Americas · neighbouring countries
Neighboring Countries of United States
United States shares land borders with 2 countries: Canada (8,891 km) and Mexico (3,111 km).
- United States
- Neighbouring countries
- Neighbours of neighbours
Countries bordering United States
| Neighbour | Border length | Capital | Visa for United States citizens |
|---|---|---|---|
 Canada |
Ottawa | Visa-free · 180 days | |
 Mexico |
Mexico City | Visa-free · 180 days |
Canada accounts for 74% of United States's 12,002 km of land borders. Lengths: CIA World Factbook (public domain).
Geography of United States
Location
North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico
Area
9,833,517 km² — about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the size of Africa; about half the size of South America (or slightly larger than Brazil); slightly larger than China; more than twice the size of the European Union
Terrain
Vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaii
Climate
Mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains
Highest and lowest points
Highest: Mount McKinley 6,190 m (highest point in North America). Lowest: Death Valley (lowest point in North America) -86 m. Mean elevation: 760 m.
Natural resources
Coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, rare earth elements, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber, arable land
Natural hazards
Tsunamis; volcanoes; earthquake activity around Pacific Basin; hurricanes along the Atlantic and Gulf of America coasts; tornadoes in the Midwest and Southeast; mud slides in California; forest fires in the west; flooding; permafrost in northern Alaska is a major impediment to development volcanism: volcanic activity in the Hawaiian Islands, Western Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and in the Northern Mariana Islands; Mauna Loa (4,170 m) in Hawaii and Mount Rainier (4,392 m) in Washington have been deemed Decade Volcanoes by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to their explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Pavlof (2,519 m) is the most active volcano in Alaska's Aleutian Arc and poses a significant threat to intercontinental air travel; St. Helens (2,549 m), famous for the devastating 1980 eruption, remains active today; other historically active volcanoes are mostly concentrated in the Aleutian arc and Hawaii, including (in Alaska) Aniakchak, Augustine, Chiginagak, Fourpeaked, Iliamna, Katmai, Kupreanof, Martin, Novarupta, Redoubt, Spurr, Wrangell, Trident, Ugashik-Peulik, Ukinrek Maars, Veniaminof, (in Hawaii) Haleakala, Kilauea, Loihi, (in the Northern Mariana Islands) Anatahan, (in the Pacific Northwest) Mount Baker, and Mount Hood; see note 2 under "Geography - note"
Good to know
Note 1: world's third-largest country by size (after Russia and Canada) and by population (after China and India); Mt. McKinley is the highest point (6,190 m; 20,308 ft) in North America, and Death Valley is the lowest point (-86 m; -282 ft) note 2: the western US coast and the southern coast of Alaska lie along the Ring of Fire, which is a belt bordering the Pacific Ocean that contains about 75% of the world's volcanoes and up to 90% of the world's earthquakes note 3: the Aleutian Islands are a chain of volcanic islands that divide the Bering Sea (north) from the main Pacific Ocean (south); they extend about 1,800 km (1,118 mi) westward from the Alaskan Peninsula; the archipelago consists of 14 larger islands, 55 smaller islands, and hundreds of islets; there are 41 active volcanoes on the islands, which together form a large northern section of the Ring of Fire note 4: Mammoth Cave, in west-central Kentucky, is the world's longest known cave system with more than 650 km (405 miles) of surveyed passageways, which is nearly twice as long as the second-longest cave system, the Sac Actun underwater cave in Mexico (see "Geography - note" under Mexico) note 5: Kazumura Cave on the island of Hawaii is the world's longest and deepest lava-tube cave; it has been surveyed at 66 km (41 mi) long and 1,102 m (3,614 ft) deep note 6: Bracken Cave outside San Antonio, Texas is the world's largest bat cave and the summer home to the largest colony of bats in the world; an estimated 20 million Mexican free-tailed bats roost in the cave from March to October, making it the world's largest known concentration of mammals
Neighbours of United States's neighbours
Countries one border further away — reachable overland through a neighbouring country.
GuatemalaAlso with 2 neighbours in Americas
Neighboring countries of Belize- Neighboring countries of Canada
Neighboring countries of Costa Rica
Neighboring countries of Ecuador
Neighboring countries of El Salvador
Neighboring countries of Nicaragua
Neighboring countries of Panama
Neighboring countries of Uruguay- Countries with the most neighbours
- Longest land borders in the world
- Visa-free countries for United States passport holders
- United States visa requirements
Frequently asked questions about the borders of United States
How many countries border United States?
Which is the longest border of United States?
Is United States landlocked?
How long are the land borders of United States?
Do United States citizens need a visa for neighbouring countries?
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Borders and geography: CIA World Factbook (public domain). Visa rules: TravelRequirements.info — Entry Requirements Dataset, AXG Sp. z o.o. (CC BY 4.0).