Geography: Practice Questions & Explanations

WASHINGTON, D.C. (District of Columbia) is the capital of the United States. It was established by the Constitution and was specifically designed to NOT be part of any state, so no single state would have the political advantage of containing the federal capital. The location along the Potomac River was chosen in 1790 as part of a compromise between northern and southern states. Construction of the federal city began in the 1790s, and the federal government officially moved from Philadelphia to Washington in 1800. The city is named after George Washington; 'D.C.' stands for District of Columbia, named after Christopher Columbus. Washington, D.C. contains the WHITE HOUSE (presidential residence and offices), the CAPITOL BUILDING (where Congress meets), the SUPREME COURT, and the Smithsonian museums. It has approximately 700,000 residents but as a federal district, residents have unique political status — they pay federal taxes but have no voting member of Congress (one non-voting delegate in the House). Earlier U.S. capitals included Philadelphia (multiple periods, 1774-1800), New York City (1785-1790), and others.

The STATUE OF LIBERTY stands in NEW YORK HARBOR on LIBERTY ISLAND. USCIS accepts several answers: New York (Harbor); Liberty Island; New Jersey (because some maps show Liberty Island as part of NJ waters, though it's federally administered); near New York City; on the Hudson River. The statue was a gift from FRANCE to the United States in 1886, commemorating the alliance between the two nations during the American Revolution. Designed by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi with the iron framework by Gustave Eiffel (later designer of the Eiffel Tower), it stands 305 feet tall (including pedestal). The statue depicts a robed woman (representing Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom) holding a torch and a tablet inscribed with the date of the Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776). A famous poem by Emma Lazarus, 'The New Colossus,' is inscribed on a plaque at the pedestal: 'Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.' For millions of immigrants arriving in America by ship in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Statue of Liberty was the first sight of their new country.

Four US states share a border with MEXICO along the southern border of the United States: CALIFORNIA (southwestern corner — San Diego is near the border); ARIZONA; NEW MEXICO; TEXAS (the longest US-Mexico border segment, including El Paso, Laredo, and Brownsville). The USCIS Civics Question 91 asks to name one state that borders Mexico — any one of these four is correct. Mexico is one of two countries that share a land border with the United States (the other being Canada to the north). The US-Mexico border is approximately 1,954 miles long. Other geography questions in the USCIS civics test: The Pacific Ocean is on the West Coast (California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii); the Atlantic Ocean is on the East Coast; Canada shares the northern border; rivers including the Rio Grande form part of the US-Mexico border.

The PACIFIC OCEAN borders the West Coast of the United States — including the states of California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii. The ATLANTIC OCEAN borders the East Coast. The GULF OF MEXICO borders parts of the South (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida). USCIS Question 88 (65/20 list): 'Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States' — separate question. 'What ocean is on the West Coast of the United States?' is typically covered in geography questions. Answer: Pacific (Ocean).

The capital of the United States is Washington, D.C. This is a 65/20 civics question. Washington, D.C. (the District of Columbia) is home to the federal government, including the White House, the Capitol where Congress meets, and the Supreme Court. It is a federal district, not part of any state. New York City was a temporary early capital and Philadelphia hosted the Continental Congress, but the permanent national capital has been Washington, D.C. Knowing the national capital is basic geography content found on both the standard and 65/20 civics lists.

States that border Canada include Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, and several others — naming any one is correct on this 65/20 civics question. Michigan, for example, shares a northern border with Canada. Florida, Texas, and Arizona are southern or border states that do not touch Canada (Texas and Arizona border Mexico). Being able to name a state on the northern border with Canada is part of the geography section. A related official question asks for a state that borders Mexico, where answers include California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.