National University of San Martin

Faculty of Humanity and Education

The United
States of
America

Subject: British and American Institutions

Profesor: Mg. Julio Cesar Gastelo Bardales
Students:
Kiara Cristina Vargas Navarro Kiara Pichis
Freitas
Semester: VIII

Tarapoto – Perú
2020
The United States: Geographical features
United States, officially United States of America, abbreviated U.S. or U.S.A., by name
America, country in North America, a federal republic of 50 states is the third-largest country in
the world based on population and land area and also has the world's largest economy and is one
of the most influential nations in the world.
I. Characteristics
 There is not an official language but most of the population speaks English.
 The national currency is US dollar.
 Its physical environment
ranges from the Arctic to the
subtropical and from the
rugged mountain peak to the
flat prairie. Although the total
population of the United
States is large by world
standards, its overall
population density is
relatively low.
 It is the world’s greatest
economic power, measured in
terms of gross domestic
product (GDP) that comes
from its enormous
agricultural output, but it owes more to the country’s highly developed industry.
 It is relatively young by world standards, being less than 250 years old
 And it was the first of the European colonies to separate successfully from its
motherland, and it was the first nation to be established on
the premise that sovereignty rests with its citizens and not with the government
II. Geography
The conterminous states are bounded on the north by Canada, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean,
on the south by the Gulf of Mexico and Mexico, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. The
national capital is Washington, which is coextensive with the District of Columbia, the federal
capital region created in 1790.
Forty-eight of the states are in the single region between Canada and Mexico; this group is
referred to, with varying precision and formality, as the contiguous United States, and as the
Lower 48. Alaska, which is included in the term continental United States, is located at the
northwestern end of North America.
III. Relief
The center of the conterminous United States is a great sprawling interior lowland, reaching
from the ancient shield of central Canada on the north to the Gulf of Mexico on the south. To
east and west this lowland rises, first gradually and then abruptly, to mountain ranges that divide
it from the sea on both sides. The two mountain systems differ drastically:
A. The Appalachian Mountains: The Appalachians dominate the
eastern United States and separate the Eastern Seaboard from the
interior with a belt of subdued uplands that extends nearly 1,500
miles (2,400 km) from northeastern Alabama to the Canadian
border.
B. The Atlantic Plain: The eastern and southeastern fringes of the United States are part of the
outermost margins of the continental platform, repeatedly invaded by the sea and veneered
with layer after layer of young, poorly consolidated sedimentswhich,it stretches from Cape
Cod, Massachusetts, to beyond the Mexican border.
C. The Great plains: are the western most portion of the vast North American Interior Plains. It
lies west of the Mississippi River tallgrass prairie and east of
the Rocky Mountains in the U.S. and Canada.
D. The western cordillera: The Cordilleran region comprises a
series of mountain belts some 500 miles (800 km) wide along
Canada’s Pacific coast, here the Great Plains come to an abrupt
end at the Rocky Mountains. The Rocky Mountains form a
large portion of the Western U.S., entering from Canada and
stretching nearly to Mexico. The western branch of the
Cordillera directly abuts the Pacific Ocean.
C. The Western Intermontane Region: The Cordillera’s two
main chains enclose a vast intermontane region of arid basins,
plateaus, and isolated mountain ranges that stretches from the
Mexican border nearly to Canada and extends 600 miles from
east to west. It contains three huge sub regions:
- The Colorado Plateau: The Grand Canyon of the Colorado
River is the most famous of several dozen such areas.
- Basin and Range subregion: it extends from southern Oregon
and Idaho into northern Mexico.
- Columbia Basin: Its entire area is underlain by innumerable
tabular lava flows

IV. Drainage
The United States has an extraordinary network of rivers and
lakes, including some of the largest and most useful in the world. In the humid East they
provide an enormous mileage of cheap inland transportation; westward, most rivers and streams
are unnavigable but are heavily used for irrigation and power generation. Both East and West,
however, traditionally have used lakes and streams as public sewers.
 The eastern systems: Chief among U.S. rivers is the Mississippi, which, with its great
tributaries, the Ohio and the Missouri, drains most of the midcontinent.
 The Great Lakes–St. Lawrence system: The five Great Lakes (four of which are shared
with Canada) constitute by far the largest freshwater lake group in the world and carry a
larger tonnage of shipping than any other. They are Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie,
and Ontario
 The Pacific system: In the deserts and steppes of the intermontane basins, most of the
scanty runoff disappears into interior basins, only one of which, the Great Salt Lake.
Only three large river systems manage to reach the sea—the Columbia, the Colorado,
and the San Joaquin–Sacramento system of California’s Central Valley.
V. People
With a total population exceeded only by those of China and India, the United States is also
characterized by an extraordinary diversity in ethnic and racial ancestry. A steady stream of
immigration, notably from the 1830s onward, formed a pool of foreign-born persons unmatched
by any other nation.
Ethnic distribution
After decades of immigration and acculturation, many U.S. citizens can trace no discernible
ethnic identity, describing themselves generically only as “American”. The most recent United
States Census officially recognized five racial categories (White American, Black or African
American, Native Americans and Alaska Native, Asian American, and Native Hawaiian and
Other Pacific Islander) as well as people of
two or more races. The Census Bureau also
classified respondents as "Hispanic or
Latino" or "Not Hispanic or Latino",
identifying Hispanic and Latino as an
ethnicity (not a race), which comprises the
largest minority group in the nation
THE CLIMATE OF THE UNITED
STATES 
VI. Climate
The climate of the United States has
radical differences from one place to another.
In the west, the climate is usually warmer and there are frequent rains in the south.  In the center
aridity predominates. To the east you can enjoy a more tropical environment, with wind and
tornadoes. On the other hand, in the north there is abundant snow and cold climates in the
mountains.
Spring
In the spring, during the day, the weather is warm, while at
night, cool. This season is characterized by its constant, but light,
rains. It Starts between 20 and 21 March and ends on 21 June.
Summer
The climate of the United States in summer presents a lot of
humidity, however, the temperature varies according to the area. In the north it has an average
of 32ºC , while in the south it remains at approximately 38ºC .The season of summer in the
United States starts on 21 June and ends between 21 and 23 September .
Autumn
The fall in the US, during the morning, keeps the intense heat of the
summer, with cool breezes at night in the first months, September and
October. In the last two months, November and December,
temperatures decrease, feeling more frost.
This season begins on September 23 and ends on December  21.
Winter
The winter in the United States has temperatures of about -34 ° C,
accompanied by snow abundant, heavy rain and icy winds. The
intensity of the cold varies according to the area in which it is located.
It Begins on 21 December and ends approximately on 21 March. 

ECONOMIC IN THE UNITED STATES

The United States has a thriving, diversified, and technologically advanced economy. Its Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) of US $ 37,661 makes it one of the richest countries in the world; its
GDP per capita is the highest among industrialized countries. The strength of the economy lies
in its size and diversity: it has a variety of natural resources, including important reserves of oil
and natural gas; a vast agricultural sector, producing various crops and livestock; a vigorous
and well-developed industrial base; an advanced service sector, and highly qualified
workforce. Furthermore, the size and diversity of the economy protect the United States from
global economic crises.
In this market economy, individuals and companies are the ones who make most of the
decisions; the government buys the goods and services it needs mainly from the private
sector. Companies in the United States have greater flexibility carrying out plant capital
increases, restructuring workforces and developing new products. But on the other hand, they
find barriers to enter the domestic markets of their rivals higher than those that exist for the
introduction of foreign companies in the US market. In addition, deep-rooted traditions of
competition and enterprise have helped drive the technological innovations that have made the
United States the world leader in computing and software.
CULTURE OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
The United States of America is famous for many things, but sports, music, and the arts are
some of the most important elements of American culture. American football, baseball,
basketball, and ice hockey are the top four sports played in the country. The United States has
won more gold medals than any other country at the Olympics over the years, and college sports
play an important role in the sports culture of this country.
 
A great representation of the multiculturalism of the country is evidenced through the music
heard there. From pop and rock, to jazz and rhythm and blues, the United States of America has
the second largest market for the music industry in the world.
 
Along with music, the arts are a very important part of American culture. Among these, the
following stand out: musical theater, dance, performing arts, fashion and photography. The
United States is home to some of the best-known fashion designers, and New York City ,
meanwhile, is home to Broadway, known for its fantastic plays, which are often toured all over
the world country, so no matter where you are studying, you will be able to experience this part
of US culture.
THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE UNITED
The Independence of the United States includes the liberation, by the thirteen colonies settled
in the North American territory, of the kingdom of Great Britain. The process began on
July 4, 1776, after the 7-year war , and lasted 8 long years, in which various battles took place
between Great Britain and the North American colonies.
Finally, in 1783, with the signing of the Treaty of Paris, the thirteen colonies were
recognized as the United States of America, an independent country.

CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE UNITED

STATES

CAUSES
The process of Independence of the United States began after the 7-year war, in which Great
Britain and France had fought, who arrived in North America after Great Britain attacked the
French positions on that continent. Despite the victory of Great Britain, this country was
economically bankrupt and to recover, imposed various laws and taxes on its colonies in
America that caused great unrest, protests, riots and social unrest.
In 1779 there was the "Boston Massacre", after one of the many protests over tax increases,
which ended the lives of settlers in the hands of British soldiers. This break in relations
between the colonies and Great Britain led the colonists to meet in two congresses, with
the aim of achieving independence, to which Great Britain opposed and declared war.
CONSEQUENCES
Among the main consequences of the Independence of the United States we can highlight the
following:
 A process of economic, financial and industrial development began in the United
States, which allowed the expansion of the territory and the growth of its
economic model, placing the nascent republic as a powerful nation in the
international arena.
 A sovereign government was created in 1787, with its own constitution and
state with 3 independent powers, legislative, judicial and executive. 
 As the first independent territory of America, it served as an inspiration and model
for the process of emancipation of the colonies in the rest of the continent.
 The Independence of the United States, in one way or another, encouraged
the French Revolution to take place , since the serious economic crisis caused by
military support in the 7-year war and the Independence of the United States, it led,
among other things, to the unleashing of a revolution in France.

PROTAGONISTS OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE UNITED STATES

Among the main characters of the Independence of the United States are the following:
 Benjamin Franklin (1706 - 1790): American politician, diplomat, and scientist,
who was widely involved in the political efforts that shaped the United
States. Among them are the representation and defense of the various colonies in the
British Parliament and being the first American ambassador to France.
 George Washington (1732 - 1799): considered the father of the country, he was the
first president of the United States and commander-in-chief of the continental army
that faced the British Empire.
 Thomas Jefferson (1743 - 1826): outstanding leader during the independence
process, with oratory skills and deep republican philosophical thought. He wrote the
Act of Independence, was the first minister of state and the third president of the
United States.
 John Adams (1735 - 1826): lawyer, diplomat and political theorist. He was the first
vice president and second president of the United States, also an ambassador to
several European countries. He was a very important leader during the
independence of his country.