US islands
The United States owns Alaska, Hawaii, US Virgin Islands, as well as some land areas in the Pacific Ocean. The list of possessions of this country includes Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam and other territories. The most popular islands in the United States are Hawaiian. They make up the Pacific group of 24 land areas. These islands are the tops of the oceanic ridge. Among them there are active volcanoes.
Brief description of US possessions
The largest Hawaiian islands are Maui, Hawaii, Oahu, Kahulawi, Kauai and the Big Island. The most active volcano is Kilawi, which is located on the Big Island. The US Virgin Islands are located in the Caribbean. It is an organized unincorporated territory of the United States. The largest islands are Saint John, Saint Thomas and Santa Cruz. The total area of the territory is over 346 35 sq. km.
These US islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands, which also include the British Virgin Islands. The islands located in the south of Florida are popular among tourists. This is, for example, the Florida Keys, where the best beaches in the United States are located. The bottom and beaches there are covered with coral chips and sand.
The Aleutian Islands, which are of volcanic origin, are under the jurisdiction of the state. They arc from Alaska to the Kamchatka Peninsula. This archipelago is the southern border of the Bering Sea and includes many islands and rocks. Its total area is approximately 37.8 sq. km.
The possession of the United States in the West Indies is Puerto Rico, which occupies the island of the same name. It is the smallest land area in the Greater Antilles. It is separated from Haiti by the Mona Strait in the west. To the east of Puerto Rico are the Virgin Islands. Puerto Rico has a second designation - Boriken Island. It entered the number of US possessions in 1952, along with such islands as Culebra, Mona, Vieques, etc..
Weather features
Climatic conditions on the islands of the United States are not uniform. Most of the country is located in a zone of temperate and continental subtropical climate. Near the Pacific Ocean, the climate is maritime. The Atlantic coast is dominated by the continental maritime climate. South Florida is a tropical weather zone. In the area of the Virgin Islands, the climate is tropical, trade winds. Hot and humid weather reigns there. Earthquakes and hurricanes are frequent. Arctic climate prevails in northern Alaska.