- Area and borders
- National symbols
- Geography – landscape, mountains, rivers
- Climate
- Population, language
- Economy, natural resources
- Government, political system
- Capital and other famous cities and sites
- The USA consists of 50 states and Washington D.C., which is not a part of any US state. 48 of them are contiguous (continental), except Alaska and Hawaii.
The area covers over 9 million square kilometres; it is the fourth-largest country. The largest US state is Alaska, the smallest is Rhode Island.
The USA borders Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. To the east, there is the Atlantic Ocean; to the west, the Pacific Ocean.
- The national symbols of the USA are the flag and the Great Seal. The flag consists of 13 red and white stripes and a blue rectangle with 50 white stars. The stripes represent the 13 original colonies which declared independence from Great Britain, while the 50 stars represent the 50 US states. Its nickname is the Stars and Stripes or the Star Spangled Banner.
On the Great Seal, we can see a bald eagle holding an olive branch and 13 arrows, representing the US desire for peace but readiness for war if necessary.
The national anthem is called The Star-Spangled Banner.
- The landscape of the USA is very diverse, from central plains to high mountains. The mountain ranges include the Appalachian Mountains [æpəˈleɪʃɨn], the Rocky Mountains, the Cascade [kæsˈkeɪd] Range, Sierra Nevada, or the Coast Range.
Between the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains, we can find the Great Basin, an area with numerous lakes.
The highest peak is Mount McKinley in Alaska, which is 6168 metres high. The lowest point is Death Valley in California, 86 metres below sea level.
The biggest river system is the Mississippi-Missouri river, which drains into the Gulf of Mexico; other rivers include the Hudson River, the Ohio, the Rio Grande /ˈriːoʊ ˈɡrɑːndeɪ/, the Colorado, etc.
On the borders with Canada, you can find the Great Lakes, the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth, consisting of Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario, Lake Superior, Lake Erie, and Lake Huron.
On the Niagara /naɪˈæɡrə/ River, which connects Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, you can find the famous Niagara Falls.
- The climate is varied – from subarctic in Alaska to subtropical in Florida or Hawaii.
- The USA has approximately 320 million inhabitants; it is the third most populous country in the world. The national language is English, while the second most spoken language is Spanish.
- The USA is enormously rich in raw materials – natural gas, phosphates, salt, coal, and minerals (copper, lead, zinc). Regarding agriculture, the USA is one of the top producers of peanuts, wheat, cotton, and dairy products.
It is a leading country in the production of chemicals, cars, machinery, and computers.
- The American political system is laid out in its Constitution. The government is divided into three branches: the executive, legislative, and judicial. The head of state is the president, whose seat is in the White House. The president is elected for a four-year term.
The legislative branch is represented by Congress, which is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Its seat is in the United States Capitol. The Senate has 100 members (two for each state), while the House of Representatives has 435 members. The major parties are the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.
- Places of interest:
- Cities: Washington, D.C. (capital)
The city is located on the Potomac River and has a population of approx. 650,000 inhabitants.
It is named after George Washington, the first president of the USA, who chose the site for the capital himself.
The city is divided into four quadrants with the Capitol building as the centre. The Capitol is the seat of the US government, while the White House is the residence of the US president.
Washington Monument is a white marble obelisk built to commemorate George Washington.
Jefferson Memorial commemorates the third US president and the main writer of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson. It is dominated by a bronze statue of T. Jefferson holding the Declaration of Independence (1776).
Lincoln Memorial commemorates the 16th president of the USA, Abraham Lincoln. The memorial is in the form of a Greek temple, with a marble statue of Lincoln sitting.
Arlington National Cemetery contains over 400,000 graves of those who have died in armed conflicts since the Civil War (1861-1865).
New York
The original Dutch settlement called New Amsterdam was conquered by the British in 1664 and renamed New York.
New York is the most populous city in the USA, with over 8 million inhabitants. It is divided into five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and Staten Island.
New York is often called The Big Apple. The Statue of Liberty (1866), a symbol of freedom, was a gift from France.
Times Square, Broadway theatres, museums, and Central Park are other places of interest.
Other famous sites include the Empire State Building, Brooklyn Bridge, and the 9/11 Memorial.
Chicago
It is the third-largest city in the USA and is known for its skyscrapers and industry.
The city lies on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan and has over 2.5 million inhabitants.
The city is often called the Windy City because of the winds coming from Lake Michigan.
The Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower) is the tallest building in the USA.
Other places of interest include Lake Michigan, Millennium Park, and the Art Institute of Chicago.
Las Vegas
Las Vegas is known as the entertainment capital of the world.
The city is located in the Mojave Desert and has a population of around 600,000.
The city is famous for its casinos and nightlife, with hotels like Bellagio, The Venetian, and Caesars Palace.
Las Vegas has many attractions such as Fremont Street, the Stratosphere Tower, and The Mob Museum.
Natural parks
The USA has numerous natural parks, including Yellowstone National Park (the first national park in the world, established in 1872), Yosemite, Grand Canyon, and Grand Teton.