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FACTS

Terrain

A wide variety. The coastal plain of the Atlantic seaboard gives way further inland to deciduous forests and the rolling hills. 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.

Climate

The United States, with its large size and geographic variety, includes most climate types.

People

The United States has a very diverse population with 31 ancestry groups. White Americans are the largest racial group; German American, Irish Americans, and English Americans constitute three of the country's four largest ancestry groups. Black Americans are the nation's largest racial minority and third largest ancestry group. Asian Americans are the country's second largest racial minority.

Religions

Christianity is by far the most common religion practiced in the U.S., but other religions are followed too. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion and forbids Congress from passing laws respecting its establishment.

Economy

The United States has a capitalist mixed economy, which is fueled by abundant natural resources, a well-developed infrastructure, and high productivity.

Living Conditions

Americans have the highest average household and employee income among OECD nations.

Government

The United States is the world's oldest surviving federation. It is a constitutional republic and representative democracy, "in which majority rule is tempered by minority rights protected by law ". The government is regulated by a system of checks and balances defined by the U.S. Constitution, which serves as the country's supreme legal document.

US Military Presence/Support

 

Video

Being We the People: "In Our Own Words"
Witness a face-to-face meeting between students from Afghanistan and Philadelphia as they share their cultures and explore their perceptions of citizenship within a democracy. Watch as they create lasting friendships and a new understanding of their dramatically different lives — yet surprisingly similar — hopes, dreams and aspirations.

History

 

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