The USA

The USA

Geography:

The USA is situated in the southern part of North America. Neighbours are Canada in the north, Mexico in the south and Russia across the Bering Sea. This country covers the area nearly 10,000,000sq. The USA has a varied landscape. The West is quite mountainous – the mountain ranges include Sierra Nevada, the Cascade Range and the Cordilleras. In the East there are Apalachian Mountains. The highest mountain is Mount McKinley in the Alaska Range. The longest river is Mississippi, called “the father of water”. It is also the 3rd longest river in the world after the Amazon and the Nile. Other American rivers: the Colorado, the Columbia, the Snake and the Niagara with the famous Niagara Falls. The Great Lakes are situated on the border with Canada – Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

In the north, the climate is mild, though because of the Labrador Current it is much colder than in our country. The southern part of the US lies in the subtropical zone. Florida, the Gulf of Mexico and the Hawaii are located in the tropical zone. Alaska is the coldest area and lies in the artic zone.

 

People:

The number of inhabitants is around 300 millions. 80 per cent of inhabitants live in towns and cities. There are more than 100 major ethnic groups. There are many nationalities mixed together so the USA is sometimes called a great “melting pot” or “salad bowl”. American English is the main language. A various ethnic minorities speak their original languages.

 

History:

Until the 15th century the only inhabitants were Native Americans (Indians). They came from Asia across Bering Strait.
After Columbs in 1492 discovered America, the Europeans began colonization of this New World. The British, German and Spanish settled (usazovali se) in the country, mostly along the eastern coast. In the end 13 colonies under English rule were established.
After some time the colonies wanted to be independent and in 1775 began the War of Independence. On 4th July 1776 the Declaration of Independence was signed and George Washington became the first president of the USA.
In the 20th century the US became one of the most dominant powers in the world. America participated on both world wars as the winner. The USA also won the Cold War against the Soviet Union. The Cold War lasted 40 years and in the end the Soviet Union collapsed. The USA has become the most powerful country in the world.
The US economics is the strongest economics in the world. The fastest growing industries are space technology and computers.

 

Political system:

The USA is a federation consisting of 50 states.

The President is the head of the state and the capital is Washington, D.C. The federal government has 3 branches: legislative power – the Congress = The House of Representatives and The Senate, executive power – the President and 15 executive departments and judiciary power – Courts.

 

The American flag – Old Glory or Stars and Stripes

The American Anthem – The Star-Spangled Banner

 

 

 

 

Other interesting places:

Parks with beautiful and preserved nature – Yellowstone NP, Grand Canyon NP, Yosemite
New York – it is the biggest city in the USA, an important seaport, and a financial, business and cultural centre. There are four airports and it has the largest subway system in the world.

 

Los Angeles – is the capital city of the film world. It is the second largest city in the USA.

 

New Orleans – it is an important port town in the USA

 

Las Vegas – is famous for gambling, hotels and casinos

 

Detroit – is the centre of the car industry in the USA