What rivers are included in the Pacific Ocean basin? Russian rivers flowing into the Pacific Ocean

North America has rich inland waters. By quantity inland waters oemov, it ranks third in the world among other continents (after Eurasia and South America).

Rivers of the Pacific Ocean

The rivers that belong to the Pacific Ocean basin in North America are short, but very deep. These rivers are surrounded by deep, narrow valleys called canyons.

The largest river in the Pacific Ocean is the Colorado River, which is home to many hydroelectric power plants that generate energy for several states.

In the northwestern part of North America flows the Yukon River, the lower reaches of which resemble the great and deep rivers of Siberia. The Yukon River carries its waters directly to the Pacific Ocean. In summer there is high water, and in July the river overflows 160 km.

Rivers of the Atlantic Ocean

Rivers of the basin Atlantic Ocean very long they have large number tributaries The most large river continent, which belongs to the Atlantic Ocean basin - Mississippi.

The main tributary of the Mississippi is the Missouri River, one of the most long rivers in the world. The Mississippi River basin occupies 1/6 of North America.

During frosty winters, the Mississippi is covered with ice (except for the part crossing tropical latitudes), and in the summer the river floods. The Mississippi is called the “thick muddy”: its waters are colored yellow, since the current washes away loose clay rocks.

Lakes of North America

North America is home to the largest collection of freshwater lakes on earth – the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes complex includes five bodies of water, two of which are connected by Niagara Falls.

The largest lake on the continent is Upper Lake, it is the largest freshwater body of water on the planet. Freshwater lakes in North America do not freeze in winter, which makes it possible to use them year-round for industrial purposes.

Salt lakes are located in the north of the continent. The largest of them are Bolshoye Medvezhye, Bolshoye Svolnichye, Bolshoye salt lake.

Niagara Falls

Translated from the language of the ancient Indians, “Niagara” means “thundering water”. This name very accurately characterizes the reservoir: the sound of Niagara Falls can be heard at a distance of 25 km. Niagara Falls is relatively young: it was formed about 10 thousand years ago.

Niagara Falls consists of three falls: Horseshoe Falls, Bridal Falls and American Falls. The height of all three waterfalls is 53 meters (21 meters of which are visible).

Despite the fact that the height is small, the waterfalls are very wide, the volume of falling water reaches 5700 m3/s. Niagara Falls attracts many tourists from all over the world. The most colorful views of the waterfall open from Canada.

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There are about forty rivers in the Pacific Ocean basin. The largest and most significant rivers are the Amur, which flows into the Sea of Okhotsk, and the Anadyr, which flows into the Bering Sea. All rivers flowing into the Pacific Ocean can be characterized as relatively short, but fast-flowing. Both the Amur and Anadyr originate and a third flow among the mountains.

The Amur flows along the border of Russia and China, partly through the territory of Mongolia. Thus, the river bed passes through the territory of three countries. In each country, the Amur has its own name, for example, the Chinese call it “Black Dragon River”, and the Mongols “Black River”. The length of the Amur is two thousand eight hundred and seventy-four kilometers (2874 km), and the length of the entire basin is approximately four and a half thousand kilometers, from the mouth of the Shilka and Argun rivers. In terms of basin area, the Amur is in fourth place among Russian rivers, second only to the Yenisei, Ob and Lena, the area of the Amur River basin is one thousand eight hundred fifty-five square kilometers.

In Russia, the Amur flows through the territory of the Primorsky Territory, Khabarovsk Territory, Amur Region, Chita Region, Jewish Autonomous Region and Aginsky Buryat Autonomous Okrug. The Amur is formed as a result of the connection of two rivers: Argun and Shilka. The Argun originates in Mongolia, more precisely on the western slope of the Greater Khingan Range. The length of the Arguni from its source to its junction with Shilka is approximately one thousand six hundred kilometers. The source of the Shilka is located in the Chita region, before connecting with the Argun, the river’s waters travel over five hundred and fifty kilometers.

The Amur has seven main tributaries: Zeya, Ussuri, Bureya, Sungari, Amgun, Anyui, Tunguska. The Zeya is the right tributary of the Amur. The source is located high in the mountains belonging to the system. The Ussuri is the right tributary of the Amur, less than nine hundred kilometers long. The Bureya is a left tributary of the Amur, flows through the territory of the Amur Region and Khabarovsk Territory, its length is approximately six hundred kilometers. The Sungari is the largest right tributary of the Amur. Flows through the territory of China. The Amgun is a large left tributary of the Amur, originating in the mountains of the Bureya Range. The length of Amguni is just over seven hundred kilometers. It flows through the territory of the Khabarovsk Territory, in permafrost conditions. Anyui is the right tributary of the Amur, the source is in the mountains of the Khabarovsk Territory. The Tunguska is a left tributary of the Amur, eighty-six kilometers long, flowing entirely through the plains of the Khabarovsk Territory.

In the last two years environmental situation in the waters of the Amur has deteriorated significantly. In the winter of 2005, an accident occurred at a chemical plant located on the banks of the Songhua River in China. The result of the incident was a powerful release of chemicals into the waters of the river, which is the largest tributary of the Amur, naturally toxic substances soon they fell into the water of the Amur. Despite the construction of the dam, water poisoning continues to this day.

About one hundred and twenty species of fish live in the waters of the Amur. Among them are white and black carp, sturgeon, beluga, perch, kaluga and many others. Among the representatives of the sturgeon family, there are individuals of enormous size, sometimes the weight of beluga reaches one ton, and Amur sturgeons are considered the largest. The river is a large object where industrial fishing is developed.

The Anadyr is a relatively small Chukotka river, its length is 1,150 kilometers, and the basin area is one hundred and ninety-one thousand square kilometers. The source of the Anadyr is located in the center of the Anadyr Plateau, where there is a small lake from which the Siberian river originates. The channel passes through the territory of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, and the river flows into the Anadyr Bay in the Bering Sea. The shores of Anadyr represent high mountains, overgrown with dense forests, so there are no settlements along almost the entire length of the river. Sometimes nomadic Chukchi tribes come to the cold waters of Anadyr.

Anadyr has six large tributaries: Yablon (right tributary), Eropol (right tributary), Chineyveem (left tributary), Belaya (left tributary), Main (right tributary) and Tanyurer (left tributary). The width and depth of the river does not allow large cargo ships to navigate it, so it is used only by small ships as a transport line. Only at the mouth of the Anadyr reaches six and a half, seven kilometers, in the middle reaches it is half as narrow, and the upper reaches of the river are represented. In the lower reaches and the mouth of the Anadyr, industrial fishing is developed; in the upper reaches and middle reaches, only amateurs and athletes catch fish. The lands belonging to the Anadyr basin are rich in coal deposits, so small barges travel along the river, transporting coal downstream to the Anadyr Bay, where ports and berths are built.

Main water mass The Anadyr receives its water as a result of snowmelt; to a lesser extent, the river is fed by rain and groundwater. The upper reaches of the Chukotka River freeze very early - in mid-September, the middle and lower reaches are covered with ice in October. Ice drift begins only at the beginning of summer. Thus, there has been no shipping in Anadyr for about eight months.

Based on materials from the Great Encyclopedia of Russia

Our planet Earth has an excellent water system. Of course, these are oceans, seas, rivers and lakes. Thanks to this water supply, life on the continents is possible. In this article I would like to consider those watercourses that enter the Pacific Ocean basin. Rivers mostly originate high in the mountains. They are deep and fast. The relief of the riverbeds is quite complex and is characterized by the presence of a large number of rapids. On their way, the streams crash into rocky massifs and wash them away. They are fed mainly by rain, only in the northeast - by snow.

Almost all rivers of the Pacific Ocean basin have fast currents. The list of these watercourses is headed by the river. Anadyr and r. Amur. They are considered the most important for Russian state and the largest. There are also other rivers that flow in China and other countries. There are about forty of them in total.

So, let's look at some rivers related to the Pacific Ocean basin.

Anadyr River

Located in the northeast of Russia, its source originates from a lake, which is located in the middle part of the Anadyr Plateau. The length of the river is about 1100 km, and the basin area is approximately 191 thousand square meters. km. The Chukchi River has large tributaries, six in total: Yablon, Eropol, Main - right, and Chineyveem, Belaya, Tanyurer - left. From September to April, the river is frozen - first in the upper reaches, and then in the lower reaches. Vegetable and fauna The water area is formed by the Pacific Ocean basin.

The rivers of this region have great value for the state. For example, Anadyr is used for shipping, but only for small ships. Industrial fishing is also developed here, but only at the source and in the lower reaches. Amateur fishing competitions are held in the upper reaches of the stream. The river coastline is rich in coal.

Amur River

The length of 2875 km and the basin area of more than 4 thousand kilometers determine its location in three countries - Russia, China and Mongolia. The Amur begins at the confluence of the Argun and Shilka watercourses. Source of the river Argun is located in Mongolia, and Shilka originates in the Chita region.

Like many other rivers in the Pacific Ocean, the Amur has many tributaries, but seven main ones stand out: Zeya, Ussuri, Sungari, Anyui - right, and Bureya, Amgun, Tunguska - left.

This river is covered with ice for almost 6 months, from approximately November to April - May. Floods during the summer monsoons, which occur in July - August. The river is used in major shipping, industrial and amateur fishing, and is also a border zone.

Yellow River

The Yellow River flows through China. As mentioned above, all water flows entering the Pacific Ocean basin are mountain-type rivers. The Yellow River is no exception. Its source is located in the Tibetan mountains, it carries its waters along the Great Chinese Plain to the Bohan Bay. The river is also called yellow due to the fact that the loess that washes out of the rocky areas gives it the corresponding color. The main tributaries of the river are Daxia, Tao, Weihe and Luohe.

The Yellow River is used mainly in agriculture and for irrigation. A large number of hydroelectric power stations have been built along the banks, aquaculture is being developed, and only the flat area of the river is suitable for navigation. The main problem is the frequent change of the riverbed.

Yangtze River

The bed of the Yangtze is located in China and its length is 6300 km, so its other name is the Long River. It is worth noting that the rivers of the Pacific Ocean basin are generally quite deep. The Yangtze is the third most abundant water stream in the world. The source of the river is in the eastern part of the Tibetan Plateau, at an altitude of more than 5 thousand km. It flows, like the Yellow River, across the Great Chinese Plain and flows as a delta into the East China Sea, where Shanghai is located.

The tributaries of the Yangtze are quite large rivers - these are the Minjiang, Tuo, Jialingjiang, Hanshui, Yalongjiang. The food is monsoon, and in the upper reaches there is a small percentage of snow and glaciers. Only the relatively calm upper reaches of the river freeze, and then only for a short time.

Economic use of the Yangtze:

transport shipping network (the Yangtze is connected to the Yellow River by the canal);
irrigation system;
industrial fishing, etc.

Mekong River

The Mekong River is the most big river six states (China, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia), which is located in the Pacific Ocean. Rivers mountain origin characterized by rapid flow and restless character. This is how the Mekong flow can be characterized.

The length of the river is 4.5 thousand km, and the area is slightly more than 800 thousand square meters. km. The source is located in the Tibetan Plateau, on the Tangla ridge. In the upper reaches the river has numerous rapids, and in the lower reaches it forms a large number of bends. Interesting feature The flow is that it connects with which makes them nourish each other.

The Mekong is important in transport navigation; even sea vessels go deep into the peninsula, since the lower reaches of the river have sufficient depth.

Before finding out which rivers belong to the Pacific Ocean basin, it is worth finding out what the Pacific Ocean itself is.

The deceptive Pacific Ocean is surrounded by five continents:

Eurasia;
North America;
South America;
Australia;
Antarctica.

A countless number of islands are scattered throughout its territory. The ocean connects countries and people through water and air routes.

The Quiet was first called the Great, it is the leader among other oceans:

The total surface area is 178.7 million square kilometers - half total area of all bodies of water on Earth and a third of the planet's surface. From south to north it stretches for 16 thousand kilometers, from east to west – for 20 thousand.
The total volume of water is 710 million cubic kilometers. At the same time, when closer to the poles the water becomes covered with ice, builds icebergs and gives rise to tsunamis, in tropical latitudes it surprises with its transparency and piercing blue. Tens of thousands of living beings live there - fish, animals, bacteria, algae, fungi.
The average depth of the ocean is 3984 m. The bottom is indented by mountains and gorges. The deepest place is the Mariana Trench (the distance from the surface of the water to the bottom is 11 km). It was formed 180 million years ago and carefully keeps its secrets from scientists. The complex relief distinguishes the seas in the Pacific Ocean, each of which has a special life.

Rivers belonging to the Pacific Ocean make up a list of almost four hundred names. They replenish the water supply and bring alluvium - material for the structure of the bottom. These are mainly turbulent mountain streams with a winding bed.

The deepest rivers in the Pacific Ocean belong to the lands of Eurasia and North America. The remaining continents provide an insignificant influx. Asian flows only affect the adjacent seas. Those that escape from American shores become completely part of the ocean.

Yangtze

The Yangtze River crosses China from west to east. It divided the country, giving rise in ancient times to different cultures on its two banks.

The source of the Yangtze is located in the mountains of Tibet at about 5000 m above sea level. Here it is fed by glaciers of the Tangla and Kukushili ridges. At the beginning of the journey, the river is called Jinshajiang.

Having squeezed through the gorges of the Sino-Tibetan mountains, it significantly loses altitude. In the Tiger Leaping Gorge canyon there is the narrowest place on the river - about 30 m. According to legend, a tiger, running away from a hunter, was able to overcome this distance. The canyon is located on the territory of the UNESCO-protected Three Parallel Rivers Nature Park, namely the Yangtze, Mekong and Salween.

Further, the Yangtze path passes through the Sichuan Basin. Here it is joined by the large tributaries Minjiang and Jialingjiang. The rivers here are fed by monsoons. The current becomes peaceful, and full-fledged navigation begins from here.

A popular tourist spot is the Three Gorges. The Yangtze and Wujiang, one of its main tributaries, made their way through the Wushan mountain range, forming the Qutang, Wu and Xiling gorges.

The beauty of nature is highlighted by a powerful hydroelectric power station built on the river. A cascade of dams contributes to the destruction of natural and historical monuments located here.

Below the Yangtze flows through the Jianghan Plain, where it is replenished with the waters of several lakes and tributaries, of which there are more than 700, of which the largest is the Han Shui.

Passing along the southern tip of the Great Chinese Plain, the Yangtze splits into many branches and, when it flows into the South China Sea, forms the Golden Triangle - a wide delta that forms an estuary. The eight-kilometer Sutunsky Bridge is thrown across it - the longest cable-stayed bridge on the planet. Here stands the most populous city on Earth - Shanghai.

In the Pacific Ocean, the Yangtze is the largest river in Eurasia. The Chinese themselves call it the “Long River” - Changjiang. In general, its length is 6300 km.

River waters are used to produce electricity, agriculture, fishing, tourism and navigation in conjunction with the Grand Canal.

Yellow River

The second longest river in the Pacific Ocean is the Yellow River, called Yellow for its unusual color. Its length, according to various estimates, ranges from 4670 km to 5464 km.

For a long time it bore the name “China’s Sorrow” or “River of a Thousand Sorrows.” The reason for this was regular destructive floods that claimed many lives. Two dozen times its bed changed the direction and location of its mouth, flooding entire villages.

Gradually, the river is filled with sand brought from the source and becomes more and more unruly. Despite the construction of several dozen dams for power plants, special bypass canals and watersheds, disasters recur every few years.

But the same sediments enable farmers to obtain a rich harvest. The use of water to flood the rice fields led to the fact that the Yellow River began to dry up.

The area of the river basin is approximately 750 thousand square kilometers. It is difficult to determine precisely due to the variable nature of the current. For the same reason, shipping is poorly developed even on the calm, flat part.

The Yellow River originates at an altitude of 4500 m on the Tibetan Plateau at Bayan Khara Ula, near the source of the Yangtze and Mekong. The upper reaches of these rivers were united into the “Sources of Three Rivers” nature reserve.

Having escaped from the embrace of the Tibetan mountains, the river makes an Ordos loop, hugging a section of the Ordos steppe. Between the low hills covered with sparse bushes, the mirrors of salt and fresh lakes shine. Lost among them is the mausoleum of the great conqueror Genghis Khan. The southern border is guarded by the Great Wall of China. The Yellow River continues its journey south and ends up on the Loess Plateau. Loess washed out of the soil - a calcareous type of stone of a light yellow color - became the reason for the name of the river. Here it is the only major source of moisture for numerous agricultural farms and cities. Then, downstream, the selected water is replenished by numerous tributaries, the most important of which are the Daxiahe, Weihe, Taohe, and Luohe. After running across the Great Chinese Plain, the Yellow River flows into the Yellow Sea, forming a delta on the shores of the Bohai Gulf.

Dozens of power plants and discharges pose an environmental problem industrial waste. The water is so polluted that it is not even suitable for use in industry and agriculture.

Mekong

The Mekong River also belongs to the Pacific Ocean basin. It begins on the Tangla ridge at an altitude of about 5 thousand kilometers and crosses the borders of six states of Indochina:

China;
Cambodia:
Vietnam;
Laos;
Myanmar;
Thailand.

For the last three, it partially serves as a natural boundary. Each country has its own name. For example, for the Chinese - Lancang, and for the Vietnamese - Cuu Long.

The length of the river is 4.5 thousand km and its fairly calm flow in the flat part allows it to be used as a serious transport artery. You can rise 700 km from the mouth at normal times, and 1600 km during high water. Much of the Mekong's route passes through mountain crevices. The fast, deep current is replete with rapids.

The construction of hydroelectric power stations is hampered by disputes between neighbors. After all, the river’s nutrition depends on both rain and glaciers at the source. Residents of Laos and Cambodia fear that the dams will cut off water supplies.

On the border between Laos and Cambodia, the channel elevation gradually changes to 21 m, and a stepped, spectacular Khon waterfall is formed. After it, the stream enters the plain and calms down.

Additional inflow is provided by lakes. The most original of them is Tonle Sap. It constantly changes shape, so residents build houses right on the water, and the runoff from the lake joins the Mekong flow along with all the waste. This practice was adopted by the people of Vietnam. They live in houseboats, under which they raise fish as livestock in nets. Vietnam has a branched Mekong Delta. Eight of its branches have formed estuaries that extend far into the South China Sea. The shores are covered with impenetrable swamps and jungles.

Yukon

The list of the longest rivers belonging to the Pacific Ocean includes the North American Yukon River with a length of 3185 km. Due to its deep water and harsh nature, the Indians called it the “Big River”.

Unlike those described above, it flows through cold lands and is covered with ice for more than half the year. The main share of water comes from glaciers and melting snow.

Despite the cold, there are animals here, salmon come to spawn.

The source of the Yukon is considered to be the Atlin Lakes complex, located in southwestern Canada at 731 m above sea level. The river flows from Lake Marsh, the last in the chain.

The Canadian part of the river is mountainous and full of rapids. It is not suitable for boat travel.

In this part the current is flat, and in warm times from June to September it is used for navigation. In June, floods occur when the water level rises to 20 m. There are only four road bridges and many crossings across the stream.

The Yukon flows into the Bering Sea. The Delta is the most densely populated area in Alaska. But at the beginning of the 20th century, it was impossible to find the Yukon and its tributary, the Klondike, on world maps. After the discovery of gold deposits, there were more hunters to move to the gold-bearing shores than they could accommodate. Nowadays there are few people who want to live in this cold region. The gold rush left only an aura of romance that attracts tourists. People also go on steamship excursions to admire the picturesque rocky shores.

Amur

The Far Eastern deep Amur has a length of 2824 kilometers. The basin area covers just under two million square kilometers and covers part of the territory of Mongolia.

There is ice on the river for half a year; from July to August, heavy rains lead to floods.

The beginning of the Amur is considered to be the confluence of the Shilka and Argun rivers at an altitude of 303 m above sea level. If you add the length of the sources, the total is more than 4000 km. After the merger, it heads east, separating the territory of Russia from China, where it is called the “Black River” or “Black Dragon”. Full-fledged shipping begins from this place.

Among the numerous tributaries of the Amur there are such as the Zeya. It is deeper and deeper and can compete for leadership. The point of its confluence separates the mountainous Upper and swampy valley Middle Amur.

After the annexation of Ussuri, the Lower Amur begins near Khabarovsk. The flat valley is covered with lakes and oxbow lakes left after seasonal floods.

The Amur ends in the Amur Estuary, from where it flows into the Tatar Strait, then into the Sea of Okhotsk and further into the Pacific Ocean.

The nature on the banks is as diverse as the nature of the current. Just as water boiling on rapids is replaced by a network of channels, so steppes and semi-deserts are replaced by taiga forests. Fishermen love the river for its abundance delicious fish. Scientists are studying ancient cave paintings left about three thousand years ago. Extreme tourists go rafting. Careful tourists can arrange a photo hunt for local birds and animals and, perhaps, catch the rarest Amur tiger in the frame.

The list of rivers included in the Pacific Ocean basin can go on for a long time. This list includes Anadyr, Colorado, Fraser, Liaohe, Brisbane and others. They are all beautiful. Each of them has its own characteristics, they benefit humans.

Characteristics of the USA

Introduction (Country Business Card)

US Coat of Arms (Eagle) US Flag (flag has 50 stars)

Official language : English
Capital: Washington
Largest cities: Washington, New York, Orlando, Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Denver, San Diego
Form of government: federal republic
Territory: about 9.373 million km.
Population: 243 million people
Currency: US dollar
Internet domain: .us
Dialing code: + 1
Time zones: GMT -4 hours

Physical card USA

Geographical location

The United States of America is a federal republic consisting of 50 states with some autonomy and the District of Columbia. The United States of America is located in the central part of the North American continent, occupying a vast area between the 25th and 57th parallels northern latitude. In the east they are washed by the waters of the Atlantic, in the south by the Gulf of Mexico. Caribbean Sea, in the west and southwest - the Pacific Ocean, the northern and northwestern coasts of Alaska - the Arctic Ocean. 48 states are located compactly, 2 - separately: Alaska (received state status in 1958) and the Hawaiian Islands (received state status in 1959 year). In addition, the United States owns the island of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands in the Caribbean Sea, Eastern Samoa, the island of Guam and the islands of Micronesia (UN Trust Territory) in the Pacific Ocean and the Pacific atolls of Wake and Midway, equipped for missile testing. It borders on Canada in the north and Mexico in the south. In the east it is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, in the south by the Gulf of Mexico, and in the west by the Pacific Ocean.

The area of the country is 9666861 square meters. km, of which 1593438 sq. km. falls in Alaska and 16,729 sq. km to Hawaii. The highest point of the country (and all of North America) is located in Alaska - Mount McKinley (6194 m), the lowest place - Death Valley (86 m below sea level) - is in California. Average height territory of the United States about 760 m above sea level. Physiographically, the country's territory is very diverse. About half of the country's territory is occupied by mountain ranges, plateaus and the Cordillera plateau; The eastern edge of the Cordillera belt is formed by the Rocky Mountain ranges with an altitude of more than 4000 m. In the east are the Appalachian Mountains (2037 m).

Between the Cordillera and the Appalachians lie vast inland plains - the Central, Great - and the Mexican Lowlands. In the west of the country, many rivers form magnificently beautiful canyons, breaking up mountain ranges. In the north of the country there is a chain of Great Lakes - Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario - covering an area of about 200,000 square meters. km. The United States borders Canada in the north (the total length of the border is 8893 km, including 2477 km in Alaska), Mexico in the south (3141 km), Russia in the northwest (maritime border along the Bering Strait and the Arctic shelf, the distance between the islands of Maly and Big Diomede, owned by the United States and Russia, respectively, is only 4 km) and Cuba in the southeast (the border is both maritime, along the Strait of Florida, and by land, in the area of the American naval base Guantanamo Bay, located directly in Cuba).

The Hawaiian Islands are located in the central Pacific Ocean, about 4,000 km from the mainland. Many island territories, also in one form or another belonging to the United States, are scattered throughout the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

A number of island territories with different political status are also under US control (in each specific case it is established by a separate agreement, supported by a decree of the federal authorities). These include the island territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Baker, Howland and Jarvis Islands, Johnston, Midway, Navassa, Palmyra, Wake, Kingman Reef and some other territories.

The country is famous for its natural resources and fertile land.

Political map of North America

The main part of the United States is divided into eight provinces based on topography: Appalachia, Coastal Plains, Inland Uplands, Inland Plains, Lake Superior Uplands, Rocky Mountains, Intermountain Plateaus and Pacific Coast Mountains. Alaska and the Hawaiian Islands are also independent provinces. Only the main part of the United States is considered below.

Appalachia – mountainous country, stretching 1,900 km from northern Maine to central Alabama. All significant mountain peaks of the Eastern United States are located here, at least 20 of them exceed 1520 m and 8 exceed 1830 m. The province includes the following areas: Piedmont, Blue Ridge Mountains, Ridges and Valleys, Appalachian Plateau, Adirondack Mountains, River Valley. St. Lawrence and New England.

The Piedmont is a low plateau that forms a transition zone between the high Appalachian mountain ranges to the west and the Coastal Plains to the east. The surface of the plateau is predominantly gently undulating with a height of 150–300 m above sea level. m., but in some places there are low ridges and outcrops and even massive granite domes. The most famous is Mount Stone, with a relative height of more than 185 m, located near the city of Atlanta (Georgia).

The Blue Ridge Mountains, the highest part of the Appalachians, stretch along the western border of the Piedmont from southeastern Pennsylvania to northern Georgia. These are mountain ranges and massifs with densely forested slopes and treeless peaks. The easternmost ridge, the Blue Ridge Front, or Blue Ridge Scarp, rises steeply from the Piedmont's surface like a massive wall of rock. The Roanoke River divides the Blue Ridge Mountains into two parts - north and south.

In the north, the width of the mountains varies from 15 to 25 km. The Blue Ridge Front Range is well defined here, which, along with lower ridges, is intersected by the Potomac and James Rivers, which flow into the Atlantic Ocean. In the southern part, the width of the Blue Ridge Mountains reaches 130 km. It is home to the massive Blue Ridge Front to the west and the Great Smoky Mountains to the east. The highest point in the United States east of the Mississippi River, Mount Mitchell (2037 m), is located in the Black Mountains, a spur of the Blue Ridge Front.

The Ridges and Valleys region is located west of the Blue Ridge region and is separated from it by the Great Appalachian Valley, or Great Valley. In some places its width does not exceed several kilometers, but in the south it increases to almost 80 km.

In fact, it unites interconnected sections of the Hudson, Lebanon and Shenandoah valleys.

To the west of the Great Valley are parallel valleys and low ridges. The number of ridges in the south reaches 10, and in the north, in the state of New York, only one ridge is expressed.

Appalachian plateaus. This largest region of the Appalachians stretches for more than 1000 km with a width of 160 to 320 km. It consists of two plateaus - the Allegheny in the north and the Cumberland in the south. In each of them, along the eastern edge there is a narrow belt of parallel ridges, which turns into a vast forested plateau, gradually descending in a western direction. The highest part of the belt of ridges is formed by the Allegheny Mountains, stretching 800 km from central Pennsylvania to Virginia. The easternmost ridge of the Allegheny Front, rising up to 1465 m, drops steeply into the adjacent Ridges and Valleys region. North of the Allegans, a large area is occupied by the Pocono and Catskill Mountains. To the southwest, the Allegany Mountains border the Cumberland Plateau. The eastern edge features a series of ridges that are lower but less dissected than those on the Allegany Front. To the west of the mountains lies a vast gently undulating plateau, the surface of which is strongly dissected by steep valleys of numerous rivers and streams. Often the depth of cuts reaches several tens of meters. In the northern part of the Allegheny Plateau, which experienced glaciation in the Pleistocene, the surface is more flattened.

The Adirondack Mountains, located in upstate New York north of the Allegheny Plateau, also experienced glaciation during the Pleistocene. Here, above the leveled surface, covered with forests and dotted with lakes, massifs with steep slopes and pointed peaks rise sharply. The highest point is Mount Marcy (1629 m).

Valley of the St. River Lawrence is mostly located within Canada and only in a small area northwest of the Adirondack Mountains forms the border of the United States and Canada. The flat or gently undulating lowlands adjacent to the valley gradually rise to the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains and the New England Plateau.

New England is a mosaic of rolling hills, plateaus and mountains with forested slopes. In the Pleistocene, glaciation developed in this area, traces of which in the relief are sheep's foreheads, drumlins, troughs, eskers and glacial gouging basins, currently occupied by lakes. Based on the nature of the relief, they distinguish the Maritime Lowlands, the New England Uplands, the White Mountains and Green Mountains, and the Taconic Uplands.

The coastal lowland extends along Atlantic coast from Maine to Rhode Island. The surface is flat or wavy. The predominant heights are less than 150 m above sea level, with the exception of a few isolated peaks. The coast is rocky, with numerous bays separated by ledges. The Cape Cod Peninsula with its sandy spits stands out.

The New England hills occupy most of the area under consideration and are located at altitudes from 300 to 900 m above sea level. The terrain is predominantly hilly, intersected by numerous river valleys, including the wide valley of the Connecticut River.

The massive White Mountains of New Hampshire and Maine are highly dissected. The highest point is Mount Washington (1917 m).

The Green Mountains, the most widely developed in Vermont, are also highly dissected, but average elevations are at least 1,000 feet lower than the White Mountains.

The Taconic Hills are located between the Green Mountains and the Hudson River and are characterized by a hilly surface with heights of less than 600 m. In the east, the hill is adjacent to the mountains of the same name with the Dorset peak (1149 m).

USA relief map

Minerals

The country's need for such mineral resources, such as gas, oil, iron and uranium ores, vanadium ores, copper, titanium, lead, molybdenum, zinc, beryllium, tungsten, silver, gold, phosphorites, potassium salts, fluorite, boron ores, barite, sulfur, completely covered with useful reserves fossils.

Minerals The United States ranks first in terms of fossil coal reserves. The main coal basins are located in the central, western and eastern parts of the country, brown coal basins are located in the south and north. Alaska also has a number of basins that are largely untapped.

The country has large reserves of uranium ores, concentrated in the western regions in the ore provinces: in the intermountain region of Wyoming, on the Colorado Plateau, and on the western coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Some deposits are also found in the Cordillera.

US mineral resources are abundant in oil reserves, according to which the United States is in third place among the countries of the American continent and eighth in the world. About six hundred oil and gas fields have been discovered in the waters of the Arctic, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. In the future, the discovery of new deposits is being considered in the waters of the Bering and Chukchi seas near the coast of Alaska, the Beaufort Sea, the coast of California, and areas in the Gulf of Mexico.

Oil shale is found throughout the United States; its accumulation is observed in the Appalachian Basin and the Green River Mountains region.

Reserves iron ores capable of fully meeting the country's needs. Large deposits are located in the northern United States in the Lake Superior region near the border with Canada. Minerals The United States is rich in titanium ore reserves. The most significant deposit is located in the state of New Jersey, where there are over 300 million tons of ilmenite sand. There are three main types of vanadium ore deposits known in the United States. The country has quite significant reserves of beryllium ores. The main base is in Utah.

The United States has bauxite reserves concentrated in the states of Georgia, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Virginia. On Hawaiian Islands contains almost 30% of the country's low-quality bauxite reserves.

Minerals The United States, after Canada, has the second largest reserves of tungsten ores. There are more than fifty tungsten deposits located in the Western states of the country. In the future, Searles Lake in California is being considered as a source of tungsten raw materials.

In terms of gold ore reserves, the United States is in second place after South Africa. Gold-bearing areas are located along the southeastern and western coasts, as well as in Alaska. Most gold is recovered from porphyry copper deposits, the largest of which is Bingham in Utah.

The country has abundant reserves of lithium ores, concentrated in the states of North Carolina and Nevada. Large reserves available copper ores, satisfying 60% of the country. More than seventy copper deposits are known in the United States. The US mineral resources are in first place in terms of molybdenum ore reserves; more than thirty deposits are known. Most of them are in the Western States. There are also reserves there platinum ores. After Australia, the United States ranks first in lead ore reserves, with about a hundred known deposits. Most of them are located in the western and central parts of the country. The US has a fairly developed zinc ore base. The state of Nevada contains concentrated reserves of mercury ores. Large deposits have also been developed in the state of California. The country has large reserves of silver ores.

After Morocco, the US mineral resources are in second place in terms of phosphorite reserves, deposits of which are located in the phosphorite province of the states of South and North Carolina, Florida and in the Rocky Mountains. Minor reserves are in the states of Tennessee and California.

The US is rich in reserves potassium salts, contained in sedimentary deposits and in salt-bearing lakes. There are three large salt-bearing basins in the country. The country has abundant supplies of natural soda, which is extracted from the lakes of California.

After Turkey, the United States is in second place in reserves of boron ores, which are located in southern California.

The USA leads in barite reserves. Of the many deposits in the United States, there are three main ones. The largest are located in Nevada, the smaller ones are in the states of California, Missouri and Arkansas.

In the west of the country, in the Cordillera region, asbestos reserves are concentrated. High-quality asbestos is also mined in Arizona.

There are numerous deposits in the USA building materials: clays, facing stones, bentonites, marbles, sand, crushed stone, gravel.

A number of deposits of ornamental and precious stones, such as tourmaline, turquoise, sapphire, jade, peridot, rose quartz, petrified wood. Turquoise deposits are located in the states of Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. A large sapphire deposit is located in Montana.

US Mineral Map

Throughout the vast United States, almost all types of climate can be found, from arctic and subarctic in Alaska, to tropical in Hawaii, California and Florida. In the main part of the country, the climate is temperate continental, humid in the east and dry in the west. On a narrow strip of the Pacific coast, maritime temperate (in the north) and Mediterranean (in the south) types of climate can be traced.

The general temperature background is quite uniform. Summer temperatures in most areas range from +22°C to +28°C, with relatively little difference between the northern and southern states. Winter in most of the country is quite mild - the average January temperature ranges from -2°C in the north to +8°C in the south. However, significant temperature fluctuations are not uncommon due to free penetration air masses both from the Arctic region and from tropical latitudes (the US mountain systems located in the meridional direction act as a kind of “pipe” through which cyclones and anticyclones move from north to south or vice versa, encountering virtually no obstacles). In mountainous areas it is always cooler than in the adjacent areas of the plains - by 4-8 degrees in summer, by 7-12 in winter. At the same time, in the oceanic regions it is always warmer in winter and cooler in summer than in the center of the country ( east coast countries, heated warm Gulf Stream, almost along its entire length has a temperature 5-7 degrees higher than the central and western regions).

Depending on the character mountain systems The stability of the weather also changes noticeably - in the low Appalachians the climate differs little from the lowland regions of the east of the country and is quite constant, while the vast and high ridges of the Cordillera system are widely known for their cooler, drier and more variable weather.

The distribution of precipitation is also very uneven. In the southeastern states and on the Pacific coast up to 2000 mm of rain falls per year, in the Hawaiian Islands - up to 4000 mm or more, while in central regions California or Nevada - no more than 200 mm. Moreover, the nature of the distribution of precipitation depends entirely on the terrain - the western slopes of the mountains and the Atlantic regions receive noticeably more rain than the eastern ones, while throughout the Great Plains, from the coastal lowlands of the south to the forested areas of the north, almost the same amount of precipitation falls (about 300-500 mm).

At any time of the year, you can find a region of the United States in which a vacation would be comfortable in its own way. weather conditions. You can swim on the Florida coast almost all year round ( average temperature water even in winter months rarely drops below +22°C), however, from July to September it is quite hot (+36-39°C) and very high air humidity (up to 100%), and from June to November tropical hurricanes are common.

The Pacific coast has a noticeably greater difference in water and air temperatures between the northern and southern regions. In the southern part of the coast you can swim almost all year round, although from November to March, even in California, the water temperature rarely rises above +14°C (numerous bays with well-heated water are used for sea recreation). At the same time, in the north, in Oregon and Washington, even in the summer months, noticeable cooling of both water and air is common, while in winter temperature regime quite common for areas with a temperate maritime climate (air from -6 to +4°C, water - about +4°C). Contrary to popular belief, Oregon's climate is quite dry (less rain falls here than in Atlanta or Houston) and quite warm (summer highs rarely exceed +30°C, and in winter the thermometer hovers around +2°C). Therefore, you can find excellent opportunities for recreation almost all year round.

To the north, in the state of Washington, two are quite clearly distinguished climatic zones– West of the Cascade Mountains, on the Pacific Coast and in Seattle, summers rarely get hotter than 26°C and winters rarely colder than 8°C, while the eastern part of the state has noticeably warmer summers and cooler winters. Traditionally summer tourist season it starts on Memorial Day and continues until Labor Day, and even some attractions are only open to the public during this period.

The central mountain regions can be visited all year round; the southern part of the Rockies is too hot in summer (+26-34°C), so it is recommended to plan your trip in spring or autumn.

There are no seasonal restrictions on visiting Los Angeles. Despite its dry and hot semi-desert climate, the city is protected from the scorching heat by the mountain ranges to the north and east, as well as the Pacific Ocean itself. August and September are the hottest months (+24-30°C), January and February are the coolest (about +12°C) and the most humid, but at any time of the year, ocean breezes soften the weather towards greater comfort. However, city smog combined with summer heat makes the end of summer not best time to visit the metropolis, while the resort areas adjacent to it from the north and south during the same period have excellent weather conditions.

Alaska's climate is quite harsh, since 30% of its territory is located beyond the Arctic Circle. In the northern and central regions with their subarctic climate, the thermometer often drops to -45-50°C in winter, while in summer the air warms up to +16-20°C (at northern regions- +2-6°C) with very low precipitation (about 250 mm annually). In the southern and central regions the climate is temperate maritime, the average temperature in summer is about +18°C, but often the air warms up to +30°C), in winter - from -6°C to +4°C, and precipitation ranges from 400 to 600 mm per year.

USA climate map

Inland waters

The rivers of the USA belong to the basins of the Atlantic, Arctic (Alaska) and Pacific oceans. At the same time, the main watershed has shifted to the west, towards the Pacific Ocean. Therefore, most of the rivers belong to the Atlantic Ocean basins. The area of internal drainage is insignificant. It occupies part of the Great Basin and a small area in the northern Mexican Highlands.

The rivers in the USA are fed by snow, rain, glaciers (Alaska), ground (the predominant sources of food) and mixed for large (“transit”) rivers.

The largest river system on the continent is the Mississippi-Missouri system. Its basin occupies 1/6 of the mainland's territory. The length of the Mississippi itself is 3779 km. But if we take the Missouri River as the source, then the length river system will be 5985 km. The general watercourse of the system is formed from the confluence of three rivers that are quite different in nutrition and regime - the upper Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio. In the upper reaches the river is fed by snow and rain. The level of the Mississippi before its confluence with the Missouri does not fluctuate as much seasonally as the level of the Missouri. Missouri reflects in its diet and regime the climatic features of both the Rocky Mountains, the elevated Great Plains, and the Prairie Plateau. By the end of summer the river becomes shallow; Navigation on the Missouri, even downstream, is difficult. Only after its confluence with the Ohio (its length is 1580 km) does the Mississippi truly become a “great river”. The volume of water in the Mississippi more than doubles. The Ohio River has a fairly uniform hydrologic regime, reflecting the precipitation patterns of the Appalachian and pre-Appalachian plains. Every year, the Mississippi brings about 400 million tons of sediment to the Gulf of Mexico, the main sources of which are the Missouri River (“mud river”) and the Arkansas. The vast river delta extends into the Gulf of Mexico by 100 m annually.

Rivers of the Pacific Ocean

The rivers of the Pacific Ocean basin (Columbia, Colorado and others) are short but high-water; have a mixed diet. River valleys are narrow and deep. These are the so-called canyons. The Grand Canyon on the Colorado River has become world famous. It cuts into layers of sedimentary rocks of the Colorado Plateau to a depth of 1800 m. The length of the canyon is over 320 km. The Columbia River is full of water in the summer, during the melting of snow and glaciers in the mountains. A cascade of powerful hydroelectric power stations has been created on it.

In the northwest of the mainland, in Alaska, along the Yukon Plateau, the Yukon River carries its waters into the Pacific Ocean. The river has a pronounced summer flood, during which the flow in the middle reaches triples compared to the average level. In its lower reaches, the Yukon resembles the great Siberian rivers in its power and width. The tides rise 160 km up the river.

There are many lakes in the USA. They are distributed very unevenly across the continent. On the southern edge of the shield there is a system of Great American Lakes: Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario. In terms of water volume, all these lakes exceed the Baltic Sea. Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world. Its area is 82.4 thousand km2, maximum depth is 393 m. All lakes in this system are connected by rivers. Lakes Erie and Lake Ontario are connected by a short and wild river Niagara, where Niagara Falls was formed, is 50 m high and more than 1 km wide. The majestic spectacle of water falling from a great height attracts millions of tourists every year. The Great Lakes are important sources of fresh water for industrial use and urban water supply. They are used year-round as water transport routes. Lake Michigan is connected by a shipping canal to the Mississippi River. The Erie Canal was built connecting Lake Erie with the Hudson River, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean.

The lakes of the inland drainage basin stand apart in the United States. The lakes here are “relict”, their basins have been preserved from wetter eras Quaternary period. The largest of these lakes is the endorheic Great Salt Lake in Big pool. Its salinity ranges from 137 to 300 ppm.

Overall, the US is well endowed water resources, water transport routes, has significant hydropower reserves. However, the countries of North America are faced with the problem of pollution of the continent's inland waters. Thus, the waters of the Great Lakes were once distinguished by amazing purity. Now they are heavily polluted. Moreover, the deep basins of lakes have turned into real collectors of dangerous pollutants. Accumulating together with sludge, they threaten to gradually turn into a powerful source of pollution of living organisms. Major cities located along the shores of lakes, constantly dump various toxic metals, detergents, and acids into the lake waters. Great Lakes pollution causes great harm natural environment the entire region.