The USA is one of the greatest countries in the world. What is your view of the state? What attracts tourists to Washington and other cities of the USA?

10. The USA is one of the greatest countries in the world. What is your view of the state? What attracts tourists to Washington and other cities of the USA?

The United States of America is the fourth largest country in the world (after Russia, Canada and China). The USA (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) is situated in the central part of the North American continent. It possesses many islands in the Pacific Ocean and the Virgin islands in the Atlantic. The USA borders on Canada in the north and Mexico in the south. It also has a seaboarder with Russia. The main rivers are the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Yukon, the Colorado and the Hudson River. The highland regions are the Appalachian Mountains, the Cordillera and the Rocky Mountains. Between the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountain there are central lowland called the prairie and the eastern lowlands called the Mississippi valley. The five Great Lakes between the USA and Canada are known all over the world. The USA is a federal republic of 50 states and the District of Columbia. I want to name some of the states. The states Virginia, Georgia, South California, Florida have warm climate and rich soil. California is estimated to be richest state of the USA that’s why it is called the Golden State. Texas was also home to the cowboy that of the American West. The United States is a country of highly developed economy. Heavy industry includes such branches as mining, metallurgical engineering and chemical industries. Detroit is a large motor - car industry centre. Shipbuilding is developed along the Atlantic coast and in San Francisco on the Pacific coast. Textile industry is also well – developed. The population of the United States is the third largest in the world (after India and China). There are over 250 million people living in the United States today. Who are these people? The famous American poet of the 19^th century Walt Whitman [wɔːlt 'wɪtmən] said that the United States “is not merely a nation, but a nation of nations”. People from around the world have come to the United States and influenced its history and culture. The largest cities are New York, Boston, Chicago, Philadelhia, Los Angeles, San Francisco. The national capital of the United States is Washington. It is situated in the District of Columbia – a territory not included in any of the states. The capital got the name of Washington after the name of its founder the first American President George Washington. The political life of the country has always been dominated by the two major parties: the Democratic party and the Republican party. The highest body of the country is the Congress. It consists of two chambers the House of Representatives and the Senate. The President is the head of the state and the Government. So the Government is divided into three branches: the Congress, the President and its administration and the Supreme Court. Founded in 1790 Washington, D.C. was designed by Major Pierre Charles L'Enfant. In the centre of Washington, there is Capitol Park, where visitors' eyes focus on the Capitol, the home of American Congress. Many visitors come to Washington to see the White House. The White House is the official residence of the President of the United States. Other landmarks of Washington are memorials, dedicated to three American Presidents. They are the Washington Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial. The Library of Congress, which holds five million books, the National Gallery of Art, the Capitol are also the famous sightseeing of Washington. The Capitol is located in the very centre of Washington, not far from the Library of Congress. It is situated on the Capitol Hill, the highest point of the city. The Capitol is the highest building in Washington. There is a law in Washington not to build buildings higher than the Capitol. The Capitol is the home of the United States government. New York is one of the largest city in the world. The Americans call it the Big Apple. New York is inhabited by people of almost all nationalities and races. It is called “Modern Babylon”. A lot of people came to the USA through New York, the Gateway of America. They see the Statue of Liberty. It is situated on Liberty Island and is a symbol of American democracy. Broadway is the centre of nightlife. Major New York’s museums are the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the American Museum of Natural History and Guggenheim Museum. Central Park has a huge area with lakes, fountains, bridges, tennis courts and skating ring. Philadelphia is the city where the two most important decisions in America history were made. In May 1775 representatives of the thirteen colonies met in Philadelphia to decide whether to remain with Britain or Independence was approved. Representatives from all the state met in Philadelphia and wrote the United States Constitution. This Constitution united the states into one country.