Near the capital, Juneau, a maritime climate prevail s. The interior is characterized by short, hot summers and long, bitterly cold winters.
Hawaii has a remarkably mild and stable climate as a result of northeast ocean winds.
The great surface divisions of the United States are largely determine d by the various mountain ranges that traverse the country from north to south.
The Atlantic Coastal Plain rises gradually from the shoreline. In the west the Atlantic Coastal Plain is bounded by the Appalachian Mountains. The Appalachians are old mountains with rounded contours, and forested at the top.
Between the Appalachians and the Rocky Mountains lies the great interior plain of the Unites States. The Mississippi River runs through the centre of this plain. The Great Lakes, are thought to contain about half the world's total supply of fresh water: Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario.
The lowland near the west coast is the Great Valley of California.
The greatest rivers of the USA are the Colorado in the south, flowing from the Gulf of California and the Columbia in the northwest, flowing to the Pacific.
The United States is rich in a variety of mineral resources. It is a world leader in the production of many important mineral resources such as aluminium, copper, lead, phosphates, potash, salt, uranium and zinc. The country is rich in coal, iron, oil and natural gas. It also has gold, silver, such non-ferrous metals as aluminium, magnesium, titanium. The oil fields are situated in California, Texas, Alaska, and other regions.
The USA produces 52% or more of the world's corn, soy-beans, ediblevegetable oil s, wheat, tobacco, cotton and barley. Animal husbandry is also developed in the country.
The United States harvests a lot of vegetables such as tomatoes, strawberries, and onions. Arizona, Florida, California and Texas are the major citrus-producing states. They grow oranges, tangerines, grapefruit, lemons. Potatoes and apples are also produced.
About one-third of the United States is forestland, one-fourth is grassland pasture, one-seventh is active cropland.
Some main cities of the country are New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston.
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