美国地理概况

1、A Look at North America - videoEight Regions Eight Regions of North of North AmericaAmerica8 Regions of North America1)Coastal Range2)Basin and Range3)Rocky Mountains4)Great Plains5)Interior Lowlands6)Canadian Shield7)Appalachian Mountains8)Coastal PlainsCoastal RangenWest of the Rocky MountainsnStr

2、etches from Canada to CalifornianMade up of Rugged Mountains and Fertile ValleysCoastal RangeCoastal RangeBasin and RangenWest of the Rocky MountainsnEast of the Sierra Nevadas and the CascadesnVarying elevations and isolated mountain rangesnDeath ValleynDeath Valley is the lowest point in North Ame

3、rica.nIt is a desert valley located in Eastern California.Basin and RangeRocky MountainsnWest of the Great Plains nEast of the Great BasinnRugged Mountains with High ElevationsnIncludes the Continental DividenThe Continental Divide 大陆分水岭determines the directional flow of riversRocky MountainsGreat P

4、lainsnWest of the Interior LowlandsnEast of the Rocky MountainsnFlatlands that increase in elevation slightly to the westnKnown for grasslandsGreat PlainsGreat PlainsInterior LowlandsnWest of the Appalachian MountainsnEast of the Great PlainsnLowlands of rolling flatlandsnRivers nBroad valleys and n

5、Grassy hillsInterior LowlandsInterior LowlandsCanadian Shield 加拿大地盾 - videonWraps around the southern portions of the Great Lakes and the Hudson BaynHills worn by erosionnHundreds of glacier carved lakes 冰川湖nSome of the oldest rock formations in North AmericaCanadian ShieldThese are Trees.Thousands

6、of LakesCanadian Shield, rock formationsAppalachian MountainsnWest of the Coastal PlainsnRange from Canada to western AlabamanOldest mountains in North AmericanOld eroded mountainsAppalachian MountainsAppalachian Mountains in the fall.Coastal PlainsnStretches along the Atlantic OceannBroad lowland w

7、ith excellent harborsnBorders the Gulf of MexiconLong sandy beachesA bay in the Coastal PlainsInlets 河口河口, bays and capes 海角海角, 岬岬along the Coastal PlainsThe Rocky Mountainsin Canada and the United States Appalachian Mountains Mississippi River Third largest country in the world. Half the size of Ru

8、ssia. One third the size of Africa. Half the size of South America. 2 times the size of Western Europe.American Flag - videoThe Star Spangled Banner (national anthem)星条旗星条旗The Mississippi is the traditional dividing line in America between “East” and “West”. Kancamagus Highway, MaineCovered Bridge o

9、ver the Connecticut RiverThe back roadsof VermontCharles Mason & Jeremiah Dixon: 1763-1767Mason-Dixon line梅森迪克森线是美国宾夕法尼亚州和马里兰州的分界线，也是南北战征之前美国的南北区域分界线。这条分界线是美国历史上文化和经济的分界线。其名称是为了纪念发现宾夕法尼亚和马里兰之间的地理分界线的18世纪的英格兰探险者Jeremiah Dixon和Charles Mason。 这一地理名词在美国的电影，音乐和文学作品中常有提及。The Great Lakes region contain

10、s not only the five main lakes themselves, but also numerous minor lakes and rivers, as well as approximately 35,000islands.The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie,

11、and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth. They are sometimes referred to as the Third Coast by some citizens of the United States.芝加哥芝加哥是美国第三大城市，人们将这座城市称为“风城”（The Windy City）、“第二城”（The Second City）、“芝城”（Chi-Town）、“世界屠猪城”（Hog Butcher for the World）、“巨肩之城”（City of the Big

12、Shoulders）、“劳动之城”（The City That Works）。如此多的称呼指的都是一座城市芝加哥（Chicago）。如今的芝加哥是美国非常受欢迎的旅游城市，芝加哥市也有很多著名的景点，如希尔斯大厦、林肯公园、林肯动物园、旧水塔、密歇根大街、海军码头等每年都会吸引众多的游客来此。如果您是篮球迷，自然不要忘记去芝加哥公牛队（Chicago Bulls）的主场联合中心球馆(United Center)一睹“飞人”迈克尔乔丹（Michael Jordan）雕像的风采。(Capitol Records)(国会唱片)(属于EMI百代唱片)The longest river in the U

13、nited States is the Missouri River. (2,540 miles) The “Big Muddy”. 2,350 miles. (1英里约英里约1.6公里公里) Draining all or part of 31 states & 2 Canadian provinces. Covers 40% of the U. S.比较 The Yangtze River is about 6300 km long (3915 mi). 2000 square miles. 10 28 deep. 6 times saltier than the oceans.C

14、ontinental Divide the main series of mountain ridges in North America, chiefly the crests of the Rocky Mountains, which form a watershed separating the rivers flowing eastwards into the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico from those flowing westwards into the Pacific 北美洲大陆分水岭。 亦称 Great DivideThe Gr

15、eat Plains AL, KY, TN, VA, WV 24,640 sq. mi. Natural passage Gap through the Cumberland Mts.muh:vi: 3.3 million acres. 95% wilderness.The humid east Four major sub-regions The northernmost zone: long winters Further southward: milder winters and hot summers Line that separates the “north” and “South

16、” The American South A flourishing winter tourist industry Intensive form of specialized agriculture Southernmost: tropicalThe Arid and Semi-Arid Western United States This area is broadly defined as all of Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah plus the arid and semi-arid regions of California, Colo

17、rado, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and Wyoming. Rainfall is scarce and undependable, and the only important human settlement occurs in irrigated oases. The regions economy is a mixture of ranching, dryland and irrigated agriculture, tourism, retail, manufacturing, and high technology industry.The humid-a

18、rid transition Fine farmland Fine grazing land The prairie made into “Barn of America” through high technologyThe humid pacific coast Humid region in the west: narrow strip between the Pacific coast and the Sierra-Cascade ridge line (from British Columbia to central California) Much of California is very dry: winter rain and summer drought (Mediterranea