The united states of america.

Geographical Position of the USA.

The United States of America are the fourth largest country in the world (after Russia, Canada and China). It occupies the southern part of North America and stretches from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. It also includes Alaska in the north and Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. The total area of the country is about nine and half million square kilometers. The USA borders on Canada in the north and on Mexico in the south. It also has a sea border with Russia.

The USA is made up of 50 states and the District of Columbia, a special federal area where Washington, the capital of the country, is situated. The population of the country is about 250 million.

If we look at the map of the USA, we can see lowlands and mountains. The highest mountains are the Rocky Mountains, the Cordillera and the Sierra Nevada. The highest peak is Mount McKinley which is located in Alaska. America’s largest rivers are the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Rio Grande and the Columbia. The Great Lakes on the border with Canada are the largest and the deepest in the USA.

The climate of the country varies greatly. The coldest regions are in the North. The climate of Alaska is arctic; the climate of the central part is continental; the south has a subtropical climate. Hot winds blowing from the Gulf-of-Mexico often bring typhoons. The climate along the Pacific coast is much warmer than that of the Atlantic coast.

Though mainly European and African in origin, Americans are made up of nearly all races and nations, including Chinese and native Americans. The largest cities of the USA are: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, San Francisco, Washington and others.

The US is a federal republic of 50 states; each of them has its own government. The seat of the central (federal) government, Washington D.C., is divided into three branches: the executive branch headed by the President, the legislative branch exercised by the Congress, and the judicial branch. The Congress consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. There are two main political parties in the USA: the Republican and the Democratic.

Vocabulary

amount to – составлять (сумму), равняться

beef cattle – крупный рогатый скот

chemicals – химические препараты

gasoline – бензин

hay - сено

hog – свинья

household – домашнее хозяйство

mining - разработка месторождений полезных ископаемых

phosphate – фосфат

rank - занимать какое-либо место

soybean – соя

total - сумма

commodity – товар

corn – зерно

exceed – превысить

copper – медь

lead - свинец

machinery – оборудование

manufacture – производство

lubricant – смазочный материал

motor vehicle – автомашина

newsprint – газетная бумага

precious – драгоценный

wheat – пшеница

grain - зерно

volume – объем

enable – позволять, давать возможность

merchandise - товары

precision instruments – точные инструменты

rubber - резина

clay - глина

lumber - лесоматериалы

leather - кожа

The USA is a highly-developed industrial and agricultural country. Today the US economy is flying high.

The American economy is a dynamic, free market system, though the federal government plays an important part in the market place. So, the US economy is considered to be mixed There are a number of factors that turned the US into a leading and prosperous state: a favourable geographic position, abundant natural resources, development of profitable branches of industry, free market system. Besides, the US didn’t suffer from the consequences of World War II.

The principal minerals, in terms of value, are petroleum, natural gas, coal, stone, cement, sand and gravel, copper, gold, iron ore, clay, phosphates, lime, salt, sodium carbonate, magnesium, sulphur, uranium, silver, lead, and zinc.

Almost one-fifth of the labour force is engaged in manufacturing, and industry contributes about the same proportion to the GNP. The leading industries in terms of value are transportation equipment, electric and electronic machinery, food and related products, industrial machinery and equipment, chemicals, fabricated metal products, paper products, instruments, primary metals, petroleum and coal products, rubber and plastic products. The United States is the world’s leader in production and export of various types of machinery, including office and telecommunication equipment; of transportation equipment, such as automobiles; of industrial raw materials; and of chemicals.

Agriculture, fishing, and forestry together employ less than 3% of the total labor force and contribute about 2% of the GNP. The leading crops, in order of value, are corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, hay, tobacco, potatotoes, peanuts, and rice. Most livestock is produced in the West and Midwest. The United States is the world’s leading producer of soybeans and corn and among the leading producers of meat, wheat, and tobacco.

Foreign or international trade enables the United States to specialize in producing those goods it is best suited to make from its available resources. The United States is the world’s leading trading nation.

Nonagricultural products usually account for approximately 90 percent of the yearly value of exports and agricultural products for about 10 percent.

Machinery and transportation equipment make up the leading categories of exports. Other leading exports include electrical equipment, chemicals, precision instruments, and food products, soybeans and corn are leading agricultural exports.

Canada, Japan and Mexico are the country’s most important trade partners. They provide the markets for 41 percent of total annual U.S. exports and are the source of 44 percent of the nation’s imports. Chief trading partners for exports are Canada, Japan, Mexico, Great Britain, South Korea, Germany, Taiwan. Chief trading partners for imports are Canada, Japan, Mexico, China, Great Britain, Germany, Taiwan. Leading sources of U.S.petroleum imports are Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Canada, Mexico and Nigeria.

In addition to petroleum, principal imports are automobiles, non-electrical machinery, electrical equipment, consumer goods, and food.

Careers in Economics.