The United States of America stretches from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west. Numbered among its 50 states are Alaska, which lies to the northwest of Canada, and the Pacific islands of Hawaii.
Running down the northeastern side of the USA are the densely-forested Appalachian Mountains. To their northwest lie the Great Lakes, vast inland seas that were gouged out by glaciers during the Ice Ages and filled by their melt-waters. To the east lie the coastal lowlands, where great cities such as New York, Boston and Washington have grown up.
Covering the central belt of the USA is a vast, flat area of farmland. In the northern part, crops such as wheat and maize are grown, while cotton, tobacco and nuts are cultivated further south. The vast Mississippi River cuts through several of the Midwestern states, dividing the USA in two.
West of the high Rocky Mountains, the climate is drier, and the landscape more rugged. Wide areas of hot desert stretch across the southwestern states of Nevada and Arizona. Near the west coast, the climate becomes milder. Rich farmland nestles among the mountain ranges of California and the northwestern states.
Before the first settlers arrived from Europe, the Native Americans were the only inhabitants of the USA. Today, Americans can trace their ancestors from all parts of the world. Many black Americans are the descendents of slaves brought over from Africa in the 17th and 18th centuries.
