Sunset silhouettes a saguaro cactus in the Sonoran Desert, Tucson, Arizona. By Carol M. Highsmith

Yosemite National Park, California. By Carol M. Highsmith>

Harbor in Cape Porpoise, Kennebunkport, Maine. By Carol M. Highsmith

Water reflections of mountains in northern Alaska. By BLMAlaska

Rural scene in Black Hawk County, Iowa. By Carol M. Highsmith

Otter Creek in Meade County, Kentucky. By Christian von Montfort

Lupine flowers on Mount Borah, Idaho. By BLMIdaho

Clear blue water, Anna Maria Island, Florida. By Kurtkaiser

Why visit the United States?

The United States is a vast land that features mountains, deserts, plateaus, glaciers, lakes, rivers, caves, volcanoes, canyons, mesas, seashores, plains, and even geysers. The country has an openness and generosity of spirit to newcomers. Visitors will find a dynamic, adventurous, warm people who will accept you on your own terms.

Map

Relief map of the United States

This map is free to use!

The fifty states

Alabama – The Heart of Dixie

The natural beauty of Alabama is undeniable, whether you're looking at its lakes, forests, mountains, rivers. From the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, to the clear waters of the Gulf Coast . . .

Alaska – The Last Frontier

What makes Alaska so special is the scenery. The state has rugged, majestic mountains that tower high into the sky, vast glaciers, and colorful lakes. It has an amazing variety of habitats, from the subarctic tundra to the lush forests. All of these make for an incredibly beautiful landscape. . . .

Arizona – The Grand Canyon State

Arizona has many world-renowned sites such as the Grand Canyon or the ancient ruins in Tucson. Arizona is always very beautiful, with stunning landscapes that change with the weather . . .

Arkansas – The Natural State

Arkansas is a state with a lot of natural beauty—it has a lot of forests, lakes, and rivers. It has the most diverse landscape of any state in the central Mississippi valley . . .

California – The Golden State

California is one of the most beautiful and diverse states in America. With its dramatic coastlines, fertile valleys and rugged mountain ranges. It is a state of striking contrasts, with many natural wonders. The Sierra Nevada contains the highest mountain in the United States (excluding Alaska), and the Yosemite and Sequoia national parks . . .

Colorado – The Centennial State

Colorado contains some of the most magnificent scenery in North America. Canyons, waterfalls, petrified forests, caverns, and snowy mountain ranges. This scenery, together with the blue skies and clear, dry air of surpassing purity, bring thousands of visitors here annually . . .

Connecticut – The Constitution State

Connecticut is full of beautiful forests and lakes, which is great for hiking or spending time outdoors. The State has a rugged character with highlands in the northwest; a craggy shore line; and deep river valleys . . .

Delaware – The First State

Although the second smallest State in the United States, Delaware is far from uniform. The wooded hills and pastures of the north give way to marshes in the south, with sandy beaches along the coast . . .

Florida – The Sunshine State

Florida is famous for its warm climate and rich lush landscape, which provides a home for unique plants and animals. There's many different types of scenery. There's the beaches, which are beautiful and peaceful . . .

Georgia – The Peach State

Georgia is a beautiful state with lots of history and culture. It's renowned for its natural beauty. Georgia's attractions range from the humid lowlands of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge to the breezy summits of the Blue Ridge Mountains . . .

Hawaii – The Aloha State

Hawaii is one of the loveliest groups of islands in any ocean. The archipelago has a bright, Pacific setting, sunny climate, gentle cool breezes, and world-famous volcanoes. Hawaii’s natural beauty attracts people . . .

Idaho – The Gem State

Idaho is extraordinarily beautiful. Every nook and cranny is scenic, and the scenery changes dramatically from one location to the next. It has lofty mountains; sheer canyons with granite walls . . .

Illinois – The Prairie State

Illinois is an idyllic place with a lot to offer. The landscape is varied and beautiful, with its gently rolling prairies, sloping hills, broad valleys, and one of the most extensive river systems in the United States . . .

Indiana – The Hoosier State

Indiana has an abundance of natural resources, including forests, lakes and rivers. Indiana has long been known as the "Crossroads of America." The State is famous for its broad, fertile plains, rolling hills . . .

Iowa – The Hawkeye State

Iowa is absolutely beautiful. It is one of the great prairie states of America, famed for its fertile farmland and glacier-made lakes . . .

Kansas – The Sunflower State

The prairies in Kansas are beautiful—they are so vast and open, and the sky is always clear. You can see for miles, and it is always a pleasure to look out at the natural beauty . . .

Kentucky – The Bluegrass State

Kentucky is home to many natural attractions, including the Mammoth Cave National Park and the Bluegrass region home to the Kentucky bluegrass, with its velvety texture and its strong color . . .

Louisiana – The Pelican State

Louisiana has beautiful landscapes, rich culture, and friendly people. Louisiana's landscapes varies from uplands of prairie and forest to the alluvial lands and swamps of the Gulf Coast . . .

Maine – The Pine Tree State

The scenery of Maine is absolutely stunning, and the landscapes change so much. Maine attracts more summer visitors than almost any other US state . . .

Maryland – The Old Line State

Maryland offers such a wide variety of scenery out of all proportion to its area. The central feature of Maryland is Chesapeake Bay, the greatest inlet in the United States . . .

Massachusetts – The Bay State

Massachusetts has rolling hills, quaint towns, and a rich history that dates back to the early days of America. In the south are the low and sandy shores of Cape Cod, and the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket . . .

Michigan – The Wolverine State

Michigan is unique in many ways. From the rugged hills of the Huron and Porcupine Mountains in northern Michigan, to the vast coastlines of the Great Lakes . . .

Minnesota – The Gopher State

Minnesota is a great place to go out and explore. The lakes, the forests, and the rivers are all beautiful. Here can be found the sources of the Mississippi River and the Red River . . .

Mississippi – The Magnolia State

Mississippi borrows its name from the mighty river that bounds the state on the west. It is a largely rural state with a distinctive regional culture that makes it a popular tourist destination for those seeking a respite from urban life . . .

Missouri – The Show-Me State

Missouri is a beautiful state bounded by mighty rivers that shaped its landscape—the Missouri to the northwest and the Mississippi to the east. Missouri has many small towns and a rich heritage . . .

Montana – The Treasure State

Montana has amazing scenery all throughout the state, from the high mountain ranges in the west to rolling hills and open prairies in central Montana . . .

Nebraska – The Cornhusker State

Part of the Great Plains of North America, Nebraska has a great variety of scenery which makes it stand out from similar states. From the Sand Hills of northern Nebraska . . .

Nevada – The Silver State

Spending time in Nevada is like escaping to another world. It’s known for its vast open spaces, deserts, and mountains. The mountains create a beautiful backdrop for the desert landscape . . .

New Hampshire – The Granite State

New Hampshire has long been known for its spectacular scenery and natural beauty. The state is home to a wide variety of landscapes, from the rolling hills of the White Mountains to the New England coast . . .

New Jersey – The Garden State

New Jersey has plenty of natural wonders and attractions to explore. From the beaches in the Atlantic Ocean to forests, hills, and lakes in the northern part of the state . . .

New Mexico – Land of Enchantment

New Mexico is georgous. The landscape ranges from the high desert of eastern New Mexico to the mountains of central New Mexico, with Albuquerque at its heart. There are plenty of interesting things to see . . .

New York – The Empire State

Away from the city which makes the state famous, New York is home to amazing natural landscapes with mountains, rivers and valleys . . .

North Carolina – The Tar Heel State

North Carolina is one of the most beautiful states in America. With its rolling hills, clean air, crystal-clear waters, and the Appalachian Mountains (including Blue Ridge and Great Smoky mountains) . . .

North Dakota – The Peace Garden State

North Dakota is home to a variety of beautiful features. There are the prairie grasslands with their rolling hills, vast open spaces and the soothing sounds of rushing water . . .

Ohio – The Buckeye State

Ohio has landscapes that are both picturesque and rugged, ranging from heavily forested areas to the rolling hills of the Midwest to the beautiful coastline of Lake Erie . . .

Oklahoma – The Sooner State

Oklahoma has a vast and varied landscape, from rolling hills to high plains and richly fertile land that dips and rises. It also features plenty of rivers and creeks meandering through the land . . .

Oregon – The Beaver State

Oregon has spectacular scenery, from the misty forest near the Pacific to the snow-capped mountains to the high desert areas. The mountains include the Coast and Cascade ranges . . .

Pennsylvania – The Keystone State

Pennsylvania’s diverse landscape contains everything from small towns to picturesque rivers. From north to south the State is home to rolling hills and valleys culminating in the Allegheny Mountains . . .

Rhode Island – The Ocean State

Rhode Island is a small, but geographically diverse—you can find different landscapes, from the rocky coastline to the rolling hills, all within a short distance from each either . . .

South Carolina – The Palmetto State

South Carolina is known for its natural beauty with many different landscapes. The coastline has crystal-clear waters and white sandy beaches. The inland areas are lush with large areas of woodland . . .

South Dakota – The Coyote State

South Dakota is a wonderful place to relax. The landscape features rolling hills, prairies, and woodlands. The Black Hills are a beautiful, forested area that is very popular . . .

Tennessee – The Volunteer State

The beauty of Tennessee is evident in all that it has to offer. From the Great Smoky Mountains to the Mississippi River, everything is picturesque . . .

Texas – The Lone Star State

Texas is known for its vast open spaces and its deserts. But there are so many other landscapes, ranging from the lush pine forests of the East to the river canyons of the West . . .

Utah – The Beehive State

Utah has stunning landscapes, from the natural canyons and valleys, to the vast expanses of wilderness and the huge array of parks . . .

Vermont – The Green Mountain State

Vermont is home to the Green Mountains with its brilliant autumn foliage and winter sports. Here too is the Connecticut River, and the incredible Lake Champlain . . .

Virginia – Old Dominion State

Virginia is a state known for its beautiful landscape, and its interesting history. The landscape ranges from the rolling hills of Central Virginia to the sandy beaches along the Atlantic Coast . . .

Washington – The Evergreen State

Washington is an amazing state because of its natural features. From the rivers and the lakes to the many mountain ranges, the landscape is always giving you a vista of something new . . .

West Virginia – The Mountain State

West Virginia is one of the most scenic states in the United States. It is home to many attractions, including the dramatic Allegheny Mountains, the soft murmur of the Potomac River . . .

Wisconsin – The Badger State

Wisconsin has so many different types of forests, lakes, and rivers that it's impossible to get bored of the view. The lack of large cities means that you get to see the natural beauty in a completely unspoiled way . . .

Wyoming

The beauty of Wyoming cannot be put into words. So much of the state is a breathtaking experience—every corner offers something unique and beautiful. Great natural parks encircled by wooded slopes and majestic peaks . . .

What is the nature of the United States like?

The natural enviroment of the United States has great variety and a wealth of species. This is especially noticeable in the trees, of which there are hundreds of species. There are also great differences between the various parts of the country, not only the climatic differences as one passes from south to north, but also between the eastern and western regions. Many of the most common trees, shrubs, and herbs of the Eastern States are unknown on the Pacific Coast. Equally, most of the characteristic species in the West are absent in the East. It is in the East that one finds the greatest local variety in vegetation, hundreds of widely different forms growing in luxuriant profusion side by side within narrow areas, while in the West there is much greater uniformity, immense areas being almost monopolized by a single species or at least a single type. The Eastern regions are also the great forested area of the country. West of the Mississippi the forests rapidly disappear as one approaches the Great Plains, and reappear only on the mountains. Indeed, in the entire Western half of the country, with the exception of the northern part of the Pacific Coast, the forests are confined to the mountain slopes above a certain altitude, all the great valleys and lowlands being treeless except where irrigated.

The Appalachian Region has probably the most varied and luxuriant vegetation of all regions within the temperate zones. This is due partly to the abundant rainfall coupled with the great and prolonged summer heat. In the Great Plains grass predominates, but mixed with asters, sunflowers, and a number of other similar plants, while cottonwood and willows grow along the rivers. In the Western plains the grasses give place to the sagebrush, and in the semi-desert areas of the South, to yuccas and cacti. The flora of southern Florida is closely related to that of the West Indies; it consists largely of mangrove and cypress swamps and palm woods, with a profusion tropical species. The Rocky Mountains are covered with coniferous forests, and in the lofty Sierras of California the trees are especially remarkable for their gigantic trees.

What is the climate of the United States like?

See our main article: The Climate of the United States

The greater part of the United States proper has a temperate or continental climate. The average annual temperatures vary from somewhat less than 50°F (10°C) on the northern border to 75°F (24°C) in the extreme southeast. The whole country is exposed to great annual differences in temperature. The average maximum temperatures is as high as 115° to 120°F (46 to 49°C) in the drier portions of Texas and Arizona, and the average minimum falls as low as -40°F (-40°C) in northern Minnesota. The climate of the United States is controlled very largely by its characteristic winds. In January these are from the west, but in July southeast winds prevail in the Southern States, which penetrate up the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountain range, but finally turn eastward with the westerly winds of the northern parts of this region.

One of the most notable features in the climate of the United States is the great contrast between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. In general the Pacific coast is under the influence of south and west winds, which bring abundant winter rains to northern California, Oregon, and Washington without severe cold weather. On the Atlantic coast the winter rains and snows are followed by very cold weather. Another striking fact in the climate of the United States is the great contrast in rainfall. The heaviest rain occurs on the coast of Oregon and Washington; next to this are the humidity and rainfall of the coasts of Florida and the adjacent States. Throughout the Mississippi Valley and along the Atlantic coast there are great fluctuations in rainfall. On the average the driest portion of the continent extends from southern California and Arizona eastward over the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountain region. Not only is the rainfall here a minimum, but the humidity of the atmosphere is also very small with clear skies.

View from the top of Mogollon Rim in Arizona

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View from the top of Mogollon Rim in Arizona. By USDA

The official websites

• Visit The USA—the USA official guide for traveling the United States of America