Sydney (+61 2) 8825 9300 Melbourne (+61 3) 9799 5800 Brisbane (+61 7) 3348 2500 www.ossworldwidemovers.com USA - The United States of America Everyone has an opinion on the USA. A main player on the world stage, the United States is constantly under the global media spotlight. Whatever your stance, you cannot deny that this North American nation has a lot to offer in terms of diversity; from the creaking depths of the Grand Canyon to the towering heights of Manhattan’s Empire State Building, the luscious tropical forests of Hawaii to the chiselled faces of Mount Rushmore, all fifty states are scattered with gasp-worthy natural wonders and impressive man-made marvels. The unrivalled entertainment capital of the world, the USA is bursting with theme parks, sports venues, and theatres. The turquoise waves of surf capital California and ski resorts of the snow-cloaked Rocky Mountains in Colorado provide ample excuses for adrenalin junkies to explore, whilst the palm-lined beaches of laid-back Miami and sweeping pastures of the Oklahoma prairies offer true relaxation. “Oh beautiful, for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, for purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain.” The beloved patriotic song “America the Beautiful” hints at some of the country’s diverse, majestic landscape, which is certainly one of many reasons to visit the US but there are so many others. From its vast plains, snow-covered mountains, deep forests and strange rock formations, to soaring skyscrapers and a thunderous cultural scene, the USA is a collage of extremes. Nothing can prepare you for your first glimpse of Manhattan’s unforgettable skyline, your first ride in a yellow cab, the ubiquitous hamburger joints, yawning expanses of prairie, the sweet strains of New Orleans jazz, or the neon-lit excesses of Las Vegas. When it comes to the natural landscape, you’re hard pressed to find an area more diverse. Marvel at the thunderous spectacle of 12,000-year-old Niagara Falls in northern New York, or seek an antidote to urban chaos amidst the flat farmland of the Midwest. Then there are the black hills of South Dakota, the dramatic mountain and ocean landscape of California’s Pacific Coast Highway and of course, there’s the world-famous Grand Canyon, just one of the 397 parks in the National Parks systems. There’s the manmade landscape, too, which is as impressive as the natural. Though New York City is the most densely populated with soaring skyscrapers, including the iconic Chrysler Building and Empire State Building, other cities have admirable architecture as well, including Chicago’s Sears Tower, and of course, the White House in Washington DC. OSS World Wide Movers - USA - The United States of America Destination Guide 1 Sydney (+61 2) 8825 9300 Melbourne (+61 3) 9799 5800 Brisbane (+61 7) 3348 2500 www.ossworldwidemovers.com The United States Geography The land area of the contiguous United States is 2,959,064 square miles (7,663,941 km2). Alaska, separated from the contiguous United States by Canada, is the largest state at 663,268 square miles (1,717,856 km2). Hawaii, occupying an archipelago in the central Pacific, southwest of North America, is 10,931 square miles (28,311 km2) in area. The United States is the world’s third or fourth largest nation by total area (land and water), ranking behind Russia and Canada and just above or below China. The ranking varies depending on how two territories disputed by China and India are counted and how the total size of the United States is measured: calculations range from 3,676,486 square miles (9,522,055 km2) to 3,717,813 square miles (9,629,091 km2) to 3,794,101 square miles (9,826,676 km2). measured by only land area, the United States is third in size behind Russia and China, just ahead of Canada. The United States Facts USA Facts Full country name: United States of America Area: 9,629,091sq. km Population: 318,622,000 People: 77.7% White 13.2% African American 5.3% Asian 2.4% Multiracial (2 or more) 0.2% Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander 1.2% American Indian & Alaska Native 17.1% Hispanic/Latino (of any race) 82.9%Non-Hispanic/Latino (of any race) Language: English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, French, Korean and German Religion: Christian, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism Government: Federal presidential constitutional republic President: Barack Obama Vice President: Joe Biden Major industries: Transportation equipment, natural resources, agriculture and consumer products. Major trading partners: Canada, China, Mexico, Japan and Germany Health risks: None Time: (UTC−5 to −10) and (UTC−4 to −10[d]) summer DST Electricity: 120 volts AC, 60Hz. Plugs have two flat pins with or without a third round grounding pin. County code: + 1 Mobile Phone network: GSM Weights & measures: Metric with local variations The United States is the world’s third or fourth largest nation by total area (land and water), ranking behind Russia and Canada and just above or below China. The ranking varies depending on how two territories disputed by China and India are counted and how the total size of the United States is measured: calculations range from 3,676,486 square miles (9,522,055 km2) to 3,717,813 square miles (9,629,091 km2) to 3,794,101 square miles (9,826,676 km2). Measured by only land area, the United States is third in size behind Russia and China, just ahead of Canada. OSS World Wide Movers - USA - The United States of America Destination Guide 2 Sydney (+61 2) 8825 9300 Melbourne (+61 3) 9799 5800 Brisbane (+61 7) 3348 2500 www.ossworldwidemovers.com The coastal plain of the Atlantic seaboard gives way further inland to deciduous forests and the rolling hills of the Piedmont. The Appalachian Mountains divide the eastern seaboard from the Great Lakes and the grasslands of the Midwest. The Mississippi–Missouri River, the world’s fourth longest river system, runs mainly north–south through the heart of the country. The flat, fertile prairie of the Great Plains stretches to the west, interrupted by a highland region in the southeast. The Rocky Mountains, at the western edge of the Great Plains, extend north to south across the country, reaching altitudes higher than 14,000 feet (4,300 m) in Colorado. Farther west are the rocky Great Basin and deserts such as the Chihuahua and Mojave. The Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges run close to the Pacific coast, both ranges reaching altitudes higher than 14,000 feet (4,300 m). The lowest and highest points in the continental United States are in the state of California, and only about 80 miles (130 km) apart. At 20,320 feet (6,194 m), Alaska’s Mount McKinley is the tallest peak in the country and in North America. Active volcanoes are common throughout Alaska’s Alexander and Aleutian Islands, and Hawaii consists of volcanic islands. The super volcano underlying Yellowstone National Park in the Rockies is the continent’s largest volcanic feature. The United States, with its large size and geographic variety, includes most climate types. To the east of the 100th meridian, the climate ranges from humid continental in the north to humid subtropical in the south. The southern tip of Florida is tropical, as is Hawaii. The Great Plains west of the 100th meridian are semi-arid. Much of the Western mountains are alpine. The climate is arid in the Great Basin, desert in the Southwest, Mediterranean in coastal California, and oceanic in coastal Oregon and Washington and southern Alaska. Most of Alaska is subarctic or polar. Extreme weather is not uncommon—the states bordering the Gulf of Mexico are prone to hurricanes, and most of the world’s tornadoes occur within the country, mainly in the Midwest’s Tornado Alley. The U.S. ecology is considered “mega diverse”: about 17,000 species of vascular plants occur in the contiguous United States and Alaska, and over 1,800 species of flowering plants are found in Hawaii, few of which occur on the mainland. The United States is home to more than 400 mammal, 750 bird, and 500 reptile and amphibian species. About 91,000 insect species have been described. The bald eagle is both the national bird and national animal of the United States, and is an enduring symbol of the country itself. The United States Culture The United States is home to many cultures and a wide variety of ethnic groups, traditions, and values. Aside from the relatively small Native American and Native Hawaiian populations, nearly all Americans or their ancestors settled or immigrated within the past five centuries. Mainstream American culture is a Western culture largely derived from the traditions of European immigrants with influences from many other sources, such as traditions brought by slaves from Africa. More recent immigration from Asia and especially Latin America has added to a cultural mix that has been described as both a homogenizing melting pot, and a heterogeneous salad bowl in which immigrants and their descendants retain distinctive cultural characteristics. Core American culture was established by Protestant British colonists and shaped by the frontier settlement process, with the traits derived passed down to descendants and transmitted to immigrants through assimilation. Americans have traditionally been characterized by a strong work ethic, competitiveness, and individualism, as well as a unifying belief in an “American creed” emphasizing liberty, equality, private property, democracy, rule of law, and a preference for limited government. Americans are extremely charitable by global standards. According to a 2006 British study, Americans gave 1.67% of GDP to charity, more than any other nation studied, more than twice the second place British figure of 0.73%, and around twelve times the French figure of 0.14%.