1.What is the key to understanding America?
The most important key to understanding America is
to know the history of the USA. If you look back on the
grounds of today’s America, you can see that it had been
influenced by the native features of the English, the Dutch,
the French, the Spanish and other colonists discovering the
continent. The most influential nation was obviously
English. Thus, the legislatures of the states for a long period
of time subjected to the king (queen) of the UK. So, many
aspects of law and politics, as well as some cultural
traditions are similar to those of the UK. When the
boundaries were set and the USA became independent, it
started to develop its own law and politics, moreover, drew
up a set of principles of a democratic state.
So, the US is characterized by its historical roots and
the consequent development of democracy. We know it as
the most democratic, English-speaking and rather distinctive
country.
2.Describe the flag of the USA
The flag of the United States of America consists
of 13 equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white,
with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing 50 small, white,
five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of
six stars alternating with rows of five stars. The 50 stars on
the flag represent the 50 U.S. states and the 13 stripes
represent the original Thirteen Colonies that rebelled against
the British Crown and became the first states in the Union.
Nicknames for the flag include the Stars and Stripes, Old
Glory, and the Star-Spangled Banner. Because of its
symbolism, the starred blue canton is called the "union".
This part of the national flag can stand alone as a maritime
flag called the Union Jack.
The flag of the United States is one of the nation's
widely recognized and used symbols. Within the U.S. it is
frequently displayed, not only on public buildings, but on
private residences, and clothing ornaments such as badges.
Throughout the world it is used in public discourse to refer
to the U.S., both as a nation state, government, and set of
policies, but also as an ideology and set of ideas.
Many understand the flag to represent the national
government established in the U.S. Constitution.
Traditionally, the flag may be decorated with golden
fringe surrounding the perimeter of the flag as long as it
does not deface the flag proper. Ceremonial displays of the
flag, such as those in parades or on indoor posts, often use
fringe to enhance the beauty of the flag.
3.Why is this area known as “the melting pot”?
The melting pot is an analogy for the way in which
homogeneous societies develop, in which the ingredients in
the pot (people of different cultures, races and religions) are
combined so as to develop a multi-ethnic society.
Northeastern areas provided the young United States
with heavy industry and served as the "melting pot" of new
immigrants from Europe. Cities grew along major shipping
routes and waterways. Such flourishing cities included
Philadelphia on the Delaware River and New York City on
the Hudson River. Dutch immigrants moved into the lower
Hudson River Valley in what is now New Jersey and New
York State. An English Protestant sect, the Friends
(Quakers), settled Pennsylvania. In time, all these
settlements came under English control. With the great
shipping ports of Philadelphia and, secondly, New York
City, the region continued to be a magnet for people of
diverse nationalities.
Early settlers were mostly farmers and traders, and
the region served as a bridge between North and South.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania midway between the northern
and southern colonies, was the site of the Continental
Congress, the convention of delegates from the original
colonies that organized the American Revolution. The same
city was the birthplace of the Declaration of Independence
in 1776 and the U.S. Constitution in 1787.
The Mid-Atlantic, with two of America's largest
cities, New York City and Philadelphia, has been an
industrial powerhouse and major center for international
trade. With New York as the center of finance, it continues
as important economically. A major center of finance,
pharmaceutical industry, technology, universities (including
four of the eight Ivy League universities), business, media,
education, the arts, and cuisine, the area is one of America's
most prominent regions. Many immigrants are attracted to
the region. New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey are
rich in immigrant culture. Still rich in cultures influenced by
European heritage, the region has recently attracted more
Asian and Hispanic immigrants. African immigrants also
have many centers in urban and suburban areas.
4.Why is corn the most important of all American crops?
It would be difficult to imagine our lives without
corn, and even more difficult to overstate the important role
that corn plays in today’s world. The United States grows
40 percent of the world’s corn, but China and Brazil are also
big producers.
Much of the remaining crop will be used to produce
barrels full of corn sweeteners and ethanol fuels. Some will
be used to create plastics from cornstarch in an industry that
is relatively new, but already enormous and growing
rapidly. Even the corn stalks and foliage left after the ears
are harvested will be used to make vast quantities of silage
food products for livestock and millions of gallons of syrup
for human consumption.
There are two main reasons why corn has become the
basic crop of American agriculture. One is that it grows so
well. A hectare of corn requires only one-twelfth as much
seed as a hectare of wheat, for instance. Yet the yield of
grain from the hectare of corn is several times as high as
that from the hectare of wheat.
The other reason is that farmers have worked out highyield mechanized product ion methods in all the important
corn-producing areas. The Corn Belt farmer uses machines
for every step of his operation-planting, enriching the soil,
cultivating, spraying, killing weeds, harvesting the ears,
removing the thick natural wrappings, shelling the kernels
from the long cobs on which they grow, and cutting the
stalks. Because of this extensive use of machinery, the
average farmer can cultivate as many as 140 hectares and
care for a large herd of livestock with no more help.
5.What states are in the Southeast?
The US Southeast is the eastern portion of the
Southern United States. The states in the Southeast are:
Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi,
Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia.
6.What territory is often called the land of tragedy and
promise?
The land of tragedy and promise is The Great
Plains.
The Great Plains cover a wide area of the North
American continent. In general, the Plains closer to the
Rocky Mountains are drier because they are in the rain
shadow of the mountains; these are the short grass prairies.
Farther east, where it is more humid and there is more rain,
there are tall grass prairies.
In general, the Great Plains have a wide variety of
weather throughout the year with very cold winters and very
hot summers. There is usually plenty of wind, too. The
prairies support abundant wildlife in undisturbed settings,
but people have easily converted much of the prairies for
agricultural purposes or pastures.
7.What is the climate in Great Plains?
Great Plains, physiographic region in central Canada
and the United States. The region has a vast, generally high
plateau, called the plains, extending from northwestern
Canada through parts of the Northwest Territories. In the
United States the plains continue south through sections of
Montana, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming,
Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and
Texas. The region is bordered on the east by the Canadian
Shield and the Central Lowland of the United States and on
the west by the Rocky Mountains. The area of the Great
Plains is 3.2 million sq km.
8.How did agriculture begin in the Rockies?
The Rockies are among the earth’s youngest
mountains. They have steep slopes and many peaks and
picturesque valleys. The region is very sparsely populated.
Most of the population is engaged in mining, cattle-breeding
and farming. The Rocky Mountain region includes five
states: Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado.
Agriculture and forestry are major industries.
Agriculture includes dryland and irrigated farming and
livestock grazing. Livestock are frequently moved between
high-elevation summer pastures and low-elevation winter
pastures, a practice known as transhumance.
9.How is magnificent wilderness preserved?
Wilderness is generally defined as a natural
environment on Earth that has not been significantly
modified by human activity. Wilderness areas and protected
parks are considered important for the survival of certain
species, ecological studies, conservation, solitude, and
recreation.
The United States was the first country to officially
designate land as "wilderness" through the Wilderness Act
of 1964. Wilderness designation helps preserve the natural
state of the land and protects flora and fauna by prohibiting
development and providing for non-motorized recreation
only. The first wilderness refuge designation was for the
Great Swamp in New Jersey. Properties in the swamp had
been acquired by residents of the area who donated it to the
federal government as a park for perpetual protection.
Wilderness designations are granted by an Act of
Congress for Federal land that retains a "primeval character"
and that has no human habitation or development.
Approximately 400,000 km² are designated as wilderness in
the United States.
10.Into what regions is Alaska divided?
Alaska is the largest state of the United States of
America by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of
the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the
Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west
and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait.
Alaska divided into:
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South Central Alaska is the southern coastal
region and contains most of the state's
population.
The Alaska Panhandle, also known as
Southeast Alaska, is home to many of Alaska's
larger towns including the state capital Juneau,
tidewater glaciers, the many islands and
channels of the Alexander Archipelago and
extensive forests.
Southwest Alaska is largely coastal, bordered
by both the Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea.
It is sparsely populated, and unconnected to the
road system, but very important to the fishing
industry.
The Alaska Interior is home to Fairbanks. The
geography is marked by large braided rivers,
such as the Yukon River and the Kuskokwim
River, as well as Arctic tundra lands and
shorelines.
The Alaskan Bush is the remote, less crowded
part of the state, encompassing 380 native
villages and small towns such as Nome, Bethel,
Kotzebue and, most famously, Barrow, the
northernmost town in the United States, as well
as the northern most town on the contiguous
North American continent.
11.Where is Hawaii?
Hawaii is a state in the United States, located on an
archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean southwest of the
continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast
of Australia. The state was admitted to the Union on August
21, 1959, making it the 50th state. Its capital is Honolulu on
the island of Oahu.
This state encompasses nearly the entire volcanic
Hawaiian Island chain, which is made up of hundreds of
islands spread over 1,500 miles. At the southeastern end of
the archipelago, the eight "main islands" are (from the
northwest to southeast) Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi,
Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Maui, and Hawaiʻi.
1.What principles has the US been founded upon?
Principles of US foundation are:

Representative government
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Equality before the law
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The legitimacy of private property
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Liberty and opportunity for individuals
to prove their circumstances
2.Describe the seal of the USA.
The Great Seal of the United States is used to
authenticate certain documents issued by the United States
federal government. The phrase is used both for the physical
seal itself, and more generally for the design impressed
upon it. The Great Seal was first used publicly in 1782.
The design on the obverse of the great seal is the
national coat of arms of the United States. It is officially
used on documents such as United States passports, military
insignia, embassy placards, and various flags.
Since 1935, both sides of the Great Seal appear on
the reverse of the one-dollar bill.
Obverse. The main figure on the obverse (or front)
of the seal is the coat of arms of the United States, a bald
eagle with its wings outstretched. From the eagle's
perspective, it holds a bundle of 13 arrows in its left talon,
(referring to the 13 original states), and an olive branch, in
its right talon, together symbolizing that the United States of
America has "a strong desire for peace, but will always be
ready for war.". Although not specified by law, the olive
branch is usually depicted with 13 leaves and 13 olives,
again representing the 13 original states. The eagle has its
head turned towards the olive branch, said to symbolize a
preference for peace. In its beak, the eagle clutches the
motto E pluribus unum ("Out of Many, One"). Over its head
there appears a "glory" with 13 mullets (stars) on a blue
field.
Reverse. The 1782 resolution adopting the seal
blazons the image on the reverse as "A pyramid unfinished.
In the zenith an eye in a triangle, surrounded by a glory,
proper." The pyramid is conventionally shown as consisting
of 13 layers of blocks to refer to the 13 original states. There
are also 13 sides shown on the ribbon.
3.What do mottos can of the states express?
A motto is a phrase meant to formally describe the
general motivation or intention of a social group or
organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is
the most used. The local language is usual in the mottos of
governments.
Ohio - With God, all things are possible
Hawaii - Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono
the land is perpetuated in righteousness
Illinois - State sovereignty, national union
Montana - Oro y plata - Gold and silver
Alaska - North to the future
Colorado - Nil sine numine
Florida - In God We Trust
New York - Excelsior
California - Eureka
- The life of
- Nothing without God's will
- Ever upward!
- I have found it
Idaho - Esto perpetua - Let it be perpetual
Washington - Al-ki (unofficial) - By and by
Tennessee - Agriculture and commerce
Kansas - Ad astra per aspera
adversity
- To the stars through
4.Why is the US Northeast a good market area?
The North East is the cradle of America. The small
rural villages of New England, where not much has changed
from the 17th century, contrast with the sophisticated and
historically rich cities of the coast, Boston, New York, and
Washington. Northeast states: Vermont, New Hampshire,
Boston, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New-York, Washington
DC, Acadia, Maine.
Northeast is a good market area because it has such
state as New-York that has a god industry (for example until
1970s years New-York was the nation’s foremost industrial
state ranking first in virtually every general category). NewYork has a very good stock exchange and it is one of the
most expensive cities in the world. And it is also a financial
centre of the USA.
5.What are the states of the central Basin known as?
States of the central Basin are: Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Minnesota.
6.What is the river curves through the Central Basin?
The river curve through the Central Basin is
Missouri. It is a heart of Central Basin. The Missouri River
is the longest river in the United States of America.
The Missouri begins at the confluence of the
Madison, Jefferson, and Gallatin rivers in Montana, and
flows through its valley south and east into the Mississippi
north of St. Louis, Missouri.
7.Why was there a conflict between the first homesteaders,
Indians and cowboys?
There was a conflict between the first homesteaders,
Indians and cowboys because the first homesteaders were
settled on the Indian’s lands that lived in North, South and
Central America and cowboys grazed cattle there and also
used the lands of the Indians as pasture.
8.Describe the climate in the desert region.
Deserts are areas where the rainfall is too low to
sustain any vegetation at all, or only very scanty scrub. The
rainfall in desert areas is less than 250 mm or 10 inches per
year, and some years may experience no rainfall at all. The
hot deserts are situated in the subtropical climate zone
where there is unbroken sunshine for the whole year due to
the stable descending air and high pressure. Such areas
include the Sahara, Saudi Arabia, large parts of Iran and
Iraq, northwest India, California, South Africa and much of
Australia. Here, maximum temperatures of 40 to 45°C are
common, although during colder periods of the year, nighttime temperatures can drop to freezing or below due to the
exceptional radiation loss under the clear skies.
The Gobi desert in Mongolia is an example of a cool
desert. Though hot in summer, it shares the very cold
winters of central Asia. The Arctic and Antarctic regions,
too, receive very little precipitation during the year, owing
to the exceptionally cold dry air, but are more usually
classified as types of polar climate. Semi-desert areas
include the Steppes of southern Russia and central Asia, and
the Parries of Canada.
The list of North American deserts. There are four
major deserts in North America, all located in the western
United States and northern Mexico. These are:
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The Great Basin Desert – the largest desert in
North America, located primarily in Nevada
The Mojave Desert – a desert located primarily
in southeastern California
The Chihuahuan Desert – the second largest
desert in North America, located in the
southwest US and northern Mexico
The Sonoran Desert – a desert located in the
southwest US and northwest Mexico.
9.What do you know about ghost towns?
A ghost town is a town or city that has been
abandoned, usually because the economic activity that
supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused
disasters such as flood, government action, uncontrolled
lawlessness or war.
A true ghost town is totally abandoned by regular
inhabitants. Often a ghost town will still have significant art
and architecture.
There are many ghost towns, or semi-ghost towns in
the American Great Plains, whose rural areas have lost a
third of their population since 1920. Thousands of
communities in the northern plains states like North Dakota,
South Dakota, Montana and Nebraska became railroad
ghost towns when a rail-line failed to materialize. Hundreds
more were abandoned when the US Highway System
replaced the railroads as America's favorite mode of travel.
Ghost towns are common in mining or old mill town areas:
Washington, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico,
Montana, Minnesota, and California in the western United
States and West Virginia in the eastern USA. They can be
observed as far south as Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas,
Georgia and Florida. When the resources that had created an
employment boom in these towns played out, eventually the
businesses ceased to exist, and the people moved on to more
productive areas. Sometimes a ghost town consists of many
old abandoned buildings (like in Bodie, California), other
times there are simply structures or foundations of former
buildings (e.g., Graysonia, Arkansas).
A more recent ghost town is Centralia,
Pennsylvania, which at its peak had over 2,600 residents in
either the borough itself or in immediately adjacent areas
and was over 1,000 as recent as 1981 but as of 2007 is down
to nine residents as a result of a underground mine fire that
started in the 1960s when a landfill created from an
abandoned strip mine was set on fire.
10.What states belong to the Newest states?
Alaska and Hawaii belong to the Newest states.
Alaska is the largest state of the United States of America
by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North
American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic
Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and
south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait.
Hawaii is a state in the United States, located on an
archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean southwest of the
continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast
of Australia. The state was admitted to the Union on August
21, 1959, making it the 50th state. Its capital is Honolulu on
the island of Oahu.
11.What crops are grown in Hawaii?
Hawaii is a state in the United States, located on an
archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean southwest of the
continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast
of Australia. The state was admitted to the Union on August
21, 1959, making it the 50th state. Its capital is Honolulu on
the island of Oahu.
The climate of Hawaii is typical for a tropical area,
although temperatures and humidity tend to be a bit less
extreme than other tropical locales due to the constant trade
winds blowing from the east. Summer highs are usually in
the upper 31°C during the day and around 24 °C at night.
Winter temperatures during the day are usually in the low to
around 28 °C and seldom dipping below 18 °C at night.
Snow, although not usually associated with tropics. Most of
Hawaii has only two seasons: summer from May to
October, and winter from October to April.
Thanks to Hawaii’s mild, year-round climate, it is a
fertile place that sustains many different types of
agriculture. Approximately 40 percent of land on Hawaii is
farmland. The state is home to approximately 3,600 crop
farms and 1,100 livestock farms that include cattle, hogs,
milk, eggs and honey. The average agriculture sales per year
in Hawaii are around $357 million dollars.
When most people think about agriculture in Hawaii
the crops that come to mind are sugarcane, pineapple,
macadamia nuts and coffee. While these are very important
crops for the islands, there are many other crops that help
sustain Hawaii’s economy. Among these many crops are
ginger, banana, onions, sweet potato, lettuce and seed crops.
1.What are the attributes of any country and what do they
serve for?
The main attributes of any country is flag, anthem
and the emblem.
A flag is a piece of cloth, often flown from a pole or
mast, generally used symbolically for signaling or
identification.
The first flags were used to assist military
coordination on battlefields, and flags have since evolved
into a general tool for rudimentary signaling and
identification, it was especially used in environments where
communication is similarly challenging. National flags are
potent patriotic symbols with varied wide-ranging
interpretations, often including strong military associations
due to their original and ongoing military uses. Flags are
also used in messaging, advertising, or for other decorative
purposes
The term anthem means a song (or composition) of
celebration, usually acting as a symbol for a distinct group
of people, as in the term "national anthem".
An emblem is a pictorial image, abstract or
representational, that epitomizes a concept — e.g., a moral
truth, or an allegory — or that represents a person, such as a
king or saint.
2.What do the colors of the American flag embody?
The flag of the United States of America consists
of 13 equal horizontal stripes of red alternating with white,
with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing 50 small, white,
five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of
six stars alternating with rows of five stars. The 50 stars on
the flag represent the 50 U.S. states and the 13 stripes
represent the original Thirteen Colonies that rebelled against
the British Crown and became the first states in the Union.
Nicknames for the flag include the Stars and Stripes, Old
Glory, and the Star-Spangled Banner. Because of its
symbolism, the starred blue canton is called the "union".
This part of the national flag can stand alone as a maritime
flag called the Union Jack.
The American flag was adopted in 1777 and
originally called The Stars and Stripes. Over the years,
tradition has given meaning to the colors.
RED is for hardiness and valour
WHITE is for purity and innocence
BLUE is for vigilance, perseverance and justice
3.Do states have their own flags and mottos?
Yes, of course, they do. Each state expresses their
motivations and intentions in mottos. And their flags reflect
the economic peculiarities as well as some other features,
characterizing the state. The mottos and flags can distinct
them from each other and show their uniqueness.
4.What states belong to the territory of the Northeast?
The Northeast is a region of the United States. The
Northeast region covers nine states which are: Maine, New
Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island,
Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
The Northeast is the richest region of the United
States, including three states with the highest median
household income: New Jersey, Connecticut, and
Massachusetts.
Together the region accounts for approximately 25%
of U.S. gross domestic product as of 2007. The region is
also home to all eight Ivy League schools. They generate
income by knowledge industries. Only New York,
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Massachusetts rank in the
top 15 states in terms of population.
5.What are the leading centers in the Northeast?
The leading centers in the Northeast are Washington
and New-York.
The White House, Supreme Court, The Pentagon,
Congress, Washington Monument and many other political
and historical sites are located in D.C. This is the home of
the U.S. President, along with thousands of government
employees and foreign diplomats from around the world.
With its many impressive memorials, world-renowned
museums, sprawling parks and cherry-blossom lined
avenues, the District of Columbia is filled with a variety of
treasures.
New York City is known the world over for its
Broadway shows, big businesses, historical sites, distinctive
neighborhoods and financial center. However, there is more
to this intriguing state than just the Big Apple! Upstate New
York is filled with quaint towns and small villages, while
Niagara Falls, the Catskill and Adirondack Mountains are
found here too.
6.Who were frontier farmers?
The USA is divided into distinct regions based on
agriculture. The frontier farmers are those which territory
includes several parts of this different regions. The frontier
farmers are the owners of these lands and so obtain such
meaning.
7.What is the typical to rural America?
Agriculture is a major industry in the United States
and the country is a net exporter of food.
Corn, turkeys, tomatoes, potatoes, peanuts, and
sunflower seeds constitute some of the major holdovers
from the agricultural endowment of the Americas.
European agriculture practices greatly affected the
New England landscape, leaving behind many physical foot
prints. Colonists brought livestock over from Europe which
caused many changes to the land. Grazing animals required
a lot of land and food to sustain them and due to grazing,
native grasses were destroyed and European species began
to replace them. New species of weeds were introduced and
began to thrive as they were capable of withstanding the
grazing of animals, whereas native species could not.
Along with livestock changing the plant species in
New England from the original native species to European
species they also contributed to the deterioration of the
forests and fields. Colonists would cut down the trees and
then allow their cattle and livestock to graze freely in the
forest and never plant more trees. The animals trampled and
tore up the ground so much as to cause long-term
destruction and damage.
Soil exhaustion was a huge problem in New England
agriculture. Plowing with oxen did allow the colonist to
farm more land but it did increase erosion and decreased
soils fertility. Due to the plow cutting deep into the soil and
allowing the soil more contact with oxygen and depleting
it’s nutrients. With the large amounts of cattle on the New
England landscape the soil was being compacted due to the
weight of the cattle and this didn’t give the soil enough
oxygen to sustain life.
In the U.S., farms spread from the colonies
westward along with the settlers. In cooler regions, wheat
was often the crop of choice when lands were newly settled,
leading to a "wheat frontier" that moved westward over the
course of years. Also very common in the antebellum
Midwest was farming corn while raising hogs,
complementing each other especially since it was difficult to
get grain to market before the canals and railroads. After the
"wheat frontier" had passed through an area, more
diversified farms including dairy cattle generally took its
place. Warmer regions saw plantings of cotton and herds of
beef cattle. In the early colonial south, raising tobacco and
cotton was common, especially through the use of slave
labor until the Civil War. In the northeast, slaves were used
in agriculture until the early 19th century. In the Midwest,
slavery was prohibited by the Freedom Ordinance of 1787.
The introduction and broad adoption of scientific
agriculture since the mid nineteenth century has made a
large improvement in the USA's economic growth. This
development was facilitated by the Morrill Act and the
Hatch Act of 1887 which established in each state a landgrant university (with a mission to teach and study
agriculture) and a federally-funded system of agricultural
experiment stations and cooperative extension networks
which place extension agents in each state.
Soybeans were not widely cultivated in the United
States until the 1950s, when soybeans began to replace oats
and wheat.
Significant areas of farmland were abandoned
during the Great Depression and incorporated into nascent
national forests. Later, "Sodbuster" and "Swampbuster"
restrictions written into federal farm programs starting in the
1970s reversed a decades-long trend of habitat destruction
that began in 1942 when farmers were encouraged to plant
all possible land in support of the war effort. In the United
States, federal programs administered through local Soil and
Water Conservation Districts provide technical assistance
and partial funding to farmers who wish to implement
management practices to conserve soil and limit erosion.
8.What was the tragedy of 1934?
The Great Depression was a worldwide economic
downturn starting in most places and ending at different
times for different countries. It was the largest and most
important economic depression in modern history. The
Great Depression originated in the United States; historians
most often use as a starting date the stock market crash on
October 29, 1929, known as Black Tuesday. The end of the
depression in the U.S is associated with the onset of the war
economy of World War II.
The depression had devastating effects in the
developed and developing worlds. International trade was
deeply affected, as were personal incomes, tax revenues,
prices, and profits. Cities all around the world were hit hard,
especially those dependent on heavy industry. Construction
was virtually halted in many countries. Farming and rural
areas suffered as crop prices fell by roughly 60 percent.
Effects of depression in the United States:
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13 million people became unemployed.
Industrial production fell by nearly 45%.
Home-building dropped by 80%.
About 5,000 banks went out of business.
1.What Latin mottos can you read on the seal?
A motto is a phrase meant to formally describe the
general motivation or intention of a social group or
organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is
the most used. The local language is usual in the mottos of
governments.
- By valor and arms
Virginia - Sic semper tyrannis - Thus always to tyrants
Colorado -Nil sine numine - Nothing without God's will
Oklahoma - Labor omnia vincit - Labor conquers all things
Arizona - Ditat Deus - God enriches
New Mexico - Crescit eundo - It grows as it goes
Alabama - Audemus jura nostra defendere - We Dare
Mississippi - Virtute et armis
Defend Our Rights
Oregon - Alis volat propriis, and The Union
her own wings
- She flies with
the most used. The local language is usual in the mottos of
governments.
Ohio - With God, all things are possible
Hawaii - Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono
the land is perpetuated in righteousness
Illinois - State sovereignty, national union
Montana - Oro y plata - Gold and silver
Alaska - North to the future
Colorado - Nil sine numine
Florida - In God We Trust
- The life of
- Nothing without God's will
- Ever upward!
- I have found it
Idaho - Esto perpetua - Let it be perpetual
New York - Excelsior
California - Eureka
Washington - Al-ki (unofficial) - By and by
Tennessee - Agriculture and commerce
2.Give examples of states mottos
A motto is a phrase meant to formally describe the
general motivation or intention of a social group or
organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is
3.What economical, geographical and cultural divisions of
the USA?
Geographical division. The United States is a federal
union of fifty states. The original thirteen states were the
successors of the thirteen colonies that rebelled against
Kansas - Ad astra per aspera
adversity
- To the stars through
British rule. Most of the rest have been carved from territory
obtained through war or purchase by the U.S. government.
One set of exceptions comprises Vermont, Texas, and
Hawaii: each was an independent republic before joining the
union. Another set of exceptions comprises those states
created out of the territory of the original thirteen. Early in
the country's history, three states were created in this
manner: Kentucky from Virginia; Tennessee from North
Carolina; and Maine from Massachusetts. During the
American Civil War, West Virginia broke away from
Virginia. The most recent state—Hawaii—achieved
statehood on August 21, 1959. The states do not have the
right to secede from the union.
The states compose the vast bulk of the U.S. land
mass; the two other areas considered integral parts of the
country are the District of Columbia, the federal district
where the capital, Washington, is located; and Palmyra
Atoll, an uninhabited but incorporated territory in the
Pacific Ocean. The United States also possesses five major
overseas territories: Puerto Rico and the United States
Virgin Islands in the Caribbean; and American Samoa,
Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific.
Those born in the territories (except for American Samoa)
possess U.S. citizenship.
Economy. The United States is a country of
highly developed economy. Heavy industry includes
such branches as mining, metallurgical engineering
and chemical industries. Detroit is a large motor-car
industry centre. Shipbuilding is developed along the
Atlantic coast and in San Francisco on the Pacific coast.
Textile industry is also well-developed, especially in the South near large cotton plantations.
Agriculture is very wide-spread, above all in
the prairie regions, where wheat and other grain crops are
grown.
Cotton is grown in the Mississippi Valley,
tobacco in Maryland and Virginia.
California is famous for its fruit plantations, and
the West — for its cattle -farming.
Poultry-farming is wide-spread in the
countryside near all big cities.
Culture. The United States is a great centre of
culture. Its largest cities (New York, Boston,
Chicago, Washington, San Francisco, Los Angeles) have
many concert halls, exhibition halls and theatres. Smaller
cities also regularly hold concerts, exhibitions, lectures,
theatrical performances, both professional and amateur.
The United States has the world's great est museums,
theatres, concert halls and orchestras. A lot of people
usually attend performances and exhibitions, in spite of
the high prices of the tickets.
4.What are the states of the Central Basin?
States of the central Basin are: Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Minnesota.
5.What were the farming problems of the first setters in the
Central Basin?
1.Climate problem;
2.lack of mechanization;
3.criminal situation;
4.lack of medical support;
5.crashes with Indians.
6.What agricultural traditions did immigrants bring to
America?
Most Americans emigrated from other lands. Many
brought favorite plants from home, changing the land
forever.
Daylilies were cultivated in China in early times.
Daylilies traveled by caravan to Europe from the Far East.
Beloved by English gardeners, daylilies were among the
first flowers brought to the colonies. By 1695, daylilies
could be found near doorways from New England to
Virginia.
The United States Patent Office introduced
crabgrass in 1849 as forage for cattle, sheep, hogs, and
horses. The experiment failed, but crabgrass got another
chance 50 years later when Czechs, Poles, Slovaks, and
Hungarians brought the New World a foolproof grain to
feed their families. Manna grits, as they called crabgrass,
was a form of millet native to central Europe. It had the
great advantage of producing a large crop on any soil even
when planted late in the season. The new immigrants
rapidly discovered that wheat and corn could be grown as
easily and sold for more money. Within ten years crabgrass
was abandoned as a crop.
Lettuce developed in Egypt and was cultivated in
Greece 500 years before Christ. Columbus is credited with
introducing lettuce, peas, and beans to the New World in
1493.
Cabbages were brought to the New World by the
colonists from England, with the first written record of them
in 1669. By the 1700s, cabbage was grown widespread by
both colonists and native peoples. The first record of
cabbage in Canada was in 1542, planted by Jacques Cartier
on his third voyage. Russian kale was brought to Canada
(and then the U.S.) by Russian traders in the 19th century.
Like human immigrants to our country, plants have
arrived at different times and for different reasons. Some
have adapted remarkably well while others struggled for a
place, but they have added to the richness of life we enjoy as
Americans.
7.What was cowboys’ life like?
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on
ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and
often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The
historic American cowboy of the late 19th century became a
figure of special significance and legend.
The cowboy has deep historic roots tracing back to
Spain and the earliest settlers of the Americas. Over the
centuries, differences in terrain, climate and the influence of
cattle-handling traditions from multiple cultures created
several distinct styles of equipment, clothing and animal
handling. As the ever-practical cowboy adapted to the
modern world, the cowboy's equipment and techniques also
adapted to some degree, though many classic traditions are
still preserved today.
The land of the West was used not only for farms.
T h e w id e o p e n p la i ns p r o v i d e d p l e nt y o f gra s s
fo r large herds of cattle. And with every new
discovery of gold and silver, more people rushed
west, hoping t o m a k e t h e i r fo r t u n e s fr o m t h i s
ne w ric h la nd.
Ma ny peop le we nt to Te xas and bred cattle
there. Their s mall one -floor ho uses with flat roofs
were called ranches, and they themselves — ra nc he rs.
T he re w as a lo t o f la nd gro w n w it h go o d l o n g
g ra s s , w he re c a t t le g ra z e d . C o w b o ys — me n
w i t h s t e t s o n h a t s o n their heads and long lass o s i n
t h e i r h a n d s r o d e a r o u n d o n h o r s e b a c k , looking
after the cattle.
L i f e w a s h a r d f o r these cowboys.
T h e y lived out in the open for mo nt hs a t a t i me .
T he y slept on the ground and a t e p o o r fo o d ,
w o r k i n g i n ra in a nd in s u ns hine.
O n e o f t h e c o w b o y s ’ mo s t d i f f i c u l t j o b s
w a s t h e c a t t l e d r i v e — g e t t i n g t he c a t t le t o
ma r k e t . T o ge t t he c a t t l e t o ma r k e t i n C h i c a g o ,
t h e y h a d t o d r i v e f r o m T e x a s t o Abilene in
Kansas. From there the cattle was taken by train to
Chicago. In order to reach the railroad in Ab ile ne,
cowboys drove the cattle north. They could
usually expect some kind of trouble during these
long cattle drives. Often cattle thieves tried to steal
the cattle. Sometimes the cattle got fright ened and ran
wildly for kilometres. Also, cattle could easily drown
while crossing rivers.
8.How did the gold rush to California help the continent?
A workman, James Marshall by name, was
working in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada
Mountains. Suddenly he saw something shining on the
bottom of a shallow river. It was gold.
Suddenly people in California got "gold fever".
In 1848 San Francisco was a town of 800 people.
When people heard about the discovery of gold, half t he
p o p u la t io n o f Sa n Fra n c is c o le ft t h e i r homes and
went to look for gold.
In the rush for gold, sa ilors deserted the ir ships
when they arrived in San Francisco. Soon there were
empty ships lying at anchor in San Francisco Bay.
There are sto ries abo ut s hips w h e r e t h e o n l y
t h i n g l e f t o n b o a r d w a s t h e captain's cat!
Gold fever soon spread to the East. People left
their jobs and homes and started for California. The
journey to California took five months by ship. Ships had to
go all the way around the tip of South America and then
up the Pacific coast to California.
Others tried a short cut. They got off ships in
the Central American land of Panama and walked
through the jungle to the Pacific Ocean. Many fell ill
and died.
Most people came by wagon train. Thousands of
wagons moved west across American Indian lands in
the spring of 1849. The gold rush brought more than
80,000 people to California. These people were called
forty-niners, and they all dreamed of making their
fortune. They came from all over. Some came from South
America and Mexico. More than 25,000 came from China.
Miners had a hard life with few comforts. They lived in
huts and tents. There was not much law and order in the
mining towns. To protect themselves from thieves, most
miners slept with their guns beside them.
Some people became rich by selling goods to the miners.
One person who made his fortune was a German
businessman named Levi Strauss. Strauss bought strong denim
canvas and used it to make sturdy overalls. He called them Levis.
Today, more than a century later, these blue denim pants
are worn all over the world.
The gold rush helped to change California from a frontier
area into a state. In 1850 California be came the thirtyfirst state.
9.What states belong to the territory of the West Coast
Valley?
The states that belongs to the West Coast Valley are
California, Washington, Oregon.
10.What do you know about Alaska?
Alaska is the largest state of the United States of
America by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of
the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the
Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west
and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait.
The area that became Alaska was purchased from
the Russian Empire.
Alaska is one of two U.S. states not bordered by
another state. Alaska has more coastline than all the other
U.S. states combined. It is the only non-contiguous U.S.
state on continental North America. Alaska is thus an
exclave of the United States.
11.When was Hawaii admitted to the US?
Hawaii is a state in the United States, located on an
archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean southwest of the
continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast
of Australia. The state was admitted to the Union on August
21, 1959, making it the 50th state. Its capital is Honolulu on
the island of Oahu.
This state encompasses nearly the entire volcanic
Hawaiian Island chain, which is made up of hundreds of
islands spread over 1,500 miles. At the southeastern end of
the archipelago, the eight "main islands" are (from the
northwest to southeast) Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi,
Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Maui, and Hawaiʻi.