STATES

US: WESTERN STATES

Alaska's frigid geography contrasts with the deserts of Nevada and Arizona and the semitropical islands of Hawaii to provide a dramatic array of scenery in the western states. Large West Coast towns like Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco ship produce, fish, and lumber all over the world. Silicon Valley, in northern California, is at the epicenter of the West's high-tech computer sector. The West is also home to Hollywood, the epicenter of the multibillion-dollar film industry. Sun Valley, in Idaho, is widely regarded as one of the finest summer and ski resorts in the United States.

THE NORTHERN WOODS

Great forests of pine, cedar, and fir trees grow in the moist climate near Oregon and Washington's shores. These states are the primary providers of lumber and wood pulp in the United States. The trees are cut into logs and trucked to the ocean. Environmentalists are currently attempting to save the trees, many of which are over 200 years old.

EARTHQUAKE LAND

People in California are constantly threatened by earthquakes. The region is located on the boundary, or fault line, between two plates of the Earth's crust. When these plates push and slide against each other, earthquakes occur, causing damage to roads and homes. Because earthquakes are difficult to forecast, most people prepare a survival kit in case they become trapped or run out of supplies. Some of the items found in such a kit are shown here.

FAILURE LINES

The San Andreas Fault spans through California for 750 miles (1,207 km), passing between San Francisco and Los Angeles. There are also hundreds of smaller faults that create mild earthquakes on a regular basis.

OUTSIDE THE BORDER

Most people who move to the western states come from Mexico. Hispanics are called that because their ancestors came from Spain and they speak Spanish. Many people still follow the religion of Mexico and celebrate the holidays of Mexico. Hispanics from Cuba, Puerto Rico, and El Salvador also arrive.

PLENTY OF FIELDS

California is the best state for farming because it has fertile land, a lot of sunshine, and rivers that flow from the Sierra Nevada Mountains that can be used to get water. More than 40% of the fresh fruits and vegetables eaten in the United States are grown on this land. Peaches, oranges, strawberries, artichokes, and brussels sprouts are just some of the foods grown here. People from Mexico often sneak into the U.S. to work on fruit plantations. The Napa Valley is a major area for growing grapes and making wine. It is north of San Francisco.

ABOUT CARS

When Henry Ford made the first cheap car in 1910, it gave people the chance to go wherever they wanted. The United States has more cars on the road than any other country. Cities like Los Angeles are made up of webs of six-lane highways. Smog in cities is made worse by the cars' exhaust.

LIVING IN THE DESERT

Once upon a time, only animals that could handle the heat lived in the Sonoran Desert. Even though it is in the middle of the desert, Phoenix, Arizona, is one of the fastest-growing cities in the US today. Between 1960 and 1990, the number of people living there grew by more than 300%. Part of the reason the Colorado River doesn't make it to the ocean is because Phoenix needs water.

• Cactus plants can live in the heat of the desert.
• The collared lizard lives in the deserts of the southwestern United States. At night, it hides under a rock and comes out in the morning to get warm in the sun.
• This unique road runner doesn't fly very often, but it can run very fast. It can stop or change direction by using its long tail as a brake or rudder.

US:CENTRAL STATES

The central states of the United States are well-known for their cowboys and ranches, but they are also the "breadbasket" and oil refinery of the country. This vast country consists of mountainous terrain, fertile plains, and the Mississippi River system. Large oil and gas resources are located in Texas and Oklahoma, whereas Wyoming and Montana mine coal. The Rocky Mountains contain important national parks such as Yellowstone and Glacier, as well as mineral wealth. The region's climate is characterized by extremes, including scorching summers and cold winters, as well as intense hailstorms and tornadoes.

THE Major PLAINS

Once home to millions of buffalo, the vast plains between the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi River are today planted with cereal grains. Greater quantities of wheat and corn are grown on the Great Plains than in any other place on the earth. Agriculture is highly mechanized, with large machinery used to harvest crops. In arid regions, land may only be cultivated if it is irrigated, typically by drawing water from a natural subterranean reservoir known as an aquifer.

Sheaves of the bread-making wheat kind.

Avenue of Tornados

Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri make up "Tornado Alley," an area that sees hundreds of twisters every year. Conditions for their formation are met when warm air from the Gulf of Mexico meets cold, dry air from Canada. Devastating "twister" storms swept through urban and rural areas, destroying everything in their path.

POLITICAL SYSTEMS IN RURAL U.S.

Two out of every five adults in the United States were farmers at the turn of the twentieth century, whereas today most people live in urban areas. Quite a few small towns with populations below 10,000 still exist. Towns like these are common in rural locations since residents from the surrounding countryside need to travel great distances for daily necessities and extraordinary events like this fair.

AREA OF COWBOYS

In the Great Plains and the lowlands of the Rocky Mountains, cattle are bred and raised. Cattle were herded by horseback cowboys during the summer months to greener pastures, and then herded back to the ranch during the colder months before being sold at auction. Although Hollywood made cowboys out to be heroes, life on the range wasn't easy. It was common for men to ride for 15 hours a day in all weather conditions, including the hottest parts of the day and the worst downpours, for very little remuneration. Modern ranches are typically smaller, and it is common practice to use trucks and trailers to move cowboys and horses between the ranch and the pasture.

CITIES OF THE DEAD

New Orleans's cemeteries are elevated to avoid destruction by the Mississippi River. The graveyards are known as "Cities of the Dead."

MISSISSIPPI RIVER

The Mississippi River begins in northern Minnesota and runs south through the central United States to its vast delta in the Gulf of Mexico. With a length of more than 1,802 miles, this river is one of the busiest in the world and is frequently used by trade vessels (2,900 km). Image Description: The Mississippi River flows across Iowa, dividing the Hawkeye State from Illinois and Wisconsin. After heavy rains, severe flooding is prevalent in the southern United States.

OUT OF THE GROUND

When it comes to petroleum products like fuel oil, the United States is unrivaled globally. The discovery of oil in Texas in the early 20th century led to rapid economic growth throughout the state. In terms of oil production, Texas has surpassed every state except Alaska. Magnesium, iron, and uranium can all be extracted from many different mines. \n

US: EASTERN STATES

This region is one of the most populous in the country due to its excellent harbors, fertile land, and abundant natural resources. In the sixteenth century, the first European settlers landed along the East Coast. Today, the region consists of some of the nation's greatest cities, such as New York and Washington, DC, as well as the once-great industrial centers of Chicago, Detroit, and Cleveland on the Great Lakes. Farmers further south use the soil to raise cotton, tobacco, and oil-producing crops. Hurricanes pose a risk to residents on the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. \n

LEADING THE NATION

The United States is governed by a written collection of laws, known as the constitution, which outlines how the country should be governed. The president and his family dwell in the White House in Washington, DC, the seat of government. The president is the head of state and is elected every four years through a democratic process.

BIG BUSINESS IN NEW YORK

New York was once a fur trading post at the mouth of the Hudson River. It is now the financial capital of the United States. The New York Stock Exchange is on Wall Street, which got its name because it ran along the old city wall. Every day, deals that are worth billions of dollars are made there. Nasdaq, which stands for National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System, was the first electronic stock market in the world. It was based in New York. Shares can be traded 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, no matter where in the world you are. \n

THE APPALACHIANS

The Appalachian Mountains are in North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. Coal was dug up here for a long time and used to power steel mills. Many mines and factories have shut down, putting people out of work. Even though there is a plan to let tourists into the area, it is still one of the poorest parts of the US.

THE BIRTH OF THE BLUES

Some of the most well-known music in the world was made in this part of the United States. The spirituals and work songs of the black population were the basis for jazz and blues. Country music started out as the music of poor white people in Kentucky and Tennessee, and Motown, an American soul label, grew up in Detroit.

COTTON - FROM THE FIELD TO THE FABRIC

In the mid-nineteenth century, the southern states produced 80 percent of the world's cotton and became wealthy from the earnings. Cotton was cultivated on vast farms before being chosen by black slaves coming from Africa. Slavery was abolished in the United States in 1865. Cotton is still an important crop, but with sophisticated machines doing the heavy lifting. Soybeans, which are mostly used for oil, are now the most important crop in this region.

THE MAJOR LAKES

The five Great Lakes contain the most freshwater in the world and constitute a natural boundary between the United States and Canada. A massive volume of freight, principally grain, is transported across the lakes. The region's biggest metropolis is shown here, Chicago. It is situated on the shores of Lake Michigan.

SAVE THE WETLANDS

One-fifth of Florida is covered by swampy marshes. The Everglades National Park is a part of this, and it is home to numerous endangered wildlife, including the Florida panther and the manatee. Today, drainage initiatives aimed at providing more space for construction and farming are threatening significant portions of the Everglades. In 1994, the state initiated a plan to save the remaining wetlands and build new marsh areas.

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