Geography and Environment

Geography and Environment of United States of America

Terrain, climate, natural resources, hazards, and environmental conditions of United States of America.

Terrain: vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaii
Climate: mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains
Weather Patterns: http://voap.weather.com/weather/oap/USDC0001?template=TRVLH&par=1003114983&unit=0&key=5b85ae1d85877a1b34827fba743e2133
Highest Point: 6194 — Mount McKinley 6,194 m
Lowest Point: -86 — Death Valley -86 m

Area (Comparative): about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the size of Africa; about half the size of South America (or slightly larger than Brazil); slightly larger than China; about two and a half times the size of Western Europe
Border Countries: Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska), Mexico 3,141 km

Natural Resources: Coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, rare earth elements, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, and timber. The United States holds one of the world's most diverse and abundant collections of natural resources, spanning fossil fuels, metallic and non-metallic minerals, and vast forest reserves. The country ranks among the world's top producers of natural gas and remains a major petroleum producer, bolstered by the shale revolution that significantly expanded domestic oil and gas output. Rare earth elements, increasingly critical for advanced technologies and clean energy applications, are found in notable deposits across several states and have grown in strategic importance. Timber resources remain extensive, particularly across the Pacific Northwest and the Southeast, supporting both commercial forestry and conservation efforts.
Natural Hazards: tsunamis, volcanoes, and 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 Alaska, a major impediment to development

Current Environmental Issues: air pollution resulting in acid rain in both the US and Canada; the US is the largest single emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels; water pollution from runoff of pesticides and fertilizers; limited natural fresh water resources in much of the western part of the country require careful management; desertification
International Agreements: Party To: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Hazardous Wastes

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