Country Presentation:United States of

America

Mrs. BowlinMango Languages

Brief History• Most people who came to America in

the 1600s were English. People came for many different reasons. In time, thirteen colonies were developed.

• The thirteen colonies were ruled under Great Britain. Revolutionaries wanted complete independence from Britain. They began collecting weapons and getting men ready—waiting to fight for independence.

• The colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation, “ The United States of America,” following the Treaty of Paris in 1783.

Location in the World

The United States of

America is located in

North America, bordering both

the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean,

between Canada and

Mexico.

Capital and Major Cities

• Capital – Washington, D.C.• Major Cities:–New York City, NY–Los Angeles, CA–Chicago, IL–Houston, TX–Philadelphia, PA

Area & Population of the United States

•Area: 9,826,675 sq km•Population: 318,892,103 people•The United States is the World's third-largest country by size (after Russia and Canada) and by population (after China and India).

ClimateThe climate is mostly

temperate in America, but tropical in Hawaii and

Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains

west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great

Basin of the southwest.The United States

experiences all four seasons: Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer.

Religion• Protestant -

51.3%• Roman Catholic

- 23.9%• Mormon - 1.7%• Other Christian

- 1.6%• Jewish - 1.7%

• Buddhist - 0.7%

• Muslim - 0.6%• Other or

Unspecified - 2.5%

• Unaffiliated - 12.1%

• None - 4%

Government• The United States has a

constitution-based federal republic with a strong democratic tradition.• The government is split in to three

branches:–Executive Branch –Legislative Branch –Judicial Branch

Executive Branch

The Executive Branch is headed by the president.

The president carries out federal

laws and recommends new

ones, directs national defense

and foreign policy, and performs

ceremonial duties.

Legislative Branch

Headed by Congress, which includes the House of Representatives and the Senate. The main task of these two

bodies is to make the laws.

Judicial Branch

Headed by the Supreme Court. Its powers include interpreting the

Constitution, reviewing laws, and deciding cases involving states'

rights.

The American FlagThe American Flag presently has 13 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom)

alternating with white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner

bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars.

• The 50 stars represent the 50 states • The 13 stripes represent the 13 original

colonies• The blue stands for loyalty, devotion,

truth, justice, and friendship• The red symbolizes courage, zeal, and

fervency• While white denotes purity and rectitude

of conduct

• The Flag’s Nickname is Old Glory!

Interesting Facts about America

The US developed the first nuclear weapons, using them on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima

and Nagasaki near the end of World War 2.

The US consumes more petroleum than any other

country in the world.US dollar bills are made from

cotton and linen.