United States of America

The flag of the United States of America

The United States of America, also known as the United States or America, is a nation located in North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico. The current head of state is President George W. Bush, serving from 2001 and will step down in 2009.

Geography

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

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 is powerful, as it can declare laws unconstitutional.

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.

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.

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