The document provides an overview of the geography, history, culture, and government of the United States. It notes that the US has 50 states across North America, with Washington DC as the capital and over 300 million people. The country's motto is E Pluribus Unum, meaning "out of many, one." The US geography is diverse, containing mountains, plains, deserts, and coastlines across its nine official regions: West, Midwest, South, Northeast, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands.

1. Part II:
OVERVIEW
ABOUT THE UNITEDSTATES

2. CONTENTSCONTENTS
1. Some facts about the USA
2. E PLURIBUS UNUM
3. Geography
4. History
5. People
6. Culture
7. Economy
8. Government

3. The factfile of the USAThe factfile of the USA
Washington: the capital city
New York: the biggest city.
Official language: American English.
Current president: Barack Obama.
Surface: 9.8 million km
2
(3rd
biggest)
Number of States: 50
Population: 307.000.000 (3rd
biggest)
Independence Day: July 4th
Anthem:

4. E PLURIBUS UNUME PLURIBUS UNUM

5. E PLURIBUS UNUME PLURIBUS UNUM

6. What is E PLURIBUS UNUM?What is E PLURIBUS UNUM?
United States motto
Appearing on the US coins & money
Appearing on many US public monuments
Means “From many, one”
Primarily used to unify 13 British colonies
in North America during the American
Revolution (1775-1783)
The Melting Pot
(the nation of nations)

7. 13 British colonies13 British colonies

8. UNITED STATES GEOGRAPHYUNITED STATES GEOGRAPHY

9. UNITED STATES GEOGRAPHYUNITED STATES GEOGRAPHY

10. 50 STATES OF THE USA50 STATES OF THE USA

11. OFFICIAL REGIONS OF THE USAOFFICIAL REGIONS OF THE USA

12. THE USA BY REGIONSTHE USA BY REGIONS
THE WESTTHE WEST

14. Basin and Range

15. Rocky Mountains

16.  Rocky Mountains -extends more than 3,000
miles across the western part of North America
 Great Basin - a large desert that covers 200,000
sq. miles in California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah,
Wyoming
 Mt. Ranier - 14,410 ft., 4,392 meters, Cascade in
Washington, Highest peak in Washington
 Mt. McKinley - 20,320 ft. 6,194 meters, Alaska
Range in Alaska, Highest peak in North America
 Mt Hood -11,239 ft, 3,426 Meters, Cascade in
Oregon, Inactive volcano with many glaciers
 Great Plains - vast, dry land in North America
Geographical FeaturesGeographical Features

17. Geographical FeaturesGeographical Features
 Abundance or scarcity of water affects natural
vegetation, economic activity, and population density.
 Much of the West has a semiarid or arid climate, with
short grasses, shrubs, sagebrush, and cactuses for
vegetation.
 The western side of the cordillera receives much
more rainfall, and it contains deciduous and coniferous
forests at lower elevations.
 Hawaii has a wet tropical climate and dense tropical
vegetation.
 The tundra of Alaska is a dry, treeless plain that
sprouts grasses and mosses only when the top layer of
soil thaws in the summer.
4

18. parts of the West get extremely high
amounts of rain and/or snow
other parts are true desert and get less
than 5 inches of rain per year.
seasonal temperatures vary greatly
throughout the West.
Low elevations on the West Coast have
warm to very hot summers and get little to
no snow.
The Desert Southwest has very hot
summers and mild winters.

19. ““Go West, Young Man”Go West, Young Man”
Why did people go West?
Why would people want to migrate West?

20. Men like Wild Bill Hickok and Wyatt Earp were hired to keep law and order in the rising
towns of the West.

21.  Yellow Stone -Wyoming
 Cayonlands -Utah
 Rocky Mountains
-Colorado
 Yosemite, Disney,
HollyWood, Golden Gate
Bridge -California
 Glacier -Montana
 Hoover Dame -Nevada
 Idaho Falls -Idaho
 Crater Lake -Oregon
 Olympic -Washington
Yellow StoneNational Park
View of Hoover Dam
from Bypass Bridge.

22. Grand Canyon - ColoradoGrand Canyon - Colorado

23. THE USA BY REGIONSTHE USA BY REGIONS
THE MID-WESTTHE MID-WEST

24. 3
Geographical FeaturesGeographical Features
 The Midwest is relatively flat and contains fertile soil that
is rich in a dark-colored organic material called humus.
 The Midwestern climate favors agriculture with its long,
hot summers.
 There are many regional variations, such as precipitation,
growing season, and quality of soil, that affect the type of
agriculture possible.
 Midwestern farms, the most productive in the world,
have earned the Midwest the nickname “the nation’s
breadbasket.”

25. Alabama
Arkansas
Iowa
Kansas
Mississippi
Missouri
Nebraska
Oklahoma
Texas.

26. •The Great Plain States:
Iowa, Missouri, Kansas,
Nebraska, South Dakota,
and North Dakota
•flat, rises gradually to
eventually meet the Rocky
Mountains.

27. • In Minnesota
• Origin of the Mississippi River.

29. THE USA BY REGIONSTHE USA BY REGIONS
THE SOUTHTHE SOUTH

30. 2
Geographical FeaturesGeographical Features
The South’s warm, wet climate produces thick
mixed forests and stands of mangrove trees.
Marshy inlets of lakes and rivers in Louisiana are
called bayous.
Rich soils, ideal for agriculture, attracted
Europeans, some of whom built large
plantations.
Farming is still important to the South’s
economy.
Some parts of the South, such as Appalachia, are
deeply impoverished.

31. Slaves Working on a Plantation, 1862Slaves Working on a Plantation, 1862

32. Marshy Areas in the SouthMarshy Areas in the South

33. AGRICULTURAL PLANTATIONSAGRICULTURAL PLANTATIONS

34. THE USA BY REGIONSTHE USA BY REGIONS
THE NORTHEASTTHE NORTHEAST

35. 1
Geographical FeaturesGeographical Features
relatively few natural resources
The Appalachian Mountains make some
areas quite rugged.
Apart from coal in Pennsylvania, the
Northeast has few mineral resources
a center of commerce and fishing since
Colonial times

36. Appalachian MountainsAppalachian Mountains

37. Appalachian MountainsAppalachian Mountains
made of several other ranges.
◦ The Green Mountains
◦ The White Mountains
◦ The Catskill Mountains
◦ The Poconos Mountains
◦ The Adirondack Mountains
the oldest mountain range in North
America.
begins in Canada and extends south to
Alabama

38. Land and Water in the NortheastLand and Water in the Northeast
The Northeast Region has many areas of
incredible scenery and natural formations.
The Chesapeake Bay and other bays in the
region provide seafood for many people.

39. Niagara FallsNiagara Falls

40. Chesapeake BayChesapeake Bay

42. Ellis IslandEllis Island
Most European immigrants came into the
U.S. through the port of New York.
The U.S. opened an
immigration station on
Ellis Island in New York Harbor.
Inspectors checked
the immigrants’ papers and
health.
The Ellis Island station
was closed in 1954.

43. WHITE HOUSEWHITE HOUSE

44. The Coastline of the NortheastThe Coastline of the Northeast
ranges from sandy beaches to rocky cliffs.

45. Resources of the NortheastResources of the Northeast
 The climate and geography of the Northeast Region
make it excellent for growing grapes and
cranberries.
 A lot of maple trees grow in the Northeast.
The sap from these trees is harvested to make
maple syrup.
 Minerals are an important resource to this area. Minerals such
as granite and marble are minerals that are mined here.
 Chesapeake Bay got its name from the Native American word
for “Great Shell Fish Bay”. It is very rich in fish and
shellfish allowing the fishermen to make a living.

46. UNITED STATES TIME ZONESUNITED STATES TIME ZONES

47. UNITED STATES TIME ZONESUNITED STATES TIME ZONES

48. THE DIFFERENCES IN TIMETHE DIFFERENCES IN TIME
Hawaii Time Alaska Time Pacific Time
Mountain
Time
Central
Time
Eastern
Time
Wednesday
2/26/2014
2:01am
HST
Wednesday
2/26/2014
3:01am
AKST
Wednesday
2/26/2014
4:01am
PST
Wednesday
2/26/2014
5:01am
MST
Wednesday
2/26/2014
6:01am
CST
Wednesday
2/26/2014
7:01am
EST