Here are nine more superlatives found in the United States for you to enjoy...
Longest Reef: Off The Florida Keys The Florida Keys, a chain of islands approximately 220 miles long, curve south and west of mainland Florida. Stretching along beside them, about six miles seaward, is a long barrier reef. Coral reefs are actually colonies of tiny animals called coral polyps. Oldest Mountains: Appalachians The Appalachian Mountains stretch along the East Coast in a southwesterly direction from Canada to Alabama. Many geologists estimate that the birth of this mountain chain took place nearly half a billion years ago, when tectonic plates collided. Fastest Land Animal: Pronghorn The pronghorn can reach speeds around 60 miles per hour and can maintain a pace of 45 miles per hour for several minutes. The only faster land animal is the cheetah, reaching speeds of 70 miles per hour for short distances. | Longest Hiking Trail: Pacific Crest Trail The Pacific Crest Trail is the nation's longest continuous designated hiking trail, running for 2,650 miles from Mexico to Canada, through California, Oregon, and Washington. It passes through various climate zones and types of terrain and is open to foot and horse travel only. Largest Flower: American Lotus Solitary and fragrant, the American lotus flower may reach 10 inches in diameter; its single round leaf can reach more than 2 feet in diameter. The lotus grows in ponds, lakes, and streams, and was a source of food for American Indians. Oldest Trees: Bristlecone Pines The oldest bristlecone pines, so named for the long, hooked spines on the scales of their cones, are more than 4,500 years old. Twisted and gnarled by the elements, they grow in rocky, and regions of six western states. | Tallest Man-Made Monument: Gateway Arch The Gateway Arch, in St. Louis, memorializes the national expansion that took place under President Thomas Jefferson. Completed in 1965, the arch spans 630 feet and rises to the same height; it was built to withstand earthquakes and high winds. Largest Lake: Lake Superior The largest of the five Great Lakes, Superior shares waters with Canada and covers a surface area of about 31,700 square miles. Lake Superior is approximately 350 miles long; its maximum depth is 1,333 feet. Tallest Waterfall: Yosemite Falls Yosemite Falls, in Yosemite National Park in California, is actually in three sections with a total drop of 2,425 feet. An upper waterfall (1,430 feet), and a lower one (320 feet) are separated by small plunges and rapids (675 feet). |