Basic facts

Area: about 9 milion square kilometres

Population: about 300 milion inhabitants

Capital city: Washington, D.C. (District of Columbia)

Currency: US dollar

Language: English

– the fourth largest country in the world

 

The United States of America is a country in the Western Hemisphere. It’s situated in North America, where is 48 continental states. Part of the USA is Alaska, a peninsula in the northwest of the continent and the Hawaiian Islands, an archipelago in the Pacific ocean. The country share (land or water-Russia) borders with Canada in the north, Russia in the northwest, Mexico in the south, the Pacific ocean in the west and the Atlantic ocean in the east.

 

Mountains

There are mountains, lowlands and plains. The Appalachian mountains are in the east, to the west from them we can find the Mississippi Basin (comprises the Mississippi Lowlands, Central Plains and Great Plains).

The most mountiniers part is in the west. About half of the continental USA is occupied by the Cordilleras. They are divided into several ranges: The Rocky Mountains, to the west of them is the Great Basin (there is Death Valley-the lowest point and the dryest place in the USA) and also the Colorado Plateau with the Grand Canyon (was created with the Colorado river).

The Sierra Nevada with the highest peak of the continental USA Mt. Whitney, but the highest peak of the USA is Mt. McKinley in Alaska.

 

Rivers

The USA has many rivers. The biggest river system is the Mississippi and the Missouri. The main tribbutaries of the Mississippi river are the Missouri and the Ohio. The big reservoire of fresh water in the east are the Hudson river and the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes are on the border with Canada, Niagara Falls are between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Other big rivers are the Colorado, the Columbia and the Rio Grande. The biggest river in Alaska is the Yukon.

 

Climate

The climet is varied – from arctic climate in the north to the subtropical climate in the south and tropical in the Hawaiian Islands.

 

The American flag (also called Stars and stripes) has 13 stripes represent 13 founding states and on the blue canton are 50 stars represent 50 member states.

The Emblem of the USA is the bald eagle.

 

Places of interest in the USA

Boston – capital city of New England; a port, in history the Boston Tea Party took place there

 

Cambridge – the seat of famous Harvard university

 

Atlanta – one of the biggest aiports in the USA, it was a centre of olympic games

 

Philadelphia –important place; in Independence Hall were created and signed the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, a popular exhibit is the Liberty Bell used in the bell tower of Independence Hall, it cracked

 

New Orleans – lies on the Mississippi river, founded by the French settlers and their origins of the town we an see in the French Quarter, a port city, the craddle of jazz music, famous for Mardi Gras festival, Lewis Armstrong came from; damaged by hurricane Cathrina in 2005 – there were floods

 

Houston – in Texas; centre of NASA – the agency responsible for space program

 

Dallas – in Texas; known for its oil industry (petroleum was discovered, oil raffineries) and cotton market; president Kennedy was assassinated here

 

Niagara Falls – two waterfalls on the Niagara river on the US – Canada border, the American Falls are 51 m high and the Horseshoe Falls in Canada are 49 m high

 

Mount Rushmore – in South Dakota; faces of four US presidents (Washington, Roosevelt, Lincoln, Jefferson) are carved onto the mountain

 

Las Vegas – in Nevada; situated in desert, surrounded by mountains; famous for casino gambling, full of lights and advertisements

 

Los Angeles – in California (CA);  famous city, centre of international trade and film industry, the most famous part is Hollywood (film studios), Beverly Hills famous for residences of rich people, famous street Rodeo Drive, Star Walk – stars of the famous people (actors, singers…) in the pavement, a port Long Beach

 

San Francisco – in CA; lies on hills – steep Longbart Street – cable cars (trams); famous for the Golden Gate Bridge and for the Alcatraz – it was a prison on the island (in San Francisco Bay) – now lighthouse, connected with Gold Rush

 

The Grand Canyon – in Arizona (Colorado); created by the Colorado river, tourist attraction, flora and fauna (mammals)

 

Memphis – centre of rock music, Elvis Presley’s house

 

Nashville – centre of country music

 

Salt Lake City – in Nevada; olympic games were held here, centre of Mormons