Is the USA the most geographically diverse country in the world? (estimated, stations)
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The demonym for a citizen of the United States of America is American. This is understood the world over except for a segment of the South American population. If you travel overseas and tell someone you're Ameican, do you honestly believe they are going to be confused because they don't know if you mean Colombia, Argentina, or the US? Come on. This is only a debate you can have on City-Data LOL
Those are not biomes but ecoregions and continents are not defined by them: North America has places in both the neotropics and the neartic ecoregión, South America has places on the neotropics and the antartic ecoregions, asia has three.
The funny things is that, as I previously said, I don’t have a problem calling the people of the US Americans, but the word America, as a place on this planet, I associate it with the continent, not a single nation
I don’t think the ecozone divide adds anything to this discussion. Central America, the Caribbean, the south of Mexico (but not the north or the central highlands) and, according to some authors, even the south of Florida, belong in the mostly South American Neotropic ecozone. So it doesn’t quite match the border between North and South America usually located in the Panama isthmus.
There’s indeed a clear geologic distinction between both landmasses, yet it neither has an effect to the rather arbitrary definitions of continent, let alone human-made regions and the names given to them.
I get that the English word American and the Spanish word Americano are false friends, as well as America and América; this also happens to several other mostly European languages. However, there is an obvious language inconsistence in English (if I'm allowed to use this term, not sure what the proper term should be) regarding to these words.
If we have “North America” and “South America”, two big landmasses united (or separated) by an isthmus, and located as the cardinal directions within their names inform, north and south respect to each other, it’s clear that they must be two parts of a larger region called “America”!
Obviously, all languages have this kind of inconsistencies, but unfortunately this one happens to occur in the world’s lingua franca, functions as false friends respect to some other languages, and gives a sense of appropriation and exclusion against the people of the Americas who speak the other two major languages of the New World, who happen to stick to the original definition given to the term. Not unlike the Macedonia naming dispute.
Having said this, I don’t care about the English usage of American and America. I have used American to refer to the people of the United States of America a lot of times. I never use America for the country, though, as I think of United States or USA as preferable synonyms, especially in an international context. So it’s true that this debate is tiresome, but Americans shouldn’t act as if the objections don’t make sense.
It's definitely between China and USA. I would say a light edge to US, because it doesn't have anything as extreme as Alaska. But if we are just talking mainland US and China, I feel like it's a tie.
Those are not biomes but ecoregions and continents are not defined by them: North America has places in both the neotropics and the neartic ecoregión, South America has places on the neotropics and the antartic ecoregions, asia has three.
The funny things is that, as I previously said, I don’t have a problem calling the people of the US Americans, but the word America, as a place on this planet, I associate it with the continent, not a single nation
They both broadly fulfill the tropical island tag, yet I think Hawaii is immensely more diverse, so I’m not sure we can say they are equivalent.
Hainan rises up to 1800 m and Hawaii reaches heights of 4200 m. In terms of climate, it means temperature averages from 26°C to 16°C in Hainan and from 25° to 2°C in Hawaii. In relation to precipitation, Hainan ranges from 900 to 2500 mm – probably more in some slopes. Hawaii, on the other side, ranges from 180 to more than 5000 mm, and both dry and wet areas can be found throughout most of the altitudinal range. Precipitation can also be both seasonal and non-seasonal, whereas Hainan is just monsoonal…
Heck, Hawaii is almost as diverse a Colombia, and just being 2.5% of its size.
They both broadly fulfill the tropical island tag, yet I think Hawaii is immensely more diverse, so I’m not sure we can say they are equivalent.
Hainan rises up to 1800 m and Hawaii reaches heights of 4200 m. In terms of climate, it means temperature averages from 26°C to 16°C in Hainan and from 25° to 2°C in Hawaii. In relation to precipitation, Hainan ranges from 900 to 2500 mm – probably more in some slopes. Hawaii, on the other side, ranges from 180 to more than 5000 mm, and both dry and wet areas can be found throughout most of the altitudinal range. Precipitation can also be both seasonal and non-seasonal, whereas Hainan is just monsoonal…
Heck, Hawaii is almost as diverse a Colombia, and just being 2.5% of its size.
Yes, I agree. Hawaii is quite special and very few places on Earth can compare. I know because I have been there Hainan is not exactly the same but is a Chinese tropical island with some elevation and therefore we can say that China has a sizable tropical island as part of its territory. There are other smaller islands too but they aren't nearly as significant.
They both broadly fulfill the tropical island tag, yet I think Hawaii is immensely more diverse, so I’m not sure we can say they are equivalent.
Hainan rises up to 1800 m and Hawaii reaches heights of 4200 m. In terms of climate, it means temperature averages from 26°C to 16°C in Hainan and from 25° to 2°C in Hawaii. In relation to precipitation, Hainan ranges from 900 to 2500 mm – probably more in some slopes. Hawaii, on the other side, ranges from 180 to more than 5000 mm, and both dry and wet areas can be found throughout most of the altitudinal range. Precipitation can also be both seasonal and non-seasonal, whereas Hainan is just monsoonal…
Heck, Hawaii is almost as diverse a Colombia, and just being 2.5% of its size.
Hawaii may be the most diverse island on the planet, but I wouldn't say "almost as diverse as Colombia" there are a few states and even a county in Colombia that are smaller than hawaii and have the same diversity "and maybe even more". However Hawaii is more diverse than the majority of countries. That I can think of only the US, Canada, mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Russia, China India, Myanmar, Pakistan, Kenya, Tanzania, Australia, The UK "taking into consideretaion the external territories" and France "taking into consideration external territories" would be more diverse
Geographically the most diverse? Chile, which had one end in the driest desert in the world and the other end in Antarctica. In between are beaches, ocean, huge mountains, and a few islands (more than 5,000).
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Hainan is not exactly the same but is a Chinese tropical island with some elevation and therefore we can say that China has a sizable tropical island as part of its territory. There are other smaller islands too but they aren't nearly as significant.
