1　Land

The contiguous United States is situated in the mid⁃southern part of North America with Canada to its north and Mexico to its south.It extends about 2，500 kilometers from north to south and some 5，000 kilometers from east to west with a coastline of around 20，000 kilometers.It is flanked by three oceans：the Atlantic Ocean to its east，the Pacific Ocean to its west and the Arctic Ocean to the north of Alaska.Its southeastern coast borders the Gulf of Mexico.The state of Alaska，separated from the 48 states by Canada，faces Russia across the 82 kilometer⁃wide Bering Strait.Alaska has the highest mountain peak in North America，Mt.McKinley，which measures 6，194 meters above sea level.The state of Hawaii is in the central Pacific Ocean about 3，200 kilometers to the west.It is made up of 18 main islands and numerous small ones，many of which are volcanic.

Map of the U.S.