USA

The United States of America (USA) - the federal republic consisting of 50 states and a Federal District of Columbia, in which territory is located the capital of the country - Washington, DC.

The chief of state and federal government - The President - is elected for 4 year terms with a maximum of only two terms. A senior legislative body - Congress (House of Representatives and Senate). Each state has the own constitution, system of bodies of authority and executive leadership and administrative management. A Governor is elected to lead each state and has similar powers as chiefs of state of many other nations absent only the federal powers that regulate interstate matters.

Language - The most common language is English though other languages such as Spanish, Chinese, French and Russian are spoken in certain communities. 

Currency - American dollar (1 $ = to 100 cents). Now in circulation there are banknotes by advantage in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 dollars and coins by advantage in 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 cents 1 dollar. It is recommended to carry $20. banknotes rather than larger denominations. It is convenient to have credit cards (Visa, Master Card, American Express).

Time - USA lay in 4 temporary belts(zones) (without the account of Alaska and Hawaiian islands). At east coast the zone time lags behind from Moscow at 8 hours, on western - at 11 hours. Since first Sunday of April till last Sunday of October the Daylight Savings Time is recognized to stretch the working daylight time for better productivity with carry over or advance of one hour on the standard time.

Climate - Basically Temperate, Tropical in Hawaii and Florida, in Alaska - Arctic. Semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River, and Arid in the Great Basin of the South-West, low winter temperatures in the North-West are ameliorated occasionally in January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains.

Religion - Christian 78% (Protestant 51%, Roman Catholic 22%, Mormon 2%), other 10%, none 10%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 1% , Atheist 1%, Agnostic 2%

Most Popular Attractions, Sights:
Disney World - Orlando, FL; Statue of Liberty - New York, NY; Empire State Building - New York, NY; Disney Land - Annaheim, CA; French Quarter, New Orleans; Universal City, Orlando, FL; Cape Kennedy Space Port, FL; Niagra Falls, NY; Yellowstone Park, WY; Grand Canyon, Yosemite and Brice Canyons, AZ; Olympic National Park, WA; Space Needle and Science Center, Seattle; National Aerospace Museum, Dulles, VA; Smithsonian Museum System, Washington, DC.

Monuments and public buildings of government including White House, Capitol, Jefferson, Lincoln, Washington Memorials Bridges - Brooklyn Bridge, Verazanno Bridge and Tappan Zee Bridge in New York. Golden Gate and Oakland Bay Bridge in San Francisco, Astoria Bridge across the Columbia River - Astoria, OR.

Safety and Security - While the United States is one of the most developed nations in the world, its medical system is not as assessible as that of many other nations. There is no universal health care and access to medical care virtually require individuals seeking medical care some type of federally or privately provided medical insurance policy. Travelers to the United States are highly encouraged to update their medical insurance policy and make sure it applies during the period of their travels. The exception to this rule is emergency medical assistance which is initiated by calling the telephone number 911. If you become a victim of a crime, you can also call the police or firefighters by dialing 911. In general, the police try to be helpful and are vital sources of information about where not to go at certain times of the day. The Travel security links to this web page offer excellent sources of advice that are provided to the traveler by federal, state and major metropolitan police and public health agencies. read more

States - Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Territories and Special Islands - Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, Wake Island, Johnston Island, Howland - Baker Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands and Palau.

Biggest Cities - New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, Dallas, San Antonio, Detroit, San Jose, Indianapolis, San Francisco, Jacksonville, Columbus, Austin, Memphis, Baltimore, Milwaukee, Boston, Charlotte, El Paso, Washington, D.C., Seattle, Fort Worth, Denver, Nashville-Davidson, Portland, Oklahoma City, Las Vegas.