Tours in the USA can be safely compared with a trip to a country where the traditions of the whole world are mixed! A huge state that is famous for its ski resorts and luxurious places for a beach holiday, a bright kaleidoscope of attractions (from the skyscrapers of numerous megacities to the ancient settlements of the Indians and the first settlers from all continents). Holidays in the USA are the neighborhood of a multi-million dollar modern city and wild prairies, this is the riot of two oceans and the silence of mountain canyons, this is a rich excursion program and luxurious shopping.
In addition to cities, the United States is famous for its striking natural attractions. The Great Lakes, which are of glacial origin, are located in the north of the country on the border of the United States and Canada. The real wonder of the world is Niagara Falls. Its clear waters, cascading down a 58 m high ledge, are one of the most picturesque sights on earth. The Grand Canyon is one of nature’s greatest gifts, located on the Colorado Plateau in Arizona. Its depth reaches 1600 m, and its length is 446 km. The islands of the Hawaiian archipelago (there are 122 of them) are the peaks of the highest volcanoes in the world, they rise from the bottom of the ocean for almost 10 km.
According to agooddir, the mainland coasts of the United States offer ample opportunities for active water sports, but a beach holiday in the classical sense is possible only in Miami or on the islands, since the waters of the Pacific Ocean do not warm up to a temperature comfortable for swimming even in summer.
The capital of country:
Washington – here are not only the main government offices, but also museums, libraries, art galleries
Geography:
In addition to the 50 states, the United States of America owns the Virgin Islands, Eastern Samoa, the island of Puerto Rico, the island of Guam and several small islands. The country is bordered by Canada in the north and Mexico in the south. It is washed by the Atlantic Ocean in the East, the Pacific – in the West and the Gulf of Mexico – in the south.
The lowest point – 86 m below sea level – Death Valley, California.
The highest point is 6194 m, Mount McKinley, Alaska.
The southernmost point is the Florida Keys – a chain of limestone islands and coral reefs, stretching over 200 km from the southern tip of Florida.
The westernmost of the islands and the southernmost city in the United States is Key West. The size of the island is 6 km long and 3 km wide.
Climate:
Due to its large area, the climate in the US is varied. In most of the territory – temperate, in the south – subtropical. In the northern states, winter is usually severe, and in the southern states, such as Florida, summer does not end all year round.
Language:
The official language of education and office work de facto (and in some states and de jure) is English. At the local level, French is the official language along with English in Louisiana, Hawaiian in Hawaii, and Spanish in Puerto Rico and New Mexico. With the exception of Hawaiian – an autochthonous language – French and Spanish are the languages of the colonialists, who once mastered the territory of the modern United States, but lost in the fight to the British. In an earlier period on the territory of the modern United States, the official language was Russian in Alaska, Dutch in the state of New York.
Population:
The USA is a country with a very large and diverse population. The US population exceeds 315 million people (the third largest in the world, after China and India). The US is home to about 4.5% of the world’s population. The US states with the largest populations are California (about thirty-seven million people), Texas (about twenty-five million people) and New York (over nineteen and a half million people). The United States as a nation state was historically shaped by immigrants from Europe. The largest particle was made up of immigrants from the UK (English, Scots, Irish).
According to official statistics, the white population lives in the United States – 80.3%, and African Americans – 12.1%; Indians, Aleuts, Eskimos – 1%; immigrants, from Asia and Oceania – 4% of people and people of other national groups – 2.6% of people.
The indigenous population – the Indians – until the end of the XIX century. were finally conquered and settled on the reservation. As a result of hostilities, protracted epidemics, their numbers decreased at the beginning of the 20th century. There were only 200 thousand Indians.
Among the national minority of Slavic origin, Poles and Ukrainians stand out in terms of numbers. Most Ukrainians and people of Ukrainian origin are in the industrial states of Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey.
State system:
The USA is the largest capitalist country. Capitalism in the USA has received its greatest development, has reached the highest level of productive forces possible under this social system. In this regard, the contradictions inherent in the capitalist system, social contrasts, economic and political inequality of classes are manifested in the United States with particular force.
The USA is a bourgeois federal republic, administratively consists of 50 states and a federal (capital) district. The country is dominated by a two-party system, in which two parties of monopoly capital replace each other in power – the Republican and the Democratic. The Communist Party advocates for the interests of the working people.
Religion:
Religion in the United States has national significance, as it happened historically. And it is precisely the course of development of history that determines the number of representatives of a particular religion in this state. Protestants make up 56% of believers, Catholics 28%, Jews 2%, other religious communities make up 4%.
Money and currency exchange:
The United States dollar (USD) is equal to 100 cents. In circulation are denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 dollars, coins – pennies (1 cent), nickel (5 cents), dime (10 cents), quarter (25 cents), half-dollar ( 50 cents) and 1 dollar. In addition, there are US$500, US$1,000, US$1,000, US$10,000 and US$10,000 Federal Reserve Tickets, which are available in extremely small quantities and are only circulated in the US. They are not bought and are prohibited from being exported from the country.
Banks in the US are usually open Monday through Friday from 09:00 to 15:00. Some banks and their branches are open until 18:00, and may also be open on Saturday.
Time Zones:
The United States is located in a zone of six time zones.
Pacific Time Zone: Pacific States and Nevada (Pacific Standard Time) UTC -8.
Mountain Time Zone: Colorado, Texas other states (Mountain Standard Time) UTC -7.
Central Time Zone: Gulf Coast, Illinois, Great Plains (Central Standard Time) UTC -6.
Eastern time zone: all states of the Atlantic coast (Eastern Standard Time) UTC -5.
Alaska Standard time UTC -9.
Time in Hawaii and the Aleutian Islands (Hawaii Standard Time and Aleutian Standard Time) UTC -10.
