How has the Geographical location of the United States shaped the country to what is today?

Question

How has the United States location in North America influenced America as it is today?

The United States closest neighbors (at least in regards to the mainland) are Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Geographically speaking, the United States is relatively distant from most of the world in comparison to Germany or Japan. So how has this influenced growth and change in the United States?

Answer 1

Clearly, the oceans protected the USA from its enemies well, back when they still could... up until the early 1950s. After that, missile and submarine technology changed that equation permanently. As far as our next-door neighbors in North America were concerned, our strength grew fast enough for us to either subjegate them or hold our own against them, in times of crisis. Later, as usually happens, they became our friends and allies, just as happened later yet with Japan and Germany.

A KEY factor in most of this was the continent's being so rich in resources, and the fact that the USA's latitude is so amenable to agriculture. And, of course, the amount of acreage that can be used for that. A serendipitous combination of circumstances. Time and geography both were on our side.

Answer 2

Large amount of natural resources including a lot of fertile land allowed the US to become an industrial giant as well as a net food exporter.