Geography of the United States
![](/Images/godic/202502/19/USA_topo_en0704.jpg")
![A satellite composite image of the contiguous United States. Deciduous vegetation and grasslands prevail in the east, transitioning to prairies, boreal forests, and the Rockies in the west, and deserts in the southwest. In the northeast, the coasts of the Great Lakes and Atlantic seaboard host much of the country's population.](/Images/godic/202502/19/USA-satellite0704.jpg")
![Denali, Alaska, the highest point in North America at 20,310 ft (6,190.5 m).](/Images/godic/202502/19/MountMcKinley_BA0704.jpg")
![The Grand Canyon from Moran Point. The Grand Canyon is among the most famous locations in the country.](/Images/godic/202502/19/Grand_Canyon_from_Moran_Point0704.jpeg")
The term "United States", when used in the geographical sense, is the contiguous United States, the state of Alaska, the island state of Hawaii, the five insular territories of Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa, and minor outlying possessions. The United States shares land borders with Canada and Mexico and maritime borders with Russia, Cuba, and the Bahamas in addition to Canada and Mexico.