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The US Geography and its Political Division

	The US Geography The US geography is varied like a colorful tapestry. You can read these VOA Special English articles to find out that it is really true. Please, be advised to use your iPods or other mp3 players to listen to them. The audio files are free for download. Lewis and Clark, Part 1. Lewis and Clark, Part 2. Lewis and Clark, Part 3. Grand Canyon. Indiana Dunes: Beautiful Sand Hills and Wildlife in the Midwest. Death Valley. White Sands National Monument: A Wonder of Nature, in New Mexico. Appalachian Trail. Yucca Mountain. Hoover Dam. Yellowstone Volcano. Mount Saint Helens. Travels in New England. California. The Mississippi River. Along the 'Big Muddy,' the Longest River in the United States. The Hudson River. The Rio Grande, Part 1. The Rio Grande, Part 2. The Columbia River. The Potomac River. National Park System. Volcanoes National Park. A Place of Beautiful Extremes: Yosemite National Park in California. Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado: Protecting the Culture of Ancient Native Americans. A Visit to Two National Parks: Mount Rainier in Washington State and Valley Forge in Pennsylvania. Camping in America�s National and State Parks. Wet and Dry, Fire and Ice: Visiting Seven of America�s Natural Wonders.

The Treasure Hunt on the US Geography and Division

Introduction

ollywood, the White HouseThe White House is the official home in Washington, D.C., of the President of the U.S., the Statue of LibertyThe statue of a woman with a torch on Liberty Island near Manhattan, New York. It is one of the symbols of the USA., jazzA trend in music that originated in southern states of the USA [the State of Louisiana mostly]. It is a significant part of American culture. A bright example is Louis Armstrong., JFKJohn Fitzgerald Kennedy - (1917-1963) the 35th President of the U.S., who was shot dead in Dallas, Texas in 1963. are the places and things that easily come to mind when an overseas person is asked to think of the United States of America. This country is also known as a space researcherThe country has its own space program and has its astronauts in the space on a regular basis., salad bowlA term that is used to describe ethnic diversity of the USA., Uncle SamThe U.S., or the U.S. government, sometimes represented by the figure of a man with a white beard and tall hat., the land of opportunitiesThe assertion that anyone can achieve the most ambitious goals in their lives. An example is Barack Obama..

In this US Geography Hunt, you will uncover the data which lies beneath all these cliches and forms a solid base for everything. You'll take a tour to the US geographical profile, the 50 states, regions, and even the Belts.

To start the tour, read the questions and find the right answers using the links below.

Questions

1. What is the total area of the USA?
2. What are the eight distinct physiographic divisions of the USA?
3. Where is the Appalachian Highlands situated?
4. What physiographic divisions lie in the interior of the U.S.?
5. What are the chief provinces of the Cordilleran region?
6. How many states make up the USA?
1. What are the conterminous states?
2. Which states lie off the 48 states?
7. How many regions are there in the USA according to the U.S. Census Bureau?
8. What is the basic principle of defining the "Belts" of the USA?
9. What is the country's climate like?

Links

• The US Geography.
  • Encyclopedia. Geography of the United States.
  • Geography of the Eastern United States.
  • Geography of the Interior United States.
  • Geography of the Western United States.
• States of the United States.
• 50 states.
• USA Geography.
• List of regions of the United States.
• Belts:
  • Bible Belt.
  • Black Belt.
  • Cotton Belt.
  • Corn Belt.
  • Grain Belt.
  • Rust Belt.
  • Snow Belt.
  • Sun Belt.
• Climate of the USA and Canada;
  Safety Considerations for a US/Canadian Holiday - Extreme Weather Conditions.

Map Links

• US Maps.
  Physical Map of USA.
• Map Gallery.

Big Question

It took about 400 years to settle more than 3 million square miles of the US territory. But still there are areas which are less populated or unpopulated at all. Have a look at a Physical Map of USA or US Maps (Physical Relief Map of the 48 Contiguous States) and Map Gallery and try to come up with the reasons of this unequal population distribution in the country.

Individual Hunt

Before you proceed to the next activity, the Individual Hunt, you are advised to listen to audio files (.mp3) that give a brief description of seven states.

• You will listen to seven audio files about the states of Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma and do some quizzes on listening comprehension. Please, access the files below (VOA Special English. Put on Your Travel Shoes: Down the West Coast and Onward to Points East. 15 April 2007) and follow the instructions:
1. Washington.
2. Oregon.
3. California.
4. Arizona.
5. New Mexico.
6. Texas.
7. Oklahoma.

It is time to have a closer look at the parts that make up the country - the states and cultural regions. Here, in the envelope, are the individual tasks to complete.

INDIVIDUAL HUNT

Conclusion

e have taken the US geography in outline and now you know how the US landscape is varied. The climate varies as well depending on the area: from sub-tropic in Florida to arctic in Alaska.

You have also gotten to know that the country can be divided not only into the states but cultural regions and belts, which are large areas of land that have particular features.

News Feeds

Here are the news feeds provided by some of the US mass media. You can use these resources for a five minute news warm-up at the beginning of our class. Click the headline to open the whole article in a new window.