Geography of The United States of America

The U. S. A.:
- 3rd largest country
- land border with Canada and Mexico
- 48 states between Canada and Mexico
- ( lower 48) + Hawaii, Alaska
- Washington D. C.
Physiographic regions:
- east: flat plains, the Appalachian Mountains, the Great lakes, the Mississipi basin
- southeast: subtropical forests, wetland (baziny) Floridacentral parts (between Mississipi
River and the Rocky Mountains):
the Great Plains agriculture!
- west: the Rocky Mountains
- southwest: deserts
- Alaska region: mountains, volcanoes
- Hawaii region: island on lava, chain of volcanoes

Climate:
- Tropical: Hawaii, Southern Florida
- Mediterranean: California
- Semiarid: the Great Plain
- Arid (dry): the Great Basin and southwest
- Polar: Alaska
- the coldest place: Alaska ( 62C)
- the hottest place: the Death Valley (56,7C) the 2nd highest ever recorded temperature
- central areas: tornadoes (the commonest on Earth)
- along the SE coast hurricanes

Government and politics:

- a constitutional republic
- 3 levels of government federal, state, local
- federal government 3 branches:
o legislative Congress (the Senate and the
House of Representatives), 135 members
o executive (vykonny) the president, the
Commander in Chief (hl. velitel
ozbrojenych sil)
o judiciary -the Supreme Court(nejvyssi s.)
- 2 political parties:
1. the Democratic Party (B. Clinton, Gore, J. F. Kennedy)
- central left, liberathe
2. Republican Party (G. Bush, G. W. Bush)
- center right, conservative

States:
-

50 states
13 original colonies that rebelled against the British
Washington D. C. District of Columbia, federal district
incorporated territories: Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, American Samba,
Guam, Northern Mariana Islands (they use American currency - )

Economy:
- rich in natural resources (oil from Golf of Mexico, Alaska)
- well-developed infrastructure high productivity
- the largest GDP in the world GDP = gross domestic product
US GDP slightly bigger than EU GDP in
2006
- the largest importer
- 2nd largest exporter main export article: electrical machinery

the world's largest national debt (dluh)

about 13 % Americans live below the poverty line

Demographics:
- 300 million people (in 2006)
- 12 million unauthorized immigrants
- most immigrants are from Mexico, China, India and the Philippines
- white people the largest racial group (originally from Germany, Ireland, the UK)
- African Americans group (descendants of slaves)
- Asian Americans (Chinese, Filipino)
- Hispanic minority
- biggest cities: NY, L. A., Chicago, Atlanta, Phoenix, Dallas

Science and technology:

- have always been a leader in Science and technology
- A. Einstein, A. G. Bell, T. Edison, the Wright Brothers (planes), H. Ford (created a first
assembly line)
- Space race
- NASA
- GMF (genetically modified food)

Transportation
- in 2003 759 per 1000 people
(in the EU it is 472/ 1000 people)
- not a very developed railway system
- cycling not popular
- extended air traffic: 5 the biggest world's airlines are from the U. S. A.
(American airlines as the biggest)
- Jackson Atlanta International Airport

Religion
- 77 % of Americans are Christians
- Buddhists
- Muslims bad situation > every Muslim is a potential terrorists
- Jews - id

Culture
-

Tourism
-

Hollywood, movies, famous people

E. Presley, Madona (now she lives in England)
Titanic
New Orleans jazz, blues

National parks: Death Valley, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone

Great lakes, Niagara Falls, Rocky Mountains
many interesting places in cities:
Atlanta: home of Coca cola, world's largest aquarium
-Boston: Harvard University
Chicago: the highest buildings skyscrapes, place of blues, water canals
Denver: skiing resorts, Rocky Mountains
Honolulu (Hawaii): perfect climate - hot, sunny, beaches
Las Vegas: casinos, entertainment cheap accommodation (Celine Dion - often her
concerts)
Los Angeles: movies, Disneyland
Memphis: Graceland place where E. Presley lived
Miami (Florida): beaches, Cuban Cultural Centre
Nashville: country music
New York City: Wall Street, Empire State Building, Brooklyn Bridge,

Broadway, Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero

Philadelphia: Independence Hall, the Bell
Salt Lake City: Mormon history, Rocky Mountains, skiing
San Diego: ZOO, Sea World
San Francisco: Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz
Washington D. C.: The White House, the Congress