One of the largest countries in the world, the USA’s size is based from both land area and population. The USA has one of the largest economies in the world and was only relatively recently settled by Europeans, although it has been home for thousands of years by Native Americans. It is a country of immigrants, waves of immigrants arriving on its shores from Europe, Asia, Latin America and every other corner of the world.   Its population is highly diverse with many different cultures making the USA highly influential internationally. Below is some of the geography facts about the USA and the American society that you may have been aware of.

1. USA States

The USA is divided into 50 different states. Each state varies in size with Rhode Island being the smallest of the states with an area size of 1,545sqm. The largest state is Alaska which features a land size of 663,268 square miles.

2. Longest Coastline

In the USA the state of Alaska has the longest coastline. The coastline measures 6,640miles.

3. Bristlecone Pine Trees

One of the world’s oldest living trees, the Bristlecone Pine Trees are found in the western part of the USA including Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and California. California is home to the oldest of these trees. Sweden on the other hand is home to the oldest living tree itself.

4. Royal Palace

The only monarch used royal palace in the USA is located in Honolulu, Hawaii. Iolani Palace belonged to monarchs Queen Lili’uokalani and King Kalakaua until they were over thrown in 1893. Until Hawaii became a USA state in 1959, the palace served as a capitol building and is today a museum.

5. Mountain Ranges

The USA major mountain ranges run along in a north-south direction. Because of this they have a large impact on the climate in various regions close by. The climate of the west coast is milder than that of the interior of country. This is because it is moderated by the ocean’s close proximity. Places such as Nevada and Arizona are very dry and hot because they are situated on the leeward side of the mountain ranges.

6. Language

The USA official doesn’t have an official language, although the most commonly spoken language is English.

7. Tallest Mountain

The world’s tallest mountain is located in the USA in Hawaii. Mauna Kea is 13,796ft in altitude above sea level. When measured from the sea floor, it’s over 32,000ft high. This is taller than Mount Everest which is known as the tallest mountain above sea level sitting at 29,028ft.

8. Lowest Temperature

Prospect Creek in Alaska recorded the lowest temperature every recorded in the USA. The temperature recorded, dropped to -80°F or -62°C on January 23 1971. The next coldest temperature in the rest of the USA states was at Rogers Pass Montana. The temperature recorded was -70°F (-56°C) on January 20 1954.

9. Hottest Temperature

The hottest recorded temperature that has been recorded in the USA was in California’s Death Valley. This temperature was recorded on July 10, 1913 and reached 134°F (56°C).

10. Deepest Lake

Crater Lake in Oregon, USA is the deepest lake. With a depth of 1,932 feet (589 m) it is the 7^th deepest lake in the world. It was formed by precipitation and snowmelt that gathered within the crater which originated when the Mount Mazama volcano erupted over 8,000 years ago.