3.Natural Resources

The United States is a land rich in natural resources.Some of these resources，such as water，iron ore，coal，oil，silver，and gold，are especially plentiful in the country.

The United States has a large deposit of iron ore.The nation produces more than 80million tons of iron ore a year.For many years，iron ore came primarily from the Great Lakes region of Minnesota and Michigan，but the mines were severely depleted during the World Wars.The richer ores are exhausted，though large amounts of lower-grade materials remain and form the basis of a thriving industry.Iron ores are also mined in Missouri，New York，Utah and Wyoming.

Coal is another major natural resource found in large quantities in the US.It dominated domestic energy production between 1949and 1951and again from 1984until 1992.Since World WarⅡcoal has been the major US energy export.In 1981US exports of coal reached its peak of 113million short tons⁵.In 1993the continuing weakness of the European economy and ongoing subsidies for domestic European coal caused a dramatic drop in the US coal exports to 75million short tons，its lowest level in 14years.Coal deposits are widely distributed in the US.Most of the coal reserves are to be found in the Appalachians，the Central Plain，and the Rockies.

America，very rich in oil，was once the largest oil producing country in the world.Oil wells in the US produce more than 3，200million barrels of petroleum a year.The production，processing and marketing of such petroleum productions as gasoline and oil make up one of America’s largest industries.Most domestic production of oil and natural gas comes from offshore areas of Louisiana and Texas，and from onshore areas of Texas，Oklahoma，and California.Although the oil production in the US is very large，her big consumption has made America insufficient in oil supply.The shortage of domestic supplies of energy was forcefully publicized by the Arab oil embargo of 1973-1974⁶.Until this embargo most Americans did not realize that the US does not have enough energy to meet its ever-growing needs.Now the US reliance on foreign oil has remained consistently in the 40%range.Saudi Arabia，Venezuela，and Canada are the United States’primary suppliers of foreign oil.

For the first time in 1993，national gas（both dry and liquid forms）accounted for the largest share of domestic energy production，followed closely by coal and crude oil.But her big consumption still forces America to import large amounts of natural gas every year.In 1993，for example，the US net imports of natural gas totaled 2.1trillion cubic feet，up 10%from the year before.Imports were responsible for 10.5%of domestic natural gas consumption in 1993，up from 9.8%in 1992.

The US was once very rich in silver and gold.In January 1848gold was discovered in a stream in California.The news soon spread and stimulated the great California gold rush⁷.Adventurers came from all parts of the US and from overseas places as distant as China and Australia.By the end of 1849，it is estimated，the California population had been swelled by 100，000.The influx of the“forty-niners”⁸ continued for the next 2years.In 1851the annual output of gold rose to＄55million.Later gold miners went to the Rockies for new resources of gold.Instead，they discovered many other mineral veins.The Black Hills of South Dakota were found to be rich in tin ore.In Montana they found a large wealth of silver，lead，and copper.Today the largest open-pit copper-mining center in the US is Bingham，Utah.Utah is also famous for its Great Salt Lake which covers 2，435km².The Great Salt Lake is several times more saline than seawater.It contains about 4.4billion tons of minerals.Approximately three fourths of this total is common table salt.

Nature has blessed North America with rich natural resources.Except for the desert regions centered around the southern Rockies，there are large supplies of fresh water and numerous fertile valleys.Today the rivers and streams of the US furnish 63%of the water supply for cities，towns and farmlands，93%of the water used by industry，and almost all of the water used to create electric power.Unlike some other countries，the US as a whole has little trouble as caused by the shortage of fresh water.

Moreover，about 30%of the US is forested，and of that amount more than 500million acres are in commercial use.In addition，America has plenty of fertile soil.Farmlands in the US make up about 12%of the arable lands in the world，and they are among the richest and most productive.Of the 2.3 billion acres of land in the 50states an estimated 300million acreage of highly productive farmlands could be expected to continue to supply the nation generously，with substantial surplus for export.

Notes

1.New England：the northeastern corner of the United States including the present states of Maine，New Hampshire，Vermont，Massachusetts，Rhode Island and Connecticut.It was

once the chief center of the American War of Independence.Now it is a highly industrialized area.

2.Deep South：those southeastern states of the US including South Carolina，Georgia，Texas，Alabama，Mississippi and Louisiana.It is sometimes called the Cotton Belt because cotton was once the dominant crop in the region.

3.Great Lakes：the five lakes between Canada and the US.They are Lake Superior（82，414 km²），Lake Michigan（58，016km²），Lake Huron（59，596km²），Lake Erie（25，745 km²）and Lake Ontario（19，592km²）.

4.Hurricane：a huge tropical rainstorm with wind speed over 117km.per hour（often exceeding 160km per hour），originating in latitudes 5°to 20°N over the west Atlantic，moving west-northwest over the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico to Florida，then northeast at about 30°N along the eastern coast of the US.

5.short ton：a unit of weight equivalent to 2，000pounds or 907.20kilograms in the US.

6.the Arab oil embargo of1973-1974：After the 1973Arab-Israeli War（6-22Oct.），Arab nations embargoed oil shipments to the US in retaliation for the US aid to Israel in the war.The embargo brought gasoline shortages and long lines of cars at pumps in the United States.

7.California gold rush：In Jan.1848an American found gold while constructing a watermill channel near Sacramento，California.The news soon spread out and set off a mad rush to the gold fields.By mid-1849thousands of Americans from every state，section，race，and nationality had made California their home.

8.the“forty-niners”：people who joined the gold rush and moved to California in 1849.

Exercises

Ⅰ.Choose the correct answer.

1.In area，the United States is the_________ largest country in the world.

A.2nd B.3rd C.4th D.5th

2.The Midwest in the US refers to the region________.

A.west of the Mississippi Valley

B.west of the Appalachian Mountains

C.east of the Rocky Mountains

D.around the Great Lakes and the upper Mississippi Valley

3.The Backbone of North America refers to the________.

A.Appalachian Mountains　　B.Rocky Mountains

C.Cascade Mountains　　　　D.Sierra Nevada Mountains

4.Death Valley is on the western edge of________.

A.the Great Basin　　　　B.California

C.the Rocky Mountains　　D.the Sierra Nevada Mountains

5.Which region might have a dust storm in summer？

A.The Deep South.

B.The Middle West.

C.The Great Plains.

D.The Central Valley of California.

6.Which area has the highest rainfall in the US？

A.The region around the Great Lakes.

B.The western part of Washington State.

C.The Middle Atlantic states.

D.The Central Valley of California.

7.The US primary suppliers of foreign oil are the following countries except________.

A.Canada　　　B.Japan

C.Venezuela　 D.Saudi Arabia

8.The US largest open-pit copper-miningcenter is in________.

A.California　　　B.Utah

C.Montana　　　　 D.South Dakota

Ⅱ.Fill in the blanks.

1.The United States is bordered on the north by________，on the south by________and________，on the east by________，and on the west by________.

2.According to the text，the large territory of the continental US is divided

into three basic areas：

A.__________________________________________________________________；

B.___________________________________________________________________；

C._________________________________________________________________.

3.The Middle Atlantic States are the ________populated region in the US，where the land is ________and________.

4.The Central Valley of California is a highly ________area，which produced enormous amounts of and.

5.Most production of oil and natural gas in the US comes from offshore areas of________and________，and from onshore areas of________，and________.Her big consumption of energynow has made America________in oil supply.The US reliance of foreign oil has remained consistentlyin the________range.

6.The United States has________trouble caused by the shortage of________water.Farmlands in the US making up about________of the arable lands in the world，and they are among the________and________most.

Ⅲ.Questions for discussion.

1.How many states are there in the United States？And which two states are geographically separated from the others？

2.What are the general characters of the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains？

3.Do you think that geography has played an important role in the economic development of the United States？Explain.