Explore it. TheВ USA

Рќ. Рђ. РћРІСЃСЏРЅРЅРёРєРѕРІР°

Д. С. Ведунова

Данная книга является продолжением серии Explore it. Третья часть рассказывает об истории, традициях, географии и культуре США.

Explore it. TheВ USA

Д. С. Ведунова

Рќ. Рђ. РћРІСЃСЏРЅРЅРёРєРѕРІР°

© Д. С. Ведунова, 2017

© Н. А. Овсянникова, 2017

ISBNВ 978-5-4490-0740-7

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

Geographical position and peculiarities ofВ the country

The United States ofВ America, often briefly referred toВ as the United States ofВ America, the United States, or simply America, is aВ state inВ North America. The area is 9.5В million kmВІ (4

place inВ the world). The population is 325В million people (2016, estimate, 3rd place inВ the world). The United States has aВ federal form ofВ organization, administratively divided into 50В states and the federal district ofВ Colombia; inВ their subordination there is also aВ number ofВ island territories (Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam and others).

The capital is the city of Washington. The United States borders the north with Canada, in the south – with Mexico, also have a maritime border with Russia. They are washed by the Pacific Ocean from the west, the Atlantic Ocean – from the east and the Arctic Ocean – from the north.

The United States of America was formed in 1776 with the unification of thirteen British colonies that declared their independence. The War of Independence lasted until 1783 and ended in the victory of the colonists. In 1787, the US Constitution was adopted, and in 1791 – the Bill of Rights, which significantly limited the powers of the government towards citizens. In the 1860s, the contradictions between the slave-owning southern and industrial northern states led to the beginning of the four-year Civil War. The consequence of the victory of the northern states was the widespread prohibition of slavery, as well as the restoration of the country after the split that arose when the southern states merged into the Confederation and declared their independence.

Location:

The main US territory (called continental states) is located on the North American continent and extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west. In the south, the United States borders Mexico, in the north – with Canada. In addition, the US includes 2 more states. The extreme north-west of the American continent is Alaska, also bordering Canada. In the Pacific Ocean is the state of Hawaii. The border with Russia passes through the Bering Strait. The United States also owns a number of islands in the Caribbean (for example, Puerto Rico) and the Pacific (American Samoa, Midway, Guam and others).

Subordinated territories

Under aВ particularВ US administration, there are (but are not included in) aВ number ofВ island territories with different status. The Constitution ofВ the United States fully operates on the territory ofВ the uninhabited atoll ofВ Palmyra. The remaining territories have their own basic legislation. The largest ofВ these territories is Puerto Rico.

Relief

In the mainland, west of the Atlantic lowlands are the Appalachian mountains, behind which are the Central Plains (200—500 m above sea level), the Great Plains (600—1500 m) plateau. Almost the whole west is occupied by the Cordillera mountain system.

Most ofВ the territory ofВ the United States belongs toВ the North American platform. InВ the east it is framed byВ the Paleozoic Appalachian folded system, inВ the west byВ the Mesozoic-Cenozoic folded Cordillera system, inВ the south byВ the young plateau on the coast ofВ the Gulf ofВ Mexico, which passes northeast into the Atlantic flank ofВ the same age. The foundation ofВ the North American platform is exposed inВ theВ US territory inВ several small areas: Adirondack ofВ the Canadian Shield (Middle Riphean rocks) inВ the states of