A Nation Scattered Across Oceans
The geographic United States includes territories separated from the mainland by thousands of miles of ocean. Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands lie in the northeastern Caribbean, while Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa occupy parts of the Pacific.
These territories are not uniform. Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands consist of tropical Caribbean islands. Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands include limestone and volcanic islands in the Mariana archipelago. American Samoa contains volcanic peaks and coral atolls in the eastern Samoan Islands.
Beyond the Northern Hemisphere
Nearly all of the United States lies north of the Equator, but American Samoa and Jarvis Island are exceptions. American Samoa is also the only populated U.S. territory in the Southern Hemisphere.
Hawaii is geographically and ethnologically part of Polynesia. Its volcanic island chain lies far southwest of the mainland in the Pacific and has a tropical climate. The islands are shaped by volcanic activity and are also a major tourist destination for visitors from East Asia and the continental United States.
Geography and Political Reach
These territories reflect different stages and motives in the country’s territorial development. Some became part of the United States through expansion, while others were connected to efforts to gain access across oceans.
Their locations also bring distinctive risks. Caribbean territories face hurricanes, while Pacific islands may encounter volcanic activity, tsunamis, and tropical storms.
The map of the United States is therefore not a single continuous landmass. It is an ocean-spanning network of continental, Arctic, Polynesian, Caribbean, volcanic, and coral environments.