Is the USA the most geographically diverse country in the world? (storage, transit)

[pbobcat]

Originally Posted by iNviNciBL3

Because i don't know of any areas in India that are like the Appalachian mountains, Great Lakes area and Alaska.

Heard of a little mountain range called the Himalayas by any chance? Honestly you Americans need to travel more.

[The Postman]

Originally Posted by marlaver

Argentina has almost all of Chile's landscapes, and a lot more that it hasn't.

I'd say Peru is actually the most diverse country I south America.

[Mhc1985]

Although mountainous regions are the best providers of environmental diversity in small areas, I'd say that basing the overall diversity on this sole feature may be misleading, especially when tropical countries are mentioned. For instance, you have a very high peak around the Equator, do you tropical, subtropical, temperate and cold climates all compressed, what means tropical rainforest, subtropical and temperature forests, highland steppes, alpine tundra, glaciers, etc. in a small area. This complete range of temperatures with the presence of 'opposite' biomes (rainforest, glaciers) may look like as if it encloses virtually all the geographic diversity possible, but I'd say it's a unidimensional scale of environments.

So, do mountains in tropical regions provide the biggest diversity per area? Yes
Can the range of climates and environments of tropical mountains equal the full range of climates and environments of higher latitudes? No, not even close.

Having said this, the Himalayas give India a beautiful display of geographic diversity in an otherwise "pantropical" country, but the Himalayas themselves can't match all the diversity the US has within all subtropical, temperate and cold regions (let alone the fact that the plains and plateaus are intrinsically different from the mountains).

[415_s2k]

Originally Posted by pbobcat

Heard of a little mountain range called the Himalayas by any chance?

Appalachia and the Himalayas are totally different types of mountain ranges. The Appalachians are low-lying and heavily wooded and are closer to India's Aravalli range (though it's much smaller); the Himalayas have more in common with the Rockies and the Cascades in the US.

Honestly you Americans need to travel more.

Was that really necessary?

In any case, India and China don't have tundra; the US does, via Alaska.

[iNviNciBL3]

Originally Posted by pbobcat

Heard of a little mountain range called the Himalayas by any chance? Honestly you Americans need to travel more.

Why do people get so defensive? I wasn't trying to insult India or any country.

And Alaska isn't all mountains.... now please try to attempt to carry on this conversation like a normal person.

[iNviNciBL3]

Originally Posted by Guajara

Yes India doesn't have areas that look like the Great Lakes or Alaska ( except the mountains).
I'm not completely sure about the Appalachian mountains.

But does the USA have something that looks like this ?

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_znh6RVCdYB...v8/s1600/2.jpg


http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_znh6RVCdYB...mA/s1600/8.jpg

The Smoky Mountains but they don't look that pretty.

[415_s2k]

Originally Posted by Guajara

Yes India doesn't have areas that look like the Great Lakes or Alaska ( except the mountains).
I'm not completely sure about the Appalachian mountains.

But does the USA have something that looks like this ?

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_znh6RVCdYB...v8/s1600/2.jpg


http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_znh6RVCdYB...mA/s1600/8.jpg

Reminds me a bit of Napa and Sonoma Valley in California.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g57hDSOFdO...ger+Winery.JPG

[Guajara]

Originally Posted by 415_s2k

Reminds me a bit of Napa and Sonoma Valley in California.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g57hDSOFdO...ger+Winery.JPG

It looks not the same to me, but there are similarities, i agree.
USA seems to be geographically more diverse than India, but still there are some Indian landscapes wich don't exist in the USA.

[Guajara]

Originally Posted by iNviNciBL3

The Smoky Mountains but they don't look that pretty.

I think they are quite different. Different vegetation and climate.
But there are places in Equador and Colombia ( and ofcourse Srilanka) which look comparable.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...nse_cocora.jpg
http://www.lashworldtour.com/wp-cont...y+colombia.jpg
These look atleast comparable with the second picture of Kerala.

[Guajara]

Are there and tea plantations in the USA ?