\"Total area: 9, 6 million sq km
Population: 295, 7 million
Capital: Washington, District of Columbia

GEOGRAPHY
• the third largest country in the world
• consists of 50 states (48 in the southern part of North America + Alaska and Hawaiian Islands)
• Alaska – situated in the north of American continent; Hawaiian Islands in the Mid-Pacific
• it administers 14 territories, made up mostly of Pacific islands
• neighbours: Canada in the north and Mexico in the south
• mountains (west - Rocky Mountains, the Coastal Mountains; east - the Appalachian Mountains); areas of desert (in the southwest)
• the highest peak of the USA - Mount McKinley in Alaska
• the lowest extreme - Death Valley in California (−86 m)
• Rivers – Mississippi, Missouri, Hudson, Colorado, Columbia, Rio Grande
• The Great Lakes: Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.
• Niagara Falls (between Erie and Ontario; all over the World known)
• climate – varied, mostly temperate climate; extremes in Alaska (arctic) and Florida and Hawaii (tropical)

HISTORY
• around the year 1000 - discovered by Vikings
• 1492 discovered by Christopher Columbus (Italian sailing under Spanish queen, native inhabitants were Indians )
• 16th century first English colony Virginia – unsuccessful; James’s Town – first successful colony
• 1620 Pilgrim Fathers
- English puritans, members of Church of England, who came to America
- They wanted to purified the church from the remain of Catholismus.
- Their ship was called Mayflower.
- The second successful settlement Plymouth was established by them.
- Indians helped them survive the winter – Thanksgiving Day

• 1624 – NY became a capital of Dutch colonies
• there was established 13 colonies under British rule, slaves were brought there from Africa
• 1773– Boston Tea Party – protest against high taxes, first open act against Britain
• Declaration of Ind. – colonies declared their independence, born of the USA (officially founded on July 4, 1776)
• George Washington became a leader of continental army
• The War of Independence, Americans won and Britain recognized the USA
• 19th century – Civil War (1861 – 1865) between slavery south and industrial north
• Abraham Lincoln was elected President -> Emancipation Proclamation (1863 - slavery was abolished)\"

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