Washington, D.C. (capital)
The city is located on the Potomac river, it has a population of approx. 650 000 inhabitants.
It is named after George Washington, the first president of the USA. He 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, 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 one of the most important financial, commercial and cultural centres in the world.
It has five parts (boroughs): Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. Manhattan is the most densely populated borough, the Bronx has a negative reputation for being the most dangerous borough.
Statue of Liberty – was erected on Liberty Island in 1886. The statue is holding a torch and a book with the inscription 4th July 1776, the date of Declaration of Independence.
Manhattan – is famous for its skyline, a large number of skyscrapers including:
– One World Trade Center or Freedom Tower, replacing the original World Trade Center, which was destroyed in a terrorist attack in 2001.
– the Chrysler Building
– the Empire State Building
Wall Street – the centre of the US financial world
Times Square – famous for its bright billboards and advertisements, people come here every year to welcome the New Year
5th avenue – one of the most expensive and busiest shopping streets in the world
Broadway – a theatre district
Central Park, Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim Museum, MSG