Panorama des Monument Valley im US-amerikanischen Bundesstaat Arizona

USA

Travel Guide USA

Dense forests, vast deserts, impressive coastlines, and bustling metropolitan centres– the USA has pretty much everything a visitor could want! The varied natural landscape and overflowing hospitality of Americans also mean that one trip will probably not be enough. The USA is an ideal destination for nature lovers. The sheer size of the country makes it possible to see a variety of different landscapes and species. Learn more about the United States of America in our Travel Guide USA.

Our trips to the USA:

Volunteering USA

Highlights in the USA

The Grand Canyon National Park is probably one of the most famous national parks in the world. Every year it attracts millions of visitors and fascinates by its uniqueness on this earth. In 1979, the Grand Canyon was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is considered one of the landmarks of nature conservation as it was one of the first national parks of the US, declared by Theodore Roosevelt.

Geography of the USA

The 50 states of the USA cover an area of 9,158,960 km², making it 25 times as large as Germany. The country borders Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. This enormous country boasts endless mountain ranges, peaks and mountain chains. A number of rivers wind their way through the land of opportunity. The three Great Lakes, Superior, Huron and Michigan are located in the north-east of the country.

The USA can be divided into seven geographical regions: the Atlantic Plain, Appalachian Highlands, Laurentian Upland, Interior Plains, Rocky Mountains, Great Basin and Pacific Coast. The origins and topography of each region vary significantly. You can admire the beautiful landscapes formed by rivers like the Mississippi or Colorado, or take a hike through the impressive Sierra Nevada, Appalachian and Rocky Mountain ranges.

Das Death Valley ist einer der heissesten Orte der Welt und nahezu komplett trocken.

Geomorphology/Geology

The Atlantic coast in the east is relatively flat and characterized by beautiful beaches and cliffs. In the southern part of the Atlantic coast the Everglades and the third largest coral reef on earth can be found. The highlands of the Appalachian Mountains run from northern Maine to southern Alabama. With a height of 2.040 m Mount Michel in North Carolina is the highest mountain of the Appalachian Mountains.

The Canadian Shield is located between Lake Superior and the Adirondacks Mountains in the northeast of New York. The inner plain runs along the Mississippi River and the Missouri River. It covers an area which runs from the large lakes in Illinois and Arkansas to the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana. The inner plain is characterized by agricultural flats. The more than 1.500 km wide Rocky Mountains stretches across the entire North American continent. With 4.396 m Mount Elbert has the highest summit of the Rocky Mountains. In the so-called Great Basin many salt lakes in dry desert regions can be found. The Great Basin also includes the desert of Mojave, the Colorado Plateau and the famous Grand Canyon.

The landscape is mainly formed by the Colorado River. The western border of the Great Basin is Sierra Nevada. Together with the Cascades it is located on the Pacific coast of the country. On the northern part of the Pacific coast the 4000 m high summits of Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens volcano can be found. In the South Mount Whitney is the highest mountain of Sierra Nevada. It is 4.418 m high.

Travel Tips and Trivia for the USA

- In the USA there are six different time zones:
- Eastern Standard Time (EST) UTC-5
- Central Standard Time (CST) UTC-6
- Mountain Standard Time (MST) UTC-7
- Pacific Standard Time (PST) UTC-8
- Alaskan Standard Time (AKST) UTC-10
- Hawaiian Standard Time (HST) UTC-11 GMT
- Arizona is the only state which does not have daylight saving time
You must be 21 years of age or older to rent a car in the United States; however, all drivers under 25 can expect significantly higher costs due to required insurance. If you drive too fast, you get caught very quickly.

Watch your speed! Police love to hide out under bridges and at highway onramps to catch drivers even just slightly over the limit—just 6 mph over can warrant a ticket, and they certainly aren’t cheap.

What the US lacks in railway infrastructure, it makes up for with a large network of buses which offer a slow but scenic way to travel the US. Some well-known bus companies are: Greyhound, Megabus, Peter Pan Bus or FlixBus. You can also hop from place to place by airplane; all major cities have their own airports. But be aware, although the distances are short, prices can be quite high!!
- January 1st: New Year's Day
- third Monday in January: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- third Monday in February: President’s Day
- last Monday in May: Memorial Day
- June 19th: Juneteeth
- July 4th: Independence Day First Monday in September: Labor Day
- October 31st: Halloween (not a federal holiday)
- November 11th: Veterans Day
- fourth Thursday in November: Thanksgiving Day
- December 24th: Christmas Eve
- December 25th: Christmas Day
- Americans are generally very hospitable and helpful, but there are some helpful rules to obey:
- Smoking in restaurants, bars, parks, and other public places is strictly forbidden. Smoking is considered taboo in many places, and you should never smoke near a crowd and certainly never near children.
- Alcohol can be bought and consumed at the age of 21. It is illegal to drink in public, and you can get a hefty fine if caught.
- Small talk is normal in just about every scenario. You don’t need to initiate it, but it is polite to answer, smile, and try to keep up the conversation.
- When offered something for free or out of good will (food, a gift, money, etc.), it is polite to at first decline. If they really want to give it to you, they will offer it a second time, in which case you can accept. If they were just offering to be polite, they will not offer a second time.
- America is all about tipping culture. You are very happy with the service you received? Give a 20% tip or more. You thought service was awful? Still tip 5-10%. Your tip not only goes to the person who served you but to all the other workers as well, and they count on it.

Climate in the USA

Due to its size the USA ae located in different climate zones. In the North temperatures are generally lower than in the South. On the seaside the air is more humid than in the center and the seasons are less extreme. The climate on the west coast is much more temperate than on the east coast. The central west (states of Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio) has a quite diverse climate. Temperatures can range from 0 °C to 30 °C. The rainfall rate is quite high, especially between spring and autumn. Besides that Iowa is known as the tornado state. Up to 48 tornados per year occur in this area. The climate in Alaska ranges from continental to subpolar. In Hawaii the temperatures are tropical.

Ein stiller, klarer See bietet eine nahezu makellose Reflexion eines Waldes und eines Berges im Hintergrund

Der Joshua Tree National Park ist fuer seine beeindruckende Pflanzendiversitaet besonders bekannt

Flora and Fauna in the USA

The flora and fauna of the USA is as diverse as its landscapes. On the east coast and along the Sierra Nevada old Sequoia forests can be found. Due to its tropical temperatures the southeast of the country is known for its high biodiversity, but also the state of Alaska is home to some unique animals like dears, polar bears and moose.

Social Geography of the USA

The United States is a federal republic consisting of three separate branches of government. It is a liberal democracy and achieves high rankings in categories such as human rights, education, and quality of life. It has high levels of inequality and incarceration, and lacks universal health care. The United States is a melting pot of immigrants, and has the highest number of foreign-born residents of any country in the world.

Petty crime, violent crime, and gun violence are issues of safety concern in the United States, particularly in urban centres. Be vigilant and inform yourself of neighbourhoods in big cities to avoid, particularly at night.