Otázka: The U.S.A.
Jazyk: Angličtina
Přidal(a): Gabrielle
Geography:
The USA extended over more than one third of the North American continent, being the fourth largest country of the world after Russia, Canada and China. They border on Mexico in the south, the Atlantic Ocean in the east, Canada in the north and the Pacific Ocean in the west. Part of the USA is Alaska in the north of the American continent and the Hawaiian Islands.
About one half of the continental USA is occupied by the Cordilleras in the west. They are divided into several ranges: the Rocky Mountains, to the west of them is the Great Basin full of ranges and valleys (the deepest valley is Death Valley lying 85m below sea level). The Colorado Plateau with the Grand Canyon is also to the west of the Rocky Mountains. The highest peak of the USA, however, is in Alaska – it is Mt. McKinley (6,194 m). The USA has many rivers. The biggest river system is that of the Mississippi and the Missouri. The most important river in the east is the Hudson, connected with the great lakes. In the west we should mention the Colorado or the Columbia. The biggest river in Alaska is the Yukon. They are Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The Niagara River – part of the St. Lawrence River – connects Lake Erie and Lake Ontario forming the world-famous Niagara Falls 51 metres high. The climate of the USA is varied – from the Arctic climate in the north to the subtropical climate in the south. But the temperature climate prevails. As the country is divided by mountain ranges the climate differs accordingly and is influenced by the oceans. So there is a great difference between the climate on the Atlantic coast and the Pacific coast, where the summer and winter are not very different. The most agreeable climate is on the Hawaiian Islands.
Places of interest in USA:
Apart from New York – which is the largest city in the USA and an industrial port (printing, publishing, clothing); it is also a seat of U.N.O. (United Nation Organisation) and the heart of the city is Manhattan; the Time Square is centre of theatre district – and Washington – which is the national capital of the USA and it’s situated on the Potomac River; it’s also the seat of the federal government of the United States – the USA has many other places of interest to offer:
Boston – a port, it is often called the „Cradle of Liberty“, and remembered for the Boston Tea Party which began the American Revolution in 1775.
Cambridge – separated from Boston by the Charles River, is the seat of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Philadelphia – the first seat of Congress and the place where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed. Now it is the centre of machinery and chemical industry.
Florida – is mainly a tourist area with long beaches on Miami. North to Miami there is Cape Canaveral where spaceships are launched off.
NASA – Kennedy Space Center’s Spaceport at Cape Canaveral – is the place from which space shuttles are launched.
Life in the USA:
The majority of population works now in some service profession (in business, at schools, in hospitals). 25% of jobs are in manufacturing and construction and only 5% of jobs are in agriculture, fishing and mining. Physicians, lawyers and dentists are paid very well. The US is a nation of urban dwellers. Over 80% of the population live either in the cities or in the huge suburban areas. Another feature is typical for living in an American city- a skyscraper. Like elsewhere in the world sports are very popular. Some of them have their origin here, e.g. baseball and American football. Besides local and national sports teams there is along tradition of school sports clubs – both at high schools and colleges. Begin healthy and keep oneself in a good shape – fitness – is part of general way of life.
