First There Was the Land

    How did the United States become such a big country? How much do you know about the land? What are its geographic features? Read the following text to get a clear picture of this vast and beautiful land that has played an important role in American history.

    No single force has been responsible for shaping the background of American history. But of the many that have contributed, none played a more important role than the land itself.

    In the three centuries needed to settle the continent, pioneer marched toward the West in a never-ending procession. Whether explorers, traders, farmers, or adventurers, the pioneers all shared one thing in common. They were drawn westward by the land, a land vast in size, often free for the taking, and rich in undeveloped natural resources.

    Therefore, before beginning the story of America's history, it is essential for us to look at the background of the land itself. Since it is not always possible for students of history to fly over the area being studied, let us instead look at the map of the United States.

    First, we can divide the continental United States into three basic areas: 1) the Atlantic Seacoast west to the Appalachian Mountains; 2) the great Mississippi River Basin between the Appalachian and the Rocky Mountains； and 3) the Rockies west to the Pacific Ocean.

    The eastern one-third of the United States may be further divided into three separate areas: the Northeast and the South which are obviously different from each other, and the area between them which has the characteristics of both. The first major feature we can see on the map is that the Appalachian Mountains do not run north to south but northeast to southwest. Therefore, in the Northeast, the land extending to the Atlantic coastline is mountainous and rocky. In the deep South, there is a wide plain between the mountains and the sea. In the central area, there are plains on the coast which give way rapidly to the foothills of the Appalachians and then to the mountains themselves.

    In the Northeast, rivers flow only a relatively short distance from the mountains to the ocean. As a result, they flow more rapidly than the rivers in the South, which travel a longer way to the sea. The Northern rivers are more useful as sources of water power than they are as highways of commerce.

    The land of the Northeast is hilly and rocky. Much of it is still covered by heavy forests. The coastline, however, is broken by many excellent harbors which early in the history of the country became important centers of commerce and trade. Off the coast and far into the Atlantic Ocean, the warm waters of the Gulf Stream flowing north from Florida provide a continuing supply of fish, adding to the resources of the area.

    In the deep South, the more gently flowing rivers serve as highways of trade and commerce. The rivers, plains, and mild temperatures of the southeastern part of the United States make it suitable for large-scale agriculture.

    The middle area, with its many rivers and flat coastal areas, combines the characteristics of the North and the South and serves as a trade link between them.

    The whole eastern area appears to be surrounded by the Appalachian Mountains. But, since these mountains are very old and worn down, they have never been a great barrier between the East and the central Mississippi River Basin. Narrow gaps and wide valleys passing through the Appalachians allow avenues to travel westward.

    By far, the largest of the three major sections of the United States is the area between the Appalachians and the Rocky Mountains. Rivers rising in both mountain chains flow toward each other down the sides of this vast bowl, emptying into the Mississippi. Indians called this longest of North American rivers "Father of Waters". Together with the Missouri River, its chief western branch, the Mississippi flows 4 000 miles (6 400 kilometers) from its sources in the Rocky Mountains to the the Gulf of Mexico.

    The rivers flowing west from the Appalachians are fed not only by melting snow in spring, but also by rain throughout the year. Sometimes in the spring, more water pours into these rivers than their banks can hold, leading to serious flooding. Flood control projects have been necessary to bring this problem under control.

    On the other hand, the rivers that flow east toward the Mississippi find their main source of water supply in the spring melting of snow from the Rocky Mountains. Because the winds in the Far West blow from the Pacific Ocean eastwards, clouds bearing moisture lose it as rain or snow on the western rather than the eastern side of the Rockies. As a result, the clouds moving eastward over the greater part of the Great Plains between the Rockies and the Mississippi are dry. The area is mainly watered only during the spring melting.

    Although most of the central basin of the United States is made up of dry, flat land, there are two areas where the land is very rich. The area around the Great Lakes is one of the most fertile in the nation. Even though it is very hot in the summer and cold in the winter, it is far better suited to agriculture than the Great Plains. The Great Lakes themselves provide transportation, and plenty of rainfall makes agriculture possible on a large scale. In more recent times, this area's nearness to coal and iron resources has helped it become one of the great industrial sections of the United States.

    In the south, the soil along the banks of the Mississippi is enriched by dirt deposited by rivers flooding the Great Plains in the spring. This wide area is one of the richest agricultural regions in the United States. It extends west of the Mississippi deep into Texas and eastward almost to the Atlantic Ocean.

    The huge Mississippi River Basin is a source of great wealth to the United States in both agriculture and industry.

    The last of the three areas into which the United States is usually divided is that between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Steep mountains and high plateaus still keep most of the area unpopulated. There are two fertile sections however: the great northwestern valley where the Columbia and Snake Rivers meet and the Central Valley of California.

    In the early history of the United States, the Rockies were an almost impassable barrier for settlers going to the Pacific Coast. The so-called "South Pass" provided the only route to the rich lands of the Northwest and California. Only far to the south, where the mountains disappear, was there another way to California. Although this area was dry, its natural resources made it very valuable. In the nearby mountains, explorers discovered many metals like gold, silver, and copper.

    In California, the fertile valleys and coastal plain produced great crops of fruit and vegetables. Today, modern transportation has overcome the barriers of desert and mountain, and the western area is of great importance to the national economy.

    Although geographically separated from the other forty-eight states, Alaska and Hawaii are both richly productive and add considerable wealth to the nation. Alaska lies far to the north of the western United States from which it is separated by the provinces of Canada. It is very mountainous and cold much of the year. Although in area it is the biggest state, Alaska has a very small population. It is rich in natural resources, its economy depending largely on fishing, oil, and timber.

    Hawaii, however, is a tropical area enjoying year-round sunny weather. The state is made up of eight major islands of different sizes lying 2 000 miles (3 218 kilometers) west of the California coast. Plenty of rainfall and fertile soil permit a long growing season for its main crops of pineapples and sugar cane. Because it is in the mid-Pacific, Hawaii has always been a crossroad for trade and commerce. With today’s rapid means of transportation, tourism has also become a major industry.

    Since both Alaska and Hawaii only became states in 1959, their histories are quite separate from the mainstream of American development. Each, however, has its own native culture and history.

    This brief description of American geography shows the country to be very fortunate. The fact that it is, with the exception of Alaska, in the temperate climate zone is of basic importance. Another important feature is the north-to-south direction of the mountain ranges. As a result, almost all the rivers form navigation lines for trade and commerce.

    Nature has blessed North America with rich natural resources. Except for the desert areas centered around the southern Rockies, there are large supplies of fresh water and numerous fertile valleys. Today the rivers and streams of the United States furnish nearly two-thirds of the fresh water used daily by the cities and for farm irrigation. They supply over 90 per cent of the water used by industry, and almost all the water used to create electric power.

    Moreover, about one-third of the land is forested. These wooded areas support a major industry (forest products) and prevent the wearing away of soil that leads to flooding. In addition, the nation produces millions of kilograms of iron each year for its industries. Steel, the end product, is used in the making of some 200 000 products. Of coal, a vital resource for the steel, electric power, and chemical industries, there are enough to last hundreds of years. Yet another basic industry is petroleum, and America is one of the biggest producers of oil in the world.

    Of all the geographical factors about America, however, the one which has played the greatest role in the history of the United States has been that of its physical isolation. The Atlantic and Pacific Oceans have from the beginning given the nation the gift of time, time in which to develop economically and politically.

    Had the land been surrounded by powerful enemies, the United States, whatever her resources, would have had a far more difficult time developing according to her own choices.

(1 646 words)
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