THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

The United States of America (the USA or US)  is a big country. The distance from New York to San Francisco is over 5,000 km. When you travel from New York to San Francisco, you cross four time zones. When it is 9 a.m. in New York City, it is only 6 a.m. in San Francisco.

The USA has 50 states. There are big differences in the climate across these states because of the size of the USA. For example, in Alaska the climate is arctic, but in the south in Florida it is tropical.

The USA has a population of 295 million. About 20% of the population is aged 0-14. English is the official language of the USA. This is because the USA was a British colony. Independence Day on July 4th celebrates the day the USA gained independence from Great Britain in 1776.

Americans come from every part of the world. About 12% are African-American and 10% of the population speak Spanish at home. There are parts of the USA where the road signs are in English and Spanish.

The first President of the USA was George Washington. There is a picture of Washington on the American dollar. US citizens vote for a new President every four years. The President lives and works in the White House in Washington DC, the capital city of the USA. The President’s office in the White House is called the Oval Office. The White House has 120 rooms and 20 bathrooms. One million people visit it every year. The visit is free.

The American flag is called the “Stars and Stripes”. It has 13 stripes and 50 stars. The stars represent each state of the USA today and there is one stripe for each of the 13 states that became independent in 1776. 

Answer the questions :

1.    What is the distance from New York to San Francisco ?

2.    How many states are there in the USA ?

3.    Where is it colder: in Alaska or in Florida ?

4.    What is the population of the USA?

5.    When is Independence Day in the USA ?

6.    Who was the first President ?

7.    How often do Americans vote for a President ?

8.    What is the capital of the USA ?

9.    What is the White House ?

10.   What is the name of the American flag ?

Would you like the visit the USA ? Why?/ Why not