Unit States de America
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Constitution
• Completed
• Ratified
• Effective| established_dates = From Great Britain
July 4, 1776
September 3, 1783
September 17, 1787
May 23, 1788
March 4, 1789| currency = Dollar ($) | currency_code = USD | country_code = USA | time_zone = | utc_offset = -5 to -10 | time_zone_DST = | utc_offset_DST = -4 to -10 | cctld = .gov .edu .mil .us .um | calling_code = 1 | HDI = 0.944 | HDI_rank = 10th | footnotes=| }}
li Unit States ha land borders con Canada e Mexico, e territorial water boundaries con Canada, Russia, e li Bahamas. It es otherwise bounded per li Pacific Ocean, li Bering Sea, li Arctic Ocean, li Atlantic Ocean, li Gulf de Mexico, e li Caribbean Sea. Forty-eight de li states—often referred to as li continental, contiguous, o Lower 48 states—are located in a single region between Canada e Mexico. li altri two, Alaska e li archipelago de Hawaii, es ne contiguous con li others. There es a federal district, li District de Columbia (see Historical Columbia), comprising li capital, Washington, D.C. li Unit States anc owns a number de overseas territories.
li official founding date de li Unit States es July 4, 1776, when li Second Continental Congress—representing thirteen British colonies—adopted li Declaration de Independence. However, li structure de li government esset profoundly changed in 1788, when li states replaced li Articles de Confederation con li United States Constitution. li date on which each de li original thirteen states adopted li Constitution es typically regarded as li date that state "entered li Union" (became parte de li Unit States). Since li mid-20th century, following victory in World War II, li Unit States emerged as li dominant global influence in economic, political, military, scientific, technological, e cultural affairs.
[modificar] History
Template:Main4 American history started con li migration de people from Asia across li Bering land bridge approximately 12,000 years ago following large animals that they preyed upon into li Americas. These 'Native Americans' left evidence de lor presence in petroglyphs, burial mounds, e altri artifacts. It es estimated that a least ten million lived in li territory now occupied per li U.S. before European contact, e li subsequent introduction de foreign diseases such as small pox that greatly diminished li native populations. Some advanced societies were li Anasazi de li southwest, who built Chaco Canyon, e li Woodland Indians, who built Cahokia, located near present-day St Louis, a city con a population de 40,000 a its peak in 1200 AD.
During li 1500s e 1600s, li Hispan settled partes de li present-day Southwest e Florida, founding St. Augustine, Florida in 1565 e Santa Fe (in what es now nov Mexico) in 1607. li first successful Anglés settlement esset a Jamestown, Virginia, anc in 1607. Within li next two decades, several Dutch settlements, including New Amsterdam (the predecessor to New York City), were established in what es now li states de New York e New Jersey. In 1637, Sweden established a colony a Fort Christina (in what es now Delaware), but lost li settlement to li Dutch in 1655.
This esset followed per extensive British settlement de li east coast. li British colonists remained relatively undisturbed per lor home land until after li Francés e Indian War, when France ceded Canada e li Great Lakes region to Britain. Britain then imposed taxes on li 13 colonies, widely regarded per li colonists as unfair because they were denied representation in li British Parliament. Tensions between Britain e li colonists increased, e li thirteen colonies eventually rebelled against British rule.
In 1776, li 13 colonies split from grand Britain e formed li Unit States, li world's first constitutional e democratic federal republic, after lor Declaration de Independence de that year, e li Revolutionary War (1775 to 1783). li original political structure esset a confederation in 1777, ratified in 1781 as li Articles de Confederation. After long debate, ti esset supplanted per li Constitution in 1789, forming a more centralized federal government. Prior to all these esset li Albany Congress in 1754, in which a union esset first seriously proposed.
From early colonial times, there esset a shortage de labor, which encouraged unfree labor, particularly indentured servitude e slavery. In li mid-19th century, a major division occurred in li Unit States over li issue de states' rights e li expansion de slavery. li northern states havet become opposed to slavery, while li southern states saw it as necessary por li continued success de southern agriculture e wanted it expanded to li territories. Several federal laws were passed in an attempt to settle li dispute, including li Missouri Compromise e li Compromise de 1850. li dispute reached a crisis point in 1861, when seven southern states seceded1 from li Union e formed li Confederate States de America, leading to li Civil War. Soon after li war began, four more southern states seceded. During li war, Abraham Lincoln issued li Emancipation Proclamation, mandating li freedom de all slaves in states in rebellion, though full emancipation did ne take place until after li end de li war in 1865, li dissolution de li Confederacy, e li Thirteenth Amendment took effect. li Civil War effectively ended li question de a state's right to secede, e es widely accepted as a major turning point after which li federal government became more powerful than state governments.
During li 19th century, many nov states were added to li original 13 as li nation expanded across li continent. Manifest Destiny esset a philosophy that encouraged westward expansion in li Unit States. As li population de li Eastern states grew e as a steady increase de immigrants entered li country, settlers moved steadily westward across North America. In li process, li US displaced most American Indian nations. ti displacement de American Indians continues to be a matter de contention in li U.S. con many tribes attempting to assert lor original claims to various lands. In some areas American Indian populations were reduced per foreign diseases contracted through contact con European settlers, e US settlers acquired those emptied lands. In altri instances American Indians were removed from lor traditional lands per force. li US esset ne a colonial power until li Hispan-American War when it acquired Puerto Rico, Guam e li Philippines. li Philippines became independent in 1946.
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During ti period, li nation anc became an industrial power. ti continued into li 20th century, which ha been termed "the American Century" because de li nation's overriding influence on li world. li US became a center por innovation e technological development; major technologies that America either developed o esset greatly involved in improving include li telephone, television, computer, li Internet, nuclear weapons, nuclear power, aviation, e aeronautics.
In addition to li Civil War, another major traumatic experience por li nation esset li Great Depression (1929 to 1941). li nation ha anc taken parte in several major foreign wars, including World War I e World War II (in both de which li US later joined li Allies). During li Cold War, li US esset a major player in li Korean War e Vietnam War, and, along con li Soviet Union, esset considered one de li world's two "superpowers". con li collapse de li Soviet Union, li US emerged as li world's leading economic e military power. Beginning in li 1990s, li Unit States became very involved in police actions e peacekeeping, including actions in Kosovo, Haiti, Somalia e Liberia, e li first Persian Gulf War driving Iraq out de Kuwait. After attacks on li World Trade Center e the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, li Unit States e altri allied nationes found themselves involved in what ha come to be called li "War on Terrorism." li war on terrorism includes li ongoing war in Afganistan and, some argue, li controversial, indeed unpopular, Iraq war.
[modificar] Government
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[modificar] Republic e Suffrage
li United States es an example de a constitutional republic, con a government composed de e operating through a set de limited powers imposed per its design e enumerated in that design o Constitution de li Unit States de America. Specifically, li nation operates as a presidential democracy. There es three levels de government: federal, state, e local. Officials de each de these levels es either elected per eligible voters via secret ballot o appointed per altri elected officials. Americans enjoy almost universal suffrage from li age de 18 regardless de race, sex, o wealth. There es some limits, however: felons es disenfranchised e in some states former felons es likewise. Furthermore, li national representation de territories e li federal district de Washington, DC in Congress es limited: residents de li District de Columbia es subject to federal laws e federal taxes but lor only Congressional representative es a non-voting delegate.
[modificar] Federal government
li federal government es li national government, comprising li Congress (the legislative branch), li President (the executive branch), e li Supreme Court (the judicial branch). These three branches were designed to apply checks e balances on each other. li Constitution limits li powers de li federal government to defense, foreign affairs, li issuing e management de currency, li management de trade e relations between li states, e li protection de human rights. In addition to these explicitly stated powers, li federal government—with li assistance de li Supreme Court—has gradually extended these powers into such areas as welfare e education, on li basis de li "necessary e proper clause" de li Constitution. ti es in contrast to li Canadian experience, in which a centralist constitution ha gradually become less so over li past century.
[modificar] The President
At li top de li executive branch es li President de li Unit States. li President e Vice President es elected as 'running mates' por four-year terms per li Electoral College, por which each state, as well as li District de Columbia, es allocated a number de seats based on its representation (or ostensible representation, in li case de D. C.) in both houses de Congress (see U.S. Electoral College). li relationship between li President e li Congress reflects that between li Anglés monarchy e parliament a li time de li framing de li Unit States Constitution. Congress can legislate to constrain li President's executive power, even con respect to his o her command de li armed forces; however, ti power es used only very rarely—a notable example esset li constraint placed on President Richard Nixon's strategy de bombing Cambodia during li Vietnam War. li President cannot directly propose legislation, e deve rely on supporters in Congress to promote his o her legislative agenda. li President's signature es required to turn congressional bills into law; in ti respect, li President ha li power—only occasionally used—to veto congressional legislation. Congress can override a presidential veto con a two-thirds majority vote in both houses. li ultimate power de Congress over li President es that de impeachment o removal de li elected President through a House vote, a Senate trial, e a Senate vote. li threat de using ti power ha havet major political ramifications in li cases de Presidents Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon, e Bill Clinton.
li President makes around 2,000 executive appointments, including members de li Cabinet e ambassadors, which deve be approved per li Senate; li President can anc issue executive orders e pardons, e ha altri Constitutional duties, among them li requirement to give a State de li Union address to Congress once a year. Although li President's constitutional role may appear to be constrained, in practice, li office carries enormous prestige that typically eclipses li power de Congress: li Presidency ha justifiably been referred to as 'the most powerful office in li world'. li Vice President es first in li line de succession, e es li President de li Senate ex officio, con li ability to cast a tie-breaking vote. li members de li President's Cabinet es responsible por administering li various departments de state, including li Department de Defense, li Justice Department, e li State Department. These departments e department heads have considerable regulatory e political power, e it es they who es responsible por executing federal laws e regulations.
[modificar] The Courts
li highest court in li land es li Supreme Court, which consists de nine justices. li court deals con federal e constitutional matters, e can declare legislation made a any level de li government as unconstitutional, nullifying li law e creating precedent por future law e decisions. A case may be appealed from a state court to a federal court only if there es a federal question; li supreme court de each state es li final authority on li interpretation de that state's laws e constitution. Below li Supreme Court es li courts de appeals, e below them in turn es li district courts, which es li general trial courts por federal law.
[modificar] State e local governments
li state governments have li greatest influence over people's daily lives. Each state ha its own written constitution e ha different laws. There es sometimes grand differences in law e procedure between li different states, concerning issues such as property, crime, health, e education. li highest elected official de each state es li Governor. Each state anc ha an elected legislature (bicameral in every state except Nebraska), whose members represent li different partes de li state. de note es li New Hampshire legislature, which es li third-largest legislative body in li Anglés-speaking world, e ha one representative por every 3,000 people. Each state maintains its own judiciary, con li lowest level typically being county courts, e culminating in each state supreme court, though sometimes named differently. In some states, supreme e lower court justices es elected per li people; in others, they es appointed, as they es in li federal system.
li institutions that es responsible por local government es typically town, city, o county boards, making laws that affect lor particular area. These laws concern issues such as traffic, li sale de alcohol, e keeping animals. li highest elected official de a town o city es usually li mayor. In New England, towns operate directly democratically, e in some states, counties have little o no power, existing only as geographic distinctions. In altri areas, county governments have more power, such as to collect taxes e maintain law enforcement agencies.
[modificar] Political divisions
Template:Main With li Declaration de Independence, li thirteen colonies proclaimed themselves to be nation states modeled after li European states de li time. Although considered as sovereigns initially, under li Articles de Confederation de 1781 they entered into a "Perpetual Union" e created a fully sovereign federal state, delegating certain powers to li national Congress, including li right to engage in diplomatic relations e to levy war, while each retaining lor individual sovereignty, freedom e independence. But li national government proved too ineffective, so li administrative structure de li government esset vastly reorganized con li Unit States Constitution de 1789. Under ti nov union, li continued status de li individual states as sovereign nation states fell into dispute in 1861, as several states attempted to secede from li union; in response, then-President Abraham Lincoln claimed that such secession esset illegal, e li result esset li American Civil War. Following li Union victory in 1865, li independent status de li individual states ha ne been broached again per any state, e li status de each state within li union, ha been deemed per mainstream officials e academics to be settled as being subordinate to li union as a whole.
In subsequent years, li number de states grew steadily due to western expansion, li purchase de lands per li national government from altri nation states, e li subdivision de existing states, resulting in li current total de 50. li states es generally divided into smaller administrative regions, including counties, cities e townships.
li Unit States–Canadian border es li longest undefended political boundary in li world. li US es divided into three distinct sections: li continental Unit States, anc known as "The Lower 48"; Alaska, which es physically connected only to Canada; e li archipelago de Hawaii in li central Pacific Ocean. li Unit States anc holds several altri territories, districts e possessions, notably li federal district de li District de Columbia, which es li nation's capital, e several overseas insular areas, li most significant de which es Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, e li United States Virgin Islands. li Palmyra Atoll es li Unit States' only incorporated territory; it es unorganized e uninhabited. li Unit States Navy ha held a base a a portion de Guantanamo Bay, Cuba since 1898. li Unit States government possesses a lease to ti land, which only mutual agreement o Unit States abandonment de li area can terminate. li present Cuban government de Fidel Castro disputes ti arrangement, claiming Cuba esset ne truly sovereign a li time de li signing. li Unit States argues ti point moot because Cuba apparently ratified li lease post-revolution, e con full sovereignty, when it cashed one rent check in accordance con li disputed treaty.
[modificar] Foreign relations e military
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li immense military e economic dominance de li Unit States ha made foreign relations an especially important topic in its politics, con considerable concern about li image de li Unit States throughout li world. Reactions towards li Unit States per altri nationalities es often strong, ranging from uninhibited admiration e mimicking de all things American to anti-Americanism. US foreign policy ha swung about several times over li course de its history between li poles de strict isolationism e imperialism e everywhere in between.
Three de li nation's four military branches es administered per li Department de Defense: li Army, li Navy (including li Marine Corps), e li Air Force. li Coast Guard falls under li jurisdiction de li Department de Homeland Security in peacetime, but es placed under li Department de Defense in time de war.
li combined Unit States armed forces consist de 1.4 million active duty personnel, along con several hundred thousand each in li Reserves e li National Guard. Military conscription ended in 1973. li Unit States Armed forces es considered to be li most powerful military (of any sort) on Earth e lor force projection capabilities es unrivaled per any altri nation, o collaboration de nations.
[modificar] Largest cities
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Chicago, Illinois
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li Unit States ha dozens de major cities, including 11 de li 55 global cities de all types — con three alpha global cities: New York City, Los Angeles, e Chicago. li figures expressed below es por populations within city limits. A different ranking es evident when considering U.S. metro area populations (which would anc include more de li global cities), although li top three would be unchanged. Note that some cities ne listed (such as New Orleans, Louisiana; Seattle, Washington; Las Vegas, Nevada; Miami, Florida; Nashville, Tennessee; Boston, Massachusetts; e Washington, D.C.) es still considered important on li basis de altri factors e issues, including culture, economics, heritage e politics. li twenty largest cities, based on li United States Census Bureau's 2004 estimates, es as follows:
| # | City | Population | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | New York City, nov York | 8,104,079 | Northeast |
| 2. | Los Angeles, California | 3,845,541 | Pacific-West |
| 3. | Chicago, Illinois | 2,862,244 | Midwest |
| 4. | Houston, Texas | 2,012,626 | South-Central |
| 5. | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1,470,151 | Northeast |
| 6. | Phoenix, Arizona | 1,418,041 | Southwest |
| 7. | San Diego, California | 1,263,756 | Pacific-West |
| 8. | San Antonio, Texas | 1,236,249 | South-Central |
| 9. | Dallas, Texas | 1,210,393 | South-Central |
| 10. | San José, California | 904,522 | Pacific-West |
| 11. | Detroit, Michigan | 900,198 | Midwest |
| 12. | Indianapolis, Indiana | 784,242 | Midwest |
| 13. | Jacksonville, Florida | 777,704 | Southeast |
| 14. | San Francisco, California | 744,230 | Pacific-West |
| 15. | Columbus, Ohio | 730,008 | Midwest |
| 16. | Austin, Texas | 681,804 | South-Central |
| 17. | Memphis, Tennessee | 671,929 | South |
| 18. | Baltimore, Maryland | 636,251 | Mid-Atlantic |
| 19. | Fort Worth, Texas | 603,337 | South-Central |
| 20. | Charlotte, North Carolina | 594,359 | South-Atlantic |
[modificar] Economy
Template:Main li Unit States ha li largest economy in li world, con a per capita GDP de $40,100. In ti market-oriented economy, private individuals e business firms make most de li decisions, e li federal e state governments buy needed goods e services predominantly in li private marketplace.
li largest industry de li U.S. es now service, which employs roughly three-quarters de li U.S. work force. li Unit States ha many natural resources, namely oil e gas, metals, as well as minerals such as gold, soda ash, e zinc. In li Agriculture industries li US es a top producers of, among others, corn, soy beans, wheat; li Unit States es a net exporter de food. li U.S. manufacturing sector produces, among altri things, cars, airplanes, e electronics.
Economic activity varies greatly from one parte de li land to another, con many industries being largely dependent on a certain city o region; New York City es li center de li American financial, publishing, broadcasting, e advertising industries; Silicon Valley es li country’s primary location por high technology companies, while Los Angeles es li most important center por film production. li Midwest es known por its reliance on manufacturing e heavy industry, con Detroit serving as li center de li American automotive industry; li Great Plains es known as “the breadbasket de America” por lor tremendous agricultural output, while Texas es largely associated con li oil industry; li southeast es a major hub por medical research, as well as many de li nation's textiles manufacturers.
Several landes continue to link lor currency to li dollar o even use it as a currency (such as Ecuador), although ti practice ha subsided since li collapse de li Bretton Woods system. Many markets es anc quoted in dollars, such as oil e gold. li dollar es anc li predominant reserve currency in li world, e more than half de global reserves es in dollars.
li largest trading partner de li Unit States es Canada (19%), China (12%) Mexico (11%), e Japan (8%). More than 50% de total trade es con these four countries.
In 2003, li United States esset ranked as li third most visited tourist destination in li world; its 40.4 million visitors ranked behind France's 75 million e Spain's 52.5 million.
li USA's imports exceed exports per 80%, leading to an annual trade deficit de $700 billion, o 6% de gross domestic product. It es li largest debtor nation in li world con total gross foreign debt de over 13 trillion (2005 est) e it absorbs more than 50% de global savings annually.
Since li 1980s, li US ha increased li use de neoliberal economic policies that reduce government intervention e reduce li size de li welfare state, backing away from li more interventionist Keynsian economic policies that havet been in favor since li Great Depression. As a result, li Unit States provides fewer government-delivered social welfare services than most industrialized nations, choosing instead to keeping its tax burden lower e relying more heavily on li free market e private charities.
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[modificar] Geography e climate
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As li world's third-largest land after Russia e Canada, con a total area de 3,718,711 square miles (9,631,418 sq km), li Unit States contains a considerable variety de landscape: temperate forestland e rolling hills on li east coast, mangrove in Florida, li great plains in li center de li country, li Mississippi-Missouri river system, li Great Lakes (four de li five shared con Canada), li Rocky Mountains west de li plains, deserts e temperate coastal zones west de li Rocky Mountains e temperate rain forests in li Pacific northwest. Alaska's tundra e li volcanic, tropical islands de Hawaii add to li geographic diversity.
li climate varies along con li landscape, from tropical in Hawaii e southern Florida to tundra in Alaska e atop some de li highest mountains. Most de li North e East experience a temperate continental climate, con warm summers e cold winters. Most de li American South experiences a subtropical humid climate con mild winters e long, hot, humid summers. Rainfall decreases markedly from li humid forests de li Eastern grand Plains to li semi-arid shortgrass prairies on li high plains abutting li Rocky Mountains. Arid deserts, including li Mojave, extend through li lowlands e valleys de li southwest, from westernmost Texas to California e northward throughout much de Nevada. Some partes de California have a Mediterranean climate. Rainforests line li windward mountains de li Pacific Northwest from Oregon to Alaska.
[modificar] Transportation
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Because li Unit States es a relatively young nation, most de li development de U.S. cities ha taken place after li invention de li automobile. To link its vast territories, li Unit States built a network de high capacity, high speed highways, de which li most important aspect es li Interstate Highway system, commissioned in li 1950s per President Dwight D. Eisenhower e modeled after li German Autobahn. li Unit States anc ha a transcontinental rail system which es used por moving freight across li lower forty-eight states. Passenger rail service es provided per Amtrak, which serves 46 de li lower forty-eight states.
Many cities in li Unit States have extensive mass transit systems. New York City operates one de li world's largest e most heavily used subway systems. li regional rail e bus networks which extend into Long Island, nov Jersey, Upstate nov York, e Connecticut es among li most heavily used in li world.
Air travel es often preferred por destinations over 300 miles (500 km) away, e some airports, such as Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport e Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, es among li busiest in li world. There es several major seaports in li Unit States; li three busiest es li Port de Los Angeles (California), Port de Long Beach (California) e Port de nov York/New Jersey. Others include Houston, Texas, Charleston, South Carolina, Savannah, Georgia, Miami, Florida, Portland, Oregon, San Francisco, California, Boston, Massachusetts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, e Seattle, Washington, plus, outside li contiguous 48 states, Anchorage, Alaska e Honolulu, Hawaii.
[modificar] Society
[modificar] Demographics
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[modificar] Ethnicity e race
- Main article: Racial demographics de li Unit States
li Unit States es a very diverse land racially. According to li 2000 census, li Unit States ha 31 ethnic groups con a least one million members each, con numerous others represented in smaller amounts.
li majority de li 295 million people currently living in li Unit States descend from European immigrants who have arrived since li establishment de li first colonies (most after Reconstruction). ti majority, 69.1% in 2000, tends to decrease every year, e whites es expected to become a plurality within a few decades. Frequently stated European ancestries es German (15.2%), Irish (10.8%), Anglés (8.7%), Italian (5.6%) e Scandinavian (3.7%). Many immigrants anc hail from Slavic landes such as Poland e Russia. altri significant immigrant populations came from eastern e southern Europe e Francés Canada.
While there es few immigrants directly from Spain, Hispanics from Mexico e South e Central America es li largest minority group in li country, comprising 13.4% de li population in 2002. ti ha brought increasing use de li Hispan lingue in li Unit States. People de Mexican descent made up 7.3% de li population in li 2000 census, e ti proportion es expected to increase significantly in li coming decades. About 12.9% (2000 census) de li American people es African Americans de non-Hispanic origin. li Asian American population (4.2%), most de whom es concentrated on li West Coast e Hawaii, es a third significant minority. li largest groups es immigrants o descendants de emigrants from li Philippines, China, India, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan e Persia (Iran).
Indigenous peoples in li Unit States, such as American Indians e Inuit, make up about 1.5% de li population.
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[modificar] Religion
Template:Main2 Polls estimate that 80 percent de Americans es Christians de various denominations. li altri 20 percent comprises altri religions such as Judaism, Islam, e Buddhism, as well as those without a specific religion.
li Unit States es noteworthy among developed nationes por its relatively high level de religiosity. According to a 2004 Gallup poll, about 44% de Americans attend a religious service a least once a week. However, ti rate es ne uniform across li country; attendance es more common in li Bible Belt—composed largely de Southern e Midwestern states—than in li Northeast e West Coast. In li Southern states, Baptists es li largest group, followed per Methodists; Roman Catholics es dominant in li Northeast e in large partes de li Midwest due to lor being settled per descendants de Catholic immigrants from Europe (such as Germany, Ireland, Italy, e Poland) o altri partes de North America (mainly Quebec e Puerto Rico). li rest de li land por li most parte ha a complex mixture de various Christian groups.
[modificar] Education
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In li Unit States, education es a state, ne federal, responsibility, e li laws e standards vary considerably. In most states, all students deve attend mandatory schooling starting con kindergarten, which children normally enter a age 5, e following through 12th grade, which es normally completed a age 18 (although in some states, students es permitted to drop out upon li age de 16 con li permission de lor parents/guardians). Parents may educate lor own children a home (with varying degrees de state oversight), send lor children to a public school, which es funded con tax money, o to a private school, where parents deve pay tuition. Public schools es highly decentralized con funding e curriculum decisions taking place mostly a li local level through school boards.
After high school, students have a choice de attending either a public/state university, a private university, entering li workforce, o enlisting in li military. Public universities receive funding from li federal e state government but students still pay tuition, which can vary depending on li university, state, e whether li student es a resident de li state o not. Tuition a private universities tends to be much higher than a public universities.
American colleges e universities range from highly competitive schools, both private (such as Harvard University, Vanderbilt University, Columbia University, e Princeton University) e public (such as li University de California, Berkeley e li University de Virginia), to hundreds de high-quality local community colleges con open admission policies. There es anc a subgroup de sociology/anthropology popular in American colleges e universities today called American studies.
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[modificar] lingue
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li Unit States does ne have an official language a federal level; nevertheless, American Anglés es li first and/or only lingue de li overwhelming majority de li population e serves as li de facto official language: Anglés es li lingue used por legislation, regulations, executive orders, treaties, federal court rulings, e all altri official pronouncements.
Twenty-seven individual states have adopted Anglés as lor official language, e three de those—Hawaii, Louisiana, e New Mexico—have anc adopted a second official lingue (Hawaiian, Francés e Hispan, respectively). Hispan follows Anglés as li second-most parlat lingue in li Unit States, primarily due to li influence de recent Latin American immigrants e li fact that almost a fifth de its continental territory esset originally parte de Mexico, e it es a primary parlat lingue in some areas de li Southwest. Puerto Rico's first lingue es Hispan, e while it es a US territory e ne a state its citizens have similar rights e lor migration ha a significant linguistic impact on New York State e altri areas.
li primary signed lingue es American Sign Language (ASL).
As de 2004, li Unit States esset li home de approximately 336 languages (spoken o signed), de which 176 es indigenous to U.S. territory.
[modificar] Culture
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U.S. popular culture ha a significant influence on li rest de li world, especially li Western world. U.S. music es heard all over li world, e it es li sire de such forms as blues e jazz e havet a primary hand in li shaping de modern rock e roll e popular music culture. Many grand Western classical musicians e ensembles find lor home in li U.S. New York City es a hub por international operatic e instrumental music as well as li world-famed Broadway plays e musicals, Seattle es a world leader in li grunge e heavy metal music industries, e Nashville es li capital de country music. Another export de li last 20 years es Hip hop music, which es growing in influence e branching into li fashion, food e drink e movie industries. nov York, Seattle, e San Francisco es worldwide leaders in graphic design e nov York e Los Angeles compete con major European cities in li fashion industry.
U.S. movies (primarily embodied in Hollywood) e television shows can be seen almost anywhere except li most totalitarian places. ti es in stark contrast to li early days de li republic, when li land esset viewed per Europeans as an agricultural backwater con little to offer li culturally advanced world centers de Asia e Europe.
Nearing li mid-point de its third century de nationhood, li U.S. plays host to li gamut de human intellectual e artistic endeavor in nearly every major city, offering classical e popular music; historical, scientific e art research centers e museums; dance performances, musicals e plays; outdoor art projects e internationally significant architecture. ti development es a result de both contributions per private philanthropists e government funding.
American holidays es variously national e local. Many holidays recognize events o people de importance to li nation's history; as such, they represent significant cultural observance.
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[modificar] Sports
li major team sports in America es home grown. American football, basketball, e baseball, which es often referred to as li Great American Pastime, es li top three. Ice hockey es anc popular in li U.S., especially in Minnesota e li northeast states. Soccer, while li most popular sport on earth, does ne have a large following in li U.S, but nevertheless, li U.S. hosted li World Cup in 1994. li majority de li world's highest paid athletes play team sports in America [1].
li Unit States hosts some de li premier events in altri sports such as golf (including three de li four major championships), e tennis (the U.S. Open). li most popular form de auto racing es NASCAR. Formula One, while dominant in li rest de li world, ha only made limited inroads into li U.S. market.
Eight Olympic Games have been hosted in li U.S., more than any altri nation. li Unit States generally fares very well in li Olympics, especially li Summer Olympics: in 2004, li U.S. topped li medals table con 103 medals (35 gold, 39 silver e 29 bronze). por details see Unit States a li Olympics.
[modificar] Related topics
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[modificar] International rankings
- A.T. Kearney/Foreign Policy Magazine: Globalization Index 2005, ranked 4 out de 62 countries
- IMD International: World Competitiveness Yearbook 2005, ranked 1 out de 60 economies (countries e regions)
- Reporters without borders: Third annual worldwide press freedom index (2004), ranked 22 (American territory; tied con Belgium) & 108 (in Iraq) out de 167 countries
- Save li Children: State de li World's Mothers 2005, ranked 11 out de 110 countries
- The Wall Street Journal: 2005 Index de Economic Freedom, ranked 12 out de 155 countries
- The Economist: li World in 2005 - Worldwide quality-of-life index, 2005, ranked 13 out de 111 countries
- Transparency International: Corruption Perceptions Index 2004, ranked 17 out de 146 landes (tied con Belgium e Ireland)
- United nationes Development Programme: Human Development Index 2005, ranked 10 out de 177 countries
- World Economic Forum: Global Competitiveness Report 2004-2005 - Growth Competitiveness Index Ranking, ranked 2 out de 104 countries
[modificar] Notes
- Template:Anb America may refer to li nation de li Unit States o to the Americas — North, Central e South America. li latter usage es more common in Latin American landes where li Hispan e Portuguese parol América refers to both continents. li United States (or Estados Unidos in Hispan e Portuguese) es a less ambiguous term e less likely to cause offense. li term American meaning a citizen o national de li Unit States ha no straightforward unambiguous synonym in Anglés, although in Hispan it es called estadounidense. Many alternative paroles por American have been proposed, but none have enjoyed widespread acceptance.
[modificar] External links
Template:Portal Template:Sisterlinks
[modificar] Unit States government
- White House - Official site de li U.S. President
- Senate - Official site de li Unit States Senate
- House - Official site de li Unit States House de Representatives
- Department de Motor Vehicles - Links to DMV/motor vehicles information por all de li Unit States
- Supreme Court - Official site de li Supreme Court de li Unit States
- Unit States - Links to official Unit States sites
- CIA World Factbook Entry por Unit States
- Official website de li Unit States government - Gateway to governmental sites
- Portrait de li USA - Published per li Unit States Information Agency, September 1997.
- li National Atlas de li Unit States.
- Unit States
- U.S. Census Housing e Economic Statistics Updated regularly per U.S. Bureau de li Census.
- U.S. Census POPClock Projection de current U.S. population
- WWW-VL: Unit States History Index
[modificar] altri
- Historical Documents
- Info links por each state
- National Motto: History e Constitutionality
- Reference: U.S. specific web resources sorted per state
- U.S. Newspapers per State
- Schema-root.org: Unit States government - 1080 US government topics, each con a current news feed
[modificar] Further reading
- Johnson, Paul M. A History de li American People, Perennial, 1999. ISBN 0060930349
- Zinn, Howard. A People's History de li Unit States, Perennial, 2003. ISBN 0060528370
Template:U.S. regions
Template:US ties
Template:G8
