B. Exam Topic - The United States of America

15.
exam topic
Hungary and English speaking countries
15. B.
The United States of America
America is a nation of immigrants. With the exception of the Native Americans – the
original peoples of America – the people of the U.S.A. came from other countries
with widely differing languages, cultures, values and traditions.
The most important values are freedom and individualism – democratic freedom from
tyrannical government and the individual freedom to make one’s own choices and
make the decisions that control one’s life. Americans believe very strongly in self-
reliance – relying on oneself instead of relying on others – to achieve what one wants.
Americans also highly value material wealth and hard work. The American Dream is
that by working hard one can go from „rags to riches” – from being poor the being
very rich.
The United States is a federal presidential republic. The president is elected every
four years.
The United States of America, which has approximately 289 million inhabitants, is
made up of 50 states, 48 joined together on the continent, plus Alaska and Hawaii. It
can roughly be broken up into five large geographical areas.
The highest mountain in the United States is Mount McKinley, which located in
south-central Alaska, in Denali National Park and Preserve. The longest river is the
Mississippi.
The capital of the United States is Washington DC. It has a population of more than
half a million.
New York City is a major port in south-eastern New York State. With its population
of about 7.5 million people, it is the most popular city in the US. It consists of
Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island boroughs. The second most
populous city is Los Angeles with its 3.5 million inhabitants. You can find
Hollywood, the centre of US film and television industry, here. The third largest town
is Chicago, an industrial city on Lake Michigan with about 2.7 million inhabitants.
In the United States English, Spanish and Native Indian Languages are spoken.
The Northeast:
While there is a lot of farming in this region, especially in parts of New England, it is
best known as a center for commerce and heavy industry. Both Boston and
Philadelphia are old cities, Washington, D.C. (the District of Columbia), the capital of
the U.S.A., is the center of the federal government, and has many fine museums. New
York City, called „the big Apple”, is filled with landmark skyscrapers, museums and
other cultural institutions, and is the home of the Statue of Liberty.
The South:
The South has traditionally been known as an agricultural region int he past,
principally growing cotton and tobacco, but now it is experiencing great economic
growth and industrialization. New Orleans is famous for its Mardi Gras (Carnival)
celebration and jazz, and Miami, of course, for its beach.
The Midwest:
The Midwest is primarily America’s „breadbasket”, with its endless fields of wheat
and corn in states like Iowa and Kansas, but also has such major commercial and
industrial cities as Chicago and Detroit, automobile capital of the U.S. Chicago,
which is on Lake Michigan.
The Southwest:
The Southwest is a huge area with deserts, like Death Valley, as well as fertile
farmlands, such as the orange groves of California. New high-tech industries are
located in „Silicon Valley”, and there are oil wells in Texas and New Mexico. The
Grand Canyon is one of its many spectacular natural wonders. Major cities include
Dallas, of TV series fame, Santa Fe, an important cultural center, and Los Angeles,
home of Disneyland and the movie industry in Hollywood.
The West:
The West lives on in everyone’s imagination as the Wild West, with its cowboys and
gunfighters, American Indians and prospecting for gold, and it’s the birthplace of
Levi’s blue jeans. Among its most famous cities are San Francisco with its hills,
streetcars and the Golden Gate Bridge, Denver, the Mile High City where skiers love
to go, Seattle, known for its year-round temperate climate, and Las Vegas, gambling
capital of the U.S.
History of the United States of America
Four hundred years ago, about 100 followers of the Puritan faith, set sail from
England in search of a new land and reached America. They landed in the area which
is now called Massachusetts. These settlers prospered in America they elected and
formed their own government, made laws and collected taxes. Over the years these
settlers were colonised by Britain and ruled by the British. The American settlers,
though taxed by the British, were not allowed to have any representatives in the
parliament. Over a period of time the settlers demanded their rights. Resentment to
levying of taxes without representation grew. In 1773 the British reduced the tax on
Tea in Britain but continued to levy the same in America as a result of this a group of
Americans dressed as Indians boarded a British ship in Boston harbour and threw the
cargo of Tea into the sea. This was called the ‘Boston Tea Party’. In 1775 after a
failed negotiation, between the British and the Americans, fighting broke out. On 4th
July 1776 the Americans declared their independence. The war with the British
continued till 1781 and in 1783 the British recognised their independence. The first
flag of the United states was similar to the present one except it had 13 stars in a
circle representing the 13 states. These states formed the Union. During 1861 and
1865 there was fighting within the union because of resentment in the Southern states
over the election of Abraham Lincoln, who abolished slavery, as the President. As a
result of this the Southern states formed their own Union called the Confideracy. In
1861 war broke put between the Confiderates and the Union. It was a tough war and
lasted till 1865 when the Confiderates surrendered. This led to the abolition of
slavery all over the country. As the years went by many people migrated to the United
States, Industry developed and the United States of America emerged as a powerful
nation.

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