Transcript The United States of America

The United States of
America
Unit 2
U.S. Geographic Regions
Northeast
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Most densely populated region of the U.S.
Very cold winters. Hot/Humid summers.
Democratic States
Home to most major corporations in the U.S.
Strong maritime industry (fishing)
South
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Hot, humid summers. Mild winters.
Agriculture (farms)
Population is evenly distributed (except cities)
Jazz, country, bluegrass, gospel, blues
Republican States
Midwest
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The Great Plains – flat with rolling hills
Dense population around the Great Lakes
Besides that, scarcely populated
Very dry in the Great Plains
Lots of farming
West
• Rocky Mountains
• Earthquakes, floods, and intense droughts
• Population dense along coastal areas,
particularly in California
• Hi-tech, wine, movie, and fishing industry
• Grand Canyon
U.S. History
• Originally inhabited by Native Americans
• England, France, and Spain began settling the
“New World”
• 13 British colonies
• Revolutionary War leads to the founding of
the United States of America (1776/1788)
U.S. Expansion (1788)
U.S. Expansion (1796)
U.S. Expansion (1837)
U.S. Expansion (1850)
U.S. Expansion (1950)
The American Civil War(1861-1865)
• Southern states seceded from the Union
• Southern states, like today, were highly
agricultural (farming)
• Slaves worked the farms
• Abraham Lincoln worked to abolish slavery
• The Union won
U.S. Immigration
• The United States = “The Melting Pot”
• The U.S. received large amounts of immigration
in the early 1900s, and recent decades
• Early 1900s: Ellis Island
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WWI and WWII
“The Great War”: 1914-1918
World War II: 1939-1945
In both wars, resolutions were uncertain
U.S. intervention determined both outcomes
The U.S. has been the world superpower
since WWII
The Cold War (1945-1991)
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The war with no fighting
United States* vs Soviet Union*
Capitalism vs Communism
Ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall
September 11, 2001
• Terrorists hijack 4 American planes
• Sends the United States and other nations into
Afghanistan and Iraq
• It was the worst day we have ever seen, but it
brought out the best in all of us.”
American Government
• Federal System: National and State Govts.
• 3 Branches of Government:
– Executive (President)
– Legislative (Congress)
– Judicial (Supreme Court)
• Republic: people vote for officials to represent
them (legislators, senators, etc.)
American Economy
• Market/Mixed
• 77 % of workers are employed in service jobs
– Government
– Education
– Banking, etc.
• NAFTA (North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement)
American Economy Facts
• GDP per capital = $52, 800
– The average American makes about $53,000
• Unemployment rate = 7.3%
– 7.3% of Americans are looking for a job but do not
have a job
• 1/3 of all American exports go to Canada and
Mexico
– What are some reasons for this?
What does the U.S.A. produce?
Use your cell phone to find what the United
States produces.
What do we produce the most of?
What do we lead the world in?
Culture: Language
• The United States does not have an official
language
• People from different parts of the culture use
different words to express the same idea.
What do you call this?
Varied American Language
Culture: Religion
• What religion does most of “The South” practice?