United States of America

The flag of the United States of America

The United States of America, called the United States, U.S.A, U.S., US, or America, is a nation located in North America, between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, between Canada and Mexico. The current head of state and head of government is President George W. Bush, serving from 2001-5, and reelected for 2005-9. He is not eligible for another term.

Geography

Physical Geography

The United States of America, showing land formations and major highways.

The United States occupies a band across the entire width of North America, and includes Alaska, a peninsula at the northwest extreme of North America, and Hawaii, a group of volcanic islands in the north Pacific Ocean.

The Atlantic Coastal Plain occupies the eastern seaboard of the United States. The plain very gradually rises westward to the Appalachain Mountains, and is drained by a large number of rivers. Some of these rivers are very economically and historically important. The main river systems draining the east side of the Appalachians to the Atlantic Ocean are the Connecticut River, the Hudson River, the Delaware River, the Susquehanna River, the Potomac River, the James River, the Santee River, and the Savannah River. The peninsular part of Florida extends southwards, and separates the Atlantic Ocean from the Gulf of Mexico.

The Appalachian Mountains, which run southwest to northeast near the east coast, are an ancient mountain range which existed before the separation of North America. Due to their great age, the Appalachians are low rolling mountains, reaching a peak altitude at Mount Mitchell in North Carolina of 2037 m (6,684 feet).

West of the Appalachian Mountains is a very large broad basin which extends west to the Rocky Mountains. Along the northern boundary of the United States is a series of 5 large lakes, called the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes ultimately drain to the Atlantic Ocean through the Saint Lawrence River in Canada. Most of the rivers which drain into the Great Lakes are rather small. South of the Great Lakes drainage is the Ohio River valley. The Ohio River drains much of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Kentucky to the Mississippi River. The Ohio River is formed by the confluence of the Allegheny River and the Monongahela River at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. South of the Ohio River, the Tennessee River drains some of Kentucky, most of Tennessee, and northern parts of the states of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, from the Appalachain Mountains into the Ohio River just upstream of the Ohio's discharge to the Mississippi River.

The Mississippi River runs from north to south, dividing the United States. The Mississippi River discharges into the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana. The conventional beginning of the Mississippi River is in Minnesota. The main tributaries of the Mississippi are the Ohio River, the Tennessee River, the Arkansas River, and the Missouri River. With its tributaries, the Mississippi River drains the central half of the United States from the crest of the Appalachians to the crest of the Rocky Mountains. East of the Mississippi River, and for some distance west, the natural vegetation of the area was deciduous forest. At some distance west of the Mississippi River, the forest gives way to open prarie, a region known as the Great Plains. The Great Plains slowly rise westwards toward the Rocky Mountains, a high large mountain range extending from New Mexico, through Colorado, Wyoming, and into Montana. The Rockies are significantly younger and higher than the Appalachians; the highest point is at Mount Elbert in Colorado, at 4401 m (14,440 feet) above mean sea level.

West of the Rockies lie a number of smaller mountain ranges and basins, forming the Basin and Range country. The northern part of this region, primarily in Montana and Idaho, is well-watered and drains to the Pacific Ocean through the Columbia River , its major tributary the Snake River, and their tributaries. To the south lies the Great Basin, which, due to its low rainfall, has no drainage to an ocean. The Great Basin covers most of Nevada and much of Utah, and extends into the surrounding states. In prehistoric time, much of the Great Basin was covered by two large lakes, Lake Bonneville and Lake Lahontan, which drained into the Snake River, but as the region became desert, the lakes lost their outlet and shrank. Utah's Great Salt Lake is the main remnant of Lake Bonneville, and various small salt lakes in Nevada are all that remains of Lake Lahontan. To the south of the Great Basin are the small mountain ranges of New Mexico and Arizona, which nominally drain through the Gila River and the Colorado River to the Gulf of California.

Further west lie the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, and the Cascades of Washington, Oregon and far northern California. The Sierra Nevada was formed geologically recently by uplift as the North American tectonic plate gradually absorbed smaller terranes. The highest point in the contiguous United States is Mount Whitney, at 4421 m (14,505 feet)in the southern Sierra Nevada. The Cascades are volcanic in origin, and still have various active volcanos as the Juan de Fuca Plate is subducted below the North American Plate. The most recent large eruption was the explosion in 1980 of Mount Saint Helens in Washington. Lassen Peak in California was volcanically active from 1914 to 1921, with a large explosion in 1915. The highest point in the Cascades is Mount Rainier, at 4392 m (14,410 ft).

West of the Sierra Nevada lies California's Great Valley or "Central Valley", bounded on the west by California's Coast Ranges. The drainage of the west slope of the Sierra Nevada flows into a series of small rivers, which ultimately feed the Sacramento River and the San Joaquin River, which meet at the California Delta prior to discharging through San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. The Great Valley is one of the flattest regions of the United States - 300 km (200 miles) north and south of the delta, which is at sea level, the elevation is on the order of 150 m (500 feet). The Coast Ranges are much lower and more divided than the Sierra Nevada, and form a number of small valleys between ranges; these ranges meet the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific coast is much more rugged than the Atlantic Coast. The coastal ranges of Oregon and Washington are similar to those of California.

Zones of sea-floor spreading create transform faults between them; one of the largest transform faults in the world is California's San Andreas Fault, which starts in Southern California near the Salton Sea and runs to the Mendocino Triple Junction at the borders of the North American Plate, the Juan de Fuca Plate, and the Pacific Plate. The fault runs further inland in Southern California, and closer to the ocean in Northern Calfornia; it enters the Pacific Ocean just south of San Francisco, and makes a brief landfall at Point Reyes in Marin County north of San Francisco. The San Andreas Fault generates devastating earthquakes every few hundred years; most recently in 1857 in Southern California and in 1906 in Northern California. Smaller but damaging earthquakes have occurred on the San Andreas Fault and adjacent faults.

Hawaii is a series of tropical volcanic islands; the "Big Island" of Hawaii has two active volcanoes, Mauna Loa and Kilauea, with an offshore underwater volcano named Loihi currently active.

The state of Alaska consists of a coastal strip west of British Columbia in Canada, and the bulk of the Alaska Peninsula. The coastal strip is characterised by fjords as the coastal mountains meet the Pacific Ocean. The main peninsula consists of a southern coastal plain where most human settlement exists. North of the coastal plain is the Alaska Range, which contains Denali, the highest point in North America at 6194 m (20,320 ft). The Alaska Range continues to the southwest to form the Aleutian Peninsula and ultimately the Aleutian Islands. North of the Alaska Range is Alaska's broad central valley, which is heavily forested, and which primarily drains through the Yukon River into the Bering Sea. Further north, near the Arctic Circle, is the Brooks Range of mountains, which gradually fall to the North Slope of Alaska into the Arctic Ocean.

Climate

The climate is diverse in the United States, but many parts have a continental climate, often with hot summers and great variations in temperature during a year.

The west coast has a maritime climate, with relatively mild winters. There is however a big difference between the northern and southern parts of the west cost. The northern parts receive a lot of precipitation, especially during the fall. The southern and central parts of California have a typical Mediterranean climate, with very little precipitation and sun most of the year. One of the warmest areas of the world, Death Valley, is located in Southern California.

East of the Rocky Mountains are the Great Plains. This area consists of large steppes, having a unique climate. Moist winds from the Gulf of Mexico meet cold wind from the north, which leads to a lot of changing weather. The Great Plains are known for their tornadoes, and for snow and hail storms. The Midwest is known for short springs and falls, and often long winters.

The climate is mostly warm in the southern states along the Gulf, and there is hardly any real winter. The south often sees hurricanes in the fall, causing great damage.

The climate is more varied on the east coast and in the Appalachian Mountains, but a common denominator is that these areas often receive lot of precipitation. The climate of the east coast is to a lesser degree than he west coast affected by the ocean, so that is has a typical continental climate. The northeastern parts of the United States have a lot of snow in the winter, including the coastal areas.

History

Territorial expansion of the United States.

Two million British settlers in 13 colonies (along with German and other immigrants, and African slaves) comprised the Thirteen Colonies of 1775. Angered by deprivation of their historic rights by Britain, they revolted in 1775, and declared independence on July 4, 1776 as the new nation, The United States of America. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, which expressed the nation's commitment to republican ideals. The war for independence against Britain, in league with France and others, was a success. George Washington, who led the military effort, chaired the Constitutional Convention of 1787, which divided powers between the states and national government, and divided powers in the latter among legislative (Congress), executive (President) and judicial (Supreme Court) branches.

The young nation established the world's first mass political parties in the 1790s. The Democratic party (founded 1828) and the Republican party (founded 1854) have traded control back and forth in the states and nationwide.

The country expanded westward, as the frontier shaped the characteristic American traits of expansion, adventure, violence and democracy. The new territories became states (except for Puerto Rico, which is part of the U.S. but is treated separately). The slavery issue led to the American Civil War when the Republican party elected Abraham Lincoln president in 1860 promising to stop the expansion of slavery, and the South seceded and tried to form a new country. The Confederacy was defeated, the union was saved, the slaves all freed and during Reconstruction the slaves were made citizens and voters.

After the war rapid industrialization and urbanization turned the nation into the strongest economic power. Woodrow Wilson used that power to shape the outcome of World War I. The economy crashed in 1929, causing a worldwide depression. Franklin D. Roosevelt met the challenge with New Deal programs of relief, recovery and reform, and built a Democratic party coalition, the New Deal Coalition, comprising unions, ethnics, city machines and the South, that dominated politics until the 1960s, with a commitment to equality. That commitment expanded to include Civil Rights for blacks after 1960.

The economy fully recovered in World War II, as Roosevelt made the U.S. the arsenal of democracy in the defeat of Nazi Germany and Japan. The Cold War (1947-1989) was a confrontation between the U.S. and its main allies (western Europe, Japan) on one side and the Soviet Union and its Communist allies on the other. Apart from localized wars in Korea and Vietnam, there were no major wars. The U.S. helped split China off from the Soviet Union in the 1970s, opening China up to capitalism and fast economic growth.

With victory in the Cold War in 1989, the U.S. became the world's only superpower, but its use of that power in the Middle East remains controversial. The 9-11 attacks by Muslim terrorists opened a "War on Terror". The economy is marked by steady growth, low unemployment and inflation, rapid advances in technology, a large growing super-rich element, and a high rate of immigration (including 12 million illegal immigrants).

Politics

President George W. Bush delivering the State of the Union address, 2007. Also pictured are Vice President Dick Cheney and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi

The United States is a representative democracy, founded on the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. The federal government has a system of "checks and balances," and is divided into the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

There are three main levels of government in the United States. The states have extensive powers as the country is a federal republic, and states are further divided into counties and municipal governments.

The executive is lead by the president. The president is responsible for appointing the cabinet, which is confirmed by the Senate. The legislative branch of the federal government is the Congress. The Congress is bicameral, and consists of the House of Representatives and Senate. All states have two senators, and each state's number of representatives is decided by the state's population. The legislative branch consists of a system of federal courts, with the Supreme Court at the top. The Supreme Court has jurisdiction to interpret federal law, determine if laws are incompatible with the U.S. Constitution, determines the legality of decisions made by the Court of Appeals and makes determinations of due process but does not normally make factual determinations or findings of fact.

Economy

The New York Stock Exchange in Wall Street, New York City. The term "Wall Street" is often used as a collective name for the financial and investment community.

The economy of the United States is based upon capitalism, with elements of a mixed economy. The U.S. is the world's economical powerhouse, and the standard of living is mostly high. The median income is $46,326 per household. The wealth is somewhat unevenly distributed; the top 20% have a household median income of $91,705, the lowest 20% have $19,178.

Private enterprises account for the biggest part of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product, but the public sector is also substantial, consisting of 35% of the GDP. Government regulations are not as extensive as in many other western countries. The labor market is flexible, and social welfare services are more limited than in Europe. Social spending is increasing, and the cost of federal programs such as Medicare and Medicaid is growing.

The central bank of the United States is the Federal Reserve System. The Federal Reserve is independent from the government, and Congress does not interfere with its policies.

Agriculture

The U.S. is a major exporter of agricultural products. American agriculture is highly mechanized, and only 834,000 workers are employed in the sector. This has changed significantly over time; in 1870 was half of the U.S. population employed in agriculture.

Wheat, corn and soybeans are grown on in the Midwest. Soybeans and Cotton are important in the South, but tobacco is being phased out after 400 years in Virginia (as well as North Carolina and Kentucky). California is the most important farm state, with a very large variety of crops and vegetables, with grapes for wine a specialty. Florida was historically a major citrus state, but its orange groves are becoming housing tracts. Dairy farming is important in several areas, especially Calirfornia, Wisconsin and Vermont. Cattle, poultry, and hogs comprise the large livestock industry.

Industry and natural resources

The United States is rich on natural resources, and has for example gold, petroleum, coal, and uranium. The domestic supply of natural resources is not sufficient, and the U.S. has a persistent trade deficit, most notably on oil. America has large supplies of coal, mostly in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia.

America has been one of the leading industrial nations in the world since the late 19th century. Manufacturing is accounting for a large part of the GDP, but the traditional heavy industries of the northeast have been in decline recently. The former Manufacturing Belt is now nicknamed the Rust Belt.

The automobile industry has long traditions in the United States. Henry Ford pioneered the use of assembly lines, and founded the Ford Motor Company. Michigan became the home of many automobile manufacturers, including General Motors and Chrysler. The American automobile industry is now struggling with competition from foreign companies such as Honda and Toyota.

Demographics

The population of the United States reached 300 million in 2006. The population is highly heterogeneous, and consists of many ethnic groups. The majority of Americans are whites of European descent. The largest group is German-Americans; with Irish-Americans, English-Americans coming next. The largest minority groups in the United States is African-Americans.

The current demographic trend is that the Hispanic population is growing, mostly because of immigration from Mexico and other Latin American countries.

Language

English is the de facto national language, even though there is no official language at the federal level. Applicants for U.S. citizenship have to pass an English literacy test.

About 82% of the population speak nothing but English at home. The second most commons language is Spanish. 29 states have made English their official language. Three states have other additional languages used by the state governments; Hawaiian in Hawaii, French in Louisiana, and Spanish in New Mexico.

Transportation

Transportation in the United States is highly dependent on the automobile. Automobile use exceeds that of other industralized countries, such as the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan. Large cities usually have public transportation, such as buses. Passenger railroad is more prevalent in the northeastern United States but is present in other parts of the country. Amtrak is a government owned passenger railway company. There are no other passenger railway company with near national routes but there are state owned railroad companies, such as New Jersey Transit. The large distances between cities has resulted in frequent air service in most parts of the country. Intercity bus travel exists but has declined as far as the proportion of long trips made by this mode of transportation. Greyhound is the only remaining bus line with a near national route system.

In 1956, the federal government began systematic building of high speed roads linking larger cities. The program, called the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways or informally called the Interstate Highway System, now composes 46,837 miles (75,360 km) of highway.

Airline deregulation occurred in 1978 ending the necessity for government approval of air fares and air routes within the United States. The United States does not have a state owned flag carrier. The largest privately owned airlines in the United States include American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Continental Airlines, US Airways, Southwest Airlines, and Alaska Airlines.

Religion

Church and State are separated by the First Amendment; no government aid is allowed to religion or religious schools, although the exact line is controversial. Religion is an integral part of daily life for most Americans, and society is not as secularized as in many other developed nations. Six out of ten Americans feel that their faith plays a very important role in their lives.

About 90% of Americans are believers. Christianity is the largest religion, divided about equally among mainline Protestants, evangelical Protestants, and Roman Catholics.

Religion is an important part of American politics, and the personal beliefs of candidates are often used in political campaigns. All presidents of the United States have had a Protestant background, with the exception of John F. Kennedy who was Catholic.

See also

• U.S. States and Territories
• Social Security in the USA
• List of U.S. Presidents

Bibliography

• De Tocqueville, Alexis (1835). Democracy in America.  – A comparison of the American and French political systems.