1. U.S.A.
The United States of
America (USA), commonly
known as the United
States (U.S. or US)
or America, is a country
comprising 50 states.
2. With a population of
over 327 million
people, the U.S. is
the third most
populous country. The
capital is Washington
and the largest city by
population is New York
City.
3. History
Paleo-Indians migrated from Siberia to the
North American mainland at least 12,000
years ago. The United States emerged
from World War II as a global superpower,
the first country to develop nuclear
weapons, the only country to use them in
war, and a permanent member of
the United Nations Security Council.
Sweeping civil rights legislation, notably
the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting
Rights Act of 1965 and the Fair Housing Act
of 1968, outlawed discrimination based on
race or color.
4. Education
American public education is operated
by state and local governments,
regulated by the United States
Department of Education through
restrictions on federal grants. In most
states, children are required to attend
school from the age of six or seven
until they turn 18. Some states allow
students to leave school at 16 or 17.
Just over 2% of children
are homeschooled. The U.S. spends
more on education per student than
any nation in the world.
5. Sports
American football is by several
measures the most popular spectator
sport; The National Football
League (NFL) has the highest average
attendance of any sports league in
the world, and the Super Bowl is
watched by millions
globally. Baseball has been regarded
as the U.S. national sport since the
late 19th century, with Major League
Baseball (MLB) being the top
league. Basketball and ice hockey are
the country's next two leading
professional team sports, with the top
leagues being the National Basketball
Association (NBA) and the National
Hockey League (NHL).
