Social+Studies

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA The United States of America, composed of fifty states, is located on the continent of North America. Forty-eight of the states are contiguous; Alaska and Hawaii lie apart. Alaska borders northwestern Canada and the island state of Hawaii lies southwest of California. The United States ranks fourth among the countries of the world in size and as of the 2000 census the population of the United States was approximately 293,600,000. Different latitudes and variations of altitude give the United States many diverse climates. Spread over a huge area of the Western Hemisphere, the United States has a great variety of landforms.

The inhabitants of the United States are descended from many different groups of people, and the country is a country of immigrants. It is believed the first inhabitants crossed the Bering Strait into Alaska during the Ice Age. Immigrants enter the country to live and work and have added their cultures to that of the nation. Upon completion of this unit, the student should be able to 1. locate the United States on a world map and identify its boundaries. 2. identify the geographic regions of the United States on a map. 3. describe the climate of each region. 4. locate the fifty states and their capital cities on a map of the United States. 5. locate various land and water forms on a map of the United States. 6. define the terms presented for identification.

1. Location a. central section of North America. b. boundaries (1) north - Canada (2) south - Mexico, Gulf of Mexico (3) east - Atlantic Ocean (4) west - Pacific Ocean