United States Geography and Climate
The USA stands for United States of America and in Swedish this means “the United States of America”. The country is sometimes called America in short, which can actually mean that you mean several other countries that are in North America, Central America and South America, but in Swedish it is very common to say the United States. The country consists of 50 different states and 48 of these border each other while the state of Alaska borders Canada and Hawaii is located in the central Pacific Ocean. The United States also controls five populated and nine unpopulated territories in the Caribbean and the Pacific.
The United States is sometimes called “the great melting pot”, which means that the population has a very varied background. Most have moved in from other countries, and Sweden has also had an extensive wave of emigration to North America. A small part of the population consists of the indigenous Native Americans who were in place before the Europeans discovered America. It is not just the population that is varied. When you look at the country’s nature, it consists of everything from tropical climates to high mountains, and it is also home to many different species of animals. English is the country’s main language, but Spanish is also important for a significant part of the population. The closer you get to Mexico, the more important Spanish becomes, but this language is also used by immigrants who have come to large American cities such as New York, to look for work.
Geography and climate
If you look at the continental United States, it is a land area of about 7,700,000 km². The largest state is Alaska, which is separated from the continental United States by Canada. When you look at the surface, the United States is considered the world’s third largest country after Russia and Canada. The country has coastline to the Atlantic as well as to the Pacific Ocean and it includes forests as well as desert landscapes. In the United States, there are active volcanoes in the Alexander Archipelago as well as in Alaska and the Hawaiian Islands. In Yellowstone National Park, there is a huge volcano that is considered the continent’s largest.
Because the country is so large and has such a varied geography, you have many different climate types. Here is a humid continental climate as well as a tropical climate. According to BRIDGAT.COM, the climate you get depends on where in the country you are and at what altitude above sea level. In the mountains in the western part of the USA, there is a mountain climate, while the California coast towards the Pacific Ocean has a typical coastal climate. Some parts of the country are regularly exposed to storms and hurricanes. And then especially the states that are close to the Gulf of Mexico as well as the east coast that can be affected by storms that pull in from the north.
Economy and tourism
The US economy is a capitalist mixed economy. It has a well-functioning infrastructure as well as plenty of natural resources and good productivity. The United States has long had the world’s largest national GDP. In terms of exports, it is the world’s third largest export country and the country’s largest trading partners are Canada, China, Mexico, Japan and Germany. The private sector accounts for over half of the country’s economy. It is the third largest producer of oil in the world, while at the same time being the world’s largest importer of oil. In agriculture, corn and soybeans are the main products and the country is also behind enormously well-known brands, one of which is a brown bubbly drink with a red label that you hardly need to write your name on!
The tourism industry is also very large in the United States which has so many natural exciting places to see as well as culture that attracts people from all corners of the globe. Every year, millions of tourists come to the United States and of course there are also plenty of tourists among themselves as people travel between different states and cities for holiday experiences. Tourists spend more money in the United States than in any other country and the country is considered the world’s most popular tourist destination after France.
Culture
Everyone has an idea of what American culture means, but really it is quite difficult to consolidate exactly what American culture is when it comes to such a multicultural country. A big city like New York has different areas where different groups with different ethnicities have taken root, such as China Town. At the same time, it can be said that the country has a kind of traditional American culture that is classified as Western and that comes from the culture and traditions of European immigrants. This culture is reflected in the film and music that comes from the United States. One thing that can be said with certainty is that the United States is by far the most individualistic culture in the world, where the idea is that anyone can move from poverty to wealth and possibly also fame.