The USA - Spanker



Maturitní otázka číslo 10

The USA

Introduction

America is so vast that almost everything said about it is likely to be true and opposite is probably equal too.

G.T.Farrel

Huge country, many cultures, nationalities, Hollywood, scandals (Clinton x Levinska), Florida, skyscrapers, stupid series, Statue of Liberty, White House

Melting pot – everything is mixed and anything new arise from that

Since 60 Pizza or Bowl of salad – everything is mixed, anything new arise from that, but you recognise the parts of that, (people started to look for their roots)

Γενεραλ ινφορματιον

the fourth largest country in the world

borders on Mexico in the south, the Atlantic Ocean in the east, Canada in the north and The Pacific ocean in the west

population 267 mil; area 9.6 mil sq. km

the capital is Washington

Χλιματε, ρελιεφ

the oldest mountains are Appalachian Highlands

about half of the continental USA is occupied by the Cordilleras in the west

the Rocky Mountains are the part of Cordilleras (the highest mountain - Mt. McKinley)

the Grand Canyon and the Colorado Plateau are also to the west of the Rocky Mountains

in the middle part there are deserts - Sierra Nevada

a lot of lowlands and highlands

rivers - the biggest is the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Rio Grande, Hudson, Colorado, Yukon - the biggest in Alaska

lakes - on the borders - Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario - together 250000 sq. km

world famous Niagara Falls 51m high

the climate of the USA is varied . from the Arctic climate in the north to the subtropical climate in the south

Ηιστορψ

original inhabitants were Indians - came from Asia

the first Europeans were ςικινγσ in the 10th century - they didn’t manage to make settlements

1492 − Χηριστοπηερ Χολυμβυσ discovered America and opened the continent for all world

the names Indians, because he though that he is in India

Indians were living mostly from agriculture - potatoes, corn, tobacco

it was rich land of gold

17th century came emigrants from all Europe - the people wanted the gold and find a new occasion failed settlements Spanish, French, Swedish, Dutch, English

1584 – First English colony – Virginia

1607 – permanent settlement – James Town

1620 - the first permanent settlers - named Πιλγριμ Φατηερσ were puritans and were persecuted from England, came to the north of the USA and started to built a new settlement, very hardworking people, after the Pilgrim - the name Plymouth, they came on the ship Mayflower

the first colony - Massachusetts Bay

the first winter was for them terrible half of them died, but with helping of the Indians the second year was

better and they had got a very good harvest - big celebration, since 1621 Americans celebrate Τηανκσγιϖινγ Δαψ it is typical family festival (eat turkey, all family is together, very important day)

after the revolution in England came the second wave of emigrants - royalist - very rich people, came to the south - big cotton fields, corn fields - but they didn’t want to work there - the power were slaves

in the north there was industry, in the south agriculture

1636 – Harvard University, Boston

in 17th and 18th century a great developing of the colonies, but they were under the control of the British government - colonies weren’t able to buy anything from other states, England - high taxis of goods

1773 − Βοστον τεα παρτψ - colonists threw all tea cargo in to the sea as a protest

29. it was the beginning of the Ωαρ οφ ινδεπενδενχε 1775 − 1783

30. the leader of the colonists was George Washington

31. at the beginning was the British army more successful, but the winners were Americans, they knew why fight, they wanted to be independent - very strong motivation

32. 1776 − 4τη ϑυλψ − Τηε Δαψ οφ ινδεπενδενχε - Thomas Jefferson wrote the Δεχλαρατιον οφ ινδεπενδενχε (all people are accrual in front of the Got)

33. 13 colonies founded the USA, the φιρστ πρεσιδεντ George Washington

in the 19th century split into two large parts, one of them being the North represented by Republicans, and the other the South with the slave- oligarchy supported Democrats

the winner of the election in 1860 was Abraham Lincoln, took a strong anti-slavery stand - in the north the Confederate States of America, in the south the Union

1861 − 1865 − Χιϖιλ Ωαρ − the winner was the Confederate (Emancipation Proclamation - freedom for slaves - Abraham Lincoln)

since 1865 there wasn’t any war on the American continent

1865 - 1877 the period of reconstruction - industrialisation - Henry Fords car factories, J. P. Morgans U. S. Steel....)

the first strong president after many years was Theodore Roosevelt

1924 – Golden door locked, N.Y. Ellis Island

Industry

rich in all minerals - copper, zinc, gas, bauxite, led, oil

three parts - North -East -steal works, engineering, machinery, mining, heavy industry, food industry

43. industrial area Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New York

44. Chicago, Detroit - Ford, car industry, steal works

- South - Middlesouth - typical agriculture areas, main products - corn, cotton, wheat, tobacco,

fruit

45. very good conditions

- West - beautiful countryside, agriculture, national parks (Yellowstone), connected with tourist

industry

46. California - holiday resort, the nicest weather

47. wood industry, L.A. – S.F. – film industry, weapons, ships, planes

Mexican Gulf – earlier – clothes ind., now – chemical ind. – oil, Houston, Dallas, New Orleans

Political system

American president

Federal Government - finance, foreign affairs, defence

Local government - local problems, social problems, education

Congress - Senate

- the House of Representatives

Typical

Ψελλοωστονε νατιοναλ παρκ - is the largest and best-known park in the USA. It is visited by thousand of people every day. The nature in this park is very diverse. For instance, there is everything from volcanic activity to a variety of forms of nature beauty. The geysers called Old Faithful are the biggest one in this park. It erupts every 10-minute or so wild buffaloes, which are very dangerous.

Γρανδ Τετον νατιοναλ παρκ ιν this park lakes and high peaks are combined in unique scenery.

Λασ ςεγασ - the city of gambling, every year spend the people 17 billions dollars in gambling.

Γρανδ Χανψον - in Arizona, the Colorado River, 217 miles long, 5700 feet deep

Νεω Ορλεανσ - the main attraction for visitors is the city’s nightlife, connected with jazz

Dallas

□ It is Texas second largest city. Situated on the Trinity River. Dallas was founded in 1841 and populated by the French the City developed as a cotton market in 1870s. and it became the financial and commercial centre of the southwest.

□ Today the manufactures include cotton processing machinery, textiles, leather goods, aircraft and electronic equipment. Oil is refined, there are meatpacking plants. The city is also known for its museums and musical activities.

□ The president George Figerald Kennedy was assassinated there in 1963. The John F Kennedy‘s Museum displays films, photographs and data recounting that day.

Chicago

( central part of USA, state Illinoi, next to lake Michigan, the third largest city in the USA

( modern city, city of skyscrapers, the bussiest transportation centre of the country - O’Hare airport

( old building were pullde down and built the new one ( modern architecture

( city of modern art – statues by Piccasso

( Gallery of modern art – Europian painters from the turn of the century

( Sears tower – 2nd highest building in the world (443 m, 110 stories, 106 cab elevators)

( Loop – the central part of Chicago

( Chicago has been nicknamed the “Windy City” because of the breezes that blow in from the lake

Las Vegas

( on the west of USA, state Neavada

( has the reputation of being the entertainment capital of the world

( annually plays host to some 15 million visitors

( every hotel has a casino and several playing rooms

( casinos are open twenty-four hours a day and are designed to keep the guest inside and entertained all the time, most of them offer inexpensive and moderate accomodation and reasonably priced food which is served ot all hours of the day and night

( bussines stopped only once and that was just for three hours when the news of John F. Kennedy’s death reached the city

( there are no closing hours in Las Vegas and there are no doors to the casinos

New Orleans

( on the south of USA, situated where the Mississippi river empties into the Gulf of Mexico

( tropical climate, was settled by French in 1718, French influence is still seen even today

( the main attraction for visitors is the city’s night life – the night clubs, exotic dancers, unique shows, shops, restaurants and bars

( the most popular section is the French Quarter

( restaurants specializing in „Creole“ cooking - a hot and spicy mix of French and Spanish dishes

( known to be the birthplace of jazz, the sounds of live jazz coming out the doors into the early morning hours

( another great attraction is the Mississippi river

Boston

□ The capital of Massachusetts, one of the oldiest cities in the US, founded in 1630

□ Many events leading up to the Revolutionary War took place here.

□ Boston Tea Party – 1773 rebellious citizens disquised as Indians threw tea from British ships into the Harbor in protest against British taxes.

□ Old State house – seat of the colonial government, a circle of cobblestones in the street neat Old Statehouse marks the Boston Massacre site, where British soldiers in 1770 killed 5 patriots. The archives of the new Statehouse contain many original documents from the rich history.

Amrican Indians

□ 200 indian tribes, when the first white man came to America, there were more then 800 000 Indians there. Indians spoke different languages, one tribe don’t understand other. So they use the language of signs which they invented. Many of them were removed from their land in 1887, their land was cut down from 139 mil to 47 mil square miles, it nearly destroyed their way of life

□ The Indians have built organisations – National Congress of American Indians … to representate them

□ Some Ind. Still live their typical way of life, other started to live a new life in modern cities

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