The United States of America.ppt

1、the United States of America,A Brief Introduction,What We Will Cover,The Land The People American Economy Government System History At a Glance,The LandThe Four Regions,The LandA Few notes,The United States of America is : In the southern part of North America, just south of Canada. Divided in to 50

2、 different states, each having their own government. Quite large, with Texas being larger than France and Alaska being twice as large as Texas! Composed of the Eastern Highlands (about 800 meters above sea in some places), the Central Plains, and the Western Mountains (the Rocky Mountains being over

3、 3000 meters high). Affected by both VERY cold climates in New York and the north, and sub-tropic climates in the south. Has rich nature, with forest, beaches, rivers and lakes, and wildlife flourishing. Some of the most well known cities exist throughout the USA.,The LandWhere Is The USA?,The LandT

4、he States And Gov.,The United States is divided in to 50 states. These states have been added to the union at different times in history, with Alaska and Hawaii being the last. The United States also have protectorates. For example, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, Midway, Johnston and

5、Wake Atolls, Baker, Howland, Jarvis, Navassa Islands, Kingman Reef , the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The most well known are Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia (aka, Washington D.C.).,The LandInteresting Fact,Americas flag has 13 stripes that symbolize

6、 the original 13 colonies. The flag also has 50 stars which symbolize the 50 states. Every time a new state entered the union, the flag would change for it!,The LandWhat Is a Protectorate?,It is anautonomousterritory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a strongers

7、tateor entity. In exchange for this, the protectorate usually accepts specified obligations, which may vary greatly, depending on the real nature of their relationship. However, it retains sufficient measure ofsovereigntyand remains a state under international law.,The LandHighlands? Plains?,The USA

8、 has 3 main regional land types. These land types are : Eastern Highlands This area holds the Appalachian Range of mountains. To the east is the narrow stretch of coastal states. Dense forests, and plenty of wildlife are here. Central Plains This is where the majority of US agriculture comes from. C

9、owboy movies are shot here. Western Mountains High and rocky, this area is generally cold and volcanic looking.,The LandEastern Highlands,The Land Central Plains,The LandWestern Mountains,The Climate of the US,The climate of the USA depends greatly on the latitude, altitude, and distance from the oc

10、eans. The Northeast Generally cold and snowy, with a short warm summer. New York, Pennsylvania, and Maine for example. The South Ranges from warm to a hot climate, which depends on the states location. Generally humid. The Midwest Temperate weather with high winds are good for growing food. The high

11、 winds do sometimes cause dust storms. The West Ranges from cold to extremely hot, depending on state locations. Some of the highest and lowest points of the USA lie here. (The Grand Canyon and the Rocky Mountains).,The LandNature,The United States is a conservation center of the world. There are ve

12、ry large national parks and strict rules about hunting, fishing, and construction. One of the first things tourists see when visiting the USA is the beauty of nature, and the wildlife all around them.,The United StatesCities,The PeopleA melting Pot,The United States is called the “Melting Pot” becau

13、se it has no true cultural majority. The U.S. is built from the culture of every country in the world, and is a mixture. In other words, the culture of the United States is like a soup. The ingredients and flavor come from the entire world.,The peopleInteresting Fact,Unlike many other countries, the

14、 U.S.A. doesnt require that immigrants assimilate in to the American culture. Immigrants often create their own community, keeping their old culture! China town in NY and CA are a good example of this!,The PeopleThe Seven Dimensions,The PeopleA few Notes,The U.S. was originally settled by Native Ame

15、ricans. “Discovered” by Christopher Columbus in 1492, colonists from Europe soon began traveling there. Because of the European colonists being the first to arrive (after the Native Americans), there is a feeling of racism and discrimination against all people who are not white with European descent

16、. There is no official language in the USA. The two most common languages are English and Spanish. It is now a common requirement to be able to speak one of those two. Different religions populate the U.S., with Christianity being the most common. As a capitalistic society, wealth is divided in to t

17、hree major groups. The 29% of lower class, or poor people, follow the 62% middle class, who follow the 9% upper class.,The PeopleNative Americans,The Native Americans of the United States could be divided in to 300 different groups. These groups looked, spoke, and acted quite differently and often w

18、ould war with one another. They numbered, in the 18th century, at over 8 million. In modern times they have a population of little more than 2 million people. White European colonists adopted many different policies in terms of the Native Americans. These policies ranged from genocide, to trading, t

19、o religious conversion, and even adoption to the European community in order to gain more land in this new continent. Many Native Americans now hold a deep hatred for the American government, and reside in reservations (special areas separate from the main United States).,The PeopleInteresting Fact,

20、Like the Chinese, Native Americans give traditional names to each other as well as English names. These names are quite similar to Chinese names in structure. Beautiful Earth, Broken Hand, Crazy Horse, Little Horse, and Big Foot are all famous Native American Names.,The PeopleRacism,In the United St

21、ates, there is often a feeling of racism towards people who are not white or where not born in the US. Before the 1950s, America had a policy of segregation (or separation) but such was thrown away. Now, people of different races generally keep to themselves in their own community.,The PeopleInteresting Fact,Latin Americans, Whites, and Blacks hold the most prevalent hate groups in America. Latin The Latin Kings White The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) Black The Black Panthers,The PeopleMusic And Art,Havi