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United States of America bordered North by Canada, South to the Gulf of Mexico and the Mexican United States. Its East Coast is bathed by the Atlantic Ocean, while its West Coast, by the Pacific Ocean.
Its territory comprises, apart from Alaska (which is located in the extreme northwest of America) and the North America Center, several islands and islets (Aleutian, Hawaii, Florida Keys, etc).
The eastern part of the country is low and flat, interrupted only by the Appalachian land. To the West, there are mountains and plateaus, on the 3,000 m, ending in Alaska with the Mount McKinley. Also in this region include the Rocky Mountains.
Among its most remarkable rivers stand out the Mississippi (basin: 3.206.000 miles2) and Missouri (1.370.000 km2) and between lakes, the Michigan.
In terms of the climate, the Northwest Coast is rainy and moderate temperature. In California, to the West, it is dry and the rest of the mainland shows humid summers and snowy winters. Alaska, in its southern region is moderate and, in the North, subarctic. Hawaii is tropical and subtropical South Florida.
Political organization
United States is governed by the Constitution adopted on September 17, 1787. The Executive power is in the hands of the President of the Republic, elected every four years, along with the Vice President. President since 1951, is January only once and is advised by a Cabinet of 12 ministers known as secretaries.
The legislative power lies in the Senate (two Senators per State) and in the House of representatives (435 members) and the highest judicial body is the Supreme Court.
The country is divided into 50 States, over the District of Columbia. The laws of States governed as they are not contrary to the US Constitution. Each State has a Governor, a Congress and its own judicial system.
Multiracial country
Despite its huge population, the United States is not a densely populated country (only 30.8 inhabitants/km2), although 80% of its inhabitants is concentrated in the cities. The major cities are in the Northeast, especially in the States of New York, Pennsylvania, and in States such as Illinois and Michigan Center. They gather more than 25% of the total population. One of the basic characteristics of the citizens of the United States is its racial variety.
The United States economy is based on agricultural, forestry and industrial production as well as the dynamism of their exports and imports. The variety of climates and the extent of its territory, in addition to the high technology used, allow for great diversity in crops and livestock. The first highlights the production of corn, soybeans and wheat, and the second, that of cattle and swine. In addition, this country is the sixth fishing power in the world.
Industrial strength lies in the exploitation of various minerals, such as iron and copper. It is also one of the main producers of oil, natural gas and coal, as well as steel. In 2005, exports of industrial materials from United States reached 231,8 trillion dollars.
This solid economic position has also contributed the US financial sector, which has a great impact on the economy of the country and the world.
New York
Emblematic and cosmopolitan city par excellence of the United States, was founded by the Dutch in 1626, called new Amsterdam, until, in 1674, already held by the English, it was renamed New York. It is said that a person who today live in this city can eat daily outside his house, for an entire year and never recur restaurant
CUSTOMS IN UNITED STATES
One of the things that most likes to travel to different countries is to meet what customs there in other parts of the world, some very similar to the Spanish and others completely opposite. That is the great wealth that has any culture, its customs and traditions in different ways, as for example the food, family, behavior…
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY
Although there are many couples who are not married, the truth is that in the United States is one of the highest marriage rates of Western countries. Weddings are depending on thereligion who profess their parties, being the average age of 26 years for men and 24 for women. Anyway, one in three American children born of a couple who is not married, and the single-parent families have greatly increased.
FOOD AND DRINK
While Americans eat so much fast food(hamburgers, fried chicken or pizza), they also eat food from anywhere in the world. Basic in its diet are potatoes, pasta, bread and rice. The portions served in restaurants are huge, so that two people who are there can eat a single dish without getting hungry. Alcoholic beverages They are not permitted for children under 21 years, and many adults don’t drink them for religious reasons. At lunchtime, often hold the fork with your hand to write, just upside down here.
SOCIAL HABITS
When two people are known, the most common is shaking hands and smiling, but if you are meeting a friend or a family member of a friend, you can also give two kisses. The very close friends and family tend to give a big hug when they encounter. Calling someone by «Sir or Madam» and his surname shows respect. Americans tend not to talk about is very close, but yes tend to touch the person you speak with a pat on the back or arm seizing. You have to be very punctual on appointments, and if you’re not going to arrive on time should report so that the other person is not offended. If you are invited to eat / dinner at a home, it is usual to bring flowers or wine.
LEISURE
Many hours of leisure is dedicated to major sports: basketball, football (American, our there is called soccer), baseball and ice hockey. It is very common to see a lot of people in all the parks playing various sports every day of the week, that there are numerous clubs of other activities, especially in schools.
PARTIES
Nationwide special days are January 1 and the anniversary of the birth ofMartin Luther King, the civil rights leader assassinated in 1968 and receiving your tribute the third Monday of January each year. The third Monday of February is the President’s day, which honors all those who have presided over the country. Of course, can not miss the 4th of July, American Independence day and the biggest celebration of the year. That day you’ll see Grills Outdoor, picnics, Fireworks, concerts and endless activities.
On November 11, Veterans Day, pays tribute to all those who fought in the war by the United States. One of the days that most are now held in other countries isHalloween, in which young and old dress up to ask for candies and terrorizing anyone who are out there. Another very important day is Thanksgiving, which is the fourth Thursday of November. The last most important days of the year are those of the Christmas season, which usually begin after Thanksgiving.
TIPS
In the United States is the style leave gratuities in the different restaurants and bars because the service is not included within the attention; Tip standard tends to be 15%, if the service was slow or bad be 10%, on the other hand, if it was good and satisfactory can leave up to 20%.
Taxi service is very similar, as the taxi driver expects 15% tip, and if he was quite cordial and friendly can be 20%. Hotels is also customary to give the buttons a tip of $ 1.
LITERATURE
During the 18th century and early 19th century, the American literature took most of its influence in Europe. In the mid-19th century, writers such as Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allan Poe and Henry David Thoreau established an own country’s literature. Mark Twainand poet Walt Whitman were two of the great figures of the second half of the century; Emily Dickinson, virtually unknown during his lifetime, is also considered as one of the most important poets of the American literature. A work that captures key aspects of life in the country in their characters – such as Moby-Dick (1851) of Herman Melville, the adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885) by Mark Twain and the Great Gatsby (1925) of F. Scott Fitzgerald-can be considered as the ‘great American novel’.
Eleven U.S. citizens have won the Nobel Prize for literature, the most recent being Toni Morrison in 1993. William Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway, winners in the years 1949 and 1954, respectively, are often listed among most influential writers of the 20th century. Several popular literary genres as the of the West and the detective developed in the country. The writers of the beat generation (Allen Ginsberg,Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs…) opened the field to new literary forms, as well as authors postmodernist like John Barth, Thomas Pynchon and Don DeLillo. Worth mentioning also other poets and writers such as Ezra Pound, Wallace Stevens, Gore Vidal, Truman Capote, the nationalized Vladimir Nabokov, Raymond Carver, and, in fantasy literature, are internationally renownedH. P. Lovecraft, Philip k. Dick, Ray Bradbury, Stephen King
THESE ARE SOME OF THE BEST LITERATURAL AUTHORS OF USA
EDGAR ALLAN POE
ERNEST HEMINGWAY
STEPHEN KING
WILLIAM FAULKNER
MARK TWAIN
USA 