The distance between the East Coast and the West Coast of the United States ranges between 2,600 and 3,200 miles, depending on the route. The shortest route is referred to as the Southern Pacific route or Route 80, while the longest road is Route 50.Know More
The 3,200-mile route from the east to the west is US-50 or Route 50, which passes through the middle of the country, earning the nickname of the Backbone of America. Starting in San Francisco, this route passes through the deserts of Nevada and Utah. It crosses the Rocky Mountains of Colorado before hitting the Colorado and Kansas prairies. Next, this route continues through the heartland country, passing through the fields of Missouri, Illinois. Indiana and Ohio. It finishes by climbing the Appalachians, passing through Washington, D.C. and ending in the fishing communities of Maryland.
The shorter distance between the two coasts is 2,671 miles and begins in San Diego between the border of California and Mexico. It passes through the arid deserts of Arizona, New Mexico and northern Texas. This route then reaches the cotton fields of northern Louisiana, the plantations of Mississippi and then the prairie of Alabama. This route completes in Georgia in the coastal town of Savannah.Learn More
Prime meridian is the name of the line that marks 0 degrees of longitude. The prime meridian marks the beginning reference point for making measurements in the eastward and westward directions. Any location along the prime meridian serves as a starting point for measurements, although international consensus designates the city of Greenwich, England as the official prime meridian.Full Answer >
An elevation map reflects the elevation of the region being depicted; this is usually done using lines, shading and color patterns. 3D models of elevation maps provide higher resolution and more accurate data, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Another term for an elevation map is a topographic map.Full Answer >
There are seven continents in the world: Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, South America, Antarctica and Australia. Asia is the largest continent, with an area of 17,212,000 square miles. Some geographers count Asia with Europe, referring to it as Eurasia due to lack of a distinct separation between the two.Full Answer >
The ecologist Aldo Leopold coined the notion of living and thinking "like a mountain," which refers to taking the long-term view of situations; while looking at decisions through this lengthy tunnel gives one considerable foresight, it also eliminates the ability to make many spontaneous decisions, for fear of what might happen months and years down the road, leading to lost opportunities. Leopold used the metaphor to describe how a mountain feels about the balance between wolves and deer in their habitat. Eliminating wolves might turn a mountain into a hunter's paradise, because of the larger numbers of deer to shoot, but the deer would also wreak havoc on the grasses and trees on the mountain, leaving it bare, and it is this outcome that the mountain considers.Full Answer >