THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

The USA: geography

• The third largest …..country in the world after Russia and Canada… population after china and India

• Its border to the……north: Canada…east: Atlantic Ocean…west: Pacific Ocean…South: gulf of Mexico and Mexico

The USA: geographymap reading

• Main mountain chains?• Main lakes?• Lowest point?• Longest river and its tributary?• Time difference from east to west?

The USA: Geography• Capital city: Washington DC (District of Columbia)• Currency: US dollar• Government: Presidential Republic• Language: no official language English and Spanish• Climate: varied; hurricanes and tornadoes• Varied landscape: gentle slopes, prairies, snow-covered mountains, deserts, sandy beaches, densely populated urban areas along coasts

The USA: a “superpower”

A leading industrial nation in - Manufacturing- Electronics- Trading- Science- Technology

The American flag “Stars and Stripes” or “Old Glory”

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Meaning

•13 stripes= first colonies•50 stripes= US states today

Flag day•14 June•Since 1777

Where•In all public buildings

The National AnthemOh, say can you see,by the dawn’s early light…

• Title: The Star-Spangled Banner(“vessillo/stendardo”), covered with tiny shiny

points of light

• Composed in 1814

• Offically chosen in 1931

Every morning, before lessons, children stand up and “salute the flag”

I pledge Allegiance to the Flag

of the United States of America

and to the Republic for which it stands,

one nation under God, indivisible,

with Liberty and Justice for all.

THE GREAT SEALOF THE USA

On US money and government documents

THE EAGLE = national symbol

“ e pluribus unum” = may different nationalities formed one nation

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE USAdemocratic presidential Federal Republic

the Consitution (1787) specifies the system of Government

THREE BRANCHES

Legislative (CONGRES

S)branchMakes laws

ExecutiveCarries out the

laws

JudicialMakes

sure the laws are obeyed

The legislative branch

The Capitol, Washington DC National laws

CongressHouse

of Representatives

- 435- Elected every 2

years

SENATE100,

2 FOR EACH STATE

The US ExecutivePresident Barack ObamaFirst Lady Michelle ObamaWhen people ask First Lady Michelle Obama to describe herself, she doesn't hesitate to say that first and foremost, she is Malia and Sasha's mom.

Vice President Joe Biden

The Cabinet

The secreatry of State: John Kerry

The executiveThe Vice- President The President

The Cabinet

- Heads of departments

(Secretaries)

-chosen by

President

-appoved by

Senate

e.g.

department of education

Agencie

s

Safety

- FBI federal bureau of

investigation (safety from

foreign enemies)

Secretary of State (head of the

Department of State - foreign affairs)

The White House in Washington, the President’s residence

The judicial branchThe supreme court building in Washington

The Supreme Court:Final authority in interpreting the

ConstitutionLower courts with federal

judges:-appointed by the President- In charge for

life

THE POLITICAL PARTIESDEMOCRATIC:- More liberal-Tend to be concerned with social welfare

DONKEY

REPUBLICAN:-More conservative-Mainly supported by the upper classes

ELEPHANT

Elections

• - everyone aged 18 can vote• they have to register if they want to vote• - people elect

representatives (Congress)senators

governors the president

People vote during the state primaries and caucuses. That helps each party decide who to choose as their candidate.

1. The political parties choose a candidate at their conventions or caucus(a closed meeting of the members of one party in a legislative chamber, etc, to coordinate policy, choose candidates, etc)

2. Then the candidate picks their Vice Presidential running mate. 3. The members of the party choose the ideas they think are important

4. The candidates begin to campaign.

On the first Tuesday, after the first Monday in November, people all over the United States go

to a polling location

and vote their choice for President.

…punching a hole in a card, …computers with touch screens,

… paper ballots.

Each state has a certain number of electoral votes. (Can you see why candidates would spend a lot of time in California, Texas, Florida, and New York?) In 48 of the states, the candidate that gets the most votes gets, all the electoral votes for that state. Nebraska and Maine, do not follow the winner-take-all rule. In those two states there could be a split of electoral votes among the candidates.

The first candidate to win 270 electoral votes becomes the President!

THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

• 1 .Primary elections in every state- People register with their party- Parties choose their Presidential candidate(one for each state)

• 2. Summer: NATIONAL CONVENTION- Delegates from each state choose final candidates for President and vice-

president

THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

• 3. Election Day (Tuesday in November) People are called to the polls to vote for one of the official

candidates• 4. December The electoral college in each state elects President and Vice

president officially, considering the results of the vote in November

• 5. Inauguration Day - January 20th- Oath of office => President and Vice-president- Inaugural Address => the President expresses his plans for

the future

On January 20, the President is sworn in, in Washington, D.C. He recites an oath:

"I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the

United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the

Constitution of the United States."

After the inauguration, the President nominates people to be in charge of the different departments of the federal government. The heads of the departments of the federal government make up the President's cabinet. There are many jobs to be filled and they are all important. The Senate must approve each nominee.

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The 2008 election was a historic election. Can you tell from the map

who won?