The economy and economic regions of the USA
The USA is one of the world’s largest economies (first by nominal GDP and competing with China at purchasing power parity). Its strength rests on large transnational corporations, a strong financial system, science and technology, and the US dollar being the main international currency. All branches of industry are developed, and the USA leads especially in aerospace, car making, electronics, software, pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals and defence industry. The USA is first in the world in oil and natural gas production and among the leaders in coal; oil and gas fields lie in Texas, California and Alaska, and coal in the Appalachian basin. Industrial regions: the strongest is the Northern region (around the Atlantic and Great Lakes, historically a large share of industry), plus the South-East, the Gulf of Mexico (petrochemicals) and California regions. On the Pacific coast (California, Washington) aerospace and electronics (Silicon Valley) dominate, and on the Great Lakes (Michigan, Illinois) car making. Farming is highly mechanised: wheat, maize, soybeans, cotton, sugar cane; the USA is among world leaders in exports of maize, soybeans and meat. Specialised belts: wheat on the Great Plains, maize in the Central Plains, cotton in the south and dairy farming around the Great Lakes. Tourism brings large income: Florida, California, Hawaii, New York, Yellowstone and Niagara Falls are famous. Four economic regions are distinguished: the Northeast (industry and financial centres, New York), the Midwest (engineering, grain and dairy), the South (cotton, petrochemicals, coastal tourism) and the West (mountainous, non-ferrous metals, aerospace, electronics, fruit growing).
In your notebook write one main branch and one state for each of the USA’s 4 economic regions (for example West – California – electronics).