A Tour of the States

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male narrator: DID YOU EVER GET CONFUSED ABOUT WHICH STATE BORDER'S WHICH OR WHERE THE MOJAVE DESERT IS OR WHICH STATE CONTAINS THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN? WELL, YOU'RE ABOUT TO VISIT EACH ONE OF OUR 50 UNITED STATES TO GET THE ANSWERS TO THESE AND MANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON "AMERICAN GEOGRAPHY."

FIRST, YOU'LL GET AN AERIAL LAYOUT OF EACH STATE AND ITS CLOSEST NEIGHBORS. THEN YOU'LL VISIT THE SWAMPS, FORESTS, DESERTS, AND PLAINS THAT GIVE EACH STATE ITS UNIQUE CHARACTER. SO GET READY FOR A WHIRLWIND TRIP ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS WE TAKE A STATE-BY-STATE LOOK AT OUR AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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female narrator: ALABAMA IS THE 29TH LARGEST STATE IN THE COUNTRY AND IS LOCATED IN THE SOUTHERN REGION.
IT IS SURROUNDED BY TENNESSEE, GEORGIA, FLORIDA, THE GULF OF MEXICO, AND MISSISSIPPI. CHEAHA MOUNTAIN IN NORTHERN ALABAMA IS THE HIGHEST POINT. IT'S MORE THAN 2,400 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL AND IS LOCATED IN THE FOOTHILLS OF THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS.

FURTHER SOUTH IS A SERIES OF LONG, NARROW VALLEYS LYING BETWEEN SHARP MOUNTAIN RIDGES. WATERFALLS, WILDFLOWERS, AND WOODS TURN THESE RIDGES INTO A VISTA OF UNCOMPROMISING BEAUTY.

CONTINUING TO THE CENTRAL PART OF THE STATE, THE LAND GRADUALLY GETS FLATTER. THIS AREA IS KNOWN AS THE BLACK BELT FOR ITS FERTILE BLACK SOIL AND IS HOME TO MUCH OF THE STATE'S AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITY. SEVERAL MAJOR RIVERS, INCLUDING THE ALABAMA AND TOMBIGBEE, FLOW THROUGH THE STATE INTO MOBILE BAY. ALABAMA, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: ALASKA IS THE LARGEST STATE IN THE COUNTRY AND IS LOCATED IN THE PACIFIC REGION. IT'S SURROUNDED BY THE ARCTIC OCEAN, CANADA, THE PACIFIC OCEAN, THE BERING SEA, AND THE BERING STRAIT. ALASKA CONTAINS THE 14 HIGHEST MOUNTAINS IN THE UNITED STATES. TOWERING OVER 20,000 FEET HIGH, MOUNT MCKINLEY IS THE STATE'S AND THE COUNTRY'S HIGHEST POINT.

ABOUT 1/3 OF ALASKA IS COVERED WITH FORESTS, BUT 1/6 OF THE STATE IS A TREELESS PLAIN KNOWN AS THE ARCTIC SLOPE. CONTINUOUS SUNSHINE IN SUMMER BRINGS UP MOSSES AND BRIGHT FLOWERS, BUT THE SOIL THAWS ONLY TO A DEPTH OF A COUPLE OF FEET, PREVENTING ANY TREES FROM TAKING ROOT.

THERE ARE MORE THAN 3,000 RIVERS AND STREAMS AND OVER A MILLION LAKES THAT FORM ALASKA'S WATER SYSTEM. IT ALSO HAS THE LONGEST CHAIN OF ACTIVE VOLCANOES IN THE WORLD AND THE LARGEST GLACIER IN NORTH AMERICA. ALASKA, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: ARIZONA IS THE SIXTH LARGEST STATE IN THE COUNTRY AND IS LOCATED IN THE SOUTHWESTERN REGION. IT SHARES BORDERS WITH UTAH, COLORADO, NEW MEXICO, MEXICO, CALIFORNIA, AND NEVADA. THE NORTHERN QUARTER OF THE STATE IS KNOWN AS THE COLORADO PLATEAU. ITS WIDE EXPANSE OF TOWERING PEAKS, MOUNTAIN GORGES, AND TABLETOP PLATEAUS FORMS A DRAMATIC SHOWCASE FOR THE STATE'S HIGHEST POINT, HUMPHREYS PEAK, WHICH IS OVER 12,000 FEET.

SPANNING THE PLATEAU IS THE PAINTED DESERT, COLORFUL GATEWAY TO THE GRAND CANYON. CARVED BY THE COLORADO RIVER, IT IS ONE OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR NATURAL WONDERS OF THE WORLD. BRIDGING THE CENTRAL HIGHLAND REGION WITH THE STATE'S SOUTHWEST BORDER IS THE SONORAN DESERT, HOME TO THE GIANT SAGUARO CACTUS. ARIZONA, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: ARKANSAS IS THE COUNTRY'S 27TH LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE SOUTHERN REGION. IT'S SURROUNDED BY MISSOURI, TENNESSEE, MISSISSIPPI, LOUISIANA, TEXAS, AND OKLAHOMA. MUCH OF THE ARKANSAS LANDSCAPE IS AN ENCHANTING PATCHWORK OF ROLLING HILLS AND FERTILE FARMLANDS.

ITS HIGHEST POINT IS MAGAZINE MOUNTAIN, WHICH RISES OVER 2,700 FEET IN THE HILLY NORTHWESTERN SECTOR. NEAR THE CENTER OF THE STATE IS ONE OF ARKANSAS' MOST DISTINCTIVE NATURAL FEATURES. HOT SPRINGS NATIONAL PARK IS HOME TO AN UNDERGROUND NETWORK OF NATURAL SPRINGS, SOME OF WHICH BUBBLE TO THE SURFACE AT EXTREMELY WARM TEMPERATURES.

THE SOUTHEASTERN PORTION OF THE STATE IS FILLED WITH RICH, FERTILE FARMLAND; RIVER BAYOUS; AND SWAMPS. LEVEES ARE A FREQUENT SIGHT HERE, CONSTRUCTED TO AVOID FLOODING FROM THE STATE'S EASTERN BOUNDARY, THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. ARKANSAS, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: CALIFORNIA IS THE THIRD LARGEST STATE IN THE COUNTRY AND IS LOCATED IN THE PACIFIC REGION. IT IS SURROUNDED BY OREGON, NEVADA, ARIZONA, MEXICO, AND THE PACIFIC OCEAN. THE MOJAVE DESERT COVERS MOST OF SOUTHEASTERN CALIFORNIA. THE LOWEST LAND LEVEL IN THE COUNTRY IS FOUND AT DEATH VALLEY, 282 FEET BELOW SEA LEVEL.

CALIFORNIA'S COASTAL REGION EXTENDS INLAND AND IS A SERIES OF MOUNTAIN CHAINS. TO THE EAST LIES THE GREAT CENTRAL VALLEY, AN IMMENSELY FERTILE AGRICULTURAL REGION. IN THE SIERRA NEVADA RANGE STANDS MOUNT WHITNEY.
AT 14,494 FEET, IT IS THE HIGHEST POINT IN THE CONTIGUOUS UNITED STATES.

HEADING NORTH, YOU'LL FIND YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, SITE OF THE HIGHEST WATERFALL IN THE COUNTRY AND HOME TO GIANT SEQUOIA TREES. CALIFORNIA, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: COLORADO IS OUR EIGHTH LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE MOUNTAIN REGION. IT IS SURROUNDED BY WYOMING, NEBRASKA, KANSAS, OKLAHOMA, NEW MEXICO, ARIZONA, AND UTAH. NEARLY HALF OF COLORADO IS PART OF THE GREAT PLAINS, WHICH SLOPE GENTLY UP TO MEET THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS.

RUNNING DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE STATE, THESE MOUNTAINS GIVE COLORADO THE DISTINCTION OF HAVING MORE 14-ERS-- MOUNTAINS OVER 14,000 FEET--THAN ANY OTHER STATE. ONE OF THE 53 14-ERS FOUND HERE IS MOUNT ELBERT, THE STATE'S HIGHEST POINT AT 14,433 FEET. EVEN COLORADO'S LOWEST POINT IS MORE THAN 3,000 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL.

TO THE WEST OF THE ROCKIES LIES AN AREA OF DEEP VALLEYS AND FLAT-TOPPED HILLS. GRAND LAKE, THE SOURCE OF THE COLORADO RIVER, IS ALSO FOUND HERE. COLORADO, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: CONNECTICUT RANKS 48TH IN SIZE AND IS LOCATED IN NEW ENGLAND. IT'S SURROUNDED BY MASSACHUSETTS, RHODE ISLAND, LONG ISLAND SOUND, AND NEW YORK. CONNECTICUT'S HIGHEST POINT CAN BE FOUND
AT 2,380 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL ON A SLOPE OF MOUNT FRISSELL. THIS MOUNTAIN STRADDLES THE CONNECTICUT BORDER,
WITH ITS PEAK RESIDING IN NEIGHBORING MASSACHUSETTS.

MOST OF WESTERN CONNECTICUT IS COVERED WITH RIDGES AND STEEP HILLS. THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY FILLS THE CENTER OF THE STATE, RUNNING NORTH AND SOUTH, WHILE FURTHER EAST, THE LANDSCAPE IS COMPRISED OF LOW HILLS
AND NARROW RIVER VALLEYS ALONG WITH A THIN STRIP OF LOWLANDS THAT FORMS THE COAST OF LONG ISLAND SOUND.

LIKE THE STATE ITSELF, MOST OF THE NATURAL LAKES HERE ARE SMALL. THE BIGGEST LAKE IN THE STATE IS THE MANMADE CANDLEWOOD, ONE OF THE LARGER RESERVOIRS IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES. CONNECTICUT, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: DELAWARE IS OUR SECOND SMALLEST STATE, RANKED 49TH IN SIZE AND LOCATED IN THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION. IT'S SURROUNDED BY PENNSYLVANIA, NEW JERSEY, DELAWARE BAY, THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, AND MARYLAND. DELAWARE IS MOSTLY A FLAT COASTAL PLAIN THAT SELDOM RISES OVER 80 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL. A SMALL STRIP OF LAND ABOUT TEN MILES WIDE AT THE VERY TOP OF THE STATE IS MADE UP OF ROLLING HILLS, FERTILE VALLEYS, AND SHORT, SWIFT STREAMS.

THE HIGHEST POINT IN THE STATE, 442 FEET, CAN BE FOUND ON THIS NORTHERN BORDER. ALONG THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF THE STATE IS AN AREA OF SWAMPS, MANY OF WHICH HAVE BEEN DRAINED FOR FARMLAND. THE DELAWARE RIVER IS THE LARGEST IN THE STATE AND SEPARATES IT FROM NEW JERSEY. IT'S ALSO PART OF THE ATLANTIC INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY, A TRANSPORTATION ROUTE RUNNING FROM KEY WEST TO BOSTON. DELAWARE, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: FLORIDA IS OUR 22ND LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE SOUTHERN REGION. IT'S SURROUNDED BY ALABAMA, GEORGIA, THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, AND THE GULF OF MEXICO. FLORIDA IS A PENINSULA JUTTING DOWN FROM THE MAINLAND AND IS THE SOUTHERNMOST OF ALL THE CONTINENTAL STATES. THE PENINSULA ENDS IN A CHAIN OF TINY CORAL ISLANDS CALLED THE FLORIDA KEYS.

FLORIDA HAS THE LOWEST HIGH POINT OF ALL THE STATES, ONLY 345 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL. LAKE OKEECHOBEE IS THE LARGEST FRESHWATER LAKE TO LIE COMPLETELY WITHIN ONE STATE AND, ALONG WITH COUNTLESS SPRINGS, STREAMS, AND RIVERS, FORMS PART OF FLORIDA'S EXTENSIVE WATER SYSTEM.

COVERING MOST OF THE LOWER PORTION OF THE STATE ARE HUGE AREAS OF MARSHES AND SWAMPLAND, INCLUDING THE EVERGLADES, THE LARGEST SUBTROPICAL WILDERNESS IN THE U.S. FLORIDA, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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female narrator: GEORGIA IS RANKED 21ST IN SIZE AND IS LOCATED IN THE SOUTHERN REGION. IT IS BORDERED BY TENNESSEE, NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, FLORIDA, AND ALABAMA. AND IT'S THE LARGEST STATE EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

THE GEORGIA TERRAIN IS RELATIVELY LOW AND FLAT ALONG THE COAST, GRADUALLY TURNING INTO LOW, ROLLING HILLS IN THE SCENIC BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE STATE. NESTLED AMONG THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS AND JUST A FEW MILES OFF THE FAMOUS APPALACHIAN TRAIL IS GEORGIA'S HIGHEST POINT, BRASSTOWN BALD MOUNTAIN, WHICH RISES MORE THAN 4,700 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL.

MILLIONS OF YEARS AGO, GEORGIA WAS COVERED BY A VAST OCEAN. AS THE OCEAN RECEDED, LAND WAS EXPOSED EXCEPT FOR A LARGE AREA IN THE SOUTHEAST WHERE THE WATER BECAME TRAPPED AND FORMED THE NETWORK OF MARSHES AND SWAMPS KNOWN AS THE OKEFENOKEE SWAMP. GEORGIA, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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female narrator: HAWAII IS RANKED 47TH IN SIZE AND IS LOCATED IN THE PACIFIC REGION. CONSISTING OF 132 ISLANDS,
HAWAII IS ENTIRELY SURROUNDED BY THE PACIFIC OCEAN. THESE ISLANDS ARE THE TOPS OF AN ENORMOUS VOLCANIC MOUNTAIN RANGE RISING FROM THE OCEAN FLOOR.

MAUNA KEA IS THE TALLEST MOUNTAIN ON EARTH, THOUGH MOST OF IT IS BELOW THE OCEAN SURFACE. RISING NEARLY 14,000 FEET ABOVE THE PACIFIC, IT IS ALSO THE STATE'S HIGHEST POINT AND IS LOCATED ON HAWAII, ITS LARGEST ISLAND.

THE HAWAIIAN LANDSCAPE CONTAINS MANY OUTSTANDING FEATURES LIKE KAIMU BEACH, WHOSE JET-BLACK SAND COMES FROM PULVERIZED LAVA. MAUI BOASTS THE LARGEST INACTIVE VOLCANIC CRATER IN THE WORLD. NAMED HALEAKALA,
IT TOWERS MAJESTICALLY OVER LUSH TROPICAL FORESTS.

FROM FORBIDDING STONE CLIFFS TO ITS FERTILE MOUNTAIN FARMS, HAWAII IS A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: IDAHO IS OUR 13TH LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE MOUNTAIN REGION. IT'S BORDERED BY CANADA, MONTANA, WYOMING, UTAH, NEVADA, OREGON, AND WASHINGTON. IDAHO IS A VERY RUGGED STATE. MOUNTAIN RANGES WITH NAMES LIKE "SEVEN DEVILS" AND "SAWTOOTH" ACCURATELY REFLECT MUCH OF ITS LANDSCAPE.

THE RIVER OF NO RETURN IN CENTRAL IDAHO WAS NAMED BY EARLY SETTLERS WHO FOUND ITS STRONG CURRENT AND FURIOUS RAPIDS IMPOSSIBLE TO NAVIGATE. TODAY, IT'S CALLED THE SALMON RIVER AND IS A MAIN BRANCH OF THE SNAKE RIVER. THE SNAKE RIVER CANYON IS HOME TO THOUSAND SPRINGS, WHERE RIBBONS OF WATER EMERGE FROM THE SIDE OF THE CANYON AND CASCADE TO THE BOTTOM.

HELLS CANYON, LOCATED ON THE WESTERN BORDER, IS DEEPER THAN THE GRAND CANYON. AND IN THE NORTH, SOME OF THE LARGEST WHITE PINE FORESTS IN THE WORLD ARE FOUND. IDAHO, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: ILLINOIS IS OUR 24TH LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE MIDWESTERN REGION. IT'S BORDERED BY WISCONSIN, LAKE MICHIGAN, INDIANA, KENTUCKY, MISSOURI, AND IOWA. MOST OF ILLINOIS IS COVERED WITH LOW, ROLLING FARMLAND LEFT BEHIND WHEN GLACIERS MOVED ACROSS THE STATE THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO. THESE CENTRAL PLAINS STRETCH AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE.

SOUTH OF THESE PLAINS ARE WOODED HILLS, VALLEYS, RIVERS, AND STREAMS. IN THE NORTHEAST IS A SMALL AREA
THAT WAS ONCE COVERED BY LAKE MICHIGAN AND NOW CONTAINS MARSHES, LAKES, AND LOW HILLS. THE MORE RUGGED NORTHWEST IS CALLED A DRIFTLESS AREA, A PART OF ILLINOIS THAT WAS UNTOUCHED BY GLACIERS.

THE STATE'S HIGHEST POINT IS HERE, CHARLES MOUND, STANDING MORE THAN 1,200 FEET HIGH. THREE-FOURTHS OF THE STREAMS IN ILLINOIS FLOW INTO THE MISSISSIPPI, WHICH FORMS THE WESTERN BOUNDARY OF THE STATE. ILLINOIS, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: INDIANA IS OUR 38TH LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE MIDWESTERN REGION. IT IS SURROUNDED BY MICHIGAN, OHIO, KENTUCKY, ILLINOIS, AND LAKE MICHIGAN. MUCH OF INDIANA CONSISTS OF PLAINS FORMED BY GLACIERS
THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO. THE RICH MINERAL DEPOSITS CREATED EXCELLENT FARMING SOIL, ESPECIALLY IN THE CENTRAL THIRD OF THE STATE.

A NUMBER OF SMALL HILLS REMAIN ON THE EXTREME EASTERN EDGE, INCLUDING THE HIGHEST ELEVATION, FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, WHICH IS NEARLY 1,200 FEET HIGH. LARGE LIMESTONE DEPOSITS ARE FOUND IN SOUTHEASTERN INDIANA,
WHERE UNDERGROUND STREAMS HAVE CARVED CAVERNS LIKE WYANDOTTE CAVE, ONE OF THE LARGEST IN THE WORLD.

AND IN THE NORTHWESTERN CORNER OF THE STATE, ANCIENT GLACIER DEPOSITS AND STRONG WINDS FROM LAKE MICHIGAN HAVE CREATED SAND DUNES RISING NEARLY 200 FEET, OVER 700 MILES FROM THE NEAREST OCEAN. INDIANA, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: IOWA IS OUR 25TH LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE MIDWESTERN REGION. IT IS SURROUNDED BY  MINNESOTA, WISCONSIN, ILLINOIS, MISSOURI, NEBRASKA, AND SOUTH DAKOTA. IOWA'S NORTHEASTERN CORNER WAS COVERED BY ONLY THE FIRST OF FOUR MAJOR GLACIAL MOVEMENTS, LEAVING THE TERRAIN MORE RUGGED. THE REST OF THE STATE IS PRIMARILY A FARMING REGION.

MUCH OF IT WAS ONCE SWAMPLAND, BUT EARLY PIONEERS DRAINED THE SWAMPS, EXPOSING SOME OF THE MOST FERTILE SOIL IN THE WORLD. TODAY, 93% OF THE LAND IS USED FOR AGRICULTURE, SECOND ONLY TO NEBRASKA.

THE STATE IS FLANKED BY THE TWO LONGEST RIVERS IN THE COUNTRY: THE MISSISSIPPI IN THE EAST AND THE MISSOURI IN THE WEST. IOWA, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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female narrator: KANSAS IS OUR 14TH LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE PLAINS REGION. IT IS BORDERED BY NEBRASKA, MISSOURI, OKLAHOMA, AND COLORADO. ONCE COVERED BY AN INLAND SEA, PARTS OF KANSAS BECAME A DEPOSITORY FOR FOSSILS OF PREHISTORIC FISH AND REPTILES. MANY OF THESE CAN BE FOUND IN THE CHALK PYRAMIDS,
SITUATED IN THE NORTHWEST PART OF THE STATE.

THE HIGHEST POINT IS MOUNT SUNFLOWER. LOCATED NEAR THE COLORADO BORDER, IT IS MORE THAN 4,000 FEET HIGH.

MUCH OF THE STATE IS FERTILE FARMLAND, MAKING IT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT AGRICULTURAL CENTERS IN THE U.S.
KANSAS ALSO HAS THE DISTINCTION OF BEING THE GEOGRAPHIC CENTER OF THE 48 CONTIGUOUS UNITED STATES.

THE MAIN RIVER OF THE SOUTHERN REGION IS THE ARKANSAS, WHILE THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE STATE IS DRAINED BY THE KANSAS RIVER. KANSAS, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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female narrator: KENTUCKY IS OUR 37TH LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE SOUTHERN REGION. IT IS SURROUNDED BY ILLINOIS, INDIANA, OHIO, WEST VIRGINIA, VIRGINIA, TENNESSEE, AND MISSOURI. THE MOST WELL-KNOWN AREA OF KENTUCKY IS THE BLUEGRASS REGION. THE LAND IS LOW AND FLAT, AND THE GRASS PRODUCES SMALL, ABUNDANT BLUE FLOWERS, GIVING IT ITS NAME.

TO THE WEST OF THIS REGION IS FARMLAND, AND TO THE EAST ARE THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS. HERE, YOU CAN FIND THE STATE'S HIGHEST POINT, BLACK MOUNTAIN, AT MORE THAN 4,000 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL. UNDERNEATH THE STATE'S FARMLAND LIES A BED OF LIMESTONE, WHICH RAINWATER AND EROSION HAVE TURNED INTO A NETWORK OF CAVERNS.
ONE OF THEM, MAMMOTH CAVE, IS THE LONGEST KNOWN CAVE SYSTEM IN THE WORLD: 348 MILES OF IT HAVE BEEN EXPLORED AND MAPPED, INCLUDING AN UNDERGROUND RIVER. KENTUCKY, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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female narrator: LOUISIANA IS OUR 31ST LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE SOUTHERN REGION. IT IS SURROUNDED BY ARKANSAS, MISSISSIPPI, THE GULF OF MEXICO, AND TEXAS. LOCATED WHERE THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER EMPTIES INTO THE GULF, LOUISIANA GROWS BY NEARLY 1,000 ACRES PER YEAR FROM SOIL DEPOSITED ALONG ITS COAST. IT IS ALSO A LOW-LYING STATE. THE BOTTOMMOST POINT IS IN NEW ORLEANS, FIVE FEET BELOW SEA LEVEL.

SINCE THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER IS HIGHER THAN MOST OF THE LAND AROUND IT, EXTENSIVE LEVEES HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED ALONG ITS BANKS TO PREVENT FLOODING. THE ABUNDANCE OF BAYOUS AND MARSHLAND
MAKE LOUISIANA ONE OF THE FEW RICE-PRODUCING STATES.

AND MORE THAN HALF THE STATE IS FORESTED WITH TREES SUCH AS PINE, OAK, ASH, AND CYPRESS. LOUISIANA, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: MAINE IS OUR 39TH LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN NEW ENGLAND. WITH CANADA, THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, AND NEW HAMPSHIRE FORMING ITS BOUNDARIES, MAINE IS THE ONLY STATE TO BE BORDERED BY ONLY ONE OTHER U.S. STATE.

THOUSANDS OF ISLANDS DOT THE COASTAL WATERS OF MAINE. GLACIERS MOVING ACROSS THE LAND CREATED THESE ISLANDS, AS WELL AS ONE OF THE MOST JAGGED COASTLINES IN THE WORLD.

THE HIGHEST POINT IN MAINE IS MOUNT KATAHDIN, WHICH RISES TO AN ELEVATION OF MORE THAN 5,200 FEET. THIS SMALL STATE BOASTS OVER 2,500 LAKES AND PONDS. MOOSEHEAD LAKE IS THE LARGEST, NAMED FOR THE ANIMAL THAT FREQUENTS ITS SHORES. FORESTS COVER ABOUT 90% OF THE LAND, AND MOST OF THE STATE IS CONSIDERED A WILDERNESS. MORE THAN HALF THE POPULATION LIVES ALONG ITS SPECTACULAR COASTLINE. MAINE, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: MARYLAND IS OUR 42ND LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION. ITS BORDERS ARE PENNSYLVANIA, DELAWARE, THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, VIRGINIA, THE CHESAPEAKE BAY, AND WEST VIRGINIA. MARYLAND'S BACKBONE MOUNTAIN LIES IN THE MOUNTAINOUS REGION TO THE FAR WEST. IT IS THE STATE'S HIGHEST ELEVATION
AT MORE THAN 3,300 FEET.

MOVING EAST, THE LAND CHANGES TO GENTLY ROLLING HILLS UP TO THE FALL LINE, WHICH IS WHERE THE ELEVATION DROPS SHARPLY. ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE FALL LINE, THE LAND IS SMOOTH AND FLAT. SWAMPY AREAS BORDER THE CHESAPEAKE BAY, THE LARGEST INLET ON THE U.S. ATLANTIC COAST. THE BRACKISH WATER OF THE BAY IS FED BY MORE THAN A DOZEN RIVERS. ONE OF THESE, THE POTOMAC, FORMS PART OF MARYLAND'S SOUTHERN BORDER. IT'S THE STATE'S LONGEST RIVER, WINDING 287 MILES THROUGH ROCK CLIFFS, PINE FORESTS, AND TIDAL LOWLANDS. MARYLAND, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: MASSACHUSETTS IS RANKED 45TH IN SIZE AND IS LOCATED IN NEW ENGLAND. IT'S SURROUNDED BY VERMONT, NEW HAMPSHIRE, THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, RHODE ISLAND, CONNECTICUT, AND NEW YORK. WHEN GLACIERS TRAVELED THROUGH MASSACHUSETTS THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO, THEY LEFT BEHIND A RIDGE OF DEBRIS JUTTING INTO THE OCEAN. AS SAND WAS DEPOSITED ON THIS FINGER OF LAND, IT BECAME AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE STATE.
TODAY, WE KNOW IT AS CAPE COD.

ELSEWHERE ALONG THE MASSACHUSETTS COAST, THE LAND IS GENERALLY FLAT WITH OCCASIONAL SMALL HILLS. TO THE WEST, THE LAND RISES INTO ROCKY ELEVATIONS AND VALLEYS AND THEN INTO THE BERKSHIRE HILLS. LOCATED HERE IN THE BERKSHIRES IS MOUNT GREYLOCK, THE STATE'S HIGHEST POINT AT OVER 3,400 HUNDRED FEET.

THE CONNECTICUT RIVER--THE LONGEST RIVER IN NEW ENGLAND--FLOWS THROUGH THE FERTILE FARMLAND OF CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS BEFORE LEAVING THE STATE. MASSACHUSETTS, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: MICHIGAN IS THE 23RD LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE MIDWESTERN REGION. IT IS SURROUNDED BY LAKE SUPERIOR, CANADA, LAKE HURON, LAKE ERIE, OHIO, INDIANA, LAKE MICHIGAN, AND WISCONSIN. COMPRISED OF TWO PENINSULAS JUTTING INTO THE GREAT LAKES, MICHIGAN'S SHORELINE IS LONGER THAN THAT OF THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES' ATLANTIC COAST.

LAKE MICHIGAN IS THE LARGEST LAKE TO LIE COMPLETELY WITHIN THE UNITED STATES. WATER CAN ALSO BE FOUND IN GREAT ABUNDANCE IN THE STATE'S INTERIOR, INCLUDING 15,000 LAKES. IF ITS RIVERS WERE LAID END TO END, THEY WOULD WRAP AROUND THE EARTH AT THE EQUATOR.

WITH FEW VALLEYS OR STEEP MOUNTAINS, THE STATE'S HIGHEST POINT IS OVER 1,900 FEET AT MOUNT ARVON, LOCATED IN THE NORTHWEST PART OF THE STATE. MICHIGAN, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: MINNESOTA IS OUR 12TH LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE MIDWESTERN REGION. IT IS SURROUNDED BY CANADA, LAKE SUPERIOR, WISCONSIN, IOWA, SOUTH DAKOTA, AND NORTH DAKOTA. THE NORTHERNMOST POINT OF LAND IN THE CONTIGUOUS UNITED STATES IS LOCATED IN MINNESOTA.

WITH ONE OF THE LARGEST WATER-TO-LAND RATIOS IN THE COUNTRY, THIS STATE HAS MORE THAN 22,000 LAKES. ONE OF THESE LAKES, ITASCA, IS THE SOURCE OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. AS THE MIGHTY RIVER LEAVES LAKE ITASCA, IT IS SO SLOW AND SHALLOW THAT A CHILD CAN WADE ACROSS IT.

EAGLE MOUNTAIN, WHICH IS JUST OVER 2,300 FEET, IS THE HIGHEST POINT IN THE STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE FAR NORTHEAST, WHERE THE LAND IS RUGGED AND ROCKY.

THE NORTHWEST PART OF MINNESOTA CONTAINS THE FERTILE RED RIVER VALLEY, WHILE THE SOUTH IS COVERED WITH ROLLING PRAIRIES AND MORE RICH FARMLAND. MINNESOTA, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: MISSISSIPPI IS OUR 32ND LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE SOUTHERN REGION. IT IS SURROUNDED BY TENNESSEE, ALABAMA, THE GULF OF MEXICO, LOUISIANA, AND ARKANSAS. THE MOST IMPORTANT RIVER IN THE STATE IS ITS NAMESAKE, THE MISSISSIPPI. THE RIVER FORMS THE STATE'S ENTIRE WESTERN BOUNDARY AND IS CONSTANTLY SHIFTING, CHANGING THE BORDER ALONG WITH IT.

FLOODING OCCURRED FREQUENTLY, SOMETIMES ENGULFING ENTIRE TOWNS FOR DAYS AT A TIME. EXTENSIVE FLOOD CONTROL HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED ALONG THE RIVER, INCLUDING LEVEES AS HIGH AS 30 FEET.

THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO, SEVERAL RIVERS CONVERGED NEAR THE WESTERN BOUNDARY. MUCH OF THE SOIL IN MISSISSIPPI WAS DEPOSITED BY THOSE RIVERS, LEAVING THE STATE WITH SOME OF THE RICHEST FARMLAND IN THE COUNTRY. COMPRISED OF MOSTLY LOW HILLS, THE STATE'S ELEVATION RISES IN THE NORTHEAST TO ITS HIGHEST POINT, WOODALL MOUNTAIN, AT JUST OVER 800 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL. MISSISSIPPI, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: MISSOURI IS OUR 19TH LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE MIDWESTERN REGION. IT IS SURROUNDED BY IOWA, ILLINOIS, KENTUCKY, TENNESSEE, ARKANSAS, OKLAHOMA, KANSAS, AND NEBRASKA. MILLIONS OF YEARS AGO,
THE GULF OF MEXICO REACHED ALL THE WAY TO THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF MISSOURI.

ONE OF THE ONLY AREAS OF HIGH GROUND EAST OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS AND WEST OF THE APPALACHIANS LIES IN THE STATE'S SOUTHERN PORTION. TAUM SAUK MOUNTAIN IS THE HIGHEST POINT, AT MORE THAN 1,700 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL.
THOUSANDS OF CAVES HAVE BEEN FOUND IN MISSOURI, SOME OF THEM CREATED WHEN UNDERGROUND SPRINGS DRIED UP.
STILL FLOWING IS BIG SPRING IN SOUTHEASTERN MISSOURI. IT'S ONE OF THE LARGEST NATURAL SPRINGS IN THE COUNTRY.

IN ADDITION TO SMALL NATURAL LAKES, TWO OF THE WORLD'S BIGGEST MANMADE LAKES, THE HARRY S. TRUMAN RESERVOIR AND THE LAKE OF THE OZARKS, CAN BE FOUND HERE. MISSOURI, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: MONTANA IS OUR 4TH LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE MOUNTAIN REGION. IT'S BORDERED BY CANADA, NORTH DAKOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA, WYOMING, AND IDAHO. THE EASTERN SECTION OF MONTANA IS PART OF THE GREAT PLAINS, AN AREA OF GENTLY ROLLING LAND BROKEN BY HILLS AND WIDE RIVER VALLEYS.

MOVING WEST, THE GREAT ROCKY MOUNTAINS OCCUPY 2/5 OF THE STATE. IT'S HERE THAT THE STATE'S HIGHEST POINT, GRANITE PEAK, STANDS MAJESTICALLY AT NEARLY 13,000 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL.

LAKE FLATHEAD, THE LARGEST FRESHWATER LAKE WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, IS ALSO FOUND IN THIS REGION. FURTHER SOUTH FLOWS RED ROCK RIVER, ONE OF THE HEADWATERS THAT GOES ON TO FORM THE MISSOURI RIVER.

THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE WINDS THOROUGH MONTANA. THIS IMAGINARY LINE IS THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN RIVERS FLOWING TOWARD THE EAST COAST AND THOSE FLOWING TO THE WEST. MONTANA, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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female narrator: NEBRASKA IS OUR 15TH LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE PLAINS REGION. IT IS SURROUNDED BY  SOUTH DAKOTA, IOWA, MISSOURI, KANSAS, COLORADO, AND WYOMING. THE UPHEAVALS IN THE EARTH'S SURFACE THAT CREATED THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS CAUSED THE LAND IN THIS STATE TO SLOPE GENTLY BUT CONSTANTLY UPWARD. THROUGH THE AGES, WIND CARRIED SAND FROM DRY RIVERBEDS AND DEPOSITED IT IN CENTRAL NEBRASKA. THIS CREATED A REGION CALLED THE SAND HILLS, THE LARGEST AREA OF GRASS-COVERED DUNES IN THE WORLD.

ANOTHER NOTABLE FEATURE IN THIS PART OF THE STATE IS THE NEBRASKA NATIONAL FOREST, THE LARGEST HAND-PLANTED FOREST IN THE U.S.

SOME OF THE RICHEST FOSSIL BEDS IN THE COUNTRY ARE IN THIS STATE AND INDICATE THAT IT WAS ONCE TROPICAL IN CLIMATE. TODAY, 95% OF NEBRASKA IS FARMLAND. THIS IS THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF FARMLAND FOUND IN ANY STATE IN THE COUNTRY. NEBRASKA, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: NEVADA IS OUR SEVENTH LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE PACIFIC REGION. IT'S SURROUNDED BY OREGON, IDAHO, UTAH, ARIZONA, AND CALIFORNIA. NEVADA'S LANDSCAPE WAS FORGED BY POWERFUL EARTHQUAKES AND VOLCANOES, WHICH CREATED ENORMOUS MOUNTAINS. OVER THE CENTURIES, WIND AND RAIN SLOWLY WORE DOWN THESE MOUNTAINS WHILE RIVERS CARVED DEEP CANYONS. TODAY, SOME OF THOSE CANYONS ARE SO DEEP THAT THE SUN NEVER REACHES THE BOTTOM.

EROSION HAS ALSO EXPOSED VARIED COLORED MINERALS IN MANY STRANGE AND BEAUTIFUL FORMATIONS. PLACES WITH NAMES LIKE "VALLEY OF FIRE," "CATHEDRAL GORGE," AND "RED ROCK CANYON" DOT THE LANDSCAPE.

THE SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS IN THE WEST ARE SO TALL THAT THEY BLOCK RAIN-BEARING WINDS FROM THE PACIFIC OCEAN. BECAUSE OF THIS, NEVADA IS THE MOST ARID OF ALL THE STATES, WITH MOST OF ITS RIVERS AND LAKES DRY
SIX MONTHS OF THE YEAR. NEVADA, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: NEW HAMPSHIRE IS OUR 44TH LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN NEW ENGLAND. IT IS BORDERED BY CANADA, MAINE, THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, MASSACHUSETTS, AND VERMONT. EIGHTY-FIVE PERCENT OF NEW HAMPSHIRE IS COVERED BY FORESTS. THE NORTHERN THIRD IS HOME TO THE RUGGED WHITE MOUNTAINS. HERE, MOUNT WASHINGTON RISES TO MORE THAN 6,200 FEET.

THE REGION SOUTH OF THE WHITE MOUNTAINS IS KNOWN AS THE NEW ENGLAND UPLAND AND INCLUDES LOW MOUNTAIN RANGES AND FERTILE RIVER VALLEYS. IN SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE, INTERESTING ROCK FORMATIONS KNOWN AS MONADNOCKS DOT THE LANDSCAPE. A MONADNOCK IS THE HARD ROCK CORE OF A MOUNTAIN STRIPPED BARE BY EROSION.

NEW HAMPSHIRE IS ALSO KNOWN FOR ITS ABUNDANCE OF WATER, INCLUDING SOME 1,300 LAKES AND MORE THAN 40,000 MILES OF RIVERS, MANY OF WHICH FEATURE CASCADING RAPIDS AND PLUNGING WATERFALLS. NEW HAMPSHIRE, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: NEW JERSEY IS OUR 46TH LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION. IT IS SURROUNDED BY NEW YORK, THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, DELAWARE BAY, DELAWARE, AND PENNSYLVANIA. NEW JERSEY'S HIGHEST POINT IS APPROPRIATELY NAMED "HIGH POINT" AND RISES MORE THAN 1,800 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL. IT IS LOCATED IN THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE STATE, WHERE THE LAND IS RUGGED AND COVERED WITH MOUNTAIN RIDGES.

THE COASTAL PLAIN IS THE LARGEST NATURAL REGION IN THE STATE. IT COVERS THE SOUTHERN 3/5 OF NEW JERSEY AND CONTAINS GENTLY ROLLING LOWLANDS THAT SELDOM REACH HIGHER THAN 100 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL. A SIZEABLE PART OF THIS AREA CONTAINS SWAMPS AND BOGS, INCLUDING A REGION OF STUNTED TREES CALLED THE PINE BARRENS. THIS IS ONE OF THE LARGEST UNDEVELOPED AREAS ON THE NORTHEASTERN SEABOARD AND COVERS AN UNDERGROUND RESERVOIR
THAT IS THE LARGEST SOURCE OF FRESHWATER IN THE EAST. NEW JERSEY, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: NEW MEXICO IS OUR FIFTH LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE SOUTHWESTERN REGION. IT IS SURROUNDED BY COLORADO, OKLAHOMA, TEXAS, MEXICO, ARIZONA, AND UTAH. THE LARGEST RIVER IN NEW MEXICO IS THE RIO GRANDE, BISECTING THE STATE FROM NORTH TO SOUTH.

THE EASTERN THIRD OF THE STATE IS PART OF THE GREAT PLAINS. ONE OF THE LARGEST UNDERGROUND CAVES IN THE WORLD IS LOCATED IN THE SOUTH OF THIS REGION AT CARLSBAD CAVERNS.

THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS COVER MUCH OF THE REST OF THE STATE. HERE, YOU WILL FIND WHEELER PEAK, THE HIGHEST POINT, AT OVER 13,000 FEET. MOVING ON TO THE SOUTHWEST, BARREN SALT FLATS AND VAST EXPANSES OF GLEAMING GYPSUM SANDS STRETCH FOR MILES, INCLUDING THE WHITE SANDS NATIONAL MONUMENT.

MESAS AND UNUSUAL ROCK FORMATIONS ARE ALSO COMMON IN NEW MEXICO, ESPECIALLY IN THE NORTHWESTERN REGION OF THE STATE. NEW MEXICO, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: NEW YORK IS OUR 30TH LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION. IT IS SURROUND BY CANADA, VERMONT, MASSACHUSETTS, CONNECTICUT, LONG ISLAND SOUND, THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, NEW JERSEY, PENNSYLVANIA, LAKE ERIE, AND LAKE ONTARIO. NEW YORK IS THE ONLY STATE THAT LIES ON BOTH THE GREAT LAKES AND THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. IN BETWEEN ARE SEVERAL THOUSAND LAKES, RIVERS, AND WATERFALLS, INCLUDING THE SPECTACULAR NIAGARA FALLS.

THE VAST MAJORITY OF NEW YORK IS COVERED WITH MOUNTAINS, FROM THE RUGGED APPALACHIANS IN THE NORTHEAST
TO THE ALLEGHENY PLATEAU IN THE CENTER OF THE STATE. THIS PLATEAU IS SEAMED WITH VALLEYS AND BROAD UPLANDS, JOINING WITH THE CATSKILL MOUNTAINS IN THE SOUTHEAST.

THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS ARE NAMED THE ADIRONDACKS. MOUNT MARCY, THE HIGHEST POINT IN THE STATE AT MORE THAN 5,300 FEET HIGH, IS LOCATED HERE. NEW YORK, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: NORTH CAROLINA IS OUR 28TH LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE SOUTHERN REGION. IT IS SURROUND BY VIRGINIA, THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, SOUTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA, AND TENNESSEE. MUCH OF COASTAL NORTH CAROLINA
IS SHIELDED BY A CHAIN OF BARRIER ISLANDS. THE LONGEST STRETCH OF THESE, THE OUTER BANKS, CONTAINS ONE OF THE LARGEST AREAS OF UNDEVELOPED COASTLINE ON THE ATLANTIC.

IN THE EAST, THE STATE IS RELATIVELY FLAT, WITH FERTILE SOIL. HERE IS ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S LARGEST SWAMPS,
WHICH IS SHARED WITH VIRGINIA. ALONG THE WESTERN BORDER, THE LAND BECOMES HILLY AND FORMS THE BLUE RIDGE AND SMOKY MOUNTAINS, SO NAMED BECAUSE OF THE BLUE-GRAY HAZE THAT VEILS THE WOODED SUMMITS. MOUNT MITCHELL, NESTLED WITHIN THESE WESTERN RANGES, RISES MORE THAN 6,600 FEET. IT'S THE HIGHEST POINT EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI. NORTH CAROLINA, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: NORTH DAKOTA IS OUR 17TH LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE PLAINS REGION. IT'S SURROUNDED BY CANADA, MINNESOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA, AND MONTANA. THE TOPOGRAPHY OF NORTH DAKOTA WAS SHAPED THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO BY GLACIERS. THEY GOUGED DEEP HOLES IN THE GROUND, DEPOSITED RICH SOIL, AND WORE DOWN MOUNTAINS. AS A RESULT, THE STATE'S HIGHEST POINT STANDS JUST OVER 3,500 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL AND IS PART OF ONE OF THE MANY SMALL AREAS OF HILLS THAT BREAK UP THE VAST PLAINS.

ALONG THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE STATE IS THE RED RIVER VALLEY, FORMERLY THE BED OF AN ANCIENT GLACIAL LAKE. IT'S ONE OF THE RICHEST FARMING AREAS IN THE WORLD.

THE MOST SPECTACULAR AREA OF THE STATE IS THE BADLANDS, FOUND IN THE SOUTHWEST CORNER. THE LAND HERE HAS BEEN CARVED BY WIND AND WATER INTO BUTTES, CONES, AND OTHER ODD SHAPES. NORTH DAKOTA, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: OHIO IS OUR 35TH LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE MIDWESTERN REGION. IT IS BORDERED BY MICHIGAN, LAKE ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, WEST VIRGINIA, KENTUCKY, AND INDIANA. THE HILLY ALLEGHENY PLATEAU COVERS THE EASTERN HALF OF OHIO. THIS REGION CONTAINS THE LARGEST OF THE STATE'S FORESTS AND THE RICHEST DEPOSITS OF COAL, CLAY, AND SILVER.

WESTERN OHIO CONSISTS MOSTLY OF PRAIRIE LAND. AMONG THESE ROLLING PLAINS IS THE STATE'S HIGHEST POINT,
CAMPBELL HILL, WHICH EXCEEDS 1,500 FEET IN HEIGHT. THE STATE FEATURES HUNDREDS OF LAKES AND MORE THAN 44,000 MILES OF STREAMS AND RIVERS.

AN INTERESTING MANMADE GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURE IS THE 1/4 MILE LONG GREAT SERPENT MOUND. NEARLY 3,000 YEARS OLD, IT IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN BASED ON ASTROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS BY THE AREA'S EARLY INHABITANTS. OHIO, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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female narrator: OKLAHOMA IS OUR 18TH LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE SOUTHWESTERN REGION. IT IS SURROUNDED BY COLORADO, KANSAS, MISSOURI, ARKANSAS, TEXAS, AND NEW MEXICO. OKLAHOMA'S SURFACE RISES GRADUALLY FROM THE RED RIVER VALLEY IN THE EAST TO THE HIGH TABLELAND OF THE GREAT PLAINS IN THE WEST.
THE HIGHEST POINT IS BLACK MESA, WHICH IS NEARLY 5,000 FEET HIGH. IT'S LOCATED IN THE WESTERN PANHANDLE.
IN A NEARBY CREEK BED, HUGE DINOSAUR FOOTPRINTS ARE PRESERVED FROM A TIME WHEN THE AREA WAS A TROPICAL FOREST.

WHILE ROLLING PLAINS, FARMLAND, AND HILLS BLANKET THE INTERIOR, SEVERAL MOUNTAINOUS REGIONS MAKE UP THE NORTHEAST, SOUTHEAST, AND SOUTHWEST PORTIONS OF THE STATE. ONE OF THESE MOUNTAIN RANGES IS CALLED THE GLASS MOUNTAINS, WHOSE GYPSUM TOPS SPARKLE LIKE GLASS IN THE SUN. OKLAHOMA, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: OREGON IS OUR TENTH LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE PACIFIC REGION. IT IS BORDERED BY WASHINGTON, IDAHO, NEVADA, CALIFORNIA, AND THE PACIFIC OCEAN. THE KLAMATH COAST AND CASCADE MOUNTAINS
COVER MOST OF WESTERN OREGON. MOUNT HOOD, THE STATE'S HIGHEST POINT, AT OVER 11,000 FEET, IS LOCATED IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE CASCADE RANGE.

NEAR THE SOUTHERN END OF THE CASCADES IS CRATER LAKE. IT LIES IN THE MOUTH OF AN EXTINCT VOLCANO AND IS THE DEEPEST LAKE IN THE COUNTRY. WEDGED BETWEEN THE CASCADE AND COAST RANGES IS THE WILLAMETTE LOWLAND. WHILE THIS VALLEY ACCOUNTS FOR ONLY ABOUT 10% OF OREGON'S LAND AREA, IT CONTAINS SOME OF THE BEST FARMLAND IN THE STATE AND IS HOME TO MOST OF THE POPULATION.

OREGON ALSO HAS SOME OF THE MOST PRODUCTIVE TIMBER FORESTS IN THE COUNTRY, WITH DOUGLAS-FIRS AND PONDEROSA PINES PROVIDING OVER 1/10 OF THE NATION'S LUMBER. OREGON, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: PENNSYLVANIA IS OUR 33RD LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION. IT IS SURROUNDED BY LAKE ERIE, NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, DELAWARE, MARYLAND, WEST VIRGINIA, AND OHIO. MILLIONS OF YEARS AGO, PENNSYLVANIA WAS PART OF A GREAT INLAND SEA, UNTIL THE EARTH UNDERWENT A POWERFUL UPHEAVAL,
FORMING THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS. IN FACT, MOUNTAIN RANGES COVER MOST OF THE STATE. MOUNT DAVIS IS PENNSYLVANIA'S HIGHEST POINT, AT MORE THAN 3,200 FEET.

THE FLATLANDS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN PORTION OF THE STATE CONTAIN SOME OF THE COUNTRY'S RICHEST SOIL, LEFT BEHIND BY GLACIERS THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO. PENNSYLVANIA HAS AN ABUNDANCE OF LAKES, RIVERS, AND STREAMS.
SOME OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR WATERFALLS IN THE EASTERN U.S. ARE LOCATED HERE IN THE POCONO MOUNTAINS,
SUCH AS BUSHKILL, BUTTERMILK, AND WINONA FALLS. PENNSYLVANIA, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: RHODE ISLAND IS OUR SMALLEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN NEW ENGLAND. IT'S BORDERED BY MASSACHUSETTS, THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, AND CONNECTICUT. MOST OF THIS TINY STATE CONSISTS OF ROLLING HILLS,
WITH THE HIGHEST POINT, JERIMOTH HILL, A MERE 812 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL.

MORE THAN 60% OF THE LAND IS FORESTED. NEAR THE COAST, THE LAND GETS ROCKIER WITH GREAT OUTCROPPINGS OF HARD STONE FORMING STEEP CLIFFS ALONG THE OCEAN. NARRAGANSETT BAY REACHES FAR INTO THE STATE, CONTRIBUTING HEAVILY TO THE STATE'S COASTLINE. INCLUDING THE BAY, THE INLETS, THE LAGOONS, AND THE 36 ISLANDS, THERE ARE MORE THAN 400 MILES OF SHORELINE EVEN THOUGH THE STATE IS ONLY 40 MILES WIDE. THE LARGEST ISLAND HAS AN AREA OF 45 SQUARE MILES, WHILE THE SMALLEST, NAMED "DESPAIR," IS NOTHING MORE THAN A CLUMP OF ROCKS. RHODE ISLAND, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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female narrator: SOUTH CAROLINA IS OUR 40TH LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE SOUTHERN REGION. IT IS SURROUNDED BY NORTH CAROLINA, THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, AND GEORGIA. A SMALL AREA IN THE NORTHWEST REGION OF SOUTH CAROLINA IS PART OF THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS. HERE, YOU WILL FIND ITS HIGHEST POINT, SASSAFRAS MOUNTAIN, STANDING MORE THAN 3,500 FEET HIGH.

TRAVELING EAST TOWARDS THE COAST, THE LAND CHANGES TO ROLLING HILLS AND THEN TO THE FALL LINE, AN AREA OF SHARPLY CHANGING ELEVATION. WATERFALLS ABOUND AS RIVERS AND STREAMS PLUNGE TO THE LOWER ELEVATIONS ALONG THE COAST. THE RELATIVELY FLAT LAND ALONG THE ATLANTIC OCEAN IS HOME TO SWAMPS AND A NARROW BELT OF SAND DUNES. THESE DUNES LIE WELL INLAND AND INDICATE THAT THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE STATE
USED TO LIE UNDER THE OCEAN. SOUTH CAROLINA, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: SOUTH DAKOTA IS OUR 16TH LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE PLAINS REGION. IT'S SURROUNDED BY NORTH DAKOTA, MINNESOTA, IOWA, NEBRASKA, WYOMING, AND MONTANA. SOUTH DAKOTA HAS NEARLY 1,500 LAKES AND OVER 1,100 RIVERS. ONE OF THESE, THE BIG SIOUX RIVER, DROPS 20 FEET IN A SERIES OF SPECTACULAR FALLS. ONE OF THE STATE'S LARGER LAKES IS MEDICINE LAKE, WHOSE WATER IS SALTIER THAN THE OCEANS'.

IN THE FAR WEST LIE THE FORESTED BLACK HILLS, WHERE HARNEY PEAK RISES ABOVE THE LANDSCAPE AT MORE THAN 7,200 FEET. SOUTHEAST OF THE BLACK HILLS ARE THE BADLANDS, WHERE WIND AND WATER HAVE CARVED THE LANDSCAPE
INTO SPECTACULAR COLUMNS, PINNACLES, AND OTHER UNIQUE FORMATIONS.

THE LARGE CENTRAL SECTION OF THE STATE IS PART OF THE GREAT PLAINS. SOUTH DAKOTA, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: TENNESSEE IS OUR 34TH LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE SOUTHERN REGION. IT IS SURROUNDED BY KENTUCKY, VIRGINIA, NORTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA, ALABAMA, MISSISSIPPI, ARKANSAS, AND MISSOURI. THE LARGEST NATURAL LAKE IN TENNESSEE WAS CREATED BY AN EARTHQUAKE IN 1811. THE QUAKE DRASTICALLY CHANGED THE COURSE OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND FORMED REELFOOT LAKE WHERE A FOREST ONCE STOOD.

CENTRAL TENNESSEE IS A DEEP BASIN SURROUNDED BY AN ELEVATED PLATEAU. EASTWARD, THIS PLATEAU BECOMES THE FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE RIDGE AND SMOKY MOUNTAINS. THE HIGHEST POINT IN THE STATE IS HERE AT CLINGMANS DOME,
WHICH IS MORE THAN 6,600 FEET HIGH. TO THE WEST, THE PLATEAU SLOPES DOWNWARD TO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. WHERE PROPERLY DRAINED, THE SOIL IN THIS AREA IS VERY PRODUCTIVE. THE REGION IS ALSO DOTTED WITH SMALL LAKES AND MARSHES. TENNESSEE, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: TEXAS IS OUR SECOND LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE SOUTHWESTERN REGION. IT IS SURROUNDED BY OKLAHOMA, ARKANSAS, LOUISIANA, THE GULF OF MEXICO, MEXICO, AND NEW MEXICO. TEXAS HAS THOUSANDS OF LAKES
AND MILES OF SLOW-MOVING RIVERS. ONE OF THESE RIVERS, THE RIO GRANDE, FORMS THE SOUTHERN BORDER OF THE STATE AND IS ONE OF THE LONGEST RIVERS IN THE COUNTRY.

FOUND IN THE MOUNTAIN RANGE IT WAS NAMED AFTER, GUADALUPE PEAK IS THE HIGHEST POINT IN THE STATE, AT MORE THAN 8,700 FEET HIGH. IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS, THE LAND IS SUBTROPICAL IN NATURE, WITH FERTILE VALLEYS AND RICH FARMLAND.

JUST OFF THE COAST ARE MANY LONG, NARROW BARRIER ISLANDS SURROUNDED BY THE WARM WATERS OF THE GULF OF MEXICO. THE REST OF THE STATE IS A DIVERSE COMBINATION OF HIGH, DRY PLAINS; RUGGED MOUNTAINS; AND RIVER VALLEYS. TEXAS, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: UTAH IS OUR 11TH LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE MOUNTAIN REGION. IT'S SURROUNDED BY IDAHO, WYOMING, COLORADO, NEW MEXICO, ARIZONA, AND NEVADA. BARREN DESERTS COVER NEARLY 1/3 OF UTAH, AND YET THE GREAT SALT LAKE, THE LARGEST NATURAL LAKE WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, IS FOUND HERE.

MUCH OF THE STATE CONSISTS OF BROAD UPLANDS WITH DEEP CANYONS AND GORGES. IN THE SOUTH, BRYCE CANYON, ARCHES, AND CANYONLAND NATIONAL PARKS ARE ESPECIALLY KNOWN FOR THEIR UNUSUAL COLORED ROCK FORMATIONS
CAUSED BY EROSION.

RAINBOW BRIDGE, THE WORLD'S LARGEST NATURAL BRIDGE, IS LOCATED NEAR THE ARIZONA BORDER. AND THE STATE'S HIGHEST POINT IS KINGS PEAK. IT'S MORE THAN 13,000 FEET HIGH AND IS FOUND IN THE SECTION OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS THAT EXTENDS INTO THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF THE STATE. UTAH, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: VERMONT IS OUR 43RD LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN NEW ENGLAND. IT'S SURROUNDED BY CANADA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, MASSACHUSETTS, AND NEW YORK. MOST OF VERMONT IS HILLY, RANGING FROM GENTLE SLOPES TO STEEP MOUNTAINS. IT HAS 420 NAMED PEAKS, INCLUDING MOUNT MANSFIELD, WHICH, AT NEARLY 4,400 FEET, IS THE HIGHEST POINT IN THE STATE.

THE GREEN MOUNTAINS WERE ONCE THE HIGHEST MOUNTAINS IN THE WORLD. TODAY, THEY ARE THE FOREST-COVERED REMNANTS OF GLACIAL EROSION. FOUR-FIFTHS OF THE STATE IS COVERED WITH FORESTS, AND THE MOST VALUABLE TREE IS THE SUGAR MAPLE. ITS WOOD IS USED FOR LUMBER, AND ITS SAP IS CONVERTED INTO MAPLE SUGAR AND SYRUP.

HUNDREDS OF LAKES, PONDS, AND RIVERS DOT THE LANDSCAPE, INCLUDING THE CONNECTICUT RIVER, WHICH FORMS VERMONT'S EASTERN BORDER. VERMONT, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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female narrator: VIRGINIA IS OUR 36TH LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION. IT IS BORDERED BY MARYLAND, THE CHESAPEAKE BAY, THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, NORTH CAROLINA, TENNESSEE, KENTUCKY, AND WEST VIRGINIA. THE POTOMAC RIVER SEPARATES VIRGINIA FROM MARYLAND AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. IT THEN EMPTIES INTO THE CHESAPEAKE BAY, ONE OF THE LARGEST INLETS ON THE ATLANTIC COAST.

THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS MAKE UP THE WESTERN PART OF THE STATE AND CONTAIN VIRGINIA'S HIGHEST POINT, MOUNT ROGERS, WHICH IS MORE THAN 5,700 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL. LURAY CAVERNS, FAMOUS FOR ITS BRILLIANTLY COLORED STALACTITES, IS ALSO LOCATED IN BLUE RIDGE REGION.

HEADING EAST, THE COUNTRYSIDE CHANGES TO GENTLY ROLLING HILLS AND THEN SLOPES TO THE COASTAL PLAIN. THE COASTAL PLAIN IS RELATIVELY FLAT AND CONTAINS ONE OF THE LARGEST SWAMPS IN THE COUNTRY, DISMAL SWAMP. VIRGINIA, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: WASHINGTON IS OUR 20TH LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE PACIFIC REGION. IT'S SURROUNDED BY CANADA, IDAHO, OREGON, AND THE PACIFIC OCEAN. THE NORTHWEST PORTION OF THE STATE CONTAINS THE OLYMPIC MOUNTAINS, A VAST AND LARGELY UNEXPLORED WILDERNESS. THE CASCADE MOUNTAIN RANGE CONTAINS A CHAIN OF VOLCANIC PEAKS, INCLUDING ACTIVE MOUNT ST. HELENS. ALSO FOUND IN THIS REGION IS THE STATE'S HIGHEST SUMMIT,
MAJESTIC MOUNT RAINIER, AT MORE THAN 14,000 FEET.

THE COLUMBIA PLATEAU COVERS THE SOUTHEASTERN SECTION OF THE STATE AND IS SCARRED WITH DEEP, TRENCH-LIKE  CANYONS FORMED THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO BY GLACIERS. ONE OF THE MAJOR FEATURES OF THE PLATEAU REGION
IS THE COLUMBIA RIVER, THE LARGEST RIVER IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES. IT FLOWS NORTH TO SOUTH THROUGH THE ENTIRE STATE. WASHINGTON, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

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male narrator: WEST VIRGINIA IS OUR 41ST LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION. ITS BORDERS INCLUDE PENNSYLVANIA, MARYLAND, VIRGINIA, KENTUCKY, AND OHIO. ONE OF THE MORE MOUNTAINOUS STATES IN THE COUNTRY, WEST VIRGINIA IS CRISSCROSSED WITH NUMEROUS RIVERS, STREAMS, AND CREEKS.

GEOGRAPHERS HAVE CALCULATED THAT IF THE MOUNTAINS IN THIS SMALL STATE WERE IRONED FLAT, IT WOULD BE BIGGER THAN THE ENTIRE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES. THE HIGHEST POINT IS SPRUCE KNOB, LOCATED IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE STATE. IT PEAKS AT OVER 4,800 FEET AMID THE ALLEGHENY MOUNTAINS.

JUST NORTH OF SPRUCE KNOB IS BLACKWATER FALLS, WHERE THE RIVER PLUNGES 60 FEET INTO THE CANYON BELOW. FURTHER NORTH, THE POTOMAC AND SHENANDOAH RIVERS JOIN TO CARVE A GAP THROUGH THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS.
TO THE SOUTH IS WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, ONE OF WEST VIRGINIA'S NUMEROUS MINERAL SPRINGS. WEST VIRGINIA, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

[lively orchestral music]
male narrator: WISCONSIN IS OUR 26TH LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE MIDWESTERN REGION. IT'S SURROUNDED BY LAKE SUPERIOR, MICHIGAN, LAKE MICHIGAN, ILLINOIS, IOWA, AND MINNESOTA. WISCONSIN IS KNOWN FOR ITS NEARLY 15,000 LAKES. LAKE WINNEBAGO IS THE LARGEST IN THE STATE AND IS LOCATED NEAR THE EASTERN BORDER. THE LONGEST RIVER IN THE U.S., THE MISSISSIPPI, MAKES UP A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE WESTERN BORDER.

THE NORTHERN PART OF THE STATE IS A STRIP OF FLAT PLAIN THAT SLOPES GENTLY UPWARD. A STEEP CLIFF MARKS ITS EDGE AND BEGINS A SECTION OF BEAUTIFUL SLOPING HILLS. HERE, YOU'LL FIND THE STATE'S HIGHEST POINT, TIMMS HILL, RISING OVER 1,900 FEET.

FURTHER SOUTH IS THE WISCONSIN DELLS. THIS SCENIC GORGE IS LINED WITH UNUSUAL ROCK FORMATIONS, LUSH WOODLANDS, AND TUMBLING STREAMS. WISCONSIN, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

[lively orchestral music]
male narrator: WYOMING IS OUR NINTH LARGEST STATE AND IS LOCATED IN THE MOUNTAIN REGION. IT'S BORDERED BY MONTANA, SOUTH DAKOTA, NEBRASKA, COLORADO, UTAH, AND IDAHO. EASTERN WYOMING FORMS THE EDGE OF THE GREAT PLAINS REGION. THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS COVER THE WESTERN 2/3 OF THE STATE AND FEATURE SOME OF THE COUNTRY'S MOST MAGNIFICENT GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES.

DEVILS TOWER IS LOCATED NEAR THE BELLE FOURCHE RIVER. THIS STUMP-SHAPED ROCK IS THE CORE OF AN EXTINCT VOLCANO. THE STATE'S HIGHEST ELEVATION IS GANNETT PEAK AT NEARLY 14,000 FEET, LOCATED IN THE WIND RIVER MOUNTAINS.

FURTHER WEST, NEAR THE IDAHO BORDER, LIE THE SPECTACULAR PEAKS OF THE GRAND TETONS. AND TO THE NORTH IS YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, HOME TO BUBBLING HOT SPRINGS, THUNDERING WATERFALLS, AND MORE THAN 200 GEYSERS, OF WHICH OLD FAITHFUL IS THE MOST FAMOUS. WYOMING, A UNIQUE PART OF THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE.

[singing] UH
[funky jazz music]
male narrator: WELL, THAT'S OUR 50 UNITED STATES.
I THINK YOU'LL AGREE THAT THE DIVERSITY OF NATURAL BEAUTY IN AMERICA IS UNMATCHED ANYWHERE ON EARTH. AND NOW YOU KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE STATES, THEIR BORDERS, AND THEIR LANDSCAPE. WE HOPE YOU'VE ENJOYED THIS EDITION OF "OUR AMERICAN LANDSCAPE." LOOK FOR MORE HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TITLES IN THE "JUST THE FACTS LEARNING SERIES."

REMEMBER, LEARNING CAN BE FUN.
[singing] UH, HIT IT
UH