2018-05-08 16:43:40
What does the abbreviation USA mean?
The abbreviation USA stands for United States of America. The USA includes large parts of the North American continent and smaller parts in the Pacific Ocean or the Caribbean. A total of 50 states belong to the USA.
We often speak of America when we actually mean the USA. Strictly speaking, that is not correct. Because America is the collective term for North and South America and, in addition to Canada in the north of North America, also includes all South and Central American countries such as Mexico, Brazil and Chile.
When did immigration to the US begin?
The first European settlers began moving to the “New World” after Christopher Columbus “discovered” America in 1492. Strictly speaking, the American continent was not discovered, but only found by the Europeans and conquered in bloody battles against the indigenous population.
Both North and South America have been inhabited for thousands of years by indigenous peoples, including advanced cultures such as the Maya, the Incas and the Aztecs in South and Central America and the Native Americans in North America.
The Spaniards were the first colonists to arrive in Central America in the early 15th century and colonized the indigenous people. The territory of present-day Canada was settled primarily by the French at the beginning of the 17th century. Jamestown, settled in 1607, was the first English colony in what is now Virginia.
Settlers from other European countries followed the call for freedom to the New World or fled famine and wars. At about the same time as the arrival of the Europeans, the first Africans were deported to America as Slavs.
More than 500,000 Germans moved to North America in the first half of the 19th century and at the end of the 19th century they formed the third largest population group with almost nine percent. The English formed the majority with almost 60 percent, followed by the Irish with 10.5 percent. Other settlers originally came from Scotland, Wales, Holland, France and Sweden.
In the early 20th century, the term “melting pot” became more common in reference to the United States. It describes the merging of different citizenships, cultures and ethnic groups within the United States.
By 1970, however, over 60 percent of immigrants were European. This was due to a racist quota system from 1924, which was only abolished in 1978. Today there is a uniform immigration quota for all countries. The Hispanics form the largest ethnic minority with over 35 million inhabitants.
What is the capital of the USA?
The state capital Washington is therefore not in the state of the same name and does not belong to it either. Washington City has a population of just over six million, making it the sixth largest city in the United States and home to many well-known and historic buildings. Here is the famous White House, the US seat of government where the current US President Donald Trump resides. The Capitol, the seat of Congress, is also located here.
Other historical buildings are:
The Library of CongressFord’s TheatreWashington Union StationWashington National CathedralNational Museum of Natural HistoryLincoln MemorialUnited States Supreme Court BuildingNational Mall with the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting PoolJefferson MemorialPentagon
Where is the capital of the USA located?
The state capital, Washington, is near the east coast. The state of the same name, on the other hand, is on the west coast, in the north of the country. So Washington State and Washington DC just share the name. Washington DC is not part of any US state.
The city is on the original land of Maryland and Virginia, but is part of the District of Columbia. This federal district is not a state and is not affiliated with any state. The city has an area of 177 square kilometers. Washington, DC is located at the confluence of the Anacostia River and the Potomac River. Just over six million people live in the city.
When was New York the capital of the USA?
After the founding of the United States and the enactment of the US Constitution in 1788, New York City was the capital of the United States for two years. The first US President, George Washington, took the oath of office on the balcony of New York Federal Hall.
Federal Hall was the first US Capitol building and the seat of the first Congress between 1788 and 1790. In 1790 it was decided that Philadelphia would be the capital for 10 years while the new capital was planned and built. The first President George Washington chose the area of the city of Washington, which at that time consisted of a meadow and swamp landscape. This means that today’s US capital, Washington DC, is purely a planned city.
How many states does the USA have?
The USA has 50 states and the District of Columbia, the federal district in which the capital Washington DC is located. The 50 states are represented by stars on the US flag. 48 of the 50 states are in the heartland.
The two remaining states, Hawaii and Alaska, are outside the heartland. Alaska is the northernmost US state, bordering the Bering Sea to the west and Canada to the east. To the north is the Arctic Ocean, to the south is the Pacific Ocean.
And although Alaska is the largest state, only just over 0.2 percent of the US population lives here due to the harsh climate. The United States of America bought the territory from the Russian Empire in 1867. On January 3, 1959, Alaska was officially recognized as the 49th state. Shortly thereafter, Hawaii, the chain of islands in the Pacific Ocean, became the 50th state of the United States.
The history of the USA began with the declaration of independence on July 4, 1776. With this declaration, the 13 colonies along the east coast of England declared themselves free. The reason for the cut-off from the mother country were high tax demands and interference in the economic development of the colonies.
Which are the states of the USA?
These are the 50 states of the USA:
AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasKalifornienColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming
In addition, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, the United States Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are so-called non-incorporated US territories.
Local residents are American citizens but do not have the right to vote unless they live in one of the 50 states. In Puerto Rico alone live over 3.4 million Americans who are not represented by a representative in Congress who is entitled to vote.
In referendums held in 1967, 1993 and 1998, Puerto Ricans had voted against becoming the 51st state in the United States. In further referendums in 2012 and 2017, a majority voted to become the 51st state in the USA. However, these referendums were not binding.
How many inhabitants does the USA have?
The USA has about 328 million inhabitants. This means that the United States has about four times as many inhabitants as Germany. Due to the multicultural population, there is no official language at the federal level. However, English is generally the dominant language in the United States.
However, it is a legal language in only 32 of the 50 states. In the southwestern part of the country and Miami, a large part of the population speaks Spanish in addition to English. In addition, more than 150 indigenous languages are still spoken in the country today, such as by the Yupik of Alaska, the Cherokee (English: Cherokee) and other indigenous peoples.
Why is the US a world power?
The US is a world power – economically, militarily, politically and even culturally. The United States of America has the most advanced nuclear-armed military, the greatest wealth, far-reaching political influence, and a unique cultural position in the world. For Western countries, the USA is an important ally.
The rise to world power began at the end of the Second World War. US forces under General Dwight. D. Eisenhower forced Germany to surrender unconditionally on May 8, 1945.
Since then, the United States has enforced democratic beliefs abroad and intervened in conflicts, in part through the use of its own armed forces. The term world police is often used in this context.
This political approach taken by the USA as a world police force has often had positive effects in history – for example by influencing the Federal Republic of Germany after the Second World War. The US helped rebuild Europe and sent funds to boost Western Europe’s economy.
This not only helped democratic European countries: the rapidly growing Western European countries became important trading partners for the United States. After the Second World War, the USA also increasingly relied on political alliances and promoted free trade. On the other hand stood the ideology of the Soviet Union. Communism became the enemy.
But the American influence was not always positive. The Vietnam War, designed to stop the spread of communism, claimed the lives of over 58,000 Americans and four million Vietnamese. It was a war that the world power lost. The rise of the terrorist organization ISIS was made possible by the unstable situation in Iraqi-Syrian crisis areas that arose after the Iraq war.
When are the next US elections?
Elections are held in the United States every two years. The last election was the 59th United States presidential election. It traditionally took place on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November and determined who would assume the office of President.
The new US President is Democrat Joe Biden with his running mate Kamala Harris. Donald Trump and his Vice President Mike Pence have failed to defend their positions.
At the same time as the presidential election, a third of the US Senate and the entire House of Representatives were re-elected. The term of office of the US President-elect began on Inauguration Day on the following January 20th. Former President Trump was sworn in on January 20, 2017.
After two years, the midterm elections (English: Midterm Elections or Midterms) take place, in which a third of the Senate and the entire House of Representatives are elected. Like the presidential election, the midterms take place on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November – right in the middle of the president’s four-year term.
Who gets to vote in the US?
All US citizens over the age of 18 are entitled to vote in the USA – with exceptions. US citizens of non-affiliated US territories such as Puerto Rico are not eligible to vote unless they live in one of the 50 US states. Even ex-convicts are not allowed to vote.
Diplomats, soldiers and expatriate citizens can cast their ballots by mail. Prior to the election, eligible voters must register—dates and rules may vary by state. About 219 million Americans are eligible to vote. Only about half of citizens actually vote.
Which states are relevant for the US election?
While the majority of some states basically vote for the Democrats or Republicans, the result is often different in the so-called swing states. The presidential candidate who wins the swing states usually wins the election.
The swing states are:
ColoradoFloridaIowaMichiganMinnesotaNevadaNew HampshireNorth CarolinaOhioPennsylvaniaVirginiaWisconsin
In these states, the presidential candidates have to fight a harder US election campaign. For this reason, the states are also known as Battleground States.
In the United States of America, the election is not decided by citizen votes, but by an electoral college (English: Electoral College). Each state designates electors and women who represent the majority of votes on the principle of “The Winner Takes All”. That means: The minority of citizens’ votes in a state is not taken into account.
This system is intended to ensure that smaller states are also represented. Depending on the number of citizens in a state, the number of voters on the board varies. Since majority voters in smaller states and rural areas are more likely to vote for Republicans, and then Republicans are slightly overrepresented by the electoral college, Democrats typically need to win more votes and states to win the election.
In 2016, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton received over 65.8 million votes – almost three million votes more than her opponent Donald Trump. Nevertheless, she lost the election, because she received only 227 electors.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2020 US election.
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