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All You Need To Know About
The USA
General Facts
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Population: 301 million
GDP: 13.13 Trillion
Life Expectancy: 77.5
Literacy Rate: 93.3%
Birth Rate: 14.14 per 1000
Death Rate: 8.26 per 1000
History of USA
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The United States declared it’s independence in 1776 and defeated Great Britain with
the help of France in the American Revolutionary War.
On July 4th 1776, the Second Continental Congress, still meeting in Philadelphia,
declared the independence of a nation called "the United States of America" in the
Declaration of Independence, primarily authored by Thomas Jefferson. July 4th is
celebrated as the nation's birthday.
The structure of the national government was profoundly changed on March 4th,
1789, when the people replaced the Articles of Confederation with the United States
Constitution. The new government reflected a radical break from the normative
governmental structures of the time, favouring representative, elective government
with a weak executive, rather than the existing monarchical structures common within
the western traditions of the time. The system of republicanism borrowed heavily from
Enlightenment Age ideas and classical western philosophy in that a primacy was
placed upon individual liberty and upon constraining the power of government
through division of powers and a system of checks and balances.
Economy
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The United States has the world's
largest GDP, $13.21 trillion in 2006.
The United States has a mixed
economy where corporations and
other private firms make the majority
of microeconomic decisions regulated
by government.
As of 2006, the national debt was
nearly USD $9 trillion or 64% of GDP.
The national debt includes the amount
of the cumulative government deficits
and interest.
The first ingredient of a nation's
economic system is its natural
resources. The United States is rich in
mineral resources and fertile farm soil,
and it is fortunate to have a moderate
climate. It also has extensive
coastlines on both the Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans, as well as on the Gulf
of Mexico. Rivers flow from far within
the continent, and the Great Lakes
provide additional shipping access.
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The second ingredient is labour. The
number of available workers and,
more importantly, their productivity
help determine the health of an
economy. Throughout its history, the
United States has experienced steady
growth in the labour force, and that, in
turn, has helped fuel almost constant
economic expansion..
Third, there is manufacturing and
investment. In the United States, the
corporation has emerged as an
association of owners, known as
stockholders, who form a business
enterprise governed by a complex set
of rules and customs. Brought on by
the process of mass production,
corporations such as General Electric
have been instrumental in shaping the
United States. Through the stock
market, American banks and investors
have grown their economy by investing
and withdrawing capital from profitable
corporations.
Cities of America
• The largest cities in America are; New York (18,498,000); Los
Angeles (12,146,000); Chicago (8,711,000); Houston
(2,009,960); Philadelphia (1,479,339); Phoenix (1,388,416);
San Diego (1,226,753); San Antonio (1,214,725); Dallas
(1,208,318); Detroit (911,402).
Health
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According to the World Health Organization there are currently 1.6 billion overweight
adults in the world and that number is projected to grow by 40% over the next 10
years.
1. Naruru (94.5%)
2. Micronesia (91.1%)
3. Cook Islands (90.9%)
4. Tonga (90.8%)
5. Niue (81.7%
6. Samoa (80.4%)
7. Palau (78.4%)
8. Kuwait (74.2%)
9. United States (74.1%)
10. Kiribati (73.6%)
• The list reflects the percentage of overweight adults aged 15 and over. These are
individuals who have individual body mass indexes, which measures weight relative
to height, greater than or equal to 25. Obese is defined as having a BMI greater than
or equal to 30.
• The United States appears 9th on the list, which could reflect badly on the health
system of America.
Miscellaneous Data
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Highest point: Mount McKinley, Alaska 20,320 ft. (6,198 m)
Lowest point: Death Valley, Calif. 282 ft. (86 m) below sea level
Approximate mean elevation 2,500 ft. (763 m)
Points farthest apart (50 states): Log Point, Elliot Key, Fla and Kure Island, Hawaii
5,859 mi. (9,429 km)
Geographic centre (50 states): in Butte County, S.D. (west of Castle Rock) 44°58'N
lat.103°46'W long.
Geographic centre (48 conterminous states): in Smith County, Kan. (near Lebanon)
39°50'N lat. 98°35'W long.
Boundaries: Between Alaska and Canada 1,538 mi. (2,475 km) Between the 48
conterminous states and Canada (incl. the Great Lakes) 3,987 mi. (6,416
km) Between the United States and Mexico 1,933 mi. (3,111 km)
Culture
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The Culture of the United States is a Western culture, and has been developing since
long before the United States became a country. Today the United States is a diverse
and multi-cultural nation.
Its chief early influence was British culture, due to colonial ties with the British that
spread the English language, legal system and other cultural inheritances. Other
important influences came from other parts of Europe, especially countries from
which large numbers immigrated such as Ireland, Germany, Poland, and Italy; the
Native American peoples; Africa, especially the western part, from which came the
ancestors of most African Americans; and young groups of immigrants. American
culture also has shared influence on the cultures of its neighbours in the New World.
The United States has traditionally been known as a melting pot, but recent academic
opinion is tending towards cultural diversity, pluralism and the image of a salad bowl
rather than a melting pot. Due to the extent of American culture there are many
integrated but unique subcultures within the United States. The cultural affiliations an
individual in the United States may have commonly depend on social class, political
orientation and a multitude of demographic characteristics such as ancestral
traditions, sex and sexual orientation. The strongest influences on American culture
came from northern European cultures, most prominently from Germany, Ireland and
England. There are great regional and sub cultural differences, making American
culture mostly heterogeneous.
Politics
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Politics of the United States takes place in a framework of a presidential republic,
whereby the President of the United States is head of state, head of government, and
of a two-party legislative and electoral system. The federal government shares
sovereignty with the state governments, with the Supreme Court balancing the rights
of each.
The executive branch is headed by a president and is independent of the legislature.
Legislative power is vested in the two chambers of Congress, the Senate and the
House of Representatives. Judicial power is exercised by the judicial branch (or
judiciary), comprised of the Supreme Court and lower federal courts. The judiciary's
function is to interpret the United States Constitution as well as the federal laws and
regulations. This includes resolving disputes between the executive and legislative
branches. The federal government of the United States was established by the
Constitution. American politics has been dominated by two major parties, the
Democratic Party and the Republican Party, ever since the American Civil War,
though other minor parties of marginal political significance have also always existed.
Major differences between the political system of the United States and that of most
other developed democracies are the power of the Senate as the upper house of the
legislature, the wide scope of power of the Supreme Court, the separation of powers
between the legislature and the executive government, and the dominance of the two
main parties - the United States being the only developed democracy without a major
third party.
Quick Final Facts
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Capital City: Washington, D.C.
National Independence: July 4, 1776
Motto: In God We Trust
Largest Cities: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Phoenix,
San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas, San Jose
Border Countries and Oceans: Canada, Mexico, Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico,
Pacific Ocean
Population: 298,444,215 (July 2006 est.)
Land Area: 3,615,123 sq. mi. (9,375,720 sq. km.)
Highest Point: Mt. McKinley, Alaska, 20,320 ft. (6194 m.) above sea level
Lowest Point: Death Valley, California, 282 ft (86 m.) below sea level
Largest State: Alaska
Smallest State: Rhode Island
National Bird: Bald Eagle
National Flower: Rose
National Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner