英語國家概況PPT-美國

1、The United States of America Geography and People ContentsGeography1Climate3Natural Resources4People5Major Cities2 Watch the following map carefully and find clues to the following itemslocation (bordering neighbors )States (the smallest & the largest state)Size and LocationvIn the central part

2、of North America (except Alaska and Hawaii)vCanada on the north vMexico and the Gulf of Mexico on the south vAtlantic Ocean on the east vPacific Ocean on the westntotal area9.5 million square kilometers; nThe whole country includes 50 states and a federal district, the District of Columbiathe seat o

3、f the Federal Government. States voriginal 48 states vAlaska and Hawaii became the 49th in 1867 and 50th states in 1959. Alaska borders on northwestern Canada Hawaii lies in the central Pacific OceanvAlaskathe largest (1717,854 sq km)vRhode Islandthe smallest vTexasthe largest on the mainland (695,6

4、21 sq km)1. Three Geographical DivisionsGeographical DivisionsCentral partThe Eastern PartvThe eastern partthe highlands formed by the Appalachian Range (阿巴拉挈亞山系阿巴拉挈亞山系). one sixth of the national territory relatively low, with an average altitude of 800 meters above sea level The Western PartvHigh

5、plateaus (高原高原) and mountainsformed by the Great Cordillera Range（科迪勒拉山系）（科迪勒拉山系）, extending from Canada through the western part of the United States to Mexico and further south. One third of the countrys territory Rocky mountainswith an average altitudeof more than 3000meters above sea levels. The

6、 Great Central Plain（中部大平原）（中部大平原）vBetween the Appalachians in the east and the Rocky Mountains in the westhalf of Americas landmass on the continentstretch from the Great Lakes in the north to the Gulf of Mexico in the south five great lakes and Niagara FallsvThe five Great Lakes: Lake Superior, La

7、ke Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario.vLake Superior: the largest freshwater lake of its kind vLake Michigan: wholly within United StatesvNiagara Falls(尼亞加拉大瀑布)Niagara Falls-located on the U.S.Canadian border between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. vNiagara Falls2. Main Geographical Regions N

8、ew England Region(新英格蘭地區(qū)新英格蘭地區(qū))The Mid-Atlantic States Region（大西洋中部地區(qū)（大西洋中部地區(qū)）The South Region（南部地區(qū)）（南部地區(qū)）The Midwest Region（中西部地區(qū)）（中西部地區(qū)）The West Region（西部地區(qū)）（西部地區(qū)）The Region of the Great Plains (大平原地區(qū)大平原地區(qū))Alaska (阿拉斯加地區(qū)阿拉斯加地區(qū))Hawaii (夏威夷地區(qū)夏威夷地區(qū))New Englandvincluding six states in the northeastern

9、 cornervfeatured with mountains, valleys and riversvMassachusetts: the largest populationvRhode Island: the smallest in size, the most densely populated statevNot a farming area, poor soil vEarliest settlers: English ProtestantsNew ENGLAND The Middle Atlantic RegionvSix states north: New England sou

10、th: the south regionvImportant: a. population b. 1/3 products vMarked by its industry, “Industrial Northeast”, many large factoriesvRich in minerals good soil + temperate climate= agriculture is importantvMany important cities: New York, Philadelphia The South Region v a large section of US, includi

11、ng 11 states v favorable climate agriculture, great profits by raising and selling cotton and tobacco vThe north: industrial (工業(yè)的工業(yè)的) the south: agrarian (農(nóng)業(yè)的，土地的農(nóng)業(yè)的，土地的)vgreat size with few large cities New Orleans Miami Atlanta BirminghamAmerican Southern AreaThe Midwest RegionvIncludes 8 statesvF

12、ertile soil abundant crops known as the countrys “breadbasket”vCenter: Chicago, Illinois, the third largest citySears Tower: at 443 meters, one of worlds tallest buildingsThe Region of the Great PlainsvInclude 6 statesvMarked by a. the smallest population b. few large cities c. vastness of flat land

13、 d. poor soil e. little rains in many partsvIndians are natives here. 1/5 of the countrys Indians are now living in the state of Oklahoma.The West RegionvOccupy a vast area, including 11 statesvThe area of the Rocky Mountains + all territory west to the Rocky Mountains as far as to the Pacific Ocean

14、vMountainous area: much of the land, can not be cultivated too high and mountainous too low and dryvCalifornia dominates the whole regionvPrinciple cities: San Francisco, Los Angeles and SeattleOregon & CaliforniaAlaskavIn the northwestern part of North AmericavAs a world of glaciers(冰河冰河), wate

15、rfalls and lakes vFishing is the chief economyvmain agriculture outputseafoodvindustrial outputscrude petroleum(原油原油), natural gas, precious metals, seafood processing, timber, and tourism, etc. AlaskaHawaiivThe climate here is comfortable and the temperature usually remains close to the average of

16、24 degrees centigradevHonolulu(火奴魯魯，檀香山火奴魯魯，檀香山): the capital, the largest city of the satevPearl Harborvtourist businesslargest source of incomeHawaiiHawaii Dance3.Rivers and LakesvIn the system of Gulf: The Mississippi River the longest and the most important river in the system of the Gulf(墨西哥灣水系

17、).vKnown as the “father of waters” to American Indians As Mark Twain was raised on the river, his most popular and important writings are concerned with this areaThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn （哈克貝利費(fèi)恩歷險(xiǎn)記）tells the story of how the boy Huckleberry Finn and his black friend Jim, a runaway slave, s

18、ailed down the Mississippi on a raft.vIn the system of the Pacific: the Columbia River and the Colorado RivervIn the system of the Atlantic a. The Potomac River (波托馬克河) flow through the capital, Washington b. The Hudson River (哈得孫河)linked by canals with the five Great Lakesflows through the state of

19、 New York ClimatevMajority: temperate Some: subtropical zones Only Florida and Hawaii: tropicalv50 centimeter rainfall linein the eastcomparatively more rains, so easy agriculture; in the westmuch less rain (less than 50 cm. a year) with the exception of the coastal areas along the Pacific. Natural

20、Resourcesvrich in mineral resources among the countries with the greatest reserves of coal, iron ore and oil. abounds in lead, copper, zinc, aluminum, rock, silver, and gold. one fourth of the territorycovered with forests which mainly concentrate upon three areas: the area along the north western c

21、oast of the Pacific the area in the south the area in the northMajor Cities vWhen talking about America, is there any city that you are familiar with? And why?Tips: New Yorkcommercial and financial center of the United States Washington D.C.seat of the federal government Los Anglessecond largest cit

22、y Chicagothe windy city Seattle; Philadelphia; San Francisco; etc. 1. New York vLocated in New York State, is the largest city and the chief port of the United States. vFive boroughsManhattan(曼哈頓), Brooklyn(布魯克林), Bronx(布朗克斯), Richmond(里士滿) and Queens(昆斯). vthe headquarter of the United Nations vBec

23、ame an important city early in the last century. A large portion of the national exports passed through New York harbor. New York has become one of the worlds busiest ports and also the financial, manufacturing, and travel center of the country. 1.1 Wall StreetvAmericas financial centervThe world fa

24、mous New York Stock Exchange(紐約證券交易所) is across the streetvThe symbol of American monopoly capitalism.1.2 World Trade CentervThe tallest building in the U.S. and the worldvcomposed of two buildings, twin structures, each rising 110 stories above the citys streets & collapsed in September, 11, 20

25、01.1.3 BroadwayvBroadway is an avenue in Manhattanva symbol of the New York theatresvsurrounded by playhouses, first-run movies, night clubs, hotels and shops.1.4 Statue of Libertyva huge sculpture vlocated on Liberty Island in New York Harborva gift from France on the centenary of American Independ

26、encevFormal name: “Liberty Enlightening the World”(照耀世界的自由女神)vIt pictures a woman who has escaping the chains of tyranny (the broken chains lie at her feet). Libertys right hand holds a torch that is a symbol of liberty. vLiberty was designed by the French sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi. The st

27、atue was re-assembled in the USA and was completed on October 28, 1886. vThe seven rays of Libertys crown symbolize the seven continents of the world. Liberty holds a tablet in her left hand that reads July 4, 1776 (in Roman numerals), Independence Day of the United States of America. 2. Washington

28、D.C.vLocated on the Potomac River(波托馬克河) governed directly by the Federal government. vDistrict of Columbianamed after Christopher Columbusvcitynamed after George Washington, the first president of U.S. Washington Monument2.1 White Housevthe official presidential residencevInside the House, there ar

29、e more than 130 roomsvPortraits of all the presidents hang on the walls2.2 Capitol 國會(huì)大廈vThe meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of United StatesvLocated in Washington D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill.3. San FranciscoGolden Gate BridgevLocated on the

30、central part of the California shoreline.vCenter of oil-refining, automobiles, chemicals, commerce, finance, and shipping industry. vOver 300 000 Chinese, the largest Chinese settlement in America.4. Los Angelsvsecond largest city in the U.S.vfour times larger than San Francisco important electronic

31、 center known for the manufacture of tires, automobiles and aircraft. Since the first American movie was made in Los Angeles in 1908, the city has remained the film center of the United States. Hollywood is located in this city.vHollywood the base of the film industry, is a world famous film produci

32、ng center.vThe world famous Disneyland attracts millions of tourists every year. Disneyland has been built in California, Florida, Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong.5. Chicagovthe windy city; second most populous city after New York. Founded in the early 1800smain connection between the east coast cities a

33、nd the West. the largest industrial city in the country, with highly developed heavy and light industries the center of industry, transportation, commerce and finance in the Midwest area, also a culture centerSears Tower (西爾斯大廈西爾斯大廈)vWillis Tower, still commonly referred to as Sears TowervCompletion

34、 in1973, the tallest building in the world, surpassing the World Trade Center towers in New York vHeld this rank for 25 yearsvTallest building in United StatesvOne of the most popular tourist attractions in ChicagovRenamed Willis Tower in 2009PeopleThe White74.7%Asians 4.3%The Black12.1%Mixed Races2

35、.5% Native Indians &Hawaiians0.9%vThe United States is the third most populous nation in the world, ranking behind China and India. According to the U. S. Census Bureau(美國人口普查局), the resident population reached a milestone on Oct. 17, 2006, hitting 300 million.PopulationvUneven distributionvThe

36、most densely populated regionthe northeastern part About one quarter of the total land area, about half of the total population. vThe Great Plainsa comparatively small population. vThe Southa population of almost 57.5 million people.v The Westnot densely populated; 20% of the population except for s

37、ome metropolitan centers like Los Angels, and San Francisco. Nation of ImmigrantsvRace and ethnic groupsThe Indians The White Anglo-Saxons Protestants (WASP)The Black The HispanicsThe Asian-AmericansIndiansvAbout 10 million Indians in North America When Columbus arrived.vWestward movementthe destruc

38、tion of the Indians. vToday about 2.4 million Indians About one-third of them live on reservations, land that was set-aside for them. The rest lives in cities. Poverty and unemployment are major problems, especially on the reservations.WASPsvEuropean descendantsvWhite Anglo-Saxon Protestants who wer

39、e largely responsible for the winning of Americas independence.vEnglishofficial languageThe BlackvAbout 8 million black people were brought to America from Africa as slaves from 1620 to 1820.work on plantations or large farms of the South. poor and suffer from povertyvToday the black account for abo

40、ut 12% of the population Many of them live in the South and in the cities of Northeast and Midwest. Civil Rights MovementvSegregation laws (隔離法) in Southern states in the US prevented black and white people from sitting together in movie theatres, eating in the same restaurants, drinking from the sa

41、me water fountain, etc. Although these are not Amendment (補(bǔ)充法案）to the US Constitution, the US government would not declare the Southern laws unconstitutional until there were cases brought in the federal courts. The civil rights movements began when black people spontaneously protested segregation l

42、aws and created organizations to make the protests successful. Martin Luther Kingva black ministerva great political and religious leader of the non-violent civil rights movement in 1950s. vOn August 28, 1963, he led over 250,000 Americans on a march in Washington D. C. to fight for the Civil Rights

43、 Law to guarantee equality for all people, and delivered his best-known speech “I Have a Dream” before the Lincoln Memorial .vThus he was awarded the Nobel Prize for peace in 1964. But he was tragically murdered four years later. vBy vote of Congress in 1968, the third Monday of every January is now

44、 a federal holiday in Martin Luther Kings honor. I Have a Dream I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal. I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of

45、 former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of fre

46、edom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today! I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor

47、having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right down in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today! I have a dream that one day every valley shall

48、be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.Hispanicsthe Spanish-speaking population of the United States Puerto Ricans波多黎

49、各波多黎各人人Mexican-AmericansCuban-Americans123Three major Hispanic groups:vPuerto Ricans The island of Puerto Rico(波多黎各) has been an American possession since the Spanish-American war of 1899 and Puerto Ricans have been American citizens since 1917. Better job opportunities in the U.S. have drawn a larg

50、e number of Puerto Ricans to the U.S., the majority of whom have settled in the large cities in the eastern seaboard. vCuban AmericansvThe Cuban-Americans who got away from Cuba after the Cuban Revolution in 1959 and are now gathered in the Miami area. In general, the Cuban-Americans have done the b

51、est economically. They left Cuba in the early 60s and, over the past 40 years, they have created a prosperous “l(fā)ittle Cuba” in the Miami area.Asian immigrantsChinese vAmong the Asian immigrants, the Chinese were the first Asians to come to the United States. Beginning in 1847, when young male peasants came to work in America in mines, on railroads, and in agricultural fields. vExclusion