The United States, the chosen one of poor geography
It is very difficult to strike at the United States in North America, even across two oceans. Especially a hundred years ago, such a challenge would have been unimaginable.
In other words, the United States was not directly involved in the two world wars in Eurasia, the birthplace of human civilization.
Although isolationism dominated the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was also closely related to the unique geography of the United States.
Although Eurasia has given birth to the greatest civilizations, they are often accompanied by internal strife between ethnic groups. Thus, after the end of the two world wars, the United States, which did not participate in the war but benefited greatly from the war, was able to support the reconstruction of Europe, which became known as the Marshall Plan.
And the implementation of this European revival program has actually made today's Europe or the European Union somewhat a vassal of the United States.
Welcome to listen to "Popular Science Fun Facts", which brings you interesting scientific knowledge by my brother Qiu. From the point of view of the United States, its geographical superiority gives it enormous influence abroad.
In terms of internal environment, with the Andes Mountains to the west and the Appalachian Mountains to the east, there are abundant water sources, especially the Mississippi River, which not only has a large amount of water, but also serves as a navigational function.
Thus, the Great Lakes of the United States can be said to be its inner lake.
Canada may not be able to object. The Great Plains, located between two mountain ranges, is rich in fertile land resources, which makes Chinese with a talent for growing vegetables eager to try.
Although the Gobi Desert in the west is harsh, it is precisely this environment that provides unique conditions for US military tests. The port on the East Coast is even more talented, and it is this talent that has made New York an important city in the world.
Whether it is the pursuit of diversity or the advantages of ports, it is an important factor in the development of our country.
The geographical talent of the United States is unparalleled in the world, and it has unique advantages both at home and abroad. The direction of its mountains and rivers is mainly in the north-south direction, which is different from the trend of the Yangtze River, Yellow River and Qinling Mountains in China.
Let's take a look at the other side of the U.S. blockbuster start – the difference in direction. Let's take a look at the mountains first. The polar vortex in the North Pole is generally divided into two or more vortices in the same Northern Hemisphere location.
This may seem like a small difference, but it can have a huge impact.
The vortex is stronger in northeastern Siberia, while Baffin Island in Canada is usually the strongest. These two cold vortices can be considered as semi-permanent cold high pressures. However, when the Siberian cold high moves south, it will face the obstruction of the Yinshan Mountains, Helan Mountains, Qilian Mountains, Daxing'an Mountains, Qinling Mountains, Taihang Mountains and other mountain ranges, and it will even be difficult to cross the Yellow River.
Even if it has passed, it is only a remnant of cold air that can no longer cause strong winds and waves, or more precisely, the effects of cold air. The cold high pressure from the same polar regions plays a strong role in North America, and because there is no east-west mountain range, the cold air can push south unhindered, even affecting the southernmost state of the United States, Texas.
Do you remember that cold spell in Texas early last year?
The cold high pressure is the culprit, and it comes from the Arctic. In summer, the cold air from the north and the warm, moist air currents from the Atlantic Ocean meet in the Gulf of Mexico, triggering hurricanes of all kinds. Search for the top 10 hurricanes in the United States, and you'll find that southern coastal areas such as Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas are often affected by hurricanes.
The terrain of the United States resembles a house that is transparent from north to south and has a lot of wind through the hall.
Let's switch gears and talk about water. This map of the Mississippi River Basin depicts a lush stretch of water.
The Mississippi River basin is staggering, even though it only accounts for one percent of its total area in Canada, but the remaining 2.98 million square kilometers is still more than the total basin area of the Yangtze River and the Yellow River (259.).50,000 square kilometers).
Unlike the Yangtze River and the Yellow River, which flow in an east-west direction, the Mississippi River is mostly north-south, which means that the latitude varies greatly, which in turn leads to large differences in light and temperature.
These differences in basic conditions make the agricultural development along the river basin even more different, for example, farmers in Texas and farmers in North and South Dakota in the north cannot share production technology.
In the 21st century, although scientific and technological means can compensate for this shortcoming, in the age of agriculture where information exchange is inadequate, it is a huge problem. Coupled with the two north-south mountain ranges mentioned earlier, we can understand why no advanced civilization has been born in North America, a continent that is transparent from north to south.
However, this small shortcoming is insignificant compared to the advantages of the United States.
Although the United States has certain advantages, will it be able to maintain its position as the world hegemon? The answer is clearly no. Let's take China, for example, although it is located at the easternmost point of the Eurasian plate, we have the largest number of neighbors in the world, with 14.
History tells us that a strong Central Plains dynasty could withstand pressure from all directions, whether it was Japan from the east, Tibet from the west, or even a nomadic regime from the north.
And, if a Central Plains dynasty is strong enough, its influence can even extend as far west as Central Asia, north as Russia, and as far east as the Korean Peninsula.
In the agrarian era, our country had a strong ruling power. Even today, our position remains unshakable. The Chinese nation stands firm in East Asia and is destined to be a pole.
We can build on this and steadily move in four directions. Although the speed may not be as fast as the ten American aircraft carriers, we can move forward one step at a time.
Although the United States is revered as the "chosen son," it is alone in the world. This means that when the country is strong, it can act arbitrarily, but once it declines, it may face the danger of fragmentation.
In general, our country is more focused on steadiness, while the United States is more about speed and expansion.
There is a huge cost to maintaining superpower status, but when the country's power begins to weaken, it is worth continuing to think about whether such an investment is worth continuing.
The United States is an example of this, even at the cost of passing on the costs to the European Union in order to maintain its superpower status.
If the EU loses the "vampire" of the United States, then what else can it look for new "blood" from? When the day comes when the United States can no longer "suck blood" from the world, it can only return to its homeland.
However, even so, the United States has been able to maintain its status as a global power. In other words, China's development potential is huge, and the ceiling is extremely high; Although the United States has a limited pace of development, its stability and strength are unmatched.
Does this imply the truth that "one side of the water and soil raises the other side"?
That's all for today's exchange, if you like it, please give us some encouragement, your support will be our biggest motivation. I'm Brother Qiu, and I'm looking forward to meeting you next time!