1. The USA occupies the central part of the North American continent. It borders on Canada in the north and Mexico in the south. It is washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the east, by the Pacific Ocean in the west and by the Gulf of Mexico in the south.
2. The USA is made up of 50 states and the District of Columbia where the capital of the country, Washington, is situated.
3. The population of the USA is about 256 million people.
4. One of the most important geographical boundaries in the USA is the 50-centimetre rainfall line, which runs from north to south almost through the middle of the country. East of the line farming is relatively easy and the population is large. There are man-made irrigation systems, dry farming, grazing and fewer people west of the line.
5. The Rocky Mountains extend from Alaska through Canada and the USA to Mexico. Together with the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California they have snow-capped peaks and clear mountain lakes.