United States

The United States is a land of great beauty and natural wealth. Its many famous and interesting sights include the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, quaint cable cars on hilly San Francisco streets, and areas of rich farmland in the fertile Midwest.

Giant cactuses in Arizona are symbols of the wide open spaces" of the Southwest. A warm, dry climate has made the Southwest one of the nation’s fastest-growing areas.

A snow-covered village nestles among low hills in Vermont. Such tiny, picturesque settlements are common in much of the far Northeastern part of the United States.

A Southern mansion in Alabama dates from 1853. Originally a private home, it is now a government owned museum and a re­minder of the architecture of the pre-Civil War South.

The Rocky Mountain States Region includes the scenic Yel­lowstone National Park, located chiefly in Wyoming.

Most Hispanic Americans are of Mexican descent The Mexi­can Americans are celebrating Cinco de Mayo (May 51), a Mexican national holiday.

Asians are a major immigrant group in the United States. The street shown above is in a Korean neighbourhood in Flushing, New York.

Urban and rural life in the United States contrast sharply. Motor vehicles move slowly along a street lined by big buildings in central San Antonio. At a county fair, farm people show their sheep in a livestock competition.

Sprawling suburbs sur­round many American cities. Rows of comfortable houses line the streets of most of them. Highways connect the suburbs with their central cit­ies, where large numbers of suburban dwellers work.

Central cities of most U.S. urban areas have neighbourhoods where most people belong to the same racial or ethnic group. In New York City's Harlem area, most people are blacks. A Chicago neighbourhood, has many Spanish-speaking people and some signs in Spanish.

The educational system of the United States includes many learning opportunities outside for­mal classrooms. An adult education class, offers woodworking lessons. At a museum, people study exhibits dealing with space travel.

Religion plays an important role in the lives of millions of Americans. The country's churches provide people with moral guidance and places for worship. Many churches also serve as centres for social gatherings, such as a church picnic.

Recreational activities provide the people of the United States with leisure time enjoyment. Fans thrill to the excitement of the duel between a pitcher and batter in a baseball game. A large group of runners compete—and get exercise—in a marathon race.

Modern painting and sculpture have produced both abstract and re­alistic styles, Jackson Pollock gained fame for such paintings as Number 13, 1949, shown above. These paintings consist of rhythmic patterns dribbled onto the painting surface. George Segal placed plaster figures among actual objects, as in The Butcher Shop, shown on the right.

Architecture in the United States developed the skyscraper as one of the most characteristic types of modern building. The Sears Tower, dominates the Chicago skyline. Frank Lloyd Wright ranks as America's most important architect. Wright's Falling water house shows his ability to blend a structure with its natural setting.

Popular music has taken many forms in the United States. Jazz relies on spontaneous playing. Trumpeter Louis Armstrong was the first great jazz soloist. Country music, began as the folk music of Southern whites but soon gained widespread acceptance. Singer Elvis Presley, above, helped make rock music the lead­ing type of popular music in the mid- and late 1900’s.

Films have become one of the most popular and influential art forms in the United States since the early 1900's. The animated films of Walt Disney, such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs have charmed cinema audiences throughout the world. Steven Spielberg became a leading director with the success of E.T., and other science fiction and adventure films.

Dancing in the United States often explores American subjects. The famous dancer and dance composer Martha Graham created Appalachian Spring, shown above, a ballet that celebrates the courage and dignity of American pioneers during the early 1800’s.

Theatre has produced many masterpieces of serious drama and musical comedy. Arthur Miller's drama Death of a Salesman, shown on the left, deals with a salesman whose search for success brings him only disappointment and failure. Frank Loesser wrote the music and words for Guys and Dolls, shown on the right, a musical about colourful characters who live in New York City.

Rolling hills dotted with farm buildings stretch across the Appalachian Highlands, which extend from Maine to Ala­bama. The scene shown above is in West Virginia.

A swamp that includes bald cypress trees lies in Florida's Ever­glades National Park in the southernmost part of the Coastal Low­lands. The Coastal Lowlands extend from New England to Texas.

The geographic centre of the United States has moved west­ward as the country has added new territory. Since 1959, when Alaska and Hawaii were added, it has been in South Dakota.

Fields of wheat grow near a rural Montana community on the Interior Plains. The plains, America's vast heartland, stretch from the Appalachian Highlands to the Rocky Mountains.

Rugged hills border a valley in northwestern Arkansas, which is part of the Ozark-Ouachita Highlands. This region also in­cludes parts of Missouri and Oklahoma.

The Pacific Coast forms the western border of the Pacific Ranges and Lowlands region, which extends from Canada to Mexico. Rugged rock forma­tions line parts of the coast, including the California area.

Waimea Canyon, Hawaii, was formed by water from Mount Waialeale. The mountain, the wettest place in the U.S., receives about 1,170 centimetres of precipitation a year.

Death Valley, California, the country's driest place, receives less than 5 centimetres of precipitation yearly. It recorded the highest U.S. temperature ever, 57” C.

Prospect Creek, Alaska, recorded the lowest U.S. temperature ever, —62” C.  The nearby town of Barrow has the country's lowest average annual temperature, — 13”C

America's economy produces a greater value of agri-1 cultural, manufactured, and mined products than any other country. A huge ware-11 house stores grain before it is shipped to distant markets. Barges, railway carriages, trucks, and other transportation facilities are used to transport products.

Forests are one of the many natural resources that contribute to the U.S. economy. Logs from forests are used for timber and in making other valuable products.

The gross domestic product (GDP) is the total value of goods and services produced within a country in a year. The CDP measures a nation's economic performance and can also be used to compare the economic output and growth of countries. The U.S. GDP was 5,678,000,000,000 U.S. dollars in 1991. Services =74%, Industry = 24%, Agriculture = 2%

The construction industry provides jobs for many Americans. Workers help put up a high-­rise building in the centre of a city.

Service industries are those economic activities that provide services, rather than goods. Data processing is one of many such industries. Others include government services and the operation of hotels and restaurants.

Manufacturing is one of the most important economic activi­ties in the United States. The steps in the manufacture of an aeroplane include building a full-sized model, above.

Agriculture includes the raising of both crops and livestock. A mechanized system for fattening cattle for market is o example of the efficient methods used by American farmers.

Mining provides vital raw materials for American indus­try. For example, a strip mine, yields coal. Coal, in turn, is used to fuel electric power plants and to make steel for many manufactured products.

A network of roads criss­crosses the United States. Roads form a key part of the nation's excellent transporta­tion system. The construction and repair of roads provides jobs for people throughout the country.

There are many major ports in the United States. Houston, Texas, is one of the nation's busiest.

United States of America is the third largest country in the world in population and the fourth largest in area. China and India are the only countries with more peo­ple. Only Russia, Canada, and China have larger areas. The United States covers the entire midsection of North America, stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west. It also includes Alaska, in the northwest corner of North America; and Hawaii, far out in the Pacific. The United States is often called the U.S., U.S.A., or America.

The land of the United States is as varied as it is vast.

It ranges from the warm beaches of Florida and Hawaii to the frozen northlands of Alaska, and from the level Midwestern prairies to the snow-capped Rocky Moun­tains. This huge and beautiful country is rich in natural resources. It has great stretches of some of the most fer­tile soil on earth, a plentiful water supply and excellent water routes, and large stretches of forests. There are also huge deposits of valuable minerals which lie under­neath the ground.

Economically, the United States is one of the world's most highly developed and productive nations. No other country equals the United States in the production of

goods and services. Its people enjoy one of the world's highest standards of living.         .

Until the 1500's, what is now the United States is largely a wilderness. Small groups of Indians lived scat­tered over the land between the Atlantic and Pacific. Es­kimos inhabited what is now Alaska, and Polynesians lived in Hawaii. People in Europe saw in this vast "new i world" a chance to build new and better lives. Small groups of Spaniards settled in what is now the South­eastern and Western United States in the 1500's. People from England and some other European countries began settling along and near the East Coast during the 1600^rs. In 1776, colonists in the East established an independent nation based on freedom and economic opportunity. Through the years, large numbers of people from Europe continued to settle in the United States. In addition, people from almost every other part of the world settled in the country. Except for black Africans brought in as slaves, these immigrants came seeking the rights and the opportunities that had become part of the American way of life. As a result of this immigration, the United States today has one of the world's most varied populations. It has been called "a nation of immigrants.'

The vast space and resources of the land, the ideals of and economic opportunity, and hard work by the people all helped build the United States into the economic giant it is today. The Americans—as the people are commonly called—also made major contribution- in such fields as technology, science, and medi­cine. Americans developed the mass production system of manufacturing, the electric light bulb, the telephone, and polio vaccine. They also created the skyscraper and such new art forms as jazz and musical comedy.

At times, the U.S. economy has run into difficulty.

Even so, it remains one of the most productive systems ever developed. In some cases, groups of Americans have suffered socially and economically from discrimi­nation. But the country's laws have helped many people overcome discrimination and achieve better lives.

This article discusses the nation's regions, people, way of life, land, climate, and economy. For government and history information, see United States, Government of the, and United States, History of the.

Political divisions. The United States consists of 50 states and the District of Columbia. The District of Co­lumbia is a piece of land set aside by the federal govern­ment for the nation's capital, Washington, D.C. For a list of the states, see the table in this article titled Facts in brief about the states.

In area, population, and economic output, some of the states are comparable to many nations. The United States has a federal system of government, which gives the states many powers that national governments have in most other countries. For example, the states have broad control over public education and the establish­ment of civil and criminal laws.

Regions. The states of the United States, excluding Alaska and Hawaii, are often divided into seven major regions. Each region is made up of states that have simi­larities in geography, climate, economy, traditions, and history. The regions are: (1) New England, (2) the Middle Atlantic States, (3) the Southern States, (4) the Midwest­ern States, (5) the Rocky Mountain States, (6) the South-western States, and (7) the Pacific Coast States. For a list of the sates in each region, see the table titled Regions of the United States in this article. The map that accompanies the table shows the location of each of these regions.

New England is a small region in the northeast corner country that is known for picturesque rural vilnumerous fishing harbours, and colourful autumn srenery.

New England was the nation's first industrial centre, and manufacturing is still its leading source of income. Industrial cities dot southern New England.

Much of the region's land is too hilly or rocky to grow crops. But New England produces large amounts of dairy and poultry products and is famous for its maple syrup. Many tourists visit the region to see its many his­toric sites—especially those from colonial times—and to enjoy its natural beauty.

Many New Englanders, especially in the rural north, are descendants of English Puritans who settled the re­gion during the 1600's. The more densely populated southern section of the New England Region has people who come from many different backgrounds, including blacks, Irish, Italians, and French Canadians. The south­ern section includes Boston, New England's largest city by far.

The Middle Atlantic States Region stretches inland from the Atlantic Ocean southwest of New England. Deepwater harbours help make the region a major centre of international trade. The busiest harbour is at New York City, the largest city in the United States. Factories in and near such Middle Atlantic cities—in order of size—as New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and Newark produce a wide variety of goods. Coal min­ing and related industries are important economic activ­ities in the western part of the Middle Atlantic States Re­gion. Farms dot hillsides and fertile plains in various parts of the region. Forested mountains, sandy sea­shores, scenic lakes and rivers, historic sites, and big- city attractions draw many visitors to the region.

The Middle Atlantic States Region ranks as the na­tion's most densely populated area. Its urban population includes people of varied European backgrounds, and large groups of people of black African, Latin-American, and Asian ancestry. Many of the region's rural dwellers are of British descent.

The Southern States Region is an area of rolling hills, mountains, and plains bordered by broad beaches along the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Until the mid-1900's, the region's economy was based heavily on agriculture. Such warm-weather crops as sugar cane, tobacco, and—especially—cotton contributed greatly to the economy. Agriculture has retained importance in the South. But an industrial boom that began in the mid- 1900fs has greatly increased manufacturing and has im­proved the balance of the region's economy. Tourists flock to coastal resorts in the South—especially in win­ter, when temperatures are usually relatively mild. Balti­more is the largest city of the Southern States Region, Jacksonville, Memphis, Washington, D.C., Nashville,

New Orleans, and Charlotte rank next in size. Washing- ? ton, D.C., is not part of a state, but it is in the Southern States Region.

Large numbers of Southerners are descended from early English, Irish, and Scottish immigrants. From the 1600‘s to the 1800's, many black Africans were brought to the region to work on plantations as slaves. Today, blacks form a large minority group in the Southern States Region. Many Southerners have a strong sense of regional loyalty and take pride in the South's history and traditions.

The Midwestern States Region is a vast area of gen­erally flat land that covers much of the centre of the United States. The Midwest is famous for its large stretches of fertile soil. Farms in the region produce enormous quantities of maize, wheat, and other crops; and also dairy products and livestock. In addition, the Midwest has a number of large industrial cities. The cit­ies include, in order of size, Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, Columbus, and Milwaukee.

The Mississippi River system, the Great Lakes, and many railways give the region an excellent transportation network. Lakes and rivers—some set among rolling hills and rugged bluffs—provide numerous recreation areas there.

The Midwestern States Region has a varied population. Its rural areas include large groups of descendants i of settlers from Germany, Great Britain, Norway, Swe­den, and eastern and southern Europe. The region's city ‘ population includes many descendants of people who came from northern, southern, and eastern Europe.

Blacks make up a large minority group in the big cities of the Midwest.

The Rocky Mountain States Region lies west of the Midwest. It is named after the rugged, majestic Rocky Mountains, which cut through it. In addition to the mountains, the region has areas of deserts, plains, and Although much of it is a thinly populated wilderness. some of its cities and towns are among the nation’s fastest-growing areas. Denver ranks as the region's largest city by far.

Rich deposits of gold, silver, and other metals first attracted settlers to the region. Mining remains an important economic activity, but manufacturing is now the chief source of income. Cattle and other livestock graze on dry, grassy ranges, and farmers grow a variety of pops in the Rocky Mountain States Region. Many tour­ists visit the region to enjoy its scenic beauty and nu­merous ski resorts.

The population of the Rocky Mountain States Region includes people of European descent, as well as blacks, Mexican Americans, and American Indians. Mormons, whose ancestors founded a religious community in Utah in the 1800's, form an important cultural group in the re­gion.

The Southwestern States Region spreads out over a vast area that is sometimes called the "wide open spaces." There, cattle graze on huge ranches, and vast fields of cotton and other crops soak up rays of blazing sunshine. However, petroleum has brought the region most of its wealth. The region has large deposits of pe­troleum and natural gas, as well as various other miner­als. In the 1900's, refineries and petrochemical factories led the way to industrialization in the Southwest The industrialization has helped bring about much urban growth in the Southwestern States Region. The region includes many of the nation's fastest-growing cit­ies. Its largest cities are, in order of size, Houston, Dal­las, Phoenix, San Antonio, El Paso, and Austin. The re­gion also has many retirement communities. Tourist attractions in the Southwest include huge, unspoiled areas of incredible natural beauty, such as the Grand Canyon and the Painted Desert.

Many cultures come together in the Southwest. The population includes people of various European back­grounds, and black, Mexican-American, and American Indian minority groups.

The Pacific Coast States Region, which borders the Pacific Ocean, is known for.its dense forests, rugged mountains, and dramatic ocean shore. The scenic beauty and relatively mild climate of the region encour­age an outdoor life style enjoyed by both residents and tourists.

Fertile valleys in the Pacific Coast States Region pro­duce a large part of the nation's fruits, nuts, vegetables, and wine grapes. The region also has abundant timber, minerals, and fish. Much manufacturing takes place in its large cities, which include—in order of size—Los An­geles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, and Seattle.

The discovery of gold and the opening of the Oregon Territory in the mid-1800's brought a stream of settlers to the Pacific Coast. New residents have continued to pour in ever since. Today, the population includes peo­ple of European ancestry, and black and Mexican- American minority groups. The Pacific Coast States Re­gion also has more people of Asian ancestry than any other part of the United States, and a large number of American Indians.

Outlying areas. The United States has possession of various island territories in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Some of them, such as Guam and the Vir­gin Islands, have a large degree of self-government. Puerto Rico, one of the areas, is a commonwealth asso­ciated with the United States that has been given wide powers of self-rule by the U.S. Congress. American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands each send to Congress a representative who votes only in committees.

See the table titled Main outlying areas of the United States in this article.

Population. The U.S. Census Bureau reported that in 990 the country had a population of 249,632,692.

Whites make up about 80 per cent of the country's population. Blacks form the largest minority group. They account for about 12 percent of the population. About 3 per cent of the population is of Asian descent. American Indians make up almost 1 per cent of the population. Other groups combine to make up the remaining 4 per cent

The population of the United States includes many Hispanic people, such as people of Mexican, Puerto Rican, or Cuban descent. Hispanics consist mainly of whites, but they also include some blacks and American Indians. Hispanics make up 8 per cent of the U.S. popu­lation.

About 51.5 per cent of the people in the United States are females. The United States has one of the highest life expectancies of any country—74.9 years old. Since 1945, the part of the U.S. population that is over 65 years old has increased from 8 per cent to 12 per cent. Improve­ments in medical care have been the main reason for the increase. The over-65 population of the United States will continue to grow at a rapid rate as advances in medicine continue and as the large numbers of peo­ple born during the "baby boom" grow older. The baby

boom was a period of high birth rate that occurred in the United States from 1946 to 1964.

Approximately 94 per cent of the total population was born in the United States. The largest foreign-born groups are, in order of size, Mexicans, Germans, Cana­dians, Italians, British, and Cubans. The United States has an overall average population density of about 27 people per square kilometre. But the density varies widely from place to place. See the map in this section of the article, which illustrates the density throughout the country.

Ancestry. The United States has one of the world's most varied populations in terms of ancestry. The popu­lation includes descendants of people from almost every part of the world.

The first people to live in what is now the United States were Indians, Eskimos, and Hawaiians. The Indi­ans and Eskimos are descended from peoples who mi­grated to North America from Asia thousands of years ago. The ancestors of the Hawaiians were Polynesians who sailed to what is now Hawaii from other Pacific is­lands about 2,000 years ago.

Most white Americans trace their ancestry to Europe. Some Spaniards settled in what is now the United States during the 1500's. European settlement increased sharply during the 1600's. At first, most of the settlers came from England. But America soon attracted many emigrants from other nations of northern and western Europe including France, Germany, Ireland, the Nether­lands, and Scotland; and the Scandinavian lands of Den­mark, Norway, and Sweden. Until the late 1800's, north­ern and western Europe provided most of the emi­grants. Then, large waves of people began arriving from southern and eastern European nations, including Austria-Hungary, Greece, Italy, Poland, and Russia.

Most Hispanic Americans are people who immigra­ted—or whose ancestors immigrated—to the United States from Latin America. A small percentage of them trace their ancestry directly back to Spain. Some have mainly Spanish ancestry. Others have mixed Spanish and Latin-American Indian or black ancestry.

Most black Americans are descendants of Africans who were brought to the United States as slaves during the 1600's, 1700's, and 1800's and forced to work on plan­tations. See Slavery (Slavery in the United States).

Since the 1800's, the United States has attracted immi­grants from Asia. Most Asian Americans trace their an­cestry to China, India, Indochina, Japan, Korea, or the Philippines. For more details on the flow of people into the United States through the years, see Immigration.

The United States has often been called a melting pot. This term refers to the idea that the country is a place where people from many lands have come together and formed a unified culture. Americans have many things in common. For example, the vast majority of them speak English, and people throughout the country dress simi­larly and eat many of the same kinds of foods. Public ed­ucation, mass communication, and other influences have helped shape a common identity. But in other ways, U.S. society is an example of cultural pluralism.

That is, large numbers of its people have retained fea­tures of the cultures of their ancestors. Many Americans take special pride in their origins. They preserve traditions—and in some cases the languages—of their ancestors. In many cities, people of different national or

ethnic origins live in separate neighbourhoods, and shops and restaurants reflect their cultural heritages. Ethnic festivals, parades, and other events emphasize the nation's cultural pluralism.

Language. The United States has never had an offi­cial language, but English has always been the chief lan­guage spoken in the country. Emigrants from the British Isles—who included the nation's founders—spoke Eng­lish. Many emigrants from other lands who spoke little or no English also came to the United States. They learned at least enough English to be able to communi­cate with other Americans. Their children learned Eng­lish in school. The immigrants' children generally spoke both English and their ethnic language, and the immi­grants' grandchildren often spoke only English.

Today, Spanish is the second most common language in the United States. The region that is now the South­western United States was colonized by Spain in the 1500's. As a result, many people from that region speak Spanish. Since the 1950's, many Spanish-speaking peo­ple have immigrated to the United States from Mexico, Cuba, and other places. Many of these people learned to speak English. But others speak only Spanish. This is especially true in Spanish-speaking neighbourhoods that developed in cities. Some people feel that special efforts should be made to provide education and other services in Spanish for Americans who speak only Span­ish.

Many people believe every American should know English. They point out that it is difficult to get a job out­side Spanish-speaking neighbourhoods without a knowledge of the English language. They also argue that a language shared by everyone is an important unifying force for a country. In the 1980's, several states passed laws declaring English to be their only official language. These laws provide that the state government must offer its services in English, and need not do so in any other language. But in some places, public documents and signs in public places are written in both English and Spanish.

For census purposes, the United States is divided into urban areas and rural areas. An urban area, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, is a community with 2,500 or more people. A rural area is a community with fewer than 2,500 people. In 1790, the year of the first census, about 95 per cent of the nation's people lived in rural areas, and only about 5 per cent were urban dwellers. Through the years, these percentages changed steadily and dramati­cally. Today, about 74 per cent of all the people live in urban areas. Only about 26 per cent live in rural areas.

Several factors contributed to the dramatic popula­tion shift from the countryside to urban areas. Through the years, Americans greatly improved agricultural methods and equipment. From the 1800's onward, farm work has become more and more efficient, farm pro­duction has soared, and fewer and fewer people have been needed to work on the nation's farms. At the same time, an industrial boom has created large numbers of new jobs in the nation's urban areas. As a result of these economic changes, a steady flow of people from rural to urban areas has taken place. Also, large numbers of immigrants—many of whom had been fanners in their homelands—found jobs in cities and settled there when they reached the United States. In addition, the variety of job choices and recreational, educational, and cultural opportunities in cities attracted many rural people, es­pecially the young. Large numbers of rural people left home to seek employment and excitement in cities.

Urban life. Urban areas, which range from giant cit­ies surrounded by suburbs to small towns, dot the U.S. landscape. Although the urban areas cover about 2 per

cent of the land, they are the home of about three- quarters of the people. New York City, with about 7 1/2 million people, is the largest U.S. city by far. Los Angeles has about 3 1/2 million people. Chicago has a population of about 2 3/4 million. Five other U.S. cities—Houston, Philadelphia, San Diego, Detroit, and Dallas—each have; more than 1 million people.

Networks of suburbs surround many U.S. cities. The central cities and their suburbs form units called metropolitan areas. There are 268 metropolitan areas in the United States. The three largest are, in order of size, the New York-Newark, Los Angeles-Long Beach, and Chi­cago areas. The New York-Newark metropolitan area has about 17 million people, the Los Angeles-Long Beach area has more than 8 3/4 million people, and the Chicago area has about 7 1/2 million people.

For many years, most of the country's urban popula­tion lived in the central cities. During the mid-1900's, suburban population soared while central city growth slowed or decreased. In 1980, more Americans lived in suburbs than in central cities.

The Northeast and Midwest have long had most of the nation's largest urban areas. But during the 1900's, other parts of the country have experienced dramatic urban growth. Since the early 1900's, many California urban communities—especially Los Angeles—have grown tremendously. Since the mid-1900's, the popula­tions of many more urban areas in the West, and in the South and Southwest, have soared. Such metropolitan areas as Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Houston, and Phoenix grew rapidly. Large numbers of people were attracted to the West, South, and Southwest by jobs created by new industries. Also, many of the fastest-growing communities have warm, sunny climates, which helped at- many of the newcomers. Parts of the South, Southwest, and West are sometimes called the Sun Belt because they have such climates.

Urban economies provide jobs for a great variety of workers, including office and factory workers, bankers, doctors, fire fighters, medical personnel, police officers, teachers, trash collectors, and construction and trans­portation workers. Urban life also has many other posi­tive features. Because of their large populations, urban areas generally offer a wide variety of specialized serv­ices and shops. Urban dwellers can take advantage of an assortment of restaurants, recreation facilities, and places of entertainment. Because of such facilities as art galleries, museums, libraries, theatres, and concert halls, many cities are important cultural centres. These and other features make urban areas exciting and inter­esting places to live for many people.

The people of most U.S. urban areas represent a vari­ety of ethnic backgrounds. Most cities include neigh­bourhoods in which almost all the people belong to the same ethnic or nationality group. The people of large urban areas are also divided economically. Urban soci­ety includes extremely wealthy and extremely poor peo­ple, and a huge middle class. The wealthy live in luxuri­ous flats or condominiums (apartment buildings), or in large, comfortable single-family houses. Middle-class housing also includes flats, condominiums, and single ­family houses. In general, the housing of the middle class is comfortable, though not as luxurious as that of the wealthy. In contrast, large numbers of urban poor people live in substandard housing. They rent crowded, small flats or run-down single-family houses.

In addition to substandard housing, urban areas have a number of other negative features. Such features in­clude high crime rates, racial and ethnic friction, noisy surroundings, pollution, and traffic jams. See City (City problems).

Rural life. More than 98 per cent of all the land of the United States is classified as rural. But much of the rural land is uninhabited or only lightly inhabited. About a fourth of all Americans live in areas that are classified as rural.

Farms provide the economic basis of the nation's rural areas. But only about 5 per cent of the country's rural people work on farms. Many other rural people own or work in businesses related to agriculture, such as grain and feed stores and warehouses. Mining and related activities and light industries also employ many rural people. Still other rural Americans work as teach­ers, police officers, salesclerks, or in other occupations. Many farmers hold other jobs for part of the year to add to their incomes.

American farmers of today lead vastly different lives from those of their grandparents. Machines have elimi­nated much backbreaking farm work. Farmers use ma­chines to help them plough, plant seeds, harvest crops, and deliver their products to market. Many farms have conveyor systems so that the farmer no longer has to shovel feed to farm animals. Milking machines make morning and evening chores easier. In the home, farm families may have all the comforts and conveniences of people who live in cities. During the 1900's, the car, tele­phone, radio, and television have brought American farm families into close contact with the rest of the world.

The steady decline in the percentage of the country's rural population has slowed since 1970. Although many people continued to move away from rural areas, others chose to move into rural towns and farm communities. Many of the newcomers wanted to escape the over­crowding, pollution, crime, and other problems that are part of life in urban areas and to take advantage of bene­fits of country living. Rural areas have lower crime rates and less pollution than urban areas. They are also far less noisy and crowded.

Because of their small populations, rural communities collect less tax revenues than urban communities do, and they generally cannot provide the variety of services that urban areas can. For example, rural communities have cultural and recreational facilities that are more limited than those available in urban areas. For many rural Americans, social life centres around family gath­erings, church and school activities, special interest clubs, and such events as state and county fairs.

Rural areas generally have less diversified economies than urban areas. Because there are fewer and a smaller variety of jobs to choose from, rural communities may experience more widespread economic hardships than urban communities. A single economic downturn—a drop in farm prices, for example, or the closing of a mine—can cause economic hardship for an entire rural area.

The nation's rural areas, like its urban areas, have wealthy, middle class, and poor people. For the most part, however, the gaps between economic classes are not as large in rural areas as in urban areas. Most rural Americans live in single-family houses. The majority of

the houses are comfortable and in good condition. But some people, including many who live in parts of Appalachia—in the eastern United States—and other pockets of rural poverty, have run-down houses and enjoy few luxuries.

See Ranching.

Education has been an important factor in the eco­nomic development of the United States and in the achievement of a high standard of living for most Ameri­cans. It has also contributed to the enjoyment of life f_or many people. Americans are among the best-educated people in the world. Schools, libraries, museums, and other educational institutions in the country provide learning opportunities for people of all ages.

Schools. During the early history of the United States, most schools were privately owned. Church groups owned and operated many of them. In the early 1800's, the idea of free state schools began to gain widespread support in the country. State and local governments took the responsibility for establishing state school sys­tems. By 1918, every state had laws requiring children to attend school until they reached a certain age or com­pleted a certain year. Today, about 80 per cent of the na­tion's primary and secondary schools, and about 45 per cent of its institutions of higher learning, are state schools. The rest are private schools run by religious or­ganizations or private groups.

The United States has about 74,000 primary schools, about 25,000 secondary schools, and about 6,800 com­bined primary and secondary schools. In addition, there are approximately 3,300 colleges and universities.

Many American children begin their schooling be­fore enrolling in primary school. About 30 per cent of all the children aged 3 and 4 attend nursery schools, and about 95 per cent of all 5-year-olds attend kindergarten. More than 99 per cent of all U.S. children complete pri­mary school, and about 75 per cent of them graduate from secondary school. Approximately 65 per cent of the secondary school graduates go on to colleges or universities. About 20 per cent of the country's people complete at least four years of higher education.

Adult education is an important part of the school system in the United States. Millions of adults take courses at universities, colleges, vocational schools, rec­reation centres, or other institutions. Many adults con­tinue their schooling to improve their job skills or to get training for a new job. Others attend classes simply to develop new hobbies or to find out more about topics that interest them. A growing number of part-time and full-time college and university students are men and women who have held jobs or raised families and are returning to higher education to get a degree.

State schools in the United States are supported mainly by taxation. Private schools get their operating funds chiefly from tuition fees and contributions from private citizens. The nation's schools, like its private businesses, have always had to deal with financial prob­lems. Rapidly rising material and salary costs have in­creased the financial problems of the schools. Some state and private schools have cut back on programmes and reduced their faculties to try to keep expenses in line with revenues. Colleges and universities have sharply increased their tuition and other fee charges.

Schools in the United States face a number of other problems. Many schools, particularly in large cities, have run-down buildings, inadequate supplies, and overcrowded conditions. A far higher percentage of young people in these areas fail to complete secondary school than in other areas. Some people claim that schools in their areas fail to provide students with the basic skills necessary to obtain and hold jobs. Schools with large numbers of students from foreign countries face the problem of educating some children who can­not speak English. Demands for bilingual education in­creased in the 1970's, especially in school districts with large numbers of Spanish-speaking students. Bilingual education involves instruction in both English and the native language of the students. Also in the 1970's, a de­cline in the nation's birth rate caused a reduction in the number of children of school age. Some schools closed or reduced their staffs because of the declining enrol­ment. As a result of these reductions, many teachers lost their jobs.

Libraries provide the American people with access to books, periodicals, pamphlets, and other printed matter. In addition, many libraries offer audio-visual materials, research services, lectures, and educational exhibits.

There are about 8,800 public libraries in the United States. They range from one-room libraries in small towns to huge city libraries and their branches. There are about 5,000 university and college libraries in the United States, as well as thousands of libraries in pri­mary schools and secondary schools.

The nation's library system also includes large num­bers of private research libraries and special libraries with collections limited to certain fields of knowledge.

In addition, many government agencies and businesses operate their own libraries. Three of the government's many libraries are considered national libraries because of their large and varied collections and because of the many services they provide. They are the Library of Con­gress, the National Agricultural Library of the Depart­ment of Agriculture, and the National Library of Medi­cine of the Department of Health and Human Services. These three libraries are all situated in or near Washing­ton, D.C.

Museums. There are about 6,100 museums in the United States. They include museums of art, history, nat­ural history, and science. In addition, a number of his­toric houses and villages are classed as museums. The collections of many of the nation's museums are de­voted to a single topic of interest, such as the history of baseball or railways. Some museums have huge collec­tions of items from many parts of the world. Others fea­ture exhibits of local interest. In addition to exhibits, many U.S. museums offer classes, lectures, films, field trips, and other educational services. The most famous museums in the United States include the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the Museum of Sci­ence and Industry in Chicago, and the Smithsonian Insti­tution in Washington, D.C

Religion. About 60 per cent of all the American peo­ple are members of an organized religious group. Among them, about 52 per cent are Protestants, 37 per cent Roman Catholics, 4 per cent Jews, 3 per cent Mor­mons, and 3 per cent are members of Eastern Orthodox Churches. Relatively small numbers of Americans be­long to other faiths, such as Islam and Buddhism. Roman Catholics make up the largest single religious denomi­nation in the United States. About 53 million Americans are Roman Catholics. The country's largest Protestant groups are, in order of size, Baptists, Methodists, Lu­therans, Pentecostals, and Presbyterians.

Religion has played an important role in the history of the United States. Many people came to the American Colonies to escape religious persecution in other lands. The early colonists included Puritans in New England, Roman Catholics in Maryland, and Quakers in Pennsyl­vania. The early Americans made religious freedom one of the country's basic laws. The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which was adopted in 1791, guarantees every American freedom of religion. It also provides that no religious group be given official recognition as a state church. These provisions were in­tended to prevent persecution of religious minorities and the favouring of one church over another. The country's religious freedom was one of the reasons im­migrants continued to flock to the United States through the years.

Although all religious groups in the United States enjoy freedom, Christian traditions have had a stronger influence on American life than those of any other faith. For example, most offices, factories, and other places of employment are closed on Sunday, the Sabbath of most Christians. The influence of Christianity results from the fact that a majority of the people are Christians.

Throughout the country's history, religion has influenced everyday life in a number of ways. For example, in colonial America many religious rules were enforced by local governments. Some of the laws that prohibited activities on Sunday still exist.

Today, religion has relatively less influence in the everyday lives of most Americans. But churches and other religious organizations continue to play important roles in American life. Their chief functions are to pro­vide moral guidance and places for worship. However, religious groups also operate many primary and sec­ondary schools, colleges, universities, hospitals, and nursing homes. They provide aid for refugees, the poor, the elderly, orphans, and other persons in need. Social gatherings are held at many churches. Some religious groups take active roles in discussing such issues as birth control and rights for minorities and women.

Recreation. Most Americans have a great deal of lei­sure time, and they spend it in a variety of ways. They pursue hobbies; take part in sports activities; attend sporting and cultural events; watch movies and televi­sion; listen to records, tapes, and radios; and read books and magazines. They enjoy trips to museums, beaches, parks, playgrounds, and zoos. They go away for weekends and holidays, eat at restaurants, go on pic­nics, and entertain friends at home. These and other ac­tivities contribute to the richness and diversity of Ameri­can life.

Sports rank as a leading American pastime. Millions of Americans enjoy watching such sports events as motor car races, horse races, and baseball, basketball, and American football games—either in person or on television. Many Americans, especially children and other young people, play baseball, basketball, American football, and soccer. People of most ages participate in such sports as bicycle riding, boating, bowling, fishing, golf, hiking, hunting, running, skiing, softball, swim­ming. and tennis.

Films, plays, concerts, operas, and dance perform­ances attract large audiences in the United States. Amer­icans find entertainment at home, as well. About 98 per cent of all American homes have a television set. On av­erage, a set is in use in each home for about six hours a day.

Hobbies occupy much of the leisure time of many Americans. Large numbers of people enjoy raising flower or vegetable gardens or indoor plants. Other popular hobbies include stamp collecting, coin collect­ing, and photography. Since the mid-1900's, interest in such crafts hobbies as needlepoint, quilting, weaving, pottery making, and woodworking has increased sharply.

Most Americans spend part of their leisure time trav­elling. Many take annual holidays, as well as occasional one-day excursions or weekend trips. Some people have holiday homes near lakes or seashores, in the mountains, or in other recreation areas. Others own motor homes or caravans, which provide comfortable living and sleeping quarters during trips. Some people enjoy camping in tents. Others prefer to stay in hotels or motels while on trips.

Food. Americans eat a wide variety of foods. A typical dinner consists of meat and potatoes, plus a lettuce salad or a vegetable, and sometimes rolls or bread. Fa­vourite dinner meats include beef steaks, ground beef dishes, chicken, ham, and turkey. Fish, shellfish, and such dishes as pizza and spaghetti also serve as main courses.

For lunch, many Americans eat a hamburger or a hot dog, or a sandwich made with meat or sliced sausage, cheese, peanut butter, chicken salad, or tuna salad.

Some Americans enjoy a hearty breakfast of eggs or pancakes served with bacon or sausage. Others prefer a light breakfast of toast or a pastry, or cereal with milk and fruit. Orange juice accompanies many breakfasts.

Cake, biscuits, pie, and ice cream are eaten as des­serts and snacks. Other snack foods include chocolate and sweets, crisps made from potatoes or maize, and fruits such as bananas, apples, oranges, and grapes.

Beverages are drunk with meals and also at other times for refreshment. Consumption of soft drinks, espe­cially cola, exceeds that of any other beverage. Ameri­cans also drink much coffee, milk, and beer, and smaller amounts of fruit juices, tea, and wine.

Americans eat out often. Fast-food restaurants have wide popularity. They offer a limited variety of foods, all of which are served within a few minutes. Common fast- food items include hamburgers and other sandwiches, fried chicken, and chips. Many Americans also enjoy the cooking of other countries. Chinese, French, Italian, and Mexican restaurants have long been popular. In recent years, Americans have begun to enjoy the cuisines of India, japan, the Middle East, and many other areas.

Some regions of the United States—for example, Ha­waii and Louisiana—have distinctive food specialities.

European colonists arrived in America during the early 1600's, bringing European art traditions with them. But within a few years, colonists were building houses that probably rank as the first major American works of art. During the 1700's, American craftworkers began to produce outstanding examples of furniture, sculpture, and silverwork. By the mid-1700's, colonial painters were creating excellent portraits.

The first important American literature appeared in the early 1800's with the works of such authors as Wash­ington Irving and James Fenimore Cooper. During the late 1800's, American architects began designing sky­scrapers that revolutionized urban architecture through­out the world. Two uniquely American art forms, jazz and musical comedy, developed during the late 1800's and early 1900's. In the early 1900's, the United States gained international leadership in the new art forms of films and modern dancing.

Today, American architects, authors, composers, painters, and sculptors have achieved worldwide recog­nition and influence. Many of them have shown a keen interest in developing new styles, new ways of express­ing themselves, and even new forms of art.

The United States has an area of 9,372,571 square kilo­metres. The country, excluding Alaska and Hawaii, can be divided into seven major land regions. The regions are: (1) the Appalachian Highlands; (2) the Coastal Low­lands; (3) the Interior Plains; (4) the Ozark-Ouachita High­lands; (5) the Rocky Mountains; (61 the Western Plateaus, Basins, and Ranges; and (7) the Pacific Ranges and Low­lands. For a discussion of the land regions of Alaska and the islands of Hawaii, see the articles on those states.

The Appalachian Highlands extend from the north­ern tip of Maine southwestward to Alabama. This rug­ged region has many mountain ranges.

The White Mountains and the Green Mountains of northern New England are old mountains, worn down but craggy in some places. Southern New England con­sists mostly of hilly land. New England's chief river is the Connecticut. The Adirondack Upland of northern New York includes mountains and many beautiful lakes.

From central New York southward, the Appalachian Highlands has three main subdivisions. They are, from east to west: the Blue Ridge Mountains Area, the Ridge and Valley Region, and the Appalachian Plateau.

The Blue Ridge Mountains Area consists of some of the oldest mountains in the country. The Blue Ridge Mountains themselves are a narrow chain that stretches from southeastern Pennsylvania to northeastern Geor­gia. The Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina are also part of this area. The Hudson Highlands of New York and New jersey form a northern extension of the area. Several mighty rivers, including the Delaware, Hudson, Potomac, and Susquehanna, cut through the mountains to form water gaps. These water

gaps provide low, level land suitable for the construc­tion of major roads and railways.

The Ridge and Valley Region consists of the Great Valley in the east and a series of alternating ridges and valleys in the west. The rolling Great Valley is actually a series of valleys, including the Cumberland, Lebanon, and Lehigh valleys in Pennsylvania; the Shenandoah Val­ley in Virginia; the Valley of East Tennessee; the Rome Valley in Georgia; and the Great Valley of Alabama. The region has some forests, but other wooded areas have been cleared to take advantage of fertile soil and rela­tively level land for farming. About 50 dams on the Ten­nessee River and its branches in the southern Great Val­ley provide flood control and hydroelectric power.

The Appalachian Plateau extends from New York to Alabama. Glaciers covered the northern plateau during the Ice Age and carved out natural features, including the Finger Lakes in New York. Deep, narrow river valleys cut through the plateau in some areas, creating steep, rugged terrain. Deposits of coal, iron ore, oil, and other minerals lie beneath the surface, and many people in the region work in mining. Parts of the region have good farmland. But thin, rocky soil covers much of the plateau, and the steep hillsides are badly eroded.

The Coastal Lowlands extend from southeastern Maine, across the eastern and southern United States, to eastern Texas. Forests of hickory, oak, pine, and other trees are common throughout the lowlands. The region has three subdivisions: (1) the Piedmont, (2) the Atlantic Coastal Plain, and (3) the Gulf Coastal Plain.

The Piedmont is a slightly elevated rofling plain that separates the Blue Ridge Mountains from the Atlantic Coastal Plain. It stretches from southern New York to Al­abama. The eastern boundary of the Piedmont is called the Fall Line. Rivers that reach the Fall Line tumble down from the Piedmont to the lower coastal plains in a series of falls and rapids. In the early days of settlement of the eastern United States, boats travelling inland on coastal rivers stopped at the Fall Line and unloaded their car­goes. The rapids prevented the boats from travelling far­ther. They also provided water power for early indus­tries. As a result, many cities grew up along the Fall Line. Tobacco is a leading agricultural product of the Pied­mont, and the region also has many orchards and dairy farms.

The Atlantic Coastal Plain extends eastward from the Piedmont to the Atlantic Ocean. It ranges from a narrow strip of land in New England to a broad belt that covers much of North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. In colonial times, the broad southern part of the plain encouraged the development of huge plantations for growing cotton. Cotton is still grown there. Other farm products include vegetables, citrus fruits, peanuts, and tobacco. In New England, where the plain narrows to a width of about 15 kilometres in some places, crop farm­ing has always been less important. Many New England­ers turned to manufacturing, fishing, or shipping instead of farming.

Numerous rivers cross the plain and flow into the At­lantic Ocean. They include the Delaware, Hudson, lames, Potomac, Roanoke, Savannah, and Susquehanna. Bays cut deeply into the plain in some areas, creating ex­cellent natural harbours. They include Cape Cod Bay, Boston Bay, Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay, and Long Island Sound.

Many resort areas flourish around the beautiful sandy beaches and offshore islands that line much of the At­lantic shore from New England to Florida. In some in­land regions, swamps form large wilderness areas, where trees and grasses rise up from shallow waters and tangled vines and roots form masses of vegetation.

The Gulf Coastal Plain borders the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to southern Texas. Numerous rivers—in­cluding the Alabama, Mississippi, Rio Grande, and Trinity—cross the plain and flow into the Gulf. The Mis­sissippi, which originates in the Interior Plains to the north, is the most important of these rivers. Barges car­rying cargoes from many parts of the country travel along the river. Soil deposited along the banks of the Mississippi and other rivers in the Gulf Coastal Plain creates fertile farmland. The plain also has belts of hilly forests and grazing land, and large deposits of petro­leum and natural gas lie beneath it and in the offshore Gulf waters. The Gulf Coastal Plain has many sandy beaches, swamps, bays, and offshore islands.

The Interior Plains occupy a huge expanse of land that stretches from the Appalachian Highlands in the east to the Rocky Mountains in the west Glaciers cov­ered much of the region during the Ice Age. They stripped the topsoil from parts of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin and carved out thousands of lakes. Today, much of this area is heavily forested. Farther south—in parts of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Ohio—the glaciers flattened the land and deposited rich soil ideal for growing crops. The plains slope gradually upward from east to west and get progressively drier.

The western part of the region, called the Great Plains, has vast grasslands where livestock graze. It also has large areas of fertile soil that yield maize, wheat, and other crops. Few trees grow on the Great Plains. Some rugged hills, including the Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming, rise up out of the plains.

Deposits of iron ore and coal provide raw materials for many manufacturing industries in the eastern part of the Interior Plains. Important deposits of petroleum and metal ores lie in the western part

Glaciers carved out the five Great Lakes in the Interior Plains. The lakes—Erie, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, and Superior—are the largest group of freshwater lakes in the world. The lakes provide a vital transportation route for shipping the agricultural and industrial products of the Interior Plains. The Mississippi River is the region's other great waterway. The Mississippi and its many branches, including the Missouri and Ohio rivers, form

a river system that reaches into all parts of the Interior Plains.

The Ozark-Ouachita Highlands rise up between the Interior Plains and Coastal Lowlands. The highlands form a scenic landscape in southern Missouri, north­west Arkansas, and eastern Oklahoma. The region is named for the Ozark Plateau and the Ouachita Moun­tains. Rivers and streams have cut deep gorges through the rugged highland terrain. The highlands include for­ested hills, artificial lakes, and many underground caves and gushing springs. Much of the region has poor soil for farming but fertile land lies along the river valleys. Deposits of coal, iron ore, and other minerals are valu­able natural resources of the highlands.

The Rocky Mountains form the largest mountain system in North America. They extend from northern Alaska, through Canada and the western United States to northern New Mexico. Many peaks of the Rockies are more than 4,250 metres high. The Continental Divide, or Great Divide, passes through the mountains. It is an imaginary line that separates streams that flow into the Pacific Ocean from those that flow into the Atlantic. Many important rivers, including the Colorado, Mis­souri, and Rio Grande, begin in the Rockies.

Forests cover the lower mountain slopes. The timber line marks the elevation above which trees cannot grow. Grasses, mosses, and lichens grow above the line. Big­horn sheep, elk, deer, bears, mountain lions, and other animals live in the mountains. Lakes and streams add to the region's spectacular beauty.

Timber production and mining are important indus­tries in the Rockies. The mountains are a storehouse of such metals as copper, gold, lead, silver, and zinc. The region also has large deposits of oil and natural gas.

Mountain meadows provide grazing land for beef and dairy cattle, and valleys are used for growing crops.

For many years, the Rockies formed a major barrier to transportation across the United States. In the 1860's, the nation's first transcontinental rail line was built, passing through the Rocky Mountain region at the Wyoming Basin. Today, other railways and major roads cut through tunnels and passes in the mountains, and aero­planes fly over the mountains.

The Western Plateaus, Basins, and Ranges lie west of the Rocky Mountains. This region extends from Washington south to the Mexican border. It is the driest part of the United States. Parts of it are wastelands with little plant life. But the region has some forested moun­tains, and some fertile areas where rivers provide irriga­tion water necessary for growing crops. In other areas, livestock graze on huge stretches of dry land.

The Columbia Plateau occupies the northernmost part of the region. It has fertile volcanic soil, formed by lava that flowed out of giant cracks in the earth thousands of years ago. The Colorado Plateau lies in the southern part of the region. It has some of the nation's most unusual landforms, including natural bridges and arches of solid rock and huge, flat-topped rock formations. The pla­teau's spectacular river gorges, including the Grand Canyon, rank among the world's great natural wonders.

The Basin and Range part of the region is a vast area of mountains and desert lowlands between the Colum­bia and Colorado plateaus. It includes Death Valley in California. Part of Death Valley lies 86 metres below sea level and is the lowest place in the United States. The Great Basin is an area within the larger Basin and Range area. Great Salt Lake is the largest of many shallow, salty lakes in the Great Basin. Bathers cannot sink in Great Salt

Lake because the high salt content provides great buoy­ancy, enabling swimmers to float with ease. Near the lake is the Great Salt Lake Desert, which includes a large, hard, flat bed of salt.

The Pacific Ranges and Lowlands stretch across western Washington and Oregon and most of California. The region's eastern boundary is formed by the Cascade Mountains in the north and by the Sierra Nevada in the south. Volcanic activity formed the Cascades. Two of the Cascades—Lassen Peak in California and Mount Saint Helens in Washington—are active volcanoes. Some of the range's highest peaks have glaciers and permanent snowfields. Evergreen forests cover the lower slopes and provide the raw materials for timber and paper products industries. The Sierra Nevada are granite mountains, dotted with lakes and waterfalls.

Broad, fertile valleys lie west of the Cascade and Si­erra Nevada mountains. They include the Puget Sound Lowland of Washington, the Willamette Valley of Ore­gon, and the Central Valley of California. Valley farms produce large amounts of fruits and vegetables.

West of the valleys, the Coast Ranges line the Pacific shore. In many places, they rise up abruptly from the ocean, creating craggy walls of rock. In other areas, the mountains lie behind sandy coastal plains. Deep bays that jut into the coast include Puget Sound, Columbia River Bay, San Francisco Bay, and San Diego Bay.

The San Andreas Fault runs through the Coast Ranges in California. It is a break in the earth where movements of the earth's crust cause occasional earthquakes. Giant redwood trees grow on the mountains in northern Cali­fornia. Set among the Coast Ranges are a number of rich agricultural valleys that produce much of the nation's lettuce, dried fruit, and wine grapes.

The climate of the United States varies greatly from place to place. Average annual temperatures range from 13° C in Barrow, Alaska, to 25.7'’ C in Death Valley, California. The highest temperature ever recorded in the country was 57” C. It was registered at Death Valley on July 10,1913. The lowest recorded temperature was —62° C It was registered at Prospect Creek, near Bar­row, Alaska, on |an. 23,1971.

Precipitation (rain, snow, hail, and other forms of moisture) ranges from a yearly average of less than 5 centimetres at Death Valley to about 1,170 centimetres at Mount Waialeale in Hawaii. In general, however, most parts of the United States have seasonal changes in tem­perature and moderate precipitation.

The Midwest, the Middle Atlantic States, and New England experience warm summers and cold, snowy winters. In the South, summers are long and hot, and winters are mild. Along the Pacific Coast, and in some other areas near large bodies of water, the climate is rel­atively mild all year round.

Mountains also affect the climate. In the West, for ex­ample, the mountainous areas are cooler and wetter than the neighbouring plains and plateaus. Parts of the West and Southwest of the United States have a desert climate.

The moderate climate in much of the United States has encouraged widespread population settlement. It has also helped make possible the production of a great variety of agricultural goods. See North America (Climate).

The United States ranks first in the world in the total value of its economic production. The nation's gross na­tional product (GNPI— the value of all the goods and services produced by a country in a year—amounted to about 5 trillion U.S. dollars in 1988. This total was more than twice the GNP of Japan, which ranked second.

The United States economy is based largely on a free enterprise system. In such a system, individuals and companies are free to make their own economic deci­sions. Individuals and companies own the raw materials, equipment, factories, and other items necessary for pro­duction, and they decide how best to use them in order to earn a profit.

Even though the U.S. economy is based on free enter­prise, the government has placed regulations on eco­nomic practices through the years. It has passed anti­trust laws, which are designed to keep one company or a few firms from controlling entire industries. Such con­trol, called a monopoly, does away with competition and enables controlling companies to charge high prices and reduce the quality of goods. Government regulations have protected consumers from unsafe mer­chandise and protected workers from unsafe working conditions and unreasonably low wages. The govern­ment has also enacted regulations designed to reduce environmental pollution. Some people argue that the government interferes in the economy too much. Others say it should do more. In spite of involvement by the government, the United States still has one of the least regulated economies in the world. See Capitalism; Mo­nopoly and competition.

In spite of its overall strength, the United States econ­omy has faced problems from time to time. The prob­lems include recessions (mild business slumps), depressions (severe business slumps), and inflation (rising prices). See Depression; Great Depression; Recession; Inflation.

Natural resources. A variety of natural resources provide the raw materials that support the economy of the United States. In addition to a moderate climate, the most valuable resources are minerals, soils, water, for­ests, and fish.

Minerals. The United States has large deposits of coal, iron ore, natural gas, and petroleum, which are vital to the country's industrial strength. Its many other important minerals include copper, gold, lead, phosphates, potash, silver, sulphur, and zinc. To meet its needs, however, the United States must import additional amounts of iron ore, petroleum, and other minerials.

Soils. The United States has vast expanses of fertile soil that is well-suited to growing crops. The most fertile soils include the dark soils of the Interior Plains and the alluvial (water-deposited) soils along the lower Mississippi River Valley and other smaller river valleys. Rich, wind-blown soil called loess covers parts of eastern Washington and the southern Interior Plains.

Water. Lakes, rivers, and underground deposits supply water for households, farms, and industries in the United States. The nation uses about 1,500 billion litres  of water daily. Households use only about 10 per cent of this total. The vast majority of the rest is used to operate manufacturing industries and steam power plants, and to irrigate farms.

Forests cover nearly a third of the United States, and they yield many valuable products. About 40 per cent of the nation's timber comes from the trees of forests in the Pacific Northwest. Forests in the South supply tim­ber, wood pulp—which is used to make paper—and nearly all the turpentine, pitch, rosin, and wood tar pro­duced in the United States. The Appalachian Mountains and parts of the Great Lakes area have fine hardwood forests. Hickory, maple, oak, and other hardwood trees cut from these forests provide quality woods for the manufacture of furniture.

Fish. Americans who fish for a living catch about 5.6 million metric tons of sea products annually. The great­est quantities are taken from the Gulf of Mexico, where important catches include menhaden, oysters, and shrimp. The Pacific Ocean supplies Alaska pollock, cod, crabs, herring, salmon, tuna, and other fish. The Atlantic yields cod, flounder, herring, menhaden, and other fish; and such shellfish as clams, lobsters, oysters, and scal­lops.

Service industries account for 74 per cent of the U.S. gross domestic product and employ 76 per cent of the country's workers. This industry group includes a wide variety of businesses that provide services rather than producing goods.

Community, social, and personal services are rated first among U.S. service industries in terms of the gross domestic product. This industry includes such establish­ments as doctors' offices and private hospitals, hotels, law firms, computer programming and data processing companies, restaurants, repair shops, private research laboratories, and engineering companies.

Finance, insurance, and land and property services are rated second among U.S. service industries. Banks fi­nance much of the economic activity in the United

States by lending money to both individuals and busi­nesses. American banks lend billions of dollars annually. Most of the loans to individuals are for the purchase of houses, cars, or other major items. Loans to businesses provide an important source of money for capital expansion— the construction of new factories and the purchase of new equipment. As a business expands, it hires more workers. These workers, in turn, produce more goods and services. In this way, the nation's level of employment and its economic output both increase.

Other important types of financial institutions include commodity and security exchanges. Commodities are basic goods, such as grains and precious metals. Securi­ties are certificates of investment, such as stocks and bonds. The prices of commodities and securities are de­termined by the buying and selling that takes place at exchanges. The New York Stock Exchange is the nation's largest security exchange. The Chicago Board of Trade is the world's largest commodity exchange.

The United States has the world's largest private in­surance industry. The country has about 2,000 life and health insurance companies and about 3,500 property and liability companies. Land and property services are important to the economy of the United States because of the large sums of money involved in the buying and selling of property.

Wholesale and retail trade play major roles in the American economy. Wholesale trade, which includes foreign trade, takes place when a buyer purchases goods directly from a producer. The goods may then be sold to other businesses for resale to consumers. Retail trade involves selling products to the final consumer. Grocery shops, department stores, and car dealerships are examples of retail trade establishments.

Foreign trade provides markets for surplus agricul­tural goods and many raw materials and manufactured goods produced in the United States. The nation im­ports goods that it lacks entirely or that producers do not supply in sufficient quantities. It also imports goods produced by foreign companies that compete with U.S. firms. During much of.the country's history, the value of U.S. exports has exceeded, or been about the same as, the value of its imports. But since the mid-1960s, the value of imports has usually been much higher than the value of exports.

Important U.S. exports include (II machinery and transportation equipment, such as aircraft, computers electric power equipment, industrial machinery, and motor vehicles and parts; (2) manufactured articles, es­pecially scientific measuring equipment; (3) chemical el­ements and compounds, including plastic materials; (4) basic manufactures, such as metals and paper; and (5) agricultural products, especially maize and wheat.

The leading U.S. imports are (1) machinery and trans­port equipment, such as cars and parts, engines, office machines, and telecommunications equipment; (2) man­ufactured articles, such as clothing, shoes, and toys; (3| mineral fuels and lubricants, especially petroleum; (4) basic manufactures, such as iron, steel, and other met­als, and paper and newsprint; and (5) chemical products, such as chemical compounds and medicines.

Canada and Japan are the country's chief trading part­ners. Other major U.S. trading partners include Ger­many, Mexico, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom.

Government services play a major role in the econ­omy. Federal, state, and local governments employ 17 per cent of U.S. workers. Many government employees are directly involved in making public policies. Others- including police officers, postal workers, teachers, and refuse collectors—provide public services.

Federal, state, and local governments buy a fifth of all the goods and services produced in the nation. These purchases range from paper clips to office buildings.

The federal government is the nation's largest single buyer of goods and services. Its agencies, including the military, buy billions of dollars worth of equipment from private companies. In addition, federal grants finance much of the nation's research activity. State govern­ments spend most of their income on education, health care and hospitals, highways, and social security bene­fits. Local governments spend over a third of their in­come on education, and less for police and fire protec­tion, hospitals, streets, sanitation and sewerage, and parks.

In addition to its roles as an employer and purchaser of goods and services, government influences the econ­omy by providing income to certain groups of people. For example, the federal government makes social secu­rity payments to retired and disabled people. Federal, state, and local governments provide assistance to the needy. Such government programmes are the only source of income for some Americans.

Transportation, communication, and utilities are also important to the economy. Utility companies provide electricity, gas, telephone, and water services. More in­formation on transportation and communication ap­pears later in this section.

Manufacturing accounts for 18 per cent of the gross domestic product and employs 16 per cent of the work­ers. The value of American manufactured goods is greater than that of any other country. Factories in the United States turn out a tremendous variety of producer goods, such as sheet metal and printing presses; and

consumer goods, such as cars, clothing, and TV sets. The leading categories of U.S. products are, in order of value, chemicals, transportation equipment, food prod­ucts, nonelectrical machinery, electrical machinery and equipment, printed materials, scientific and medical in­struments, fabricated metal products, paper products, rubber and plastic products, and primary metals.

The Midwest and Northeast have long been major U.S. centres of manufacturing. Since the mid-1900's, the country's fastest-growing manufacturing areas have been on the West Coast, in the Southwest, and in the South. Today, California is first among the states in the value of its manufactured goods, followed by Texas, Ohio, Michigan, New York, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. Manufacturers in California produce aircraft, aerospace equipment, computers and electronic components, food products, and many other goods.

Midwestern factories turn out much of the nation's iron and steel, cars, and other heavy industrial products. The Northeast has many clothing factories, food proces­sors, printing plants, and manufacturers of electronic equipment. Petroleum refineries and petro chemical in­dustries account for much of the manufacturing activity in Texas and other states bordering the Gulf of Mexico. Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Seattle, and Wichita are im­portant centres for the manufacture of aircraft and re­lated equipment

Through the years, Americans have developed manu­facturing processes that have greatly increased produc­tivity. During the early 1900's, U.S. car firms introduced the moving assembly line and identical interchangeable parts for cars. This led to mass production, in which large numbers of goods could be produced in less time and at a lower cost than ever before. Beginning in the mid-1900's, U.S. industries turned increasingly to automation—the use of machines that operate with little human help. American inventors and engineers devel­oped computers to bring automation to an even higher level. Today, computers operate machines, handle ac­counting, and perform many other important functions in industries. See Manufacturing.

Construction accounts for 4 per cent of the U.S. gross domestic product and provides jobs for 4 per cent of the work force. This industry employs such workers as architects, engineers, contractors, bricklay­ers, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, roofers, iron­workers, and plasterers.

Agriculture accounts for 2 per cent of the U.S. gross domestic product and employs 3 per cent of the nation's workers. Yet, the United States is a world leader in agri­culture production. The country's farms turn out as much food as the nation needs, with enough left over to export food to other countries. About a third of the world's food exports come from U.S. farms.

Beef cattle is the most valuable product of American farms. Millions of beef cattle are reared on huge ranches in the western United States. The South and Midwest also produce large numbers of beef cattle. Other leading farm products, in order of value, include milk, maize, soybeans, chickens and eggs, pigs, wheat, and cotton. United States farms also produce large amounts of hay, tobacco, turkeys, oranges, potatoes, to­matoes, apples, peanuts, and sorghum.

Farmers throughout the country rear dairy cattle for milk and other products. Much of the dairy production is concentrated in a belt that extends from Minnesota to

New York. Midwestern states account for much of the nation's maize, soybeans, and pig production. The na­tion's chief wheat-growing region stretches across the Great Plains. Most of the chickens are reared in the South. California and states in the South and Southwest produce almost all the country's cotton. Farmers in various areas also produce poultry, eggs, fruit, vegetables, nuts, and many other crops.

The United States has played a major role in the mod­ernization of agriculture. During the 1800's, American in­ventors developed the first successful harvesting ma­chine and steel plough. United States scientists have contributed to the development of improved plant varie­ties and livestock breeds, as well as agricultural chemi­cals for fertilizer and pest control.

The use of modern farm machinery and agricultural methods has helped make U.S. farms to be among the most efficient in the world. But it has also contributed to rapidly rising production costs. Many farmers who have been unable to meet these rising costs have been forced to leave farming and sell their land. Since 1925, the number of farms in the United States has decreased from about 6,500,000 to about 2,100,000. At the same time, average farm size increased from about 58 hec­tares to about 189 hectares. Some of the largest farms in the United States are owned by corporations. But more than 95 per cent of all the farms are owned by individu­als or by corporations or partnerships made up of mem­bers of farm families. See Agriculture.

Mining. The United States is among the leading countries in the value of its mineral production. Mining accounts for 2 per cent of the gross domestic product and employs 1 per cent of the workers.

The chief mineral products of the United States are, in order of value, petroleum, natural gas, and coal. The United States is third, after Russia and Saudi Arabia, in the production of petroleum. It is second to Russia in natural gas production. The United States is second- largest producer of coal—after China. Most coal depos­its lie in the Interior Plains and the Appalachian High­lands. Major deposits of petroleum and natural gas occur in Alaska, California, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. Other important minerals include clays, copper, gold, granite, iron ore, limestone, phosphate rock, salt, sand and gravel, sodium carbonate, sulphur, and trap (a fine-grained rock).

Although mining accounts for a small share of the total economic output in the United States, it has been a key to the growth of other parts of the economy. Coal and iron ore, for example, are needed to make steel. Steel, in turn, is used to make cars, buildings, bridges, and many other goods. Coal is also a fuel for electric power plants. Refineries turn petroleum into petrol; fuel oil for heating and industrial power; and petro­chemicals used in the manufacture of plastics, paint, drugs, fertilizers, and synthetic fabrics. Limestone, gran­ite, and trap are crushed for use in construction materi­als. Sand and gravel are also used in construction. Sul­phur and phosphates are used to make fertilizer. See Mining.

Energy sources. The farms, factories, households, and motor vehicles of the United States consume vast amounts of energy annually. Various sources are used to generate the energy. Petroleum provides about 40 per cent. It is the source of most of the energy used to power motor vehicles, and it heats millions of houses and factories. Natural gas generates about 25 per cent of the energy used. Many industries use gas for heat and power and millions of households burn it for heat, cook­ing, and drying laundry. Coal is the source of about 25 per cent of all the energy. Its major uses are in the pro­duction of electricity and steel. The electricity lights buildings and powers factory and farm machinery. Hy­droelectric and nuclear power plants each generate about 5 per cent of America's energy.

Since the mid-1900s, the cost of energy—especially the petroleum portion—has risen dramatically. The ris­ing cost became a major contributor to inflation in the United States and other countries. For more details, see Energy supply.

Transportation. A sprawling transportation network spreads out over the United States. Motor vehicles drive on about 6,200,000 kilometres of streets, roads, and highways in the country. The United States has an aver­age of about 75 cars for every 100 people. Americans use cars for most of their personal travel. Trucks carry nearly 25 per cent of the freight in the United States.

The United States has about 240,000 kilometres of railway lines. Railways are the leading freight carriers in the United States, handling more than 35 per cent of the freight. But they account for less than 1 per cent of all passenger traffic. See Railway.

Airlines handle about 18 per cent of all U.S. passenger traffic, but less than one-half of 1 per cent of the freight traffic. Chicago-O'Hare International Airport is the world's busiest airport. See Airport Aviation.

About 15 per cent of the freight traffic in the United States travels on waterways. The Mississippi River sys­tem handles more than half of this freight. Ships and barges travelling on the Mississippi and its branches, in­cluding the Arkansas, Missouri, and Ohio rivers, can reach deep into the country's interior. The Great Lakes form the nation's other major inland waterway. The St. Lawrence Seaway links the lakes with the Atlantic Ocean.

There are many major ports in the United States. New Orleans ranks as the busiest port in the nation, followed by the ports of New York City and Houston.

The nation has a vast network of pipelines that carries crude oil, petroleum products, and natural gas. Pipe­lines account for nearly 25 per cent of the total freight handled in the United States.

Communication. Private corporations operate the publishing and broadcasting industries in the United States. The First Amendment of the Constitution guaran­tees freedom of the press and speech. These guarantees allow newspapers and broadcasters to operate without government censorship. Laws prohibit the publishing or broadcasting of libellous, obscene, and treasonous ma­terials. But, for the most part, the government interferes little in the operation of the communication industry.

The free exchange of ideas and information is a vital part of the democratic heritage of the United States.

Publishers in the United States issue about 1,600 daily newspapers, which have a total circulation of more than 60 million copies. The nation also has about 7,000 week­ly and semiweekly newspapers. The newspapers pro­vide information on local, national, and international events.

In the United States, most newspapers chiefly serve a local region. However, The Wall Street journal, USA Today, The New York Times, and The Christian Science Monitor circulate throughout most of the country. The Wall Street Journal, which specializes in business news, has the largest circulation among U.S. newspapers.

There are more than 11,300 radio stations, about 1,500, television stations, and about 8,500 cable TV systems in the United States. Radio and TV provide entertainment, news, and public interest programmes. In the United States, both national networks and local stations produce and broadcast programmes. Almost every household has at least one TV set and one or more radios, and more than half of the households subscribe to cable TV.

Outline

The nation

Political divisions

Regions

C Outlying areas

People

Population

Ancestry C Language

Way of life

Urban life     

Rural life      

Religion

Education

Recreation

Food

Arts

Land

The Appalachian Highlands

The Coastal Lowlands

The Interior Plains

The Ozark-Ouachita Highlands

The Rocky Mountains

The Western Plateaus, Basins, and Ranges

The Pacific Ranges and Lowlands

Climate

Economy

Natural resources

Service industries

Manufacturing

Construction           

Agriculture

Mining

Energy sources

Transportation

Communication

Questions

How does the United States rank among the countries of the world in population and area?

Why is the country called a melting pot. What are the country's main land regions?

How does mineral production contribute to other parts of the American economy?

What are some of the U.S.'s leading farm products?

What are some of the reasons why the United States changed from a rural nation to an urban nation?

Where is the lowest land in the United States?

What are some problems that are faced by schools in the United States?

What are the major religions in the United States?

What are some positive and negative features of U.S. urban life and rural life?