The United States is a federal republic that occupies the continent of North America.

Its 17 states share a land border with Canada and Mexico.

It has coasts on the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic oceans.

The continental US is divided into 11 geographical regions, each with a specific climate, geography, and topography.

The conterminous United States is divided into seven major physiographic regions.

These are the Atlantic-Gulf Coastal Plain, the Appalachian Highlands, the Interior Plains, the Rocky Mountain System, the Pacific Ocean, and the  Western Intermontane Region.

The country's interior is composed of a variety of terrain, including lakes, swamplands, and mountain ranges.

The majority of the country is temperate, with some areas being semi-arid.

In the southwest, the Great Basin area is semi-arid. Warm chinook winds blowing from the Rocky Mountains help temper the cold winters in the northwest.