United States

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Chapter 10

• United States

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United States

• Country name United States of America, United
  States
• Capital Washington, DC
• Location North America, bordering both the North
  Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean,
  between Canada and Mexico
• Border countries Canada, Mexico

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• Government type Constitution-based federal
  republic
• Administrative divisions 50 states and 1
  district District of Columbia
• Population 290,342,554 (July 2003 est.)
• Languages English, Spanish (spoken by a sizable
  minority)
• Religions Protestant 56, Roman Catholic 28,
  Jewish 2, other 4, none 10

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• GDP per capita purchasing power parity -
  36,300 (2002 est.) (2nd in the world after
  Luxembourg)
• Industries leading industrial power in the
  world, highly diversified and technologically
  advanced petroleum, steel, motor vehicles,
  aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals,
  electronics, food processing, consumer goods,
  lumber, mining
• Currency US dollar (USD) (CIA, World Fact Book)

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Important Facts

• One of the top destinations in the world
• 41,9 million international tourist arrivals (3rd
  after France and Spain)
• 66,5 international tourism receipts (the highest
  in the world) (WTO, 2003)
• Coastline 19,924 km
• Terrain vast central plain, mountains in west,
  hills and low mountains in east rugged mountains
  and broad river valleys in Alaska rugged,
  volcanic topography in Hawaii

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• Climate mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii
  and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the
  great plains west of the Mississippi River, and
  arid in the Great Basin of the southwest low
  winter temperatures in the northwest are
  ameliorated occasionally in January and February
  by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes of
  the Rocky Mountains (CIA, World Fact Book

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Selling Points

• Historical sites, world-class museums, Boston,
  vibrant nightlife, beaches and resorts, New York
  City, Manhattan, The Statue of Liberty, Broadway,
  Niagara Falls, country music and blues, Orlando
  and the Disney theme parks, Mardi Gras, skiing,
  Florida, Miami, Chicago, Native American history
  and culture, lakes, outdoor activities,
  spectacular scenery, Waikiki, national parks,
  mountains and deserts, casino gambling, Las
  Vegas, California.

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Brief History

• Britain's American colonies broke with the mother
  country in 1776 and were recognised as the new
  nation of the United States of America following
  the Treaty of Paris in 1783.
• During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states
  were added to the original 13 as the nation
  expanded across the North American continent and
  acquired a number of overseas possessions.

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• The two most traumatic experiences in the
  nation's history were the Civil War (1861-65) and
  the Great Depression of the 1930s.

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New England
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Boston

• State capital of Massachusetts
• one of the oldest cities in US founded in 1630
• named as Cradle of Liberty - led the American
  colonies in their struggle for independence
• home to many leading colleges and universities
  including Harvard university and the
  Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
• abundance of restaurants, especially for seafood
  lovers

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• many theatres, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston
  Ballet
• New England Aquarium
• John F. Kennedy Library and Museum
• Museum of Fine Arts with a rich collection of
  impressionists and Egyptian collection

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Washington, DC

• A sophisticated, world-class city with top-notch
  entertainment and fine restaurants
• Smithsonian Institutions Museums (many museums
  each devoted to a different area of interest or
  study - natural history, US history, air and
  space)
• U. S. Capitol (towering rotunda, the Statuary
  Hall and the famous reception room of the Senate.
  Most congressional hearings are open to the
  public)

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• National Gallery of Art (one of the worlds
  premier art museums - surrounded by Rembrandts)
• Lincoln Memorial (the sculpture of seated
  Lincoln, inside wall engraved with Lincolns
  speech)
• Jefferson Memorial (a dome and colonnaded
  white-marble rotunda, the statue of Jefferson)
• White House (visitors can take a brief free
  public tour, Oval Office or presidential living
  quarters are close to visitors)

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New York

• A vibrant metropolis that has something for
  everyone every hour of the day
• It is divided into 5 parts (boroughs), most
  visitors spend all their time in Manhattan
• Some buildings and street names are famous to
  those who never go there (e.g. Wall Street, 5th
  avenue)
• Famous for evening entertainment and most
  trendiest clubs and discos of the nation

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• Times Square
• Statue of Liberty
• Ellis Island - Museum of Immigration
• Wall Street
• Brooklyn Bridge
• Chinatown
• Little Italy
• Soho
• The Empire State Building (observation deck)

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• The Chrysler Building (art deco architecture)
• Grand Central Station (one of the nations great
  public spaces)
• Rockefeller Center ( home to restaurants,
  ice-skating rink, gigantic Christmas tree)
• Broadway (theatrical extravaganzas)
• Carnegie Hall
• Lincoln Center (home to the Metropolitan Opera,
  the New York Philharmonic and American Ballet
  Theater)

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• Museum of Modern Art
• Central Park
• the American Museum of Natural History (one of
  the worlds greatest museums)
• the Guggenheim Museum
• the Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Harlem (African-American community)
• Manhattan Island
• Brooklyn (Botanic Gardens, Brooklyn Museum of
  Art, Brooklyn Heights)

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• Yankee Stadium (in Bronx)
• Long Island (Jones Beach - a popular recreation
  area, Hamptons - summer homes of rich and famous)

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Niagara Falls

• One of the worlds most famous tourist sights
• falls are 55-m-high on the border of the U.S. and
  Canada
• combination of natural wonder and commercial
  tackiness
• a destination for honeymooners

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Florida State

• Florida is the sunshine state and one of the top
  tourist destinations
• the state offers hundreds of miles of gorgeous
  beaches, theme parks
• among the most famous cities of Florida are Miami
  and Orlando

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Miami

• An international city, with ethnic diversity
• Bayside Marketplace
• Little Havana (sidewalk vendors, restaurants,
  Cuban-American atmosphere)
• Art Deco District (hottest restaurant and clubs
  in the U.S)

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Orlando

• One of the top tourist destinations in the world
• closely associated with Walt Disney World
• Magic Kingdom (best known theme park, especially
  appealing to families with children)
• Tomorrowland
• Adventureland
• Disney - MGM Studios
• EPCOT complex (Future World, World Showcase)
• Animal Kingdom

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• Universal Studios Escape
• Jurassic Park
• Lost Continent
• Roller Coasters
• Sea World
• Splendid China
• Kennedy Space Center (the launch site of all U.S.
  manned space flights since the early 1960s)
• rocket displays
• moon rock specimens

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New Orleans

• State of Louisiana
• Louisianas party town
• place for gambling on casino river boats.
• French Quarter -Vieux Carre (a mix of clubs,
  souvenir shops, restaurants, antique stores,
  beautiful homes, bars, voodoo vendors)

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Mt. Rushmore National Memorial

• located in the Black Hills, South Dakota
• The likenesses of four US presidents
  Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Theodore
  Roosevelt carved into this mountain
• 18 meter tall

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Chicago

• State of Illinois
• a city at the coast of Lake Michigan
• renown for its architecture, art, world-class
  museums
• Chicago is where the skyscraper was born. It
  boosts some of the tallest buildings in the world
  (e.g. Sears Tower). They have observation decks
• cruise tours on Lake Michigan or Chicago River.

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• Art Institute of Chicago (home to one of the best
  collections of impressionist paintings outside
  the Louvre)
• Museum of Science (coal mine tour, submarine
  tour)
• Field Museum of Natural History
• Adler Planetarium
• Astronomy Museum
• Shedd Aquarium
• Oceanarium
• Theatre shows, traditional musicals, Chicago
  Symphony
• Blues and folk-music clubs

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• Jay Leno and Jerry Seinfeld performed in Zanies
  comedy club
• huge sculptures by Chagall, Picasso and Calder
  stand in the citys plazas.

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Los Angeles

• State of California
• city of a rich culture
• Watts Towers (made of discarded steel, cement,
  tile and whatever else came along)
• Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Koreatown, the Jewish
  traditions of Fairfax, South Central with an
  African-American culture, Latino flavor of Olvera
  Street
• Malibu (for surfing and beaches, also home to
  many movie stars)

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• Santa Monica (haven for shoppers)
• Venice Beach (carnival-like atmosphere, roller
  skaters, body builders and street performers)
• Beverly Hills
• Rodeo Drive (exclusive boutiques)
• Getty Center (a complex with five pavilions of
  paintings, sculpture, decorative art, furniture,
  illuminated manuscripts and photography gardens)
• Hollywood (Hollywood walk of fame with 2000
  star-shaped plaques embedded in the side-walk)
• Universal Studios
• Anaheim (a suburb of Los Angeles with Disneyland)
  

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San Francisco

• A physically beautiful, culturally and
  historically stimulating city with great
  restaurants
• Golden Gate Bridge
• Little cable car climbing, not only symbol of the
  city but also a very efficient means of
  transportation by running between several major
  attractions
• Chinatown (city within a city, great Chinese
  restaurants, Buddhas Universal Church is the
  largest Buddhist temple in the U.S)

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• Fishermans Wharf
• Alcatraz, once an impregnable fortress-style
  prison, now a very popular tourist destination,
• Golden Gate Park, a green oasis with artificial
  lakes, Dutch windmills, museums, Japanese Tea
  Garden

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Palm Springs

• a giant sandbox offering adults their favorite
  games
• golf courses
• tennis courts
• horseback riding
• lavish spas
• a lot of accommodation, affordable also for
  families

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Yosemite National Park

• one of the most beautiful places in the country,
• nearby is Sequoia National Park extremely
  overcrowded
• waterfalls
• Half Dome
• Cathedral Spires
• El Capitan (the largest pure-granite outcropping
  in the world)

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State of Hawaii

• the daydream of resort vacations
• four major islands are Hawaii, Kauai, Maui, Oahu
  which vary greatly in flavor, weather, population
  and natural wonders
• an active volcano attracts outdoor lovers
• Hawaii
• also known as the Big Island, home to rural
  areas, deserts, volcanoes (Kilauea is the worlds
  most active volcano), rain forests

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• has colorful beaches - golden, green, gray, black
  and white
• deep-sea fishing, snorkeling
• nightlife and shopping are limited on this island
• gorgeous flowers than one can imagine, mostly
  orchids
• the Hilton Waikoloa Village in Kohala is a very
  expensive resort
• Kauai
• is the most beautiful, most tropical and most
  romantic island, known also as the Garden Isle.

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• Captain Cooks first landing point (in 1778) is
  on this island
• Oahu
• is where Honolulu and Waikiki are located
• the island for nightlife together with other
  activities available in other islands
• Honolulu
• is the Hawaii State capital and the largest city
• Pearl Harbor and the airport are located here,
  with the Arizona Memorial
• Hawaii Maritime Center (exhibits on whaling,
  underwater archeology and Pacific Canoes)

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State of Arizona

• Grand Canyon National Park
• a national treasure, cut by the Colorado River,
  measures 446 km in length and averages 1.6 km in
  depth
• draws more than 5 million visitors a year
• hiking the canyon is only for those in good
  physical condition
• mules, rafts, steam trains and helicopters/light
  planes are alternatives to see explore the canyon
  

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• Phoenix
• the fastest growing metropolitan of the country
  with more than 140 golf courses, 1000 tennis
  courts and dozens of resorts
• a magnet for both leisure travelers and
  conventions and conferences

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State of Colorado

• Rocky Mountain National Park
• northwest of Denver, area of peaks, valleys and
  nature trails, among the most visited parks in
  the U.S
• Ski Resorts
• Aspen, Vail, Breckenridge, Telluride, Steamboat
  Springs are top-quality ski resorts
• Aspen is the haven for the rich and famous.
• steamboat Springs is extremely popular among
  families attracted to the kids-ski-free program

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Las Vegas

• State of Nevada
• gambling and themed resorts are what underwrites
  the Las Vegas extravagance
• Las Vegas Boulevards is known as the Strip
• on the Strip are the miniversions of great
  cities New York, Paris, Venice
• replicas of Empire State Building, Chrysler
  Building, Statue of Liberty are present

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• MGM Grand Hotel (among the top 2 or 3 largest
  hotels of the world with more than 5000 rooms)
• The Luxor Hotel (having the shape of a pyramid,
  King Tuts Tomb and the Sphinx)
• Caesars Palace (with pricey dining and
  entertainment shows)
• Bellagio (with a 3 hectares lake and a collection
  of the works of Picasso, Van Gogh, Matisse,
  Monet)

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Yellowstone National Park

• Located in the state of Wyoming, one of the most
  popular parks in the nations
• Steaming paint pots, hot springs and more than
  200 geysers, abundant wildlife
• Yellowstone Lake is in the center of the park, a
  32 km long and 23 km wide lake
• Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, formed by the
  Yellowstone River, has two waterfalls