美國地理概況

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 大陸分水嶺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)星條旗星條旗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梅森迪克森線是美國賓夕法尼亞州和馬里蘭州的分界線，也是南北戰(zhàn)征之前美國的南北區(qū)域分界線。這條分界線是美國歷史上文化和經(jīng)濟(jì)的分界線。其名稱是為了紀(jì)念發(fā)現(xiàn)賓夕法尼亞和馬里蘭之間的地理分界線的18世紀(jì)的英格蘭探險(xiǎn)者Jeremiah Dixon和Charles Mason。 這一地理名詞在美國的電影，音樂和文學(xué)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.芝加哥芝加哥是美國第三大城市，人們將這座城市稱為“風(fēng)城”（The Windy City）、“第二城”（The Second City）、“芝城”（Chi-Town）、“世界屠豬城”（Hog Butcher for the World）、“巨肩之城”（City of the Big

12、Shoulders）、“勞動(dòng)之城”（The City That Works）。如此多的稱呼指的都是一座城市芝加哥（Chicago）。如今的芝加哥是美國非常受歡迎的旅游城市，芝加哥市也有很多著名的景點(diǎn)，如希爾斯大廈、林肯公園、林肯動(dòng)物園、舊水塔、密歇根大街、海軍碼頭等每年都會(huì)吸引眾多的游客來此。如果您是籃球迷，自然不要忘記去芝加哥公牛隊(duì)（Chicago Bulls）的主場(chǎng)聯(lián)合中心球館(United Center)一睹“飛人”邁克爾喬丹（Michael Jordan）雕像的風(fēng)采。(Capitol Records)(國會(huì)唱片)(屬于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英里約英里約1.6公里公里) Draining all or part of 31 states & 2 Canadian provinces. Covers 40% of the U. S.比較 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 北美洲大陸分水嶺。 亦稱 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