蒙大英语国家-美国概况课件01 The United States and its Natural Conditions

1、A Survey of America Lecture One The United Statesand Its Natural ConditionsContentsWarm-Up 1Language Study2Detailed Study 3Cultural Notes and Assignment4Warm-Up Discuss the Following Questions1. What are the geographic location , size and geographical divisions of the U.S ? 2. What are the climate a

2、nd weather of the U.S ?Warm-Up Discuss the Following Questions3. Which river is the mother river of the U.S ? 4. What are the climate and weather of the U.S ?Warm-Up Discuss the Following Questions3.What is the proper role of the government in a nations economic development? Great Seal of the United

3、 States The seal was developed by Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson at the direction of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention in 1776. A final design was approved in 1782, and today (both sides) are found on the back of the U.S. one-dollar bill, and often stamped onto speci

4、fic documents, including foreign treaties and presidential proclamations. National Emblem The Bald Eagle was officially declared the National Emblem of the United States by the Second Continental Congress in 1782. It was selected by the USAs founding fathers because it is a species unique to North A

5、merica. It has become the living symbol of the USAs freedoms, spirit and pursuit of excellence. Its image and symbolism have played a significant role in American art, folklore, music and architecture. It covers the width of the North American continent between Canada and Mexico. It borders Canada o

6、n the north, and reaches south to Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico. The tota1 area of the country is a little over 9,360,000 square kilometers, which makes it the fourth largest country in the world. Within this vast landscape, people of many different races, religions, political beliefs, national orig

7、ins consider themselves Americans.A list of new words and expressions Language Studybackdrop 背景 Motto 格言 the National Aquarium 水族馆 onshore 陆上 geyser 间歇泉 click here to add: 添加 heartbeat 中心 Detailed Study1. Geographical Features II. Rivers and Lakes III. Climate TextTextTextDetailed StudyIV. Natural R

8、esources V. VI. TextTextTextAdd Your subtitleAddaddaddaddAdd Your subtitleAdd Your subtitleDetailed StudyDetailed StudyThe United States of America is a federal republic consisting of 50 states and the District of Columbia. Detailed StudyLecture One Geographical Features and Natural ResourcesI. Loca

9、tion, Size and Geographical Divisions1. LocationThe United States lies in the central part of North America with its two youngest states - Alaska on the northwest tip of the continent and Hawaii in the central Pacific. The continental United States, stretches 4,500 kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean

10、 on the east to the Pacific Ocean on the west. The United States is a land of great differences- differences in climate, in landscape, and altitude.2. Geographical DivisionsSo far as the geographical features are concerned, the large territory of the continental United States can be divided into thr

11、ee or four basic areas: the Atlantic Seacoast west to the Appalachian Mountains (the eastern part)；the great Mississippi River Basin between the Appalachian and the Rocky Mountains; the Rockies west to the Pacific Ocean.(1) The Atlantic Seacoast West to the Appalachians Along the Atlantic Seacoast i

12、s a narrow plain which begins far up the coast and becomes wider as it goes south. In the Northeast, the land extending to the Atlantic coastline is hilly, rocky and most1y infertile. Much of it is covered by heavy forests, The coastline, however, is broken by many excellent harbors which were once

13、important centers of commerce and trade in the early days of the country.The Mid-Atlantic RegionThe Mid-Atlantic RegionThe Middle Atlantic Seacoast, the most densely populated region in the U. S., is a flat and fertile region.The Mid-Atlantic Region Many heavily wooded mountains and deep valley cut

14、by wide and beautiful rivers can be found. Three important rivers, the Hudson, the Delaware and the Susquehanna, flow through this part of the country. Despite the fact that some of the largest cities in the world are situated here, there are miles and miles beautiful, open country all through this

15、section.The Mid-Atlantic RegionThe Mid-Atlantic Region is the heartbeat （中心）of the East Coast. Some of the countrys most important decisions are made in the nations capital; New York City stands as the economic giant of the world; and Philadelphia is steeped in history, setting the backdrop(背景） for

16、some of the most important steps toward freedom. South Atlantic RegionIn the deep south, the coast plain is very low and wide. The soil of this region varies greatly. Some parts along the coast are almost pure sand. Other sections contain some of the richest soil in the whole country. Detailed Study

17、However, the weather, the land and the rivers that run through the south have made it, for most of its history, a great agricultural region The coastal plain appears to be fenced in by the Appalachian Mountains that begin in Canada and reach all the way to Georgia and Alabama. These are old mountain

18、s with rounded tops and wooded hills, usually not exceeding 800 meters in height. Most of the mountain ridges are low enough to be easily crossed by modern roads, In parts of the Appalachians the land is not good for farming. But the Appalachians have much beautiful scenery, and there are many touri

19、st resorts. (2) The Mississippi River Basin The Mississippi River Basin between the Appalachians and the Rockies is one of the largest areas of flat land in the world, which takes up about half of the continental United States, and covers a distance of some 2,000 kilometers in width. The Mississippi

20、 River Basin and Watershed（流域） Detailed StudyThe name, Mississippi, came from the Chippewa Indians who lived in what is now the north central part of the United States. Their name for the river was maesi-sipu. In the Chippewa language this meant river of many fishes. The word was not easy for Europe

21、an explorers to say. So they began calling it the Mississippi instead. Today, it is often called Old Man RiverDetailed StudyThe Mississippi River drainage basin is the worlds second largest, draining 4.76 million square kilometers (1.83 million square miles), including tributaries from thirty-two U.

22、S. states and two Canadian provinces. The Mississippi River watershed encompasses 40 percent of the contiguous United States. Major tributaries include the Missouri, Ohio, ArkansasRedWhite, and Tennessee Rivers. (2) The Mississippi River Basin the Middle West （Midwest, or North Central States） the M

23、iddle West （Midwest, or North Central States） The northeastern part of this region is called the Middle West. It lies in the states in general area of the Great Lakes. This region has great mineral resources, rich soil, a good climate for agriculture, fertile plains, low rolling hills, and no high m

24、ountains. It is one of the richest sections of the U. S. Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and WisconsinDetailed StudyIt lies midway between the Appalachian and Rocky mountains and north of the Ohio River and the 37th parallel

25、. The Middle West, as defined by the federal government, comprises the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Detailed StudyActually It is composed of two regions, the Northwest Territory, or the Old Northw

26、est, and the Great Plains, the Middle West has become more an idea than a region: an area of immense diversity but somehow consciously representative of a national average.the Great PlainsThe large area to the west of the Mississippi valley is called the Great Plains. It covers, from north to south,

27、 these five states: North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Detailed StudyThis area appears to be very flat, which rises gradually toward the west. Except for a few widely separated sections, there are no trees or forests in this whole region The soil here is generally fertile. W

28、heat and corn are important crops in the plains states. But in the west sections, cattle raising is more important.(3) The Rockies West to the PacificDetailed StudyDetailed StudyTo the west of the Great Plain lie the Rocky Mountains, the backbone of the continent. These majestic mountains stretch al

29、l the way from Mexico to the Arctic and form what is known as Continental Divid, or Great Divid, the most important watershed on the continent.Detailed StudyThe Rockies are more than twice as high as the Appalachians and high enough to receive more precipitation than the surrounding plains and plate

30、aus. Consequently, they are mostly forested. Yellowstone National ParkThe striking and varied scenery of the Rockies has given rise to the establishment of many national parks here. The most famous one is the Yellowstone National Park which covers an area of about 9,000 square kilometers. Detailed S

31、tudyIt is in the northwest corner of Wyoming, but also takes up part of Montana and Idaho. Yellowstone has about 3,000 geysers (间歇泉) and hot springs. It also has mud volcanoes, fossil forests, and volcanic glass. Activities of the Yellowstone ParkYellowstone National Park has so many unique attracti

32、ons in one small area that it is impossible to cover them all, much like it is impossible to see them all in one visit. We have added information on the most popular things to see in the navigation above. We are sure you will find others during your visit! the Great BasinBetween the Sierra Nevada Mo

33、untains and the Rocky Mountains there is a large area of high land called the Great Basin. The Great Basin Nearly at Nevada and large portions of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and California are included. This wide area receives little rainfall and much of it is desert. Death ValleyDeath Valley is on t

34、he western edge of this region. The valley, 200 kilometers long and 86 meters below the sea level, is the lowest and hottest place in America.the Coast RangesAlong the Pacific coast, from Washington to southern California，extend the Coast RangesOne hundred miles farther east and parallel to them lie

35、 the Cascade and Sierra Nevada rangesthe Valley of California (Central Valley)Between the Sierra Nevada and the Coast Ranges lies the Valley of California，also called Central Valley，which is a highly productive lowland extending more than 800 kilometers from northwest to southeastthe Valley of Calif

36、orniathe Valley of CaliforniaDetailed StudyIt is important，too，for such basic field crops as sugar beets，beans，rice，and cottonII. Rivers and LakesThe Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the most important and longest river in the countryIt flows about 6，400 kilometers from its northwestern so

37、urce in the Rockies to the Gulf of MexicoDetailed StudyIt drains all the central area of the USA and has a wide delta（三角洲）and many tributariesBefore America completed her railway system，the Mississippi had been the most important artery of transportation in the countryDetailed StudyOn the river ther

38、e is a famous town of Hannibal where the noted American writer Mark Twain was raisedHis most popular and important writings are concerned with this areaHis book The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn tells the story of how the boy Huckleberry Finn and his black friend Jim，a runaway slave，sailed down the

39、 Mississippi on a raftThe Missouri RiverThe Missouri River，3,725 kilometers long，is the main tributary of the MississippiDetailed StudyIt rises in southwest Montana and joins the Mississippi at StLouisOver its course it typically is a broad，silt-laden river, giving rise to its nickname “Big Muddy” T

40、he vast drainage basin of the Missouri and its tributaries covers an area of about l，372，000 square kilo-metersMany dams were built on the river for flood control，hydroelectric power，and irrigationThe Ohio RiverThe Ohio River，1，500 kilometers long，is the major eastern tributary of the MississippiIt

41、runs from the rainy east and joins the Mississippi at Cario，IllinoisIt reaches the Great Lakes area，the most important region in AmericaIts drainage basin including all tributaries, is about: 327,000 square kilometersThe Colorado RiverThe Colorado River rises in the snow-capped Rocky Mountains, flow

42、ing 2,330 kilometers through Colorado, Utah and Arizona and north Mexico into the Gulf of California. Detailed StudyIt drains an area of 637,000 square kilometers, and slashes its way through a wilderness of mountains, plateaus, and deserts, which offer some of the most dramatically beautiful scener

43、y to be-found anywhere in the world. Detailed StudyThe river is cliff-bound nine-tenths orbits way and travels 1,600 kilometers through deep canyons. Grand CanyonGrand Canyon in Arizona is the largest, deepest, and most spectacular gorge of the Colorado. Detailed StudyIt is 349 kilometers long, 6 to

44、 29 kilometers from rim to rim, and 1.6 kilometers deep. Detailed StudyFor the million and a half people who view it each year, Grand Canyon is an inexpressible wonder. Detailed StudyFor geologists it is the worlds largest and oldest book which recorded the 2-billion -year history of the earth.The R

45、io Grande RiverThe Rio Grande River is another large river in southwest America: It runs about 3,000 kilometers which, for much of its length, forms the border between Texas and Mexico. Detailed StudyIt rises in the southern Rocky Mountains in Colorado an flows to the Gulf of Mexico. The economic im

46、portance of the river is restricted to areas in northern New Mexico and Southern Texas. The deserts and plains remain for the most part unaffected by the river.The Columbia RiverThe Columbia River, about 2,000 kilometers long, rises in British Columbia on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. De

47、tailed StudyIt flows first northwestward, then generally southward through British Columbia and Washington, and finally westward to the Pacific Ocean. Detailed StudyIn its lower course it forms the border between Washington and Oregon. The volume of the Columbias flow is second only to that of the M

48、ississippi, among U. S. rivers.Detailed StudyThe rivers east of the Appalachians are usually short. All of them run to the Atlantic Ocean. Detailed StudyThe Potomac River is famous not only because Washington D. C. is located on its band but also because it is the dividing line, between the South an

49、d the North. The Hudson River The Hudson River is famous, because New York stands at its estuary. It is connected with Lake Erie by a canal and New York City owed much to this connection for its prosperity in the 19th century. the Great LakesThe most important lakes in America are the Great Lakes wh

50、ich include five big lakes: Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario. Only Lake Michigan is wholly in the United States; the other four are shared with Canada. Detailed StudyThese five lakes cover an area of about 240,000 square kilometers and are the largest group of fr

51、eshwater lakes in the world. All the five lakes are interconnected , reaching the Atlantic world. All by way of the Lawrence River. Now ships carrying goods can go to any city on the Great Lakes.The Great Salt LakeIn northwest Utah lies the Great Salt Lake, the largest inland salt lake in North Amer

52、icaThe Great Salt LakeDetailed StudyRather rectangular in shape, the lake stretches 115 kilometers in a southeast-northwest direction and is about 50 kilometers wide at its widest point. It covers 2,435 square kilometers. Its maximum depth is 8 meters. The Great Salt LakeThe Great Salt Lake is sever

53、al times more saline/ /than seawater. It contains about 4. 4 billion tons of minerals. Approximately three fourths of this total is common table salt. III. ClimateDetailed StudyThe United States is mainly situated in the northern temperate zone （北温带）. But, owing to its large size and varied landform

54、s, it has different types of climate in different areas. New EnglandThe Climate of New EnglandThe climate of New England is relatively cold. The winters are long and hard. In many parts of Maine, there is snow on the ground from early November to late May. Detailed StudyThe summers are short and war

55、m. The fall, however, is a beautiful time of year. In the fall, the leaves of trees turn different colors, giving the hills and woods a bright look.Detailed StudyThis change of color is a memorable sight, and many people visit New England at this time of year just to ride through the woods and enjoy

56、 their beauty through the woods and enjoy their beauty. the Middle Atlantic StatesDetailed StudyThe climate of the Middle Atlantic States region is generally pleasant. There are four definite seasons. The winters are cold and snowy, and the springs are warm, with plenty of rain to help the growth of

57、 crops. Summers are short and hot but pleasant, while the falls are cool.The Southern StatesDetailed StudyThe South enjoys a warm climate and abundant rainfall. Many of its states lie within the band known-as the Sun Belt (The Sun Belt is a region of the United States generally considered to stretch

58、 across the South and Southwest.) The climate, however, varies with the geographical position of each state. Detailed StudyVirginia and North Carolina have a temperate climate like that of Maryland. In southern Florida, on the other hand, the climate is almost tropical. Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi

59、, and Louisiana all have warm climates with almost no cold or winter weather. Some states in this region are sometimes harassed by the disaster of hurricanes.the Great Plains RegionSince the Great Plains stretch from the Canadian border to Texas, the climate in this region varies widely. North Dakot

60、a has extreme temperatures, strong winds, and low precipitation. Oklahoma, on the other hand, has a more temperate climate. The open treeless, unbroken land offers little protection against storms or against the rapid changes of weather that occur in this area. Detailed StudyIn winter, snow piles up