The world's third largest country in size and nearly the third largest in terms of population, located in North America between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
The United States has mountains, lakes, rivers, deserts, and islands
Official name, form of government, capital, population, languages, money, area, major mountain ranges, major rivers, Great Lakes
United States of America
Constitution-based federal republic
Washington, D.C.
330,175,936
English, Spanish (no official national language)
U.S. dollar
3,794,083 square miles (9,826,630 square kilometers)
Rocky Mountains, Appalachian Mountains
Mississippi, Missouri, Colorado, Rio Grande
Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario
Geography of the United States
Third largest country in size, located in North America, bordered by Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Canada, and Mexico, has 50 states and 5 major territories, Hawaii and Alaska are far from the continental mainland, has high mountains in the West and a vast central plain, lowest point is Death Valley, highest peak is Denali (Mt. McKinley)
The United States has been a nation of immigrants throughout its history
Regions of the United States
New England
Mid-Atlantic
South
Midwest
Southwest
West
NewEngland
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, settled by Europeansettlersseekingreligiousfreedom
Mid-Atlantic
Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., industrial areas that attractedEuropeanimmigrants
South
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, struggledaftertheCivilWar
Midwest
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, hometothecountry'sagriculturalbase
Southwest
Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, beautiful stark landscape of prairie and desert, home to natural marvels like the Grand Canyon and Carlsbad Caverns
A monarchy is a form of government where a single person, the monarch, rules the country.
An oligarchy is a form of government where a small group of people holds power.
civil society is the sphere between family, market, state
civil society can be seen as an arena where citizens come together to influence public policy or hold government accountable
state is a political entity with sovereignty within a given territory
the state is an organization that has power over its citizens
the civil society includes voluntary associations such as clubs, churches, trade unions, political parties, charities, pressure groups, etc.
civil society is the sum total of all non-governmental institutions, organizations, associations, groups, clubs, movements, etc.
A democracy is a form of government where the people have the authority to choose their governing legislation.
An oligarchy is a system of government by a small group of people who hold most or all of the power.
The United States has been described as an "oligarchy" because it is dominated by wealthy elites with disproportionate political influence.
The United States has a federal system of government, with powers divided between the national (federal) government and individual states.
The President serves as both head of state and head of government.
The U.S. Constitution establishes the structure and powers of these institutions.
In a democracy, citizens have equal rights and opportunities to participate in decision making through free elections and representation.
The United Nations (UN) was established on October 24, 1945, following World War II.
At the height of the most recent Ice Age, about 35,000 years ago, much of the world's water was locked up in vast continental ice sheets
A land bridge as much as 1,500 kilometers wide connected Asia and North America
By 12,000 years ago, humans were living throughout much of the Western Hemisphere
The first Americans crossed the land bridge from Asia and were believed to have stayed in what is now Alaska for thousands of years
They then moved south into the land that was to become the United States
Early groups of Native Americans
Hohokam
Adenans
Hopewellians
Anasazi
Early Native American groups
Built villages and grew crops
Some built mounds of earth in the shapes of pyramids, birds, or serpents
Their life was closely tied to the land, and their society was clan-oriented and communal
Elements of the natural world played an essential part in their spiritual beliefs
Their culture was primarily oral, although some developed a type of hieroglyphics to preserve certain texts
There was a good deal of trade among the groups but also that some of their relations were hostile
For reasons not yet completely understood, these early groups disappeared over time and were replaced by other groups of Native Americans, including Hopi and Zuni, who flourished
By the time Europeans reached what is now the United States, about two million native people, maybe more, lived here
The first Europeans to arrive in North America were Norse
Erik the Red founded a settlement in Greenland
Around 985
Leif, Erik the Red's son, is thought to have explored the northeast coast of what is now Canada