Transcript USA Research Sheet Help- answers - Central Dauphin School District

United States
Research
Do Now

Please get out your USA Research
Graphic Organizer that we worked on in
the library.
Geography
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Location
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Capital Washington DC
Largest cities
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North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the
North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico
38 00 N, 97 00 W
about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the size of
Africa; about half the size of South America (or slightly larger
than Brazil); slightly larger than China; more than twice the size
of the European Union
(2010 census) New York City (8,175,133); Los Angeles
(3,792,621); Chicago (2,695,598); Houston (2,100,263);
Philadelphia (1,526,006); Phoenix (1,445,632); San Antonio
(1,327,407); San Diego (1,307,402); Dallas (1,197,816); San
Jose (945,942).
Population
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318,892,103 (July 2014 est.)
Geography
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Area
 total:
9,826,675 sq km land: 9,161,966 sq km water:
664,709 sq km
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Highest Elevation
 Highest—Mount
McKinley (Denali) 6,194 m (highest
point in North America) above sea level. Lowest—
Death Valley -86 m
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Landforms (physical features, terrain)
 vast
central plain, mountains in west, hills and low
mountains in east; rugged mountains and broad river
valleys in Alaska; rugged, volcanic topography in
Hawaii
Geography
Bodies of Water
Oceans: Atlantic, Pacific
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Rivers: Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Columbia, Colorado,
Rio Grande, Potomac, Hudson
Lakes: Great Lakes
Gulf: Gulf of Mexico
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Natural Resources
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coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, rare earth
elements, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash,
silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber
Geography
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Climate
 mostly
temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida,
arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of
the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of
the southwest; low winter temperatures in the
northwest are ameliorated occasionally in January
and February by warm chinook winds from the
eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains
Plant Life
 Douglas
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fir, hemlock, red cedar, evergreen, goldenrod
Animal Life
 bear,
wolves, foxes, coyote, heron, alligator, duck,
bullfrog, eagle
History
**1492- First Europeans led by Christopher
Columbus Arrive in America
1700- England had set up 13 separate colonies
**1763- British helped the colonist fight the FrenchIndian War
1774- The First Continental Congress meet in
Philadelphia to challenge British rule.
April 19, 1775- American Revolution begins
History
**May 1775- Second Continental congress
meets and forms an army led by George
Washington.
**July 4, 1776- Declaration of Independence
1781- End of the Revolutionary War
**Sept. 3, 1783- British and American
leaders sign the Treaty of Paris
May1787- Congress called for a
Constitutional Convention to make
changes to the first Constitution.
History
**1788- US Constitution was approved
1803- US Purchased the Louisiana Territory from
France.
1853- The US controlled all the land that would be
the 48 contiguous states.
**1861- The start of the Civil War between the
North and the South (States Rights)
**1900- US Obtained Hawaii and Alaska(1959)
and was involved in two World Wars. (19141918) (1939-1945)
1920- More people live in US cities than on farms
Government
 Type of Government
 constitution-based
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federal republic; strong democratic
tradition
Administrative Division
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50 states and 1 district
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Independence
 4 July 1776 (declared); 3 September 1783
(recognized by Great Britain)
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Executive Branch
 President Barack Obama, Vice President Joseph
Biden, and Cabinet
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Legislative Branch
 bicameral congress consists of Senate and House of
Representatives
Government
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Judicial Branch
 United
States Supreme Court (consists of 9 justices the chief justice and 8 associate justices), Courts of
Appeal (includes the US Court of Appeal for the
Federal District and 12 regional appeals courts); 94
federal district courts in 50 states and territories
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Political Parties
 Democratic
Party, Republican Party, Green Party,
Libertarian Party
Economy
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Gross Domestic Product
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Unemployment Rate
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$16.72 trillion (2013 est.)
$52,800 (2013 est.) per capita
7.3% (2013 est.)
Service Industries
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education and health care, data processing and legal services,
the operation of hotels and recreational facilities. finance,
insurance, real estate, trade, transportation, communication,
government services, retail trade, automobile dealerships,
department stores, and supermarkets
Economy
 Manufacturing
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Agriculture
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motor vehicles and parts; processed foods and beverages;
chemicals; fabricated metal products; machinery; paper
products; aluminum, steel, and other metals; wood products
Soybeans, fruit, corn
Import Partners
China 19%, Canada 14.1%, Mexico 12%
Import Products: agricultural products 4.9%, industrial supplies 32.9%
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(crude oil 8.2%), capital goods 30.4% (computers, telecommunications
equipment, motor vehicle parts, office machines, electric power
machinery), consumer goods 31.8% (automobiles, clothing, medicines,
furniture, toys)
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Export Partners
Canada 18.9%, Mexico 14%, China 7.2%
Export Products: agricultural products (soybeans, fruit, corn) 9.2%,
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industrial supplies (organic chemicals) 26.8%, capital goods (transistors,
aircraft, motor vehicle parts, computers, telecommunications equipment)
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Currency
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United States Dollar (USD)
Culture
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Ethnic Groups
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Language
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English 82.1%, Spanish 10.7%, other Indo-European 3.8%,
Asian and Pacific island 2.7%, other 0.7% (2000 census). The
US has no official language
Religion
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white 79.96%, black 12.85%, Asian 4.43%, Amerindian and
Alaska native 0.97%, native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander
0.18%, two or more races 1.61% (July 2007 estimate)
Protestant 51.3%, Roman Catholic 23.9%, Mormon 1.7%, other
Christian 1.6%, Jewish 1.7%, Buddhist 0.7%, Muslim 0.6%, other
or unspecified 2.5%, unaffiliated 12.1%, none 4% (2007 est.)
Holidays
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Independence Day (July 4), Presidents Day, Martin Luther King
Jr. Day
Culture
Food
Hot dogs, Cheese Steak, Cheeseburger, Sweet
Potatoes, Corn, Apple Pie, Fried Chicken, Baked Ham
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Attractions/Places to Visit
 Grand Canyon, Walt Disney World, Times Square,
Las Vegas Strip
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National anthem Star Spangled Banner
National symbols: Bald Eagle, Flag of United States,
United States Seal
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