It’s Interesting to Know Facts in brief

Capital: Washington , D. C.

Form of government: Republic.

Physical features: Longest river - Missouri, 2,540 miles (4,090 km). Largest lake within the USA - Michigan, 22,300 sq. miles (57,757 sq. km). Largest island - Hawaii, 4,038 sq. miles (10,458 sq. km).

Flag: Adopted on June 14, 1777.

Motto: In God We Trust, adopted on July 30, 1956.

National Anthem : ”The Star-spangled Banner”, adopted on March 3, 1931.

Bird: Bald eagle , adopted on June 20, 1782

Flower: Rose , adopted on October 7, 1986.

Money: Basic unit – dollar.

The us National Flag

The US flag was raised in its first unified form on January 2, 1776 in Cambridge , Massachusetts. It consisted of 13 alternate red and white straps (stripes), equal to the number of states. For that flag ,on June 14, 1777, “Flag Day”, Congress substituted a similarly striped flag with 13 white stripes on a blue field in the left-hand corner.

In 1794, with the admission of Vermont and Kentucky, Congress added two more stripes and two more stars. The new country began to grow. More states joined in. But there was no place on the flag for more stripes. So in 1818 the original 13 stripes were restored, to remain unchanged thereafter ; for each new state admitted to the union, however, a new star was to be added.

Today the USA flag has 13 horizontal(7 red and 6 white) stripes and 50 white stars on the blue background representing the 50 states. The red stripes proclaim courage, the white stripes proclaim liberty, the field of blue stands for loyalty. США и американцы: СС. 8-10, 47048, 50, 41, 44, 33

World Book, pp. 137, 47.

Atlas, p. 22

Scanner: World Book – map, p. 99, 122;

Сша и американцы – с. 248.

Progress Questions

1. Describe the geographical position of the USA, its composition.

2. When were Alaska and Hawaii admitted to the United States?

3. What are the geographical and economic advantages of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans for the United States?

4. How’s the USA divided administratively?

5. What are the 13 original state of the USA?

6. What seven major regions are the states of the USA divided into mowadays?

7. Describe the US national flag.

8. What do you know about the US capital?

9. What island territories does the USA possess in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean?

10. Why is the United States a country of great differences?

11. What are the most important mountain ranges in the USA?

12. Describe the Rocky Mountains.

13. What minerals are to be found in the Rocky Mountains?

14. What is the structure of the Cordillera Mountain System?

15. Describe the Appalachian Mountains.

16. What are the chief plains and plateaus in the USA?

17. What is the chief drainage system of the United States?

18. What is the longest river of the USA?

19. What are the main rivers in the United States? To what basins do they belong to?

20. What is the largest group of lakes in the USA? What is the total area of these lakes?

21. Why are the Great lakes called an ‘inland fresh-water sea’?

22. What are the largest salty lakes in the USA?

23. What factors determine the climate of the country?

24. Describe the prevailing winds blowing in the USA.

25. Describe the role of the Cascade Mountains and the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the distribution of rain.

26. What climatic provinces is the United States divided into? Characterize briefly each of them.

27. In what part of the country does the forest dominate?

28. What are the dominant trees in the eastern United States?

29. How are hardwoods and softwoods used in the USA?

30. What mineral resources is the USA rich and poor?

31. Where are the principal deposits of coal concentrated?

32. Where are the main oil-fields situated?

33. Name the chief deposits of iron ore.

34. Where are the main deposits of non-ferrous metals concentrated?

35. What minerals is the United States self-sufficient in? What minerals does it have to import?