20 Geography Lies You’ve Heard About The United States

The United States of America is a massive country, ranking as one of the largest in the world, so there are a ton of fascinating facts about its geography. But over the centuries of this country’s existence, many geography misconceptions, myths, and outright lies have grown amongst the population. YouTuber Geography by Geoff took a look at 20 of these misconceptions, breaking down the truth behind them.

20 US Geography Misconceptions

1. Canada is always north of the United States.
2. Florida is the southernmost state.
3. The Rocky Mountains are super old.
   • The Appalachian Mountains, formed over 480 million years ago, are much older than the Rockies, which formed 55–80 million years ago.
4. “Upstate” New York is everything north of New York City.
5. Los Angeles is the westernmost major city in the contiguous United States.
6. Major American rivers all flow south.
   • Many rivers, like the St. Johns River in Florida and the Red River of the North, flow north.
7. The Great Lakes are entirely within the United States.
8. American deserts are all very hot.
   • The Great Basin Desert, the largest in the U.S., is a cold desert with sagebrush terrain, not sand dunes.
9. The only rainforests in the United States are in Hawaii.
10. The vast majority of U.S. land is privately owned.
11. Kansas is the geographic center of the United States.
12. State capitals are always major cities.
13. The Mississippi River is the longest river in the United States.
14. The easternmost point of the United States is in Maine.
    • Pochnoi Point in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, at 179 degrees east longitude, is the easternmost point due to crossing the 180th meridian.
15. Wyoming and Colorado are perfect rectangles.
16. The Everglades is a swamp.
17. The Midwest is entirely flat.
18. The Colorado River is a mighty river.
    • The Colorado River is small compared to the Mississippi, and due to damming and diversions, it often dries up before reaching the ocean.
19. “Tornado Alley” is a scientifically defined, high risk zone.
20. Alaska is about half the size of the contiguous United States.
    • The Mercator projection distorts Alaska’s size. It covers about 585,000 square miles, roughly one-sixth of the contiguous U.S., not as vast as it seems.

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