Since the initial publishing of the World Factbook, the CIA has updated the total area of the United States several times. Whether the US or China is the third largest country by total area depends on two factors: (1) the validity of China's claim on Aksai Chin and Trans-Karakoram Tract (both these territories are also claimed by India, so are not counted) and (2) how the US calculates its surface area. By land area only (exclusive of waters), the United States is the world's third largest country, after Russia and China, with Canada in fourth. Both countries are smaller than Russia and Canada in total area but are larger than Brazil. The US has the 2nd largest Exclusive Economic Zone of 11,351,000 km 2 (4,383,000 sq mi).īy total area ( water as well as land), the United States is either slightly larger or smaller than the People's Republic of China, making it the world's third or fourth-largest country. These sources consider only the 50 states and the Federal District and exclude overseas territories. Currently, the CIA World Factbook gives 9,826,675 km 2 (3,794,100 sq mi), the United Nations Statistics Division gives 9,629,091 km 2 (3,717,813 sq mi), and the Encyclopedia Britannica gives 9,522,055 km 2 (3,676,486 sq mi) (Great Lakes area included but not coastal waters). The northern border of the United States with Canada is the world's longest bi-national land border.įrom 1989 through 1996, the total area of the US was listed as 9,372,610 km 2 (3,618,780 sq mi) (land and inland water only). The United States shares land borders with Canada and Mexico and maritime borders with Russia, Cuba, The Bahamas, and many other countries, mainly in the Caribbean in addition to Canada and Mexico. Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa, and minor outlying possessions. The term " United States," when used in the geographical sense, refers to the contiguous United States (sometimes referred to as the Lower 48, including the District of Columbia), the state of Alaska, the island state of Hawaii, the five insular territories of Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, U.S. Tsunamis volcanoes earthquake activity around Pacific Basin hurricanes along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts tornadoes in the Midwest and Southeast mud slides in California forest fires in the west flooding permafrost in northern Alaskaĭeforestation, energy irresponsibility, pollution, nuclear waste, Severe water shortages, air pollution resulting in acid rain in both the US and Canada Vast central plain, Interior Highlands and low mountains in Midwest, mountains and valleys in the mid-south, coastal flatland near the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, complete with mangrove forests and temperate, subtropical, and tropical laurel forest and jungle, canyons, basins, plateaus, and mountains in west, hills and low mountains in east intermittent hilly and mountainous regions in Great Plains, with occasional badland topography rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaii and the territoriesĬoal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, rare earth elements, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber, arable land West: mostly semi-arid to desert, Mountains: alpine, Northeast: humid continental, Southeast: humid subtropical, Coast of California: Mediterranean, Pacific Northwest: cool temperate oceanic, Alaska: mostly subarctic, Hawaii, South Florida, and the territories: tropical Geography of The United Statesģ8☀0′00″N 97☀0′00″W / 38.000°N 97.000°W / 38.000 -97.000ĭiverse: Ranges from warm-summer continental in the far north to tropical in the far south. For geography of the continental landmass, see Geography of North America and Geography of South America.Ī political map of the United States showing the 50 states, the national capital of Washington, D.C., and the five major U.S.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |