USA

As the 21st century began, international conflict centred on the Middle East and heightened significantly following the September 11 attacks and the controversial War on Terrorism that was subsequently declared.

People

The population is about 315 million people. There are many major ethnic groups in the U.S. today. America is sometimes called the “melting pot” or the “salad bowl” or the “Pizza” because people living here are of all possible origins and all the races can mix here together.

Most people speak American English. There are also minority languages (e.g. Chinese, Spanish). American English is different from British English. ¾ of all population in America live in the cities. The most populated area is so called “industrial belt” (cities – New York, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Boston, Chicago….)

The American flag consists of two parts – one smaller blue oblong with 50 white stars symbolizing 50 American states and one larger oblong consists of 13 white and red stripes, which symbolizes the original 13 states – British colonies.

Political system

The political heart of the U.S. is in the Washington D.C. the capital of the USA. The legislative power is made up of Congress. Its seat is in the Washington, DC. The Congress consists of two parts: House of Representative – number of representatives depends on population of each state, and Senate – has 100 senators – 2 from each state. Executive power is represented by president and his government. The seat of the president is in White House. The Pentagon is the seat of the Department of defence.

Cities

Washington, D.C. is one of America’s most visited cities. It is not just the seat of the federal government, Supreme Court and the President of the United States; there are also memorials to important figures and events in American history, superb museums and many other things to see. Most of the sites are located on the National Mall, simply called the Mall, a boulevard between the Capitol and the Washington Monument. The most visited sites in Washington, D.C are The White House, The Lincoln Memorial, The Washington Monument, The Capitol, The Jefferson Memorial, The Smithsonian Institution etc.

New York or the “city that never sleeps” is one of the most exciting, cosmopolitan cities in the US. More than 8 million people live here, making it one of the largest cities in the country. The city is made up of 5 boroughs – Manhattan, The Bronx, Staten Island, Brooklyn, and Queens. In NYC, there are a lot of interesting places which attracts tourists, e.g. the Empire State Building, the Museum of Modern Arts, the Broadway, the Statue of Liberty, Central Park or 5th Avenue.

The other significant places in the USA are for example San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Grand Canyon or Mount Rushmore.