The USA

Hi, guys! I’m Phil. Today I’ll be your guide to a magnificent and beautiful country. Do you fancy to know its name? Then catch the tip!

What country are all these images associated with?

The United States of America.

Who discovered America? The answer is: nobody knows.

North America may have been discovered by Vikings, but Europeans didn’t know about its existence until Columbus’ voyages.

In 1492 three ships - the “Santa Maria”, the “Pinta”, the “Nina”  under Columbus landed the continent.

In 1507 Amerigo Vespucci explored the area of South America and introduced a new land to the world.  This continent was called after him - “America”.

The first “white” Americans left England in 1606 to settle in Virginia. They suffered terribly. After five years only 50 colonists were left out of 500.

In 1620 the first people from England arrived in America. They left England on the ship Mayflower because of religious problems.

After the revolution with Britain, America became an independent country. It was a federation of 13 colonies that was called the United States of America. On July 4th ,1776 the Declaration of Independence was signed. It is a national public holiday celebrated with parades, patriotic music, public  meetings and speech- making and firework shows.

After the Civil War in 1861-1865 between the northern and the southern states the government stopped slavery.

The population of the country is about 320 million people, making it the third most populous country in the world.

Americans are made up from nearly all races and nations. That’s why the USA is called “the melting pot”.

White Americans constitute the majority of the U.S. population - 79%. Hispanics and Asians constitute two of the fastest growing segments of the United States today, now numbering 14% and 6% respectively. Native Americans (Indians, Aleuts, Eskimos) – 1,0%

Including the states of Alaska and Hawaii, the United States covers an area of 9 million square kilometers. It is washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the east and by the Pacific Ocean in the west. It stretches from Canada in the north to Mexico, the Gulf of Mexico in the south. Alaska borders on north-western Canada. Hawaii lies in the Pacific 3,200 kilometers from the mainland.

The continental United States can be divided into four regions: North East, Midwest, South, and West. Eastern area – highland is where the Appalachian Mountains are situated, The mid west is plain. The Western area is mountainous and includes the Sierra Cascades and the Rocky Mountains. The north-eastern part of the USA is the region of the five Great Lakes.

1       Lake Superior

2       Lake Huron

3       Lake Michigan

4       Lake Erie

5       Lake Ontario

The St. Lawrence River joins the water of the five lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. In the west of the USA there is another lake called the Great Salt Lake.

The main rivers of the USA are the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Rio Grande, the Colorado, the Columbia, the St. Lawrence.

The United States is affected by a variety of natural disasters yearly.

The Great Plains and Midwest, due to the contrasting air masses, sees frequent severe thunderstorms and tornado outbreaks. The strip of land from north Texas north to Kansas and Nebraska is known as Tornado Alley, where many houses have tornado shelters and many towns have tornado sirens.

Hurricane is another natural disaster found in the US. Some of the more devastating hurricanes have included the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, Hurricane Andrew in 1992, and Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Localized flooding can occur anywhere, and mudslides from heavy rain can cause problems in any mountainous area, particularly the Southwest.

The Ring of Fire (an area of heavy tectonic and volcanic activity) makes California and southern Alaska particularly vulnerable to earthquakes.

Now let’s have a look at some unforgettable places in USA.

A fast railroad train, traveling 96 kilometers an hour, takes more than 45 hours to cross the country. A jet plane crosses the continental United States from east to west in about five hours.

Which way of travelling would you like best? Fasten the belts! The plane is taking off!

Situated between the state of New York and the province of Ontario Niagara Falls is one of the most spectacular natural wonders on the North American continent. Niagara Falls is actually three different falls, the American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and Horseshoe Falls.

Yellowstone National Park was the world’s first national park, set aside in 1872 to preserve the vast number of geysers, hot springs, and other thermal areas, as well as to protect the incredible wildlife and beauty of the area.

Death Valley National Park.

Despite the bad reputation, visitors today will find a place of amazing beauty with many colorful rocks and canyons, miles of sand dunes, unique evaporative salt features and even a diverse range of wildlife. Teakettle Junction marks the 21st mile on the Racetrack road as you are making your way to the dry lakebed where the rocks seem to move on their own.

The Grand Canyon is located in northern Arizona and is one of the great tourist attractions in the United States. Carved over several million years by the Colorado River, the canyon attains a depth of over 1.6 km (1 mile) and 446 km (277 miles) long.

Kilauea is a very low, flat shield volcano, vastly different from other volcanos. Kilauea is one of the most active volcano on the Earth. Thirty-three eruptions have taken place since 1952, not including the current eruption, which is still ongoing.

The Denali National Park and Preserve is located in Interior Alaska and contains Mount McKinley, the highest mountain in North America. In addition, the park protects an incredible wilderness area that contains grizzly bears, caribou, moose, wolves, and numerous other creatures.

The flag of the USA is often called “The Stars and Stripes”. It has a blue rectangle in the top left corner of the flag with 50 white stars.There are 50 stars on it: one for each state.

The flag has 13 equal horizontal stripes. There are 7 red stripes and 6 white stripes: one stripe for each of the first 13 colonies of the USA.

“The Star-Spangled Banner” is the National Anthem of  the United States of America.

The Great Seal of United States of America was adopted in June 20,1782.

The Great Seal is used for various documents, treaties, commissions, passports, and many other places.

The centre of the Seal has Bald Eagle (National Bird), in the beak of the bird is a scroll with “E pluribus unum” inscribed meaning “out of many, one”. The two claws of Eagle holds a bundle of olive branch and thirteen arrows respectively. The front of the Eagle contains a shield of red and white stripes. Above the Eagle is cloud with blue field having thirteen stars in it.

The reverse of thee Seal contains 13 step Pyramid with 1776 inscribed (in Roman Numerals). Below the Pyramid is a scroll “Novus Ordo Seclorum” meaning “New Order of the Ages”. Above the Pyramid is the Eye of Providence and motto “Annuit Coeptis”.

Rose is a National Floral Emblem of the United States of America.

“Uncle Sam” is a cartoon symbol of the American Government. In 1812 Samuel Wilson sold meat to US Army. Everybody called him Uncle Sam. The first letters of his name US were the same as the first letters of the United States.

Oak Tree is the National Tree of United States of America.

The USA is made up of 50 states and the District of Columbia, a special federal area where the capital of the country, Washington is situated.

Hawaii became the 50th state in 1959. Hawaii is made up of 132 tropical islands, but people live on seven of them.

Alaska is the biggest and the coldest state of the country. Before 1867, it belonged to Russia. Then Alexander II sold it to the US for $7.2 million.

The smallest state in the US is Rhode Island. It is about 1/500 the size of Alaska!

Each of the states has its own capital, government and symbol.

Do you remember what state is 3200 km far from America?

Hawaii!

What is the name of the special federal area where Washington is situated?

Right. The District of Columbia

Washington is the capital of the United States and the seat of the federal government. Washington was named in honour of the first American president (1789-1796). George Washington, “the father of his country”. The capital of the country, a state, a lake, an island, a mount, a canyon, some universities and colleges, streets and squares are named after him. In 1888 the Washington Monument was established in the capital (169 m. high).

The White House is the Residence of the American President.

The Capitol; is the highest building in W., where laws are made. No building in the city may be more than 40 meters high.

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the USA

Lincoln – memorial with 36 columns (the number of states in Lincoln days) – in a park on the banks of the Potomac River. A magnificent sculpture (6m.) of

Abraham Lincoln is inside.

The largest and most populated city in the USA is New York City. It is often called the “city that never sleeps” because it is constantly buzzing with activity.

Its nickname is “The big apple”, because everybody wants to bite it.

At the entrance to New York Harbour you can see a great statue which is called the Statue of Liberty. It is 46 meters high excluding the pedestal.

The Statue was a gift from the French government to the USA for its democratic views.

The second-largest city in the USA, Los Angeles is often regarded as the “Entertainment Capital of the World”. The city is a leading world center for motion films, television productions and music recordings.

Hollywood – the centre of the US film industry is located in LA. In 1913 the first film was made there. The biggest film companies are here: Paramount Pictures, 20th century Fox, Columbia Pictures, Warner Bros.

In 1955 a world famous cartoon’s creator Walt Disney (1901-1966) founded the first park of entertainment with decorations from popular Disney cartoons in Los Angeles. 10 mln people visit Disneyworld every year. His Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck are known to every child in the world.

Chicago is the third-largest city in the USA. Its nickname is the “Windy City” Located on Lake Michigan, Chicago is a home to many notable landmarks that include the world’s biggest airport, O’Hare International.

The biggest river port in the world.

Chicago is the home of the first skyscrapers. The Willis Tower is one of the tallest buildings in the Western Hemisphere.

Chicago is known in a sport world as a home of the best basketball club “Chicago bulls”.

Often regarded as the “Birthplace of America,” Philadelphia is known as the city in which the country’s founding fathers signed the 1776 Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. Commonly referred to by locals as “Philly,” Philadelphia is major US city in southeastern Pennsylvania and home to the iconic Liberty Bell and the Philly cheesesteak sandwich.

Well, you see how vast and diverse the USA is … from its landscapes to its people!

Come and see it all with your own eyes!!! Welcome to America!