United States of America (USA). Basic information Population: 310,622,000 Area: 9,826,675 km 2 Capital city: Washington, D.C. Largest city: New York Government:

United States of America(USA)

Basic informationPopulation: 310,622,000

Area: 9,826,675 km2

Capital city: Washington, D.C.

Largest city: New York

Government: Federal constitutional presidential republic

Currency: American dollar (1 USD is 17.50 CZK)

President: Barack Obama

USA is a federal union of 50 states and federal districts

Highest point: Mount McKinley (6,194m)

History

America was explored by Columbus in 1492.

America was a colony of England, France, Spain and The Netherlands.

Native Americans (Indians) were oppressed (Indian wars)

The Declaration of independence was adopted on 4.7.1776

The Civil war, South against North

USA were very important in WW I and WW II

Big chapter is Cold war with Soviet union (e.g. space race, …)

Nowadays USA are in war with terrorism and big economic crisis

Important persons

George Washington – the fisrt president of USA

Martin Luther King, jr - stopped discrimination of Afro-Americans

Barack Obama- the first Afro-American president

Neil Armstrong- the first man on the Moon

Dick a Mac McDonald - they established fast food restaurant McDonald´s in 1940

Citizens

People live especially at east and west coasts, in the middle are usually farms and fields

The largest racial group are White Americans

The second are African-Americans

The Third are Asian-Americans

There still live about 5 million native Americans

Nowadays a lot of Hispanic people are coming to USA

In the USA there are about 11 million of illegal inhabitants, especially from Mexico.

82% people live in urban areas

The biggest cities are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago

Nature

USA is a very large country and each state has a different landscape.

US government protect some areas as national parks (Grand canyon)

Here are the most interesting areas:

Grand canyon

The Niagara falls

Great Lakes

Alaska is the least populated US state. There is arctic climate and many glaciers. It is the site of the highest mountain and wild nature.

Grand canyon

Grand canyon is a national park in state Arizona.

Canyon of river Colorado is about 446 km long, the deepest side has 1,500m.

The first European who found the Grand Canyon was Garcia Lopez in 1540.

It is about 2 million years old.

It is possible to take great pictures here.

Niagara falls

The Niagara falls are on the border with Canada.

It´s one of the biggest world natural landmarks.

This place is for people who are falling in love.

The Waterfalls are 55 m high.

The view is better from the Canadien side.

Great lakes

Great Lakes are 5 largest lakes in the world.

The Names are Michigan, Ontario, Huron, Superior and Erie.

You can spend there a great time because around lakes there is wild nature and also huge cities (Detroit, Buffalo, Chicago, Toronto).

Lakes are as huge as a sea.

Alaska

Alaska is the least populated US state.

There is arctic climate and many glaciers.

It is the site of the highest mountain and wild nature.

USA bought this area from Russia in 1959

In this state was also the gold rush because there were huge stocks of the gold.

Chicago

In Chicago land area there live almost 10 million people

All cultural life and business is situated in downtown.

Chicago is the city of jazz, skyscrapers, criminals and mafia

Chicago is famous for Al Capone who made business with alcohol in prohibition. He bribed police, judges etc.

There is the highest skyscraper of North America called Willis tower (443 m). This tower is also the highest point of state Illinois.

Chicago offers museum campus with interesting expositions.

There was Czechoslovak mayor Antonín Čermák who saved life of the US president.

Native Americans Native Americans came from Asia

They hunted down buffaloes but White people killed them off and the Indians hadn´t got any food.

They lived in tents and used bows and spears. They rode horses very well.

Indians have their own religion with lots of gods.

In America there were many different groups of Indians.

Nowadays there live only a few native Americans in the US who keep their traditional cultural life.

Relations with the Czech Republic

People who would like go to US as tourists need just online ESTA registration, it is not a visa. It costs about 2,500 CZK

Who would like to study or work there needs a work or study visa. In such a case it is necessary to go to the embassy.

The nearest embassy is in Prague

If you are a student at a university you can travel to US with a work and travel visa. It´s a special visa for students. It is not so expensive.

For more information you can visit websites of Prague embassy http://czech.prague.usembassy.gov/