- •1. The geographical position of the usa, its climate, the major rivers, lakes, mountain rangers, some general information about the country.
- •2. Discovery of America. American Indians.
- •3. The European exploration of the North American continent (Spanish, Dutch, French, German territories)
- •4. The first English settlements in North America.
- •5. The war of independence: its reasons and results
- •6. Territorial Expansion of the usa.
- •7. The Civil War: reasons, economic and social results.
- •8. The War of Independence and the Civil War: differences and similarities.
- •9. The First Half of the 20th Century.
- •10. The Great Depression and the Presidency of Franklin d. Roosevelt.
- •11. The us home and foreign policy after wwii.
- •12. The usa in the modern world
- •13. The American Constitution, the Bill of Rights.
- •14. The structure of the Federal Government. The system of checks and balances.
- •15. The Congress of the us. Supreme legislative body.
- •16. President as the head of the Executive power, the us administration.
- •17. The Presidential Elections.
- •18. The North-East
- •19. The Midwest
- •20. The South
- •21. West
- •22. Education in the usa.
- •23.The usa as a multiethnic society.
- •24. Speak on one of the American Presidents.
- •25. American Culture.
18. The North-East
As defined by the US Census Bureau the Northeast region of the US covers 9 states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Three largest cities in the census-defined Northeast: New York City, Philadelphia, and Boston. The Northeast is the smallest region and also the wealthiest part of the US. The region has a landscape varying from the rocky coast of New England to the fertile farmland of the Ohio River Valley. 4 major rivers' mouths: the Delaware at the New Jersey/Delaware border, the Hudson at the New York/New Jersey border, the Connecticut in Connecticut, and the Kennebec in Maine. Northeast borders with the Great Lakes of Lake Ontario in New York and Lake Erie in both Pennsylvania and New York. One of the most famous waterfalls in the world, Niagara Falls, is also situated there. The NE consists of 2 parts – New England(northern part) and Middle Atlantic Region(closer to the south). New England has played a dominant role in American history. From the late 17th century to the mid to late 18th century, New England was the nation's cultural leader in political, educational, cultural and intellectual thought. During this time, it was the country's economic center. The territory of New England is small, not rich, no good farmlands. Its centre is Boston. Middle Atlantic region – coal, minerals, industry and agriculture. Its centre is New York, which is the centre of finance (Wall street), theatre (Broadway), skyscrapers (Empire State building), museums(Metropolitan). Education is another of the region's strongest legacies. America's first college, Harvard, was founded at Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1636. As the NE is the area closest to England, the region often shows a greater receptivity to European ideas and culture. Religion: While some regions of the United States, such as the U.S. South, are predominantly Protestant, half of the states in the Northeast are predominantly Catholic. This is largely due to high levels of immigration the region received in the 19th and early 20th centuries from Ireland, Italy, Quebec, and other Catholic regions. The Northeast is an ethnically diverse region, with high populations of African-Americans, Hispanics, and Asians, though it has a generally low number of Native Americans. The Northeast has the largest concentration and percentage of Jews in the US. The region also has the highest amount of Hindus, Sikhes, Muslims, Buddhists, and many other religions – because the NE was and still is an entry point for many immigrants. Until World War II, the Northeast's economy was largely driven by industry. In the second half of the 20th century, most of New England's traditional industries have moved to other states or foreign countries where goods can be made more cheaply. The gap has been partly filled by the microelectronics, computer and biotech industries, fed by talent from the region's prestigious educational institutions. Other industries-drug manufacturing and communications. Washington D.C. is also situated on the territory of the NE. There are centres of 3 branches of the U.S. Federal Government – Capitol (where meets the Congress-legislative); White House (the official home and workplace of the president-executive); The Supreme Court House of the US (judicial).