United States of America At a glance Land People Economy Achievements and challenges Links with Australia Country at a glance Did you know? In the United States , where out of a population of 298, 000,000, of whom 60,000,000 are under 14 years of age, there are 200 million privately-owned firearms. Region North America Population 298,444,215 (July 2006 estimate) Land Geography: Central plain with mountains in the west, hills in the east; rugged mountains in Alaska; volcanic landscape in Hawaii. Climate: Temperate with hot and arid in southwest, cold in the north; arctic in Alaska; tropical in Hawaii People Religion: Christian 76%, Mormon 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 1%, other 10%, none 10% Language: English, Spanish spoken by 10%,Hawaiian is an official language in Hawaii Economy GDP per person: (PPP): $US43,500 GDP by sector: Agriculture 0.9%; Industry 20.4%; Services 78.6% Government Federal republic Land Physical geography The United States of America is the world's fourth largest country by area after Russia, Canada and China. It covers 9,373,614 square kilometres which is 20 per cent larger than Australia, 7,692,030 square kilometres. There are five major physical areas of continental US (east to west): the Atlantic coastal plain (including the Florida Peninsula and the Gulf Coast in the south), the Appalachian Mountains, the Interior Plain, the North American Cordillera and the Western Intermontane Plateau, which includes the Great Salt Lake. The Red-Mississippi-Missouri river system crosses the country north-south over 5970 kilometres and flows into the Gulf of Mexico . Further west the Colorado and the Rio Grande Rivers also drain south into the Gulf of Mexico . Deserts cover much of the south west and the lowest point of dry land, 86 metres below sea level is in Death Valley . Alaska , in the far north, consists of rugged mountains, including the highest point Mount McKinley 6,194 metres and broad river valleys. The Hawaii island group consists of eight main islands which are volcanic. Climate Although most of the United States, except for Alaska and Hawaii, is in the temperate zone, climate varies according to latitude, altitude and distance from the sea. Generally it ranges from very cold in the north and hot in the south for example Chicago (north central) the range is 24°C in July to -3°C in January while in Phoenix, Arizona, (south west) the range is 32.2°C in July to 11.1°C in January. The annual rainfall average ranges from 180 millimetres in the deserts of Arizona (south-west) to 1640 millimetres in hurricane affected Alabama (south-east). Rainfall in Alaska ranges from 1524 - 5080 millimetres. In Barrow, the northernmost city, temperatures range from an average -9°C in summer to -15°C in winter. The island group of Hawaii experiences temperatures ranging from and average 27 °C in summer to 16 °C in winter. Rainfalls vary from the island of Kauai , the wettest spot, with an annual average rainfall of 11,280 millimetres to the driest area at Kawaihae, on the island of Hawaii , where the average annual rainfall is only 220 millimetres. Environment Some of the most well known trees of the United States are the massive redwoods and Douglas fir of the west coast. The bald eagle, bison, moose or elk, puma, bear, coyote, racoon and squirrel are some of the well known animals. The food and fuel needed to support the large population and industry has led to clearing of much of the original grasslands and great pressure on the environment. People Eighty per cent of the total population of 298,444,215 live in urban areas with the largest cities being New York (8,134,800), Los Angeles (3,900,700), Chicago (2,888,200) Houston (2,071,800) and Philadelphia (1,483,000). The general trend has been for people to move from rural areas to urban areas, and from the south to the north – but these trends are changing as the population ages. Overall, population density is 30.7 people per square kilometre, but the eastern half of the country is far more densely populated than the western half, where vast areas have only a couple of people per square kilometre. People Culture and identity Before European settlement in the 1500s America was home to many indigenous people. Today there are 266 American Indian groups, mainly living on reservations in Oklahoma , Arizona , New Mexico , California and North Carolina . There are 216 Inuit and Indian communities in Alaska . In Hawaii the original inhabitants are of Polynesian heritage and the Hawaiian language is widely spoken. The current population of the US has been hugely influenced by immigration and the country has become a population and cultural melting-pot. Major ethnic groups are White (80.1%), Hispanic (14.8%), Black (12.8%), Asian (4.4%), American Indian and Alaskan Native (1.0%), Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander (0.2%). Many groups within these ethnic groupings have their own special identity and culture . This all goes to create a colourful mixture of art, music, literature, costume and traditions. Modern American entertainment culture includes television, Hollywood films, jazz, blues, rock and rap music which have all influenced the global popular culture. Health Life expectancy is 78 years (male: 75.15 years and female: 80.97 years). The infant mortality rate is 6.43 deaths per 1,000 live births. Diseases associated with the excesses of modern living are prevalent with the major causes of death are heart disease (24%), cancer (23%), stroke (6%); respiratory disease (5%), accidents (4.5% and diabetes (3%). In 2003 there were 950,000 or 0.6% people living with HIV/AIDS. Religion and beliefs The American Constitution protects freedom of religious choice and this is exhibited in the over 100 registered faiths and sects. Three quarters of the population are Christian and about 45 per cent of these attend church regularly. There are Christian references on US currency (“In God we trust”) and in the Pledge of Allegiance (“One nation under God”) which is recited in class at the start of each school day. Other major faiths include Mormon 2%, Jewish 1% and Muslim 1%. About 10% claim another faith and 10% have no religion. Food and shelter The huge number of ethnic and cultural groups has ensured a rich array of food and drink. Native American foods of turkey, corn (maize), beans, sunflowers, potatoes, peppers, and various forms of squash (including pumpkins) are now widely eaten. Most well known American foods are apple pie and hamburgers. ‘Fast food' with its quick preparation time (usually deep-frying), high levels of salt, sugar processed products and low levels of fruit and vegetables has contributed to high obesity levels. Most Americans own their own home, which might be a free-standing weatherboard house in a country town, an apartment in a city high-rise block or a brick-and-tile house in the suburbs. Home ownership is seen as desirable, leading to personal security and stability and is also the basis for stable, supportive neighbourhoods. Economy Wealth and poverty The United States has a labour force of 151.4 million but an unemployment rate of 4.8% and low levels of payment for those employed in low skilled work means 12 per cent of Americans live below the poverty line. There are huge differences between the very rich and the very poor. In 2000 the richest 20% of families controlled half of the country's income, while the lowest 20% shared only 4.3%. The increasing use of technology has separated work into a two-tier labour market with the well-educated obtaining most of the gains and those at the bottom, with limited education and skills being paid at rates below the poverty line. There is some unemployment insurance, but different states have different requirements. Education and work Education is compulsory from age 6 to age 16-18, depending on specific state. Approximately 50 million students attend primary and secondary school, with over 80% progressing to tertiary level. The US spends 5.7% of GDP on education. Over one third of the US labour force is employed in managerial, professional, and technical occupations - manufacturing, extraction, transportation, and crafts employs 23%; sales and office 25%, farming, forestry, and fishing 0.7% and other services 16.5%. While there is no set retirement age in the US, most consider 65 as the best time to stop work. The Social Security system allows 62 as the earliest age for retirement and 70 as the oldest. Industries and products The main agricultural products of the United States include wheat, corn, other grains, fruits, vegetables, cotton, beef, pork, poultry, dairy products, fish and forest products. As farming is often very large scale and mechanised there is only a small percentage of the population involved. Its industries include petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace products, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, lumber and mining. Trade In 2005 America exported agricultural products (soybeans, fruit, corn), industrial supplies (organic chemicals), capital goods (transistors, aircraft, motor vehicle parts, computers, telecommunications equipment) and consumer goods (automobiles, medicines) worth $1.024 trillion to Canada 23.4%, Mexico 13.3%, Japan 6.1%, China 4.6% and UK 4.3%. It imported $1.869 trillion worth of agricultural products, industrial supplies (crude oil), capital goods (computers, telecommunications equipment, motor vehicle parts, office machines, electric power machinery) and consumer goods (automobiles, clothing, medicines, furniture, toys) from Canada 16.9%, China 15%, Mexico 10%, Japan 8.2% and Germany 5%. Achievements and challenges Hurricanes along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts have brought huge damage and major loss of life and appear to have been getting more severe over the last 10 years. The US is the largest single emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels. Although it has not signed the Kyoto Protocol it has recently made a commitment to reduce petrol usage by 20% over the next 10 years. There are 45 million (15%) Americans who do not have health care coverage and politicians face the challenge of designing a system of universal health care that will ensure everyone has access to a quality service. After its leading role in the invasion of Iraq , the US government faces increasing hostility at home as Americans, fearing a situation that cannot be resolved, make uncomfortable comparisons with the Vietnam War. Overseas development assistance The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency that provides economic, development and humanitarian assistance to more than 100 countries in support of the foreign policy goals of the United States . USAID works in agriculture, governance, economic growth, the environment, education, health, global partnerships, and humanitarian assistance in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Near East, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Europe and Eurasia. In 2006, the allocation by the United States was USD 22.7 billion or 0.17% of GNI. This included debt relief to countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (USD 1.4 billion), and expenditure in Iraq (USD 4.8 billion), Afghanistan (USD 1.6 billion) and to the least developed countries (USD 5.5 billion). http://www.usaid.gov/index.html Links with Australia Australia and the United States of America have been allies in a number of major conflicts, including the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War, Vietnam and conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq . At the heart of this cooperation is the ANZUS treaty signed in 1951. The United States is Australia 's third largest two-way trading partner in goods and services and our major source of foreign direct investment. In 2005 the US-Australia Free Trade Agreement came into force and the US imported Australian goods worth $A9.3 billion and exports to Australia totalled $A21.4 billion. The first Americans to land in Australia were officers in the British Navy aboard the Endeavour with Captain James Cook in 1770. In 2005/06 over 450,000 Americans visited Australia and about 435,000 Australians visited the US . The 2001 census showed that 53,720 people born in the US were living in Australia , most of them in NSW with 19,230 followed by Victoria (11,350), Queensland (9,990) and Western Australia (6,040). Main sources: https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/ http://www20.sbs.com.au/worldguide/ http://hdr.undp.org/ http://www.dfat.gov.au/

The Empire State Building in New York, took 410 days to build during 1930-31 as part of a competition between Walter Chrysler (Chrysler Corporation) and John Jakob Raskob (creator of General Motors) to see who could build the tallest building. Its 102 storeys of stone, steel and aluminium include a tower topped with a dome above which is a mast to give a total height of 443 metres. © Melinda Kolk, http://pics.tech4learning.com