On your Warm-up
sheet tell me: What are
major physical
features of the United
States (Mountains,
rivers, etc)?
*On your notes: Draw
a sketch map of US
UNITED STATES CULTURE
Complete the PERSIA chart
Political System
Establishing a Government
1787--Constitutional Convention
meets to draft US Constitution;
eventually the Bill of Rights is
added to Constitution
Constitution-based federal
republic; strong democratic
tradition—power is shared
between local, state, and national
government
Republic—people choose representatives to make decisions
Democracy—government authority is based on the will of the people.
People either vote on issues directly, or they elect representatives who make
government decisions for them.
Economy
Economy



The US has the largest and most technologically powerful
economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $47,200. In
this market-oriented economy, private individuals and
business firms make most of the decisions, and the federal
and state governments buy needed goods and services
predominantly in the private marketplace.
Free enterprise—system that lets competition
among businesses determine the price of products
Developed country—high levels of industrialization
and high standard of living
Economy






Labor Force-By Occupation:
farming, forestry, and fishing: 0.7%
manufacturing, extraction, transportation, and
crafts: 20.3%
managerial, professional, and technical: 37.3%
sales and office: 24.2%
other services: 17.5%
Economy
1992—United States, Canada and
Mexico signed the North
American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA): eliminates tariffs on
products flowing between the
three countries —trade between
the three countries has boomed
Although the US has the largest
economy in the world, it relies
heavily on global trade and has
a trade deficit most years.
Religion
Religion

Christianity is the major
religion
 51%
Protestant Christian
 Nearly 25% Catholic Christian


Immigration has increased the
numbers of people who
practice Buddhism, Hinduism
and Islam
About 6 million Jews live in the
US
Social Structure
Language

No official language in the United States
 English
is main language and has been since
colonization
 Spanish is second most widely spoken language
 Many
of these speakers are bilingual—able to speak two
languages
Innovations and Technology
Innovations and Technology

245 million internet users in the United States (rank
2nd in the world)
Area and geography
Settlement Patterns

Why do you think the population is concentrated in
these areas?
Settlement Patterns

Why do you think the population is concentrated in
these areas?
 Reflects
the history of the country’s settlement
 First large US cities were located in Northeast
 Population is shifting South and West toward the Sun
Belt
Physical Features