1. «MEET the United States
of America»
Window on America library Center
Svitlana Usenko is the Head of Center
2010
2. Geographical position
The United States of America, a federal respublic, is the fourth
largest country in the world (after Russia, Canada and China). It occupies the
southern part of North America and stretches from the Pacific to the Atlantic
Ocean. It also includes Alaska in the north and Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean.
The total area of the country is about nine and a half million square
kilometers. The USA borders on Canada in the north and on Mexico in the
south. It also has a sea-boarder with Russia.
3.
4. Areas
The USA is divided into three areas: Eastern area is a highland, central area
is a plain and Western area is mountains including the Rocky Mountains
and the Sierra Nevada. There are five great lakes in the northern part of the
USA. There are: Huron, Michigan, Supireo, Ontario and Erie. America's
largest rivers are the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Rio Grande and the
Columbia.
5. Mountain ranges cross the country from north to south and
don't protect it against cold air from the north and warm one
from the south. The highest mountains are the Rocky
Mountains, the Cordillera and the Sierra Nevada. The highest
peak is Mount McKinley which is located in Alaska.
6. History
The history of the USA
began a little more than 500
years ago. In 1492 Christopher
Columbus discovered America
to the whole world. He thought
that it was India.
7. Native Americans in the United
Native Americans States are the indigenous peoples
in North America within the
boundaries of the present-day
Indians continental United States,
including parts of Alaska and the
island state of Hawaii. They are
composed of numerous, distinct
tribes, states, and ethnic groups,
many of which survive as intact
political communities.
The terms used to refer to Native
Americans are controversial;
according to a 1995 US Census
Bureau set of home interviews,
most of the respondents with an
expressed preference refer to
themselves as American Indians
or Indians.
8. In 1776 on the 4th of July
the Declaration of
Independence was adopted. It
proclaimed “Life, Liberty and
the pursuit of Happiness as the
human natural rights”. In 1787
the constitution of the USA was
written.
9. The First President
In 1789 on the 6th of April
Americans elected the first
President of the USA.
George Washington
served two terms (1789-1797).
The newly-built capital of the
country was named
Washington.
10. National Symbols
The flag of the USA is called
Flag “Stars and Stripes”. There are
three colours on the flag of the
USA. They are red, white and
blue. As there are fifty states in
the USA, there are fifty stars on
the American flag: one star for
each state. The American flag
has thirteen stripes. The stripes
are red and white. There is one
stripe for each of the first
thirteen colonies which in 1776
became independent of
England.
11. Cast in London, England in 1752,
National Symbols
the Liberty Bell rang when the
The Liberty Bell Continental Congress signed the
Declaration of Independence and has
become the symbol of freedom in the
United States. The bell weighs about 2000
pounds and is made mostly of copper
(70%) and tin (25%).
Made for the Pennsylvania State
House (now Independence Hall), the
Liberty Bell was ordered by the
Pennsylvania Assembly in 1751 to
commemorate the 50-year anniversary of
William Penn's 1701 Charter of Privileges.
Shortly after its arrival in Philadelphia the
Bell cracked. Local craftsmen recast the
bell using the metal from the old bell, but
this one also proved defective. A third was
cast by John Pass and John Stowe. Their
names appear on the bell, along with the
city and date, along with this inscription:
"Proclaim liberty throughout all the
land unto all the inhabitants thereof - Lev.
XXV, v. x. By order of the Assembly of the
Province of Pensylvania [sic] for the State
House in Philada.
12. Bald eagle The eagle became the
official national symbol of
the country in 1782. It holds
an olive branch (a symbol of
peace) and arrows (symbol of
strength) in its paws. The
USA has official song. Its
called The Spangled Banner.
13. National Floral Emblem -
The Rose The rose, said to be about 35 million years old, has
been used as a symbol of love, beauty, war, and
politics throughout the world. The flowers are
generally red, pink, white, or yellow and grow
naturally throughout North America. The rose
became the official flower of the United States in
1986.
In October 1985, the Senate passed a resolution that
declared the rose as the National Floral Emblem of
the United States. Senate Joint Resolution 159 was
passed by the House of Representatives on
September 23, 1986.
President Reagan signed the resolution on October
7, 1986 in a ceremony in the White House Rose
Garden. On November 20, 1986, President Reagan
issued Proclamation 5574: The National Floral
Emblem of the United States of America: The Rose.
Did you know?
Thr first President, George Washington,
bred roses, and a variety he named after his mother
is still grown today.
14. Statue of Liberty The Statue of Liberty, proud
lady of welcome for millions of
newly arrived
Americans, stands atop her
pedestal in New York Harbor.
The Statue of Liberty is a gift
from the French, the statue was
set in place in 1876.
15. National Symbols
Independence Hall Located in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, Independence Hall
was built between 1732 and 1756 as
the State House or capitol. At this
building, colonial leaders met to
plan the future of the new nation.
Many of the most important
documents in U.S. history were
written at Independence Hall. The
Declaration of Independence was
adopted here on July 4, 1776
(Independence Day). The Articles of
Confederation were ratified here in
1781. The Constitution was written
here and signed on September 17,
1787.
Independence Hall was also
the home of the Liberty Bell for over
200 years.
16. National Symbols In the Black Hills of South Dakota, stands the
national memorial, Mount Rushmore, created
by Gutzon Borglum. It was designed as a
Mount Rushmore testament to the growth of the country and its
great leaders. This magnificent rock carving
depicts the 60-foot high (18.3 m) faces of four
great U.S. Presidents. They are:
George Washington
Thomas Jefferson
Theodore Roosevelt
Abraham Lincoln
Borglum started drilling into the 6,200-foot
mountain in 1927; however, he died in 1941
before it could be completed. The head of
Washington was completed first, followed by
Jefferson and Lincoln. Roosevelt's head was
unfinished when Borglum died. The memorial
was finished later that year by his son, Lincoln.
Borglum's original design was a sculpture of
the four presidents to their waists, but time
and money only provided for their heads. A
similar memorial honoring Crazy Horse, the
Oglala Sioux chief, is currently under
development nearby.
17. National Symbols
Built on a hill popularly called
Congress of USA Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, the
U.S. Capitol has been the home of the
House of Representatives and the
Senate since 1800.
In March 1792, a design contest
was announced to design the U.S.
Capitol. All of the 16 plans submitted
were rejected. A late entry by William
Thornton, amateur architect from the
British West Indies, was accepted in
fall 1792. President Washington liked
it because of its "grandeur, simplicity
and convenience."
The iron dome, also white, is
surmounted by a statue of a woman
representing Freedom, by the
American sculptor Thomas Crawford.
The height of the Capitol from the
baseline on the east front to the top of
the statue is 287.5 ft (87.6 m)
18. White House is symbol of freedom
Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in
Washington, DC, the White House is one of the most popular
tourist attractions in the country. The White House has been
the official residence of all the presidents of the United States
with the exception of George Washington. The house was
rebuilt and restored after it was burned by the British in
August 1814.
The White House has six floors--two basements,
two public floors, and two floors for the First Family. Visitors
who tour the White House are able to see the most beautiful
and historic rooms in the house including the East Room, the
Green Room, the Blue Room, the Red Room, and the State
Dining Room. These rooms are used by the President and
First Lady to entertain guests and to receive leaders of other
countries. The Oval Office is where the President does the
business of the country--signing bills and Executive Orders
and meeting with staff, visitors, and guests.
19. The Supreme Court Building Located in Washington, DC
near the Capitol, this building
has housed the Supreme
Court since 1935. Initially, the
Court met in the Merchants
Exchange Building in New
York City. When the capital
moved to Philadelphia in
1790, the Court moved first
into Independence Hall and
later to City Hall. Then when
the capital moved to its
permanent location,
Washington, DC, Congress
lent the Court space in the
new Capitol Building, until a
permanent location was
established for the Court.
Sixteen marble columns may
be found at the main entrance
of the Court. Above the
entrance to the Supreme
Court Building appears
engraved motto "Equal Justice
Under Law", which was
designed by Cass Gilbert.
20. Arlington National Cemetery Located in Arlington, Virginia, Arlington
National Cemetery honors those men and
women who served in the Armed Forces.
Currently, there are over 260,000 people
buried in there and approximately 5,400
burials are conducted each year.
Arlington National Cemetery contains
veterans from all the nation’s wars, from the
American Revolution through the Persian Gulf
War, as well as presidents, chief justices, and
astronauts. It is one of two national cemeteries
under the jurisdiction of the Department of
the Army (the other being Soldiers’ and
Airmen’s Home in Washington, DC).
Approximately four million people visit
Arlington National Cemetery each year. Some
of the more popular sites in Arlington
National Cemetery include the Tomb of the
Unknowns and the grave of former President
John Fitzgerald Kennedy. With his grave
marked with an eternal flame, John F.
Kennedy is one of only two presidents to be
interred into Arlington National Cemetery.
The other president, William Howard Taft, is
also one of only two former Chief Justices
interred in Arlington National Cemetery (the
other Chief Justice is Earl Warren).
21. Pentagon - the largest building in America
The Pentagon is the
headquarters of the United
States Department of
Defense, located in
Arlington County, Virginia.
As a symbol of the U.S.
military, "the Pentagon" is
often used metonymically
to refer to the Department
of Defense rather than the
building itself.
23. The Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is
the most prominent structure in
Washington, D.C. and one of the
city's early attractions. It was
built in honor of George
Washington, who led the country
to independence and then
became its first President. The
Monument is shaped like an
Egyptian obelisk, stands 555’ 5
1/8” tall, and offers views in
excess of thirty miles. It was
finished on December 6, 1884.
24. National Symbols
Thomas Jefferson
Memorial
The words of Thomas Jefferson,
some written more than 200 years
ago, have shaped American ideals.
Today, many of these impressive,
stirring words adorn the interior
walls of his memorial. The Thomas
Jefferson Memorial stands as a
symbol of liberty and endures as a
site for reflection and inspiration
for all citizens of the United States
and the world.
25. Lincoln Memorial “In this temple, as in the hearts of the people
for whom he saved the Union, the memory of
Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever.”
Beneath these words, the 16th President of the
United States—the Great Emancipator and
preserver of the nation during the Civil War—
sits immortalized in marble. As an enduring
symbol of freedom, the Lincoln Memorial
attracts anyone who seeks inspiration and
hope.
26. American icons
Abraham Lincoln
(1809-1865) he 16th President of
the United States from March
1861 until his assassination in
April 1865. He successfully
led the country through its
greatest internal crisis, the
American Civil, preserving
the Union, ending slavery,
and rededicating the nation
to nationalism, equal rights,
liberty and democracy.
27. American icons
Martin Luther King
Each year on the third Monday of
January schools, federal offices, post
office and banks across America close
as we celebrate the birth, the life and
the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr.
It is a time for the nation to
remember the injustices that Dr. King
fought. A time to remember his fight
for the freedom, equality, and dignity
of all races and peoples. A time to
remember the message of change
through nonviolence
28. American icons
Edgar Allan Poe
( 1809 –1849)
He was an American writer,
poet, editor and literary critic, considered
part of the American Romantic
Movement. Best known for his tales of
mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of
the earliest American practitioners of the
short story and is considered the inventor
of the detective-fiction genre.
29. American icons Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977)-
was an English comic actor and film
Charlie Chaplin director of the silent film era. He became
one of the best-known film stars in the
world before the end of the First World
War. Chaplin used mime, slapstick and
other visual comedy routines, and
continued well into the era of the
talkies, though his films decreased in
frequency from the end of the 1920s.
His most famous role was that
of The Tramp, which he first played in
the Keystone comedy Kid Auto Races at
Venice in 1914
30. Julia Fiona Roberts (born October
28, 1967) is an American actress.
She became a Hollywood star after
American icons headlining the 1990 romantic comedy
Pretty Woman, which grossed $464
million worldwide. After receiving
Academy Award nominations for Steel
Magnolias in 1990 and Pretty Woman
Julia Roberts in 1991, she won the Academy Award
for Best Actress in 2001 for her
performance in Erin Brockovich. Her
films My Best Friend's
Wedding, Mystic Pizza, Notting
Hill, Runaway Bride, Valentine's
Day, The Pelican Brief, Ocean's Eleven
and Twelve have collectively brought
box office receipts of over $2.4
billion, making her one of the most
successful actors in terms of box office
receipts.
Roberts had become one of the highest-
paid actresses in the world, topping
the Hollywood Reporter's annual
"power list" of top-earning female
stars from 2002 to 2006. Her fee for
1990's Pretty Woman was
$300,000;[citation needed] in
2003, she was paid an unprecedented
$25 million for her role in Mona Lisa
Smile. As of 2007, Roberts's net worth
was estimated to be $140 million.
31. William Bradley "Brad" Pitt (born
December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film
producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award
American icons
nominations and four Golden Globe Award
nominations, winning one. He has been described
as one of the world's most attractive men, a label
for which he has received substantial media
attention.
Pitt began his acting career with
television guest appearances, including a role on
the CBS prime-time soap opera Dallas in 1987.
Pitt received his second Academy
Award nomination for his title role performance in
the 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin
Button.
Angelina Jolie (born Angelina Jolie
Voight; June 4, 1975) is an American actress. She
has received an Academy Award, two Screen Actors
Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards.
Jolie promotes humanitarian causes, and is noted
for her work with refugees as a Goodwill
Ambassador for the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). She has
been cited as one of the world's most attractive
people, as well as the world's "most beautiful"
woman, titles for which she has received
substantial media attention.
36. Florida (Listeni /ˈ flɒrɪdə/) is a state of the
United States. It is located in the Southeastern
South United States, bordering Alabama to the
northwest and Georgia to the north. Much of the
state's land mass is a large peninsula with the
Gulf of Mexico to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to
the east and the Caribbean to the south. Florida
Florida was admitted as the 27th U.S. state in 1845, after a
three hundred year period of European
colonization.
With an area of 65,758 square miles (170,312
km2), it is ranked 22nd in size among the 50 U.S.
states. Florida has the longest coastline in the
contiguous United States, encompassing
approximately 1,350 miles (2,170 km). The state
has four large urban areas, a number of smaller
industrial cities, and many small towns.
Florida is nicknamed the "Sunshine State"
because of its generally warm climate—
subtropical in the northern and central regions of
the state, with a true tropical climate in the
southern portion.[6] The United States Census
Bureau estimates that the state population was
18,537,969 in 2009, ranking Florida as the fourth
most populous state in the U.S.[7][8] Tallahassee
is the state capital, Jacksonville is the largest
city, and the South Florida metropolitan area is
the largest metropolitan area.
37. The City and County of Denver
West (pronounced /ˈ dɛnvər/) is the
capital and the most populous
city of the U.S. state of Colorado.
Denver Denver is a consolidated city-
county, located in the South
Platte River Valley on the High
Plains, just east of the Front
Range of the Rocky Mountains.
The Denver downtown district is
located immediately east of the
confluence of Cherry Creek with
the South Platte River,
approximately 12.8 miles (21 km)
east of the foothills of the
Rocky Mountains.
Denver is nicknamed the "Mile-
High City" because its elevation
is one mile, or 5,280 feet (1,609
m) above sea level.
38. The Rocky Mountains (or Rockies)
Mountains are a major mountain range in
western North America.
The North American Rocky
Mountains stretch more than
Rocky Mountains 3,000 miles (4,830 km) from the
northernmost part of British
Columbia, in western Canada, to
New Mexico, in the southwestern
United States.
The range's highest peak is Mount
Elbert located in Colorado at
14,440 feet (4,401 m) above sea
level. Though part of North
America's Pacific Cordillera, the
Rockies are distinct from the
Pacific Coast Ranges (as named in
Canada) or the Coast Range (as it
is known in the United States)
which are located directly adjacent
to the Pacific coast, as well as, the
Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada
which lie further inland from the
coast.
39. California (pronounced Listeni
/kælɪˈf ɔrnjə/) is the most populous
state in the United States[2] and the
West third-largest by land area, after Alaska
and Texas. California is also the most
populous sub-national entity in North
America. It's on the U.S. West Coast,
California bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the
west and by the states of Oregon to
the north, Nevada to the east, Arizona
to the southeast, Baja California,
Mexico, to the south. Its 5 largest cities
are Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose,
San Francisco, and Long Beach, with
Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Jose
each having at least 1 million
residents.[5] Like many populous
states, California's capital, Sacramento
is smaller than the state's largest city,
Los Angeles[6]. The state is home to
the nation's 2nd- and 6th-largest
census statistical areas and 8 of the
nation's 50 most populous cities.
California has a varied climate and
geography and a multi-cultural
population.
41. Cities
Los Angeles
Often known by its initials, L.A., and
nicknamed the City of Angels, Los Angeles is
a world center of business, international
trade, entertainment, culture, media, fashion, s
cience, technology, and education.
It is home to renowned institutions
covering a broad range of professional and
cultural fields, and is one of the most
substantial economic engines within the
United States. In 2008, Los Angeles was named
the world's eighth most economically powerful
city by Forbes.com, third in the U.S. behind
New York City and Chicago
44. North Mount McKinley or Denali
(Athabaskan for "The High One") in
Alaska, USA is the highest mountain
Alaska - Mount McKinley peak in North America and the United
States, with a summit elevation of
20,320 feet (6,194 m) above sea level.
The CIA World Factbook lists its
summit elevation as 6,198 metres
(20,335 ft).
It is the centerpiece of Denali
National Park and Preserve.
45. Happiest States, 2009 is Hawaii
ɪ
Hawaii (Listeni /həˈwa.iˈ/ or
/həˈwaʔiˈ/ in English; Hawaiian:
ɪ
Mokuˈāina Hawaiˈi is the newest
o )
Hawaii of the 50 U.S. states (August 21, 1959),
and is the only U.S. state made up
entirely of islands.
It occupies most of an archipelago in the
central Pacific Ocean, southwest of
the continental United States,
southeast of Japan, and northeast of
Australia.
Hawaii’s natural beauty, warm tropical
climate, inviting waters and waves,
and active volcanoes make it a popular
destination for tourists, surfers,
biologists, and volcanologists alike.
Due to its mid-Pacific location, Hawaii
has many North American and Asian
influences along with its own vibrant
native culture. Hawaii has over a
million permanent residents along
with many visitors and U.S. military
personnel. Its capital is Honolulu on
the island of Oˈahu .
46. The National Park System
Started with the
establishment of Yellowstone
National Park on March 1, 1872, the
system includes not only the most
extraordinary and spectacular scenic
exhibits in the United States, but
also a large number of sites
distinguished for their historic or
prehistoric importance, scientific
interest, or superior recreational
assets.
The National Park System
is made up of 388 areas covering
more than 84 million acres in every
state except Delaware. It also
includes areas in the District of
Columbia, American Samoa, Guam,
Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
A list of the areas follows, excluding
those without “national” status.
47. “Gambling capital of the world”
Las Vegas (pronounced /lɑˈs
Las Vegas ˈ veɪɡəs/) is the most populous city
in Nevada, the seat of Clark
County, and an internationally
renowned major resort city for
gambling, shopping and fine
dining.
Las Vegas, which bills itself as The
Entertainment Capital of the
World, is famous for the number of
casino resorts and associated
entertainment. A growing
retirement and family city, it is the
28th most populous city in the
United States with an estimated
population by the U.S. Census
Bureau of 567,641 as of 2009. The
2009 population estimate of the
Las Vegas metropolitan area was
1,902,834.
48. “Automotive capital of the world”
Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in
Detroit the Midwest region of the United States. Located
north of Windsor, Ontario, Detroit is the only major
U.S. city where Canada can be viewed by looking to
the south. It was founded on July 24, 1701, by the
Frenchman Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac. Its name
originates from the French word détroit (pronounced:
[detʁwa] ( listen)) for strait, in reference to its
location on the river connecting the Great Lakes.
Known as the world's traditional automotive
center, "Detroit" is a metonym for the American
automobile industry and an important source of
popular music legacies celebrated by the city's two
familiar nicknames, the Motor City and Motown.
Other nicknames emerged in the twentieth century,
including City of Champions beginning in the 1930s
for its successes in individual and team sport, Arsenal
of Democracy (during World War II), The D, D-Town,
Hockeytown (a trademark owned by the city's NHL
club, the Red Wings), Rock City (after the Kiss song
"Detroit Rock City"), and The 3-1-3 (its telephone area
code).
49. Customs
Independence Day
Independence Day, commonly
known as the Fourth of July, is a federal
holiday in the United States commemorating
the adoption of the Declaration of
Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring
independence from the Kingdom of Great
Britain. Independence Day is commonly
associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues,
carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball
games, family reunions, political speeches and
ceremonies, and various other public and
private events celebrating the history,
government, and traditions of the United
States. Independence Day is the national day
of the United States
50. Customs
Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving Day is a harvest
festival celebrated primarily in
the United States and Canada.
Traditionally, it is a time to give
thanks for the harvest and
express gratitude in general.
While it may have been religious
in origin, Thanksgiving is now
primarily identified as a secular
holiday.
In the United States,
Thanksgiving Day falls on the
fourth Thursday of November.
52. Customs Christmas or Christmas Day is a holiday observed
mostly on December 25 to commemorate the birth of Jesus,
the central figure of Christianity. The date is not known to be
the actual birthday of Jesus, and may have initially been
chosen to correspond with either the day exactly nine
Christmas months after some early Christians believed Jesus had been
conceived, the date of the winter solstice on the ancient
Roman calendar, or one of various ancient winter festivals.
Christmas is central to the Christmas and holiday season,
and in Christianity marks the beginning of the larger season
of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days.
Although nominally a Christian holiday, Christmas is
also widely celebrated by many non-Christians, and many of
its popular celebratory customs have pre-Christian or secular
themes and origins. Popular modern customs of the holiday
include gift-giving, music, an exchange of greeting cards,
church celebrations, a special meal, and the display of
various decorations; including Christmas trees, lights,
garlands, mistletoe, nativity scenes, and holly. In addition,
Father Christmas (or Santa Claus) is a popular folklore figure
in many countries, associated with the bringing of gifts for
children.
Because gift-giving and many other aspects of the
Christmas festival involve heightened economic activity
among both Christians and non-Christians, the holiday has
become a significant event and a key sales period for retailers
and businesses. The economic impact of Christmas is a
factor that has grown steadily over the past few centuries in
many regions of the world.
