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1、The United States of America Geography and People ContentsGeography1Climate3Natural Resources4People5Major Cities2 Watch the following map carefully and find clues to the following itemslocation (bordering neighbors )States (the smallest & the largest state)Size and LocationvIn the central part of N
2、orth America (except Alaska and Hawaii)vCanada on the north vMexico and the Gulf of Mexico on the south vAtlantic Ocean on the east vPacific Ocean on the westntotal area9.5 million square kilometers; nThe whole country includes 50 states and a federal district, the District of Columbiathe seat of th
3、e Federal Government. States voriginal 48 states vAlaska and Hawaii became the 49th in 1867 and 50th states in 1959.Alaska borders on northwestern CanadaHawaii lies in the central Pacific OceanvAlaskathe largest (1717,854 sq km)vRhode Islandthe smallest vTexasthe largest on the mainland (695,621 sq
4、km)1. Three Geographical DivisionsGeographical DivisionsCentral partEastern partEastern partWestern partWestern partThe Eastern PartvThe eastern partthe highlands formed by the Appalachian Range (阿巴拉挈亚山系阿巴拉挈亚山系). one sixth of the national territory relatively low, with an average altitude of 800 met
5、ers above sea level The Western PartvHigh plateaus (高原高原) and mountainsformed by the Great Cordillera Range（科迪勒拉山系）（科迪勒拉山系）, extending from Canada through the western part of the United States to Mexico and further south. One third of the countrys territoryRocky mountainswith an average altitudeof m
6、ore than 3000meters above sea levels. The Great Central Plain（中部大平原）（中部大平原）vBetween the Appalachians in the east and the Rocky Mountains in the westhalf of Americas landmass on the continentstretch from the Great Lakes in the north to the Gulf of Mexico in the south five great lakes and Niagara Fall
7、svThe five Great Lakes: Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario.vLake Superior: the largest freshwater lake of its kind vLake Michigan: wholly within United StatesvNiagara Falls(尼亚加拉大瀑布)Niagara Falls-located on the U.S.Canadian border between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. vNi
8、agara Falls2. Main Geographical Regions New England Region(新英格兰地区新英格兰地区)The Mid-Atlantic States Region（大西洋中部地区）（大西洋中部地区）The South Region（南部地区）（南部地区）The Midwest Region（中西部地区）（中西部地区）The West Region（西部地区）（西部地区）The Region of the Great Plains (大平原地区大平原地区)Alaska (阿拉斯加地区阿拉斯加地区)Hawaii (夏威夷地区夏威夷地区)New Englan
9、dvincluding six states in the northeastern cornervfeatured with mountains, valleys and riversvMassachusetts: the largest populationvRhode Island: the smallest in size, the most densely populated statevNot a farming area, poor soil vEarliest settlers: English ProtestantsNew ENGLAND The Middle Atlanti
10、c RegionvSix states north: New England south: the south regionvImportant: a. population b. 1/3 products vMarked by its industry, “Industrial Northeast”, many large factoriesvRich in minerals good soil + temperate climate= agriculture is importantvMany important cities: New York, Philadelphia The Sou
11、th Region v a large section of US, including 11 states v favorable climate agriculture, great profits by raising and selling cotton and tobacco vThe north: industrial (工业的工业的) the south: agrarian (农业的，土地的农业的，土地的)vgreat size with few large cities New OrleansMiamiAtlanta BirminghamAmerican Southern Ar
12、eaThe Midwest RegionvIncludes 8 statesvFertile soil abundant crops known as the countrys “breadbasket”vCenter: Chicago, Illinois, the third largest citySears Tower: at 443 meters, one of worlds tallest buildingsThe Region of the Great PlainsvInclude 6 statesvMarked by a. the smallest population b. f
13、ew large cities c. vastness of flat land d. poor soil e. little rains in many partsvIndians are natives here. 1/5 of the countrys Indians are now living in the state of Oklahoma.The West RegionvOccupy a vast area, including 11 statesvThe area of the Rocky Mountains + all territory west to the Rocky
14、Mountains as far as to the Pacific OceanvMountainous area: much of the land, can not be cultivated too high and mountainous too low and dryvCalifornia dominates the whole regionvPrinciple cities: San Francisco, Los Angeles and SeattleOregon & CaliforniaAlaskavIn the northwestern part of North Americ
15、avAs a world of glaciers(冰河冰河), waterfalls and lakes vFishing is the chief economyvmain agriculture outputseafoodvindustrial outputscrude petroleum(原油原油), natural gas, precious metals, seafood processing, timber, and tourism, etc. AlaskaHawaiivThe climate here is comfortable and the temperature usua
16、lly remains close to the average of 24 degrees centigradevHonolulu(火奴鲁鲁，檀香山火奴鲁鲁，檀香山): the capital, the largest city of the satevPearl Harborvtourist businesslargest source of incomeHawaiiHawaii Dance3.Rivers and LakesvIn the system of Gulf: The Mississippi Riverthe longest and the most important riv
17、er in the system of the Gulf(墨西哥湾水系).vKnown as the “father of waters” to American Indians As Mark Twain was raised on the river, his most popular and important writings are concerned with this areaThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn （哈克贝利费恩历险记）tells the story of how the boy Huckleberry Finn and his b
18、lack friend Jim, a runaway slave, sailed down the Mississippi on a raft.vIn the system of the Pacific: the Columbia River and the Colorado RivervIn the system of the Atlantic a. The Potomac River (波托马克河) flow through the capital, Washington b. The Hudson River (哈得孙河)linked by canals with the five Gr
19、eat Lakesflows through the state of New York ClimatevMajority: temperate Some: subtropical zones Only Florida and Hawaii: tropicalv50 centimeter rainfall linein the eastcomparatively more rains, so easy agriculture; in the westmuch less rain (less than 50 cm. a year) with the exception of the coasta
20、l areas along the Pacific. Natural Resourcesvrich in mineral resources among the countries with the greatest reserves of coal, iron ore and oil. abounds in lead, copper, zinc, aluminum, rock, silver, and gold. one fourth of the territorycovered with forests which mainly concentrate upon three areas:
21、 the area along the north western coast of the Pacificthe area in the south the area in the northMajor Cities vWhen talking about America, is there any city that you are familiar with? And why?Tips: New Yorkcommercial and financial center of the United StatesWashington D.C.seat of the federal govern
22、mentLos Anglessecond largest city Chicagothe windy citySeattle; Philadelphia; San Francisco; etc. 1. New York vLocated in New York State, is the largest city and the chief port of the United States. vFive boroughsManhattan(曼哈顿), Brooklyn(布鲁克林), Bronx(布朗克斯), Richmond(里士满) and Queens(昆斯). vthe headqua
23、rter of the United Nations vBecame an important city early in the last century. A large portion of the national exports passed through New York harbor. New York has become one of the worlds busiest ports and also the financial, manufacturing, and travel center of the country. 1.1 Wall StreetvAmerica
24、s financial centervThe world famous New York Stock Exchange(纽约证券交易所) is across the streetvThe symbol of American monopoly capitalism.1.2 World Trade CentervThe tallest building in the U.S. and the worldvcomposed of two buildings, twin structures, each rising 110 stories above the citys streets & col
25、lapsed in September, 11, 2001.1.3 BroadwayvBroadway is an avenue in Manhattanva symbol of the New York theatresvsurrounded by playhouses, first-run movies, night clubs, hotels and shops.1.4 Statue of Libertyva huge sculpture vlocated on Liberty Island in New York Harborva gift from France on the cen
26、tenary of American IndependencevFormal name: “Liberty Enlightening the World”(照耀世界的自由女神)vIt pictures a woman who has escaping the chains of tyranny (the broken chains lie at her feet). Libertys right hand holds a torch that is a symbol of liberty. vLiberty was designed by the French sculptor Frederi
27、c Auguste Bartholdi. The statue was re-assembled in the USA and was completed on October 28, 1886. vThe seven rays of Libertys crown symbolize the seven continents of the world. Liberty holds a tablet in her left hand that reads July 4, 1776 (in Roman numerals), Independence Day of the United States
28、 of America. 2. Washington D.C.vLocated on the Potomac River(波托马克河)governed directly by the Federal government. vDistrict of Columbianamed after Christopher Columbusvcitynamed after George Washington, the first president of U.S. Washington Monument2.1 White Housevthe official presidential residencev
29、Inside the House, there are more than 130 roomsvPortraits of all the presidents hang on the walls2.2 Capitol 国会大厦vThe meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of United StatesvLocated in Washington D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill.3. San FranciscoGolden G
30、ate BridgevLocated on the central part of the California shoreline.vCenter of oil-refining, automobiles, chemicals, commerce, finance, and shipping industry. vOver 300 000 Chinese, the largest Chinese settlement in America.4. Los Angelsvsecond largest city in the U.S.vfour times larger than San Fran
31、ciscoimportant electronic center known for the manufacture of tires, automobiles and aircraft. Since the first American movie was made in Los Angeles in 1908, the city has remained the film center of the United States. Hollywood is located in this city.vHollywood the base of the film industry, is a
32、world famous film producing center.vThe world famous Disneyland attracts millions of tourists every year. Disneyland has been built in California, Florida, Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong.5. Chicagovthe windy city; second most populous city after New York. Founded in the early 1800smain connection betwee
33、n the east coast cities and the West.the largest industrial city in the country, with highly developed heavy and light industriesthe center of industry, transportation, commerce and finance in the Midwest area, also a culture centerSears Tower (西尔斯大厦西尔斯大厦)vWillis Tower, still commonly referred to as
34、 Sears TowervCompletion in1973, the tallest building in the world, surpassing the World Trade Center towers in New York vHeld this rank for 25 yearsvTallest building in United StatesvOne of the most popular tourist attractions in ChicagovRenamed Willis Tower in 2009PeopleThe White74.7%Asians 4.3%The
35、 Black12.1%Mixed Races2.5% Native Indians &Hawaiians0.9%vThe United States is the third most populous nation in the world, ranking behind China and India. According to the U. S. Census Bureau(美国人口普查局), the resident population reached a milestone on Oct. 17, 2006, hitting 300 million.PopulationvUneve
36、n distributionvThe most densely populated regionthe northeastern part About one quarter of the total land area, about half of the total population. vThe Great Plainsa comparatively small population. vThe Southa population of almost 57.5 million people.v The Westnot densely populated; 20% of the popu
37、lationexcept for some metropolitan centers like Los Angels, and San Francisco. Nation of ImmigrantsvRace and ethnic groupsThe Indians The White Anglo-Saxons Protestants (WASP)The Black The HispanicsThe Asian-AmericansIndiansvAbout 10 million Indians in North America When Columbus arrived.vWestward m
38、ovementthe destruction of the Indians. vToday about 2.4 million Indians About one-third of them live on reservations, land that was set-aside for them. The rest lives in cities. Poverty and unemployment are major problems, especially on the reservations.WASPsvEuropean descendantsvWhite Anglo-Saxon P
39、rotestants who were largely responsible for the winning of Americas independence.vEnglishofficial languageThe BlackvAbout 8 million black people were brought to America from Africa as slaves from 1620 to 1820.work on plantations or large farms of the South. poor and suffer from povertyvToday the bla
40、ck account for about 12% of the population Many of them live in the South and in the cities of Northeast and Midwest. Civil Rights MovementvSegregation laws (隔离法) in Southern states in the US prevented black and white people from sitting together in movie theatres, eating in the same restaurants, dr
41、inking from the same water fountain, etc. Although these are not Amendment (补充法案）to the US Constitution, the US government would not declare the Southern laws unconstitutional until there were cases brought in the federal courts. The civil rights movements began when black people spontaneously prote
42、sted segregation laws and created organizations to make the protests successful. Martin Luther Kingva black ministerva great political and religious leader of the non-violent civil rights movement in 1950s. vOn August 28, 1963, he led over 250,000 Americans on a march in Washington D. C. to fight fo
43、r the Civil Rights Law to guarantee equality for all people, and delivered his best-known speech “I Have a Dream” before the Lincoln Memorial .vThus he was awarded the Nobel Prize for peace in 1964. But he was tragically murdered four years later. vBy vote of Congress in 1968, the third Monday of ev
44、ery January is now a federal holiday in Martin Luther Kings honor. I Have a Dream I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal. I have a dream that one day on the red hills of G
45、eorgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed in
46、to an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today! I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists,
47、with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right down in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today! I have a dream that one day e
48、very valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.Hispanicsthe Spanish-speaking population of the United State
49、s Puerto Ricans波多黎各波多黎各人人Mexican-AmericansCuban-Americans123Three major Hispanic groups:vPuerto Ricans The island of Puerto Rico(波多黎各) has been an American possession since the Spanish-American war of 1899 and Puerto Ricans have been American citizens since 1917. Better job opportunities in the U.S.
50、 have drawn a large number of Puerto Ricans to the U.S., the majority of whom have settled in the large cities in the eastern seaboard. vCuban AmericansvThe Cuban-Americans who got away from Cuba after the Cuban Revolution in 1959 and are now gathered in the Miami area. In general, the Cuban-America
51、ns have done the best economically. They left Cuba in the early 60s and, over the past 40 years, they have created a prosperous “little Cuba” in the Miami area.Asian immigrantsChinese vAmong the Asian immigrants, the Chinese were the first Asians to come to the United States. Beginning in 1847, when
52、 young male peasants came to work in America in mines, on railroads, and in agricultural fields. vExclusion Act of 1882 which restricted further immigration of Chinese nationals was not removed until the end of World War II. Since that time the Chinese has moved into the mainstream of American socie
53、ty, and they are beginning to move into politics. vNow the Chinese-Americans are about 800,000. They have proved to be industrious and intelligent. Many of them have found high-income positions. The employment rate and average income of Chinese-American families are now higher than the national aver
54、age. They have come to be viewed as a model minority, clean and hard working.The Nobel Prize Winners of Chinese Descendentv李政道：李政道： 1926年生于上海，美籍华人，年生于上海，美籍华人，1957年获诺贝尔物理学奖，时年年获诺贝尔物理学奖，时年31岁；岁；v杨振宁：杨振宁： 1922年生于安徽，美籍华人，年生于安徽，美籍华人，1957年获获诺贝尔物理学奖，时年年获获诺贝尔物理学奖，时年35岁；岁；v丁肇中：丁肇中： 1936年生于美国，美籍华人，年生于美国，美籍华人，
55、1976年获获诺贝尔物理学奖，时年年获获诺贝尔物理学奖，时年40岁；岁；v李远哲：李远哲： 1936年生于台湾，美籍华人，年生于台湾，美籍华人，1986年获诺贝尔获化学奖，时年年获诺贝尔获化学奖，时年50岁；岁；v朱棣文：朱棣文： 1948年生于美国，美籍华人，年生于美国，美籍华人，1997年获诺贝尔获物理学奖，时年年获诺贝尔获物理学奖，时年49岁；岁；v崔崔 琦：琦： 1939年生于河南，美籍华人，年生于河南，美籍华人，1998年获诺贝尔获物理学奖，时年年获诺贝尔获物理学奖，时年59岁；岁；v高行健：高行健： 1948年生于江西，法国国籍，年生于江西，法国国籍，2000年获诺贝尔文学奖，时年
56、年获诺贝尔文学奖，时年52岁。岁。 Racial Assimilation vThe Melting Pot The United States is a nation of many ethnic groups, making it a “melting pot”, meaning immigrants from different nations all over the world have combined to make one nation, the American. They speak almost the same kind of English with far less
57、 class or regional variety than in Britain. They have similar habits and manner.vThe Salad BowlSince 1960s, a lot of scholars oppose against the term “melting pot”. They think America is similar to a Salad Bowl, every culture can find its position in American society. Multiculturalism is the symbol of America.
