Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Most geographical studies of the United States focus on the territory of the
48 conterminous states, including the District of Columbia, and the two remaining
states are treated separately. The surface area of the conterminous states is
7,663,942 km². With an estimated population of 294,471,549 inhabitants in 2005,
the average density (38.4 inhabitants/km²) remains below the world average.
The population is very unevenly distributed (see Figure 1.1). The permanent
imbalance between East and West can first be explained by the history of the
country, but many other elements are explained as a matter of location and
environment.
Geographical determinism is particularly important for the two peripheral states
in the Pacific region.
Alaska is largely unoccupied, due both to its location and to its environment. It is
a remote, peripheral territory, located in the extreme northwest of the continent on
the opposite side of the territory from the area first settled by Europeans. It is also a
boreal region with a very hostile climate; it is mostly barren, very mountainous
(Mount McKinley, 6,194 m), volcanic, and highly prone to seismic activity. Access
is very difficult; only the southern coast is free of ice all year round. As the “last
frontier” for American pioneers, Alaska is nonetheless a highly coveted territory due
to its wealth of natural resources, particularly hydrocarbons.
The Hawaiian Islands benefit from a tropical climate with relatively favorable
trade winds since they are outside the path of major hurricanes in the Pacific. They
are, however, a mountainous region of volcanic origin with highly active, though not
eruptive, volcanoes. Populated areas are therefore concentrated along the coast.
Freshwater resources in volcanic regions are typically scarce, particularly on the
leeward coast.
It is also an ultra-peripheral region which lived in total isolation until the 19th
century. Its intermediary position between America and Asia earned strategic
interest during the imperial period of 1895-1945, which led to a mixed population of
indigenous Polynesians, American settlers of European origin, and immigrants from
Asia, particularly Japan.
With the arrival of long-distance aviation, its strategic importance declined, but
the archipelago developed a solid tourism-based economy to the point where the
Oahu island coast is, in fact, densely urbanized today. Today, over 72% of the
archipelago's population resides in the metropolitan area of Honolulu.
