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United States

United States of America

Capital city description

Washington, D.C, is the capital of the United States of America. It is coextensive with the District of Columbia (the city often referred to as simply D.C.). It locates on the northern shore of the Potomac River at the river's navigation head—that is, the transshipment point between waterway and land transport. The state of Maryland borders the District of Columbia to the north, east, and west and the state of Virginia borders the District on the southern shore of the Potomac River. Washington is an extraordinary city with multiple personalities: a working federal city, an international metropolis, a picturesque tourist destination, an unmatched treasury of the country's history and artifacts, and a cosmopolitan center that retains a neighborly small-town ambiance. Washington's role as the capital of the United States often overshadows its lively local history and its complex political, economic, and social issues. About half the land in Washington is owned by the U.S. government, paying no taxes. Several hundred thousand people in the D.C. metropolitan area work for the federal government. Washington has a temperate climate with high humidity levels. Precipitation throughout the year evenly distributes, averaging between 3 and 4 inches (75 and 100 mm) per month. Much of the attractiveness of Washington can be attributed to the hundreds of outdoor sculptures and monuments that adorn the parks, gardens, buildings, avenues, and cemeteries of the city. L'Enfant suggested using outdoor sculpture to honor the new country's heroes. The first outdoor sculpture situated in Washington was the Tripoli Memorial, commemorating the heroes of the Tripolitan War (1801–05). It stood first in the Navy Yard in Southeast Washington and later moved to the Capitol grounds before being relocated to the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.


Climate

The climate of the United States varies due to changes in latitude, and a range of geographic features, including mountains and deserts. Generally, on the mainland, the climate of the U.S. becomes warmer the further south one travels and drier the further west until one reaches the West Coast.

Languages spoken

English is the most spoken language in the United States.

Fun/Fascinating Facts

  1. America is home to many natural wonders of the world. In fact, the United Nations Education, Scientific. Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have recognized many heritage sites in America. According to UNESCO, a world heritage site is a place of special cultural or physical significance.
  2. The Missouri River is the longest in North America. The river derives from Montana, located at the base of the Rocky Mountains. It flows for approximately 2 341 miles (3 767 kilometers) before emptying into the Mississippi River just north of St. Louis, Missouri. The Missouri River and the Mississippi River combine to create the 4th most comprehensive river system globally.
  3. The United States has maintained its position as the world’s largest economy since 1871. The economy is so large that the US is often noted as an economic superpower because it makes up almost a quarter of the global economy.
  4. The first American Flag only displayed 13 stripes and 13 stars arranged in a circle. The stars and stripes represented the 13 colonies that declared independence from Great Britain. While the origins of the first American Flag are unknown, some do believe that it was designed by a New Jersey Congressman, Francis Hopkinson, and sewn by a Philadelphia seamstress, Betsy Ross.
  5. The Gateway Arch, also known as the "Gateway to the  West," is a monument in St. Louis, Missouri, and sits along the west bank of the Mississippi River. At 630 feet tall, the Gateway Arch claims the title of the tallest artificial monument in the US. The memorial commemorates the United States' westward expansion and is officially dedicated to "the American People." The Arch is internationally recognized as a symbol of St. Louis, and because of this, it is a popular tourist destination.

Unique Customs/Traditions

  • Every year, on February 2, Americans will discover if a Pennsylvanian groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow. The tradition, which dates from the 18th-century says, if Punxsutawney Phil emerges from its burrow and sees its shadow, it will get a fright and scurry back underground. 
  • Sticking with the animal traditions, the US president is presented with a Thanksgiving turkey at a special ceremony each Thanksgiving. The president then pardons the turkey (for what crime we do not know), and the turkey is spared from becoming the star of the dinner table. The happy turkey then returns to the farm to live out the rest of its days. This American tradition dates back to Abraham Lincoln, but it wasn’t until 1989 that the pardoning of the turkey became a permanent part of the ceremony.
  • On the 4th of July, 1776, the Declaration of Independence adopters and the 13 American colonies severed their political ties with Great Britain. The following year marked the date with grand celebrations, including fireworks. The tradition has continued ever since. However, it only made the 4th of July a federal holiday in 1941. Nowadays, America’s birthday celebrates with parades, cookouts, concerts, and fireworks.
  • Tucking into a Thanksgiving feast is one of the oldest traditions in America. It dates back to 1621, when the English colonists (Pilgrims) of Plymouth and the Wampanoag people shared an autumn harvest meal. However, Thanksgiving wasn’t declared a national holiday until 1863. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November each year, and Thanksgiving Day commemorates the harvest and other blessings of the past year. The feast features traditional foods like stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and a turkey. People usually share the bountiful meal with family and friends.

Popular universities

Name Description
Yale University Yale University was founded in 1701 and is a private Ivy League research university located in New Haven, Connecticut. It is one of the nine Colonial Colleges chartered before the American Revolution and the third-oldest institution of higher education in the USA. The 300 years old institution traced its roots to the 1640s, when colonial clergypersons took the initiative to lay the foundations of a local college to preserve the tradition of European liberal education in the New World. In 1701, Yale was established as a collegiate school near Saybrook, Connecticut. The collegiate school was renamed Yale College in 1718 to recognize the donation of books and goods made by Welsh merchant Elihu Yale. In 2018, the University delivered teaching to 13,433 full-time and part-time students, including 5,964 undergraduates and 7,469 graduate and professional students. In addition to more than 80 majors available to undergraduates, the University offers several supplementary programs to give students specialized knowledge across various areas. The undergraduate students can choose from over 2,000 courses offered each year. Yale’s student body, one of the most diverse globally, includes students from different backgrounds and experiences. In 2018, 2,694 students, nearly 20.7% of international students, were admitted to Yale, representing 123 countries. The majority of the global student population comes from Canada, China, Germany, India, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.
Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhattan, Columbia is the oldest institution of higher education in New York and the fifth-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Columbia University is one of the world's most important centers of research and, at the same time, a distinctive and distinguished learning environment for undergraduates and graduate students in many scholarly and professional fields. The University recognizes the importance of its location in New York City and seeks to link its research and teaching to the vast resources of a great metropolis. It aims to attract a diverse international faculty and student body, support research, and teaching on global issues, and create academic relationships with many countries and regions. It expects all areas of the University to advance knowledge and learning at the highest level and convey the products of its efforts to the world.
The California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology, known as Caltech, was founded in 1891 as Throop University and received its current name in 1920. The science and engineering-focused school locates in Pasadena, California, roughly 11 miles northeast of Los Angeles. Approximately 2,200 students at Caltech, with around 55 percent studying at the graduate level. The student-faculty ratio is meager, at 3:1. More than one-fourth of Caltech's total enrollment is international. The school's academic calendar is based on the quarter system, and English is the language of instruction. Around 80 percent of undergraduates participate in research during their time at Caltech. The university offers a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships program where students write research proposals, collaborate with mentors, and give presentations on their projects. Caltech has around 50 research institutes and centers, such as the Resnick Sustainability Institute and the Tectonics Observatory. Additionally, the university operates NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a center for robotic exploration of the solar system that engages faculty and students.
The University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania is a private institution that was founded in 1740. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 9,872 (fall 2020), its setting is urban, and the campus size is 299 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of Pennsylvania's ranking in the 2022 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #8. Its tuition and fees are $61,710. The University of Pennsylvania, located in Philadelphia, was founded by Benjamin Franklin. The Penn Quakers have more than 25 NCAA Division I sports that compete in the Ivy League and note for successful basketball and lacrosse teams. Penn offers housing in more than 10 College Houses, but many students live in the numerous off-campus apartments and houses. More than 25 percent of the student body is involved in Greek life, encompassing nearly 50 fraternities and sororities. The school also offers several clubs and organizations, ranging from performance groups like the Latin & Ballroom Dance club to student publications such as the Penn Political Review. Penn works closely with the West Philadelphia area through community service and advocacy groups.
The University of Chicago The University of Chicago was established in 1856; the University of Chicago is a private research university based in the urban center of Chicago, the third most populous city in the United States. Chicago is one of America's top universities and holds top-ten positions in various national and international rankings outside of the Ivy League. Beyond the arts and sciences, Chicago has a glowing reputation for its professional schools, including the Pritzker School of Medicine, the Booth School of Business, and the Harris School of Public Policy Studies. University of Chicago alumni are responsible for developing many academic disciplines, such as sociology, economics, law, and literary criticism. The University of Chicago has approximately 16,000 students enrolled, male to female. A quarter of all students hail from overseas a nod to the institution'sinstitution's progressive credentials. Students run more than 400 clubs and societies, consisting of a typical mix of sports teams, arts, cultural and religious groups, academic and political groupings, and communities that promote eclectic common interests. Among the more famous examples is the University of Chicago bowl team, which has won 118 tournaments and 15 national championships. In contrast, the university'suniversity's competitive Model United Nations team was the top-ranked team in North America from 2013–to 14 and from 2014–to 2015.
Stevens Institute of Technology Stevens Institute of Technology is a private institution that was founded in 1870. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 3,670 (fall 2020), its setting is the city, and the campus size is 55 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Stevens Institute of Technology's ranking in the 2022 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #83. Its tuition and fees are $56,920. Innovation and entrepreneurship are stressed at Stevens Institute of Technology, a research-intensive school primarily known for its engineering, science, and management programs. Incoming first-year students must have the right technology and can use special school discounts to buy a laptop that can work with the software specialized to their major. Students can opt for a cooperative education track, a five-year program with mostly alternating semesters of class and full-time paid work. Students participating in the Stevens Cooperative Education Program complete a full first and fifth year at Stevens and pay for only four years of school.
University of California, Berkeley The University of California—Berkeley is situated roughly 15 miles from San Francisco in what is known as the Bay Area. The public university, also commonly known as Berkeley or Cal, was founded in 1868. The university is divided into 14 colleges and schools, including the highly ranked Haas School of Business, College of Chemistry, College of Engineering, School of Public Health, and School of Law. More than 70 percent of Berkeley students study at the undergraduate level. The academic calendar is semester-based, and English is the language of instruction. UC—Berkeley offers students around 350-degree programs. The most popular majors for Berkeley undergraduates have included electrical engineering and computer science, economics; political science; business administration, and psychology. Around a quarter of undergraduate students live on campus, including 95 percent of first-year students. Many graduate students live off campus, but they have the option to live in university-owned accommodations. Roughly 15 percent of the student body is international, and tuition and fees are higher for out-of-state students. Around 3,000 international scholars come to Berkeley each year in temporary teaching or research positions. Berkeley research is conducted within academic department labs and research centers and in some of the school’s museums and university-managed biological field stations. Research in botany, zoology, ecosystems, and forestry is undertaken at remote field station sites. Berkeley researchers discovered several elements on the periodic table, including californium and berkelium.
The University of Central Missouri The University of Central Missouri was founded in 1871; the University of Central Missouri has been transforming students into lifelong learners dedicated to service. UCM's more than 12,300 students come from nearly every state and 50 countries, with almost 90 percent from the state of Missouri. It offers more than 150 programs of study and 37 graduate programs. The university's graduates are in high demand, with 97 percent finding employment or continuing their education within six months of earning their degree. Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, UCM is a state leader in program-specific accreditations through national associations. UCM has the most accreditations among our competitors. U.S. News and World Report consistently rank UCM among the top regional universities in the Midwest and leading public schools. Campus life at UCM is active and creative, fun and fantastic. Students will have hundreds of opportunities to get involved, from student organizations to academic teams, sororities and fraternities, athletics to intramural and club sports. UCM's more than 200 student organizations genuinely have something for everyone. By engaging in campus life at UCM, students will make new friends, develop their interests, cultivate talents and express themselves. UCM has two campus locations and a presence at Whiteman Air Force Base. Both campuses are centrally located in Missouri. The main campus is Warrensburg, about 50 miles southeast of Kansas City, Mo. This beautiful college campus spans 1,561 acres. It features a perfect blend of state-of-the-art facilities and historic yet modern buildings that date back to UCM's founding in 1871. The Elliott Student Union is the hub of UCM.
Princeton University Princeton University was founded in 1746; Princeton University is the fourth oldest higher education university in the United States. Princeton is a pioneer in research that offers undergraduate and graduate courses in engineering, social sciences, natural sciences, and humanities. It provides an array of professional degrees as well. Some of the popular majors offered by the university include Public Policy Analysis, Computer Hardware Engineering, and Economics. The university has been consistently ranked amongst the top ten educational institutions worldwide. It was ranked as the best undergraduate teaching university in 2015-2016, 2017-2018, and 2019was. Princeton University is located in New York, USA; Princeton University is a private institution with Plainsboro and South Brunswick campuses. The campuses are the most beautiful places in New York, spread across 500 acres of land. It has approximately 180 buildings, including ten libraries. It provides multiple social, cultural, and academic programs ranging from writing for a literary publication to singing. Residential colleges offer various opportunities for students to engage in activities beyond academics. Students experience a great living in New York City, as it is famous for its liveliness and culture. Both the campuses are nearby to restaurants, gyms, medical stores, and shops that provide all the necessities. Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and School of Engineering and Applied Science are some of the Princeton includes highly ranked graduate programs that come under Princeton.
Cornell University Cornell University was established in 1865 and is a privately endowed, statutory Ivy League research university located in Ithaca, New York. In 1868, Morrill Hall was the first building to be built on the main campus in Ithaca. The University founded the first four-year schools of hotel administration and industrial and labor relations. In addition, the world's first degree in journalism, the nation's first degree in veterinary medicine, and the first doctorates in electrical and industrial engineering were awarded by Cornell University. The main campus includes 608 buildings covering around 2300 acres of land in the heart of New York State's Finger Lakes region. The University has eight undergraduate units and four graduate & professional units to administer its academic programs in Ithaca. The university has the nation's top-ranked medical and graduate school, Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM), and a Tech campus located in New York City. Cornell is setting new world standards for inpatient care by expanding its reach to Doha, Qatar, where WCM-Q has established a center of excellence in basic, translational & clinical biomedical research. Cornell offers nearly 80 majors and 100 fields of graduate study, with opportunities for further exploration in 18 minors. Cornell students have the highest acceptance rates among those applying to top medical and law schools. The University also owns the 7th best college library as per Princeton Review. Around 8,000 interviews are conducted through Career Services on an annual basis. In 2019, 24,027 students enrolled at the main campus from all 50 states and 116 countries. In addition, the student body at the Ithaca campus consists of 24% international students.

Festivals & Events

Sundance Film Festival

Date: January

The Sundance Film Festival is the largest independent film festival in the United States. It is a program of the Sundance Institute and takes place in Park City, Utah, each year. 

Sundance is an excellent option for film lovers who enjoy innovative movies and want to experience them before anyone else. The festival serves as a showcase for local and international indie filmmakers. It celebrates documentaries, feature films, and shorts. There are also panel discussions to enjoy.

Mardi Gras

Date: 6th Jan – 1st Mar 2022

Mardi Gras is a beautiful, vibrant carnival in New Orleans each year. It is considered to be one of the best festivals in the US. The festival can be traced back to medieval Europe when it was brought to America by the French-Canadian explorer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville.

The New Orleans Mardi Gras is an event that the social clubs in the city organize, and people dress up in colorful costumes and parade around the town, and giant floats are driven all over the city.

The dress code for this festival consists of the colors gold, purple and green which signify power, justice, and faith. Festival-goers throw colorful party cups and other light objects to celebrate the festival.

Albuquerque International Balloon

Date: October

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is a yearly hot air balloon festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico in early October.

The Balloon Fiesta is a nine-day event occurring in the first whole week of October and has over 500 hot air balloons each year, far from its humble beginnings of merely 13 balloons in 1972. The event is the largest balloon festival globally.

Burning Man

Date: May

Burning Man is an American celebration that consists of crazy art installations, beautiful musical performances, and the tremendous energy of the people who attend this annual event. It’s morning yoga classes, a marathon, a human car wash, and people living on another planet somewhere in the Nevada desert.

Burning Man runs from the week before Labor Day to the Tuesday after, culminating with the torching of the namesake giant wooden sculpture.

NEBRASKAland Days

Date: June

NEBRASKAland Days are the most significant event in the world. Nebraskaland Days is an annual 10-day rodeo celebration in North Platte, like a de facto state fair with a full-on midway, nightly country concerts, and a Miss Rodeo Nebraska competition for young females wranglers.

Laconia Motorcycle Week

Date: June

Held in the second week of June, Laconia Motorcycle Week is the oldest motorcycle rally in the nation that converges on the quaint seaside town of Laconia. It began as a beach party for bike enthusiasts in 1916 at Weirs Beach, right on the shore of Lake Winnipesaukee. Now, it draws 300,000 and sits just behind Sturgis and Daytona as the most extensive bike rallies in the country. 

Aloha Festivals

Date: September and October

The Aloha Festivals are an annual series of free cultural celebrations observed in the state of Hawaii in the United States. The Aloha Festival, which celebrates Hawaiian culture, and takes place on one island to preserve the Hawaiian heritage and culture, consists of street performances and music shows, including some food tasting and workshops to learn about the Hawaiian culture.

The festival's highlights include the presentation of the Royal Court, a ho'olaule'a in Waikiki, and the Floral Parade. 

Attractions / Top Sights

Grand Canyon

When to visit: In Spring and Autumn

The Grand Canyon is located in northern Arizona and is one of the great tourist attractions in the United States. Carved over several million years by the Colorado River, the canyon attains a depth of over 1.6 km (1 mile) and 446 km (277 miles) long.

The Grand Canyon is not the deepest or the longest in the world, but the overwhelming size and its intricate and colorful landscape offer visitors spectacular vistas that are unmatched.

Manhattan

When to visit: In spring

Manhattan is one of New York's five boroughs. The borough consists mainly of Manhattan Island, bounded by the Hudson, East, and Harlem rivers, along with several small adjacent islands, including Roosevelt, U Thant, and Randalls and Wards Islands.

Its impressive skyline and sights have been featured a thousand times on screen. Manhattan serves as the city's economic and administrative center, cultural identifier, and historical birthplace.

Yellowstone National Park

When to visit: April to May or September to October

Located in the western United States, Yellowstone National Park was the world's first national park, set aside in 1872 to preserve the vast number of geysers, hot springs, and other thermal areas and protect the site's incredible wildlife and rugged beauty. Yellowstone lies on top of a gigantic hotspot where light, hot, molten mantle rock rises towards the surface.

The park contains half of all the world's known geothermal features, with more than 10,000 examples of geysers and hot springs. In addition, black bears, grizzly bears, deer, elk, bison, and wolves can all be found within the park borders.

Golden Gate Bridge

When to visit: In summer

The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the strait between San Francisco and Marin County to the north.

The Golden Gate Bridge was the longest suspension bridge span in the world when it was completed in 1937 and has become an internationally recognized symbol of San Francisco and California. Its main span stretches 4,200 feet or 1,280 meters and rises to 746 feet or 227 meters. Since then, it has been steadily falling in the international rankings and today is the 18th longest suspension bridge in the world.

Niagara Falls

When to visit: June to August

Situated between the state of New York and the province of Ontario, Niagara Falls is one of the most spectacular natural wonders on the North American continent and one of the most visited attractions in New York.

Niagara Falls is three different falls, the American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and Horseshoe Falls. Horseshoe Falls is located on the Canadian side, while the others are in New York.

Waikiki

When to visit: In summer

Located on the south shore of Honolulu, the world-famous neighborhood of Waikiki was once a playground for Hawaiian royalty. Known in Hawaiian as "spouting waters," Waikiki was introduced to the world when its first hotel, the Moana Surfrider, was built on its shores in 1901.

Waikiki has been a tourist destination for over a century. Today this area is a cross between a tropical paradise and a modern city.