Immigrants are satisfied.

Brief history: It was originally a settlement of Indians. /kloc-At the end of 0/5, Spain, the Netherlands, France and Britain began to immigrate to North America. Britain came from behind, and by 1773, Britain had established 13 colonies. 1775, the American people's war of independence against the British colonists broke out. 1776 On July 4th, the Second Continental Congress was held in Philadelphia, and the Continental Army was formed, with George Washington as the commander-in-chief. The Declaration of Independence was adopted and the United States of America was formally established. The war of independence ended in 1783, the federal constitution was formulated in 1787 and George Washington was elected as the first president in 1788. After 18 12, she got rid of British rule completely. 1860, abraham lincoln, a Republican who opposed slavery, was elected president. 1862 After the publication of The Emancipation Proclamation in September, the slave owners in the south rebelled and the civil war broke out. 1865, the war ended in victory in the north, thus clearing the way for the rapid development of American capitalism. /kloc-At the beginning of the 9th century, with the development of capitalism, the United States began to expand abroad. In the 100 years after 1776, the territory of the United States almost expanded by 10 times. After World War II, American national strength increased greatly.

National flag: The Stars and Stripes. It is a horizontal rectangle with the aspect ratio of 19: 10. The main body consists of 13 red and white wide strips, 7 red strips and 6 white strips; In the upper left corner of the flag is a blue rectangle with 9 rows of 50 white five-pointed stars. Red symbolizes strength and courage, white represents purity and innocence, and blue symbolizes vigilance, perseverance and justice. 13 wide stripes represent the first 13 states that launched and won the War of Independence, and 50 five-pointed stars represent the number of states in the United States of America. 18 18, the us congress passed a bill, and the red, white and wide stripes on the national flag were fixed at 13, and the number of five-pointed stars should be consistent with the number of States in the United States. Every time a state is added, a star is added to the national flag, which is generally implemented on July 4 of the second year after NSW joins. So far, the national flag has increased to 50 stars, representing 50 States in the United States. June 14 is "American flag day" every year. On this day, commemorative activities are held all over the United States to show respect for the national flag and love for the United States.

National emblem: the main body is a vulture (vulture) with a shield pattern on its chest. The vulture is the national bird of America. It is a symbol of strength, courage, freedom and immortality. The upper part of the shield is a blue horizontal rectangle, and the lower part is a red and white vertical bar, which means the same as the national flag. The crown on the eagle symbolizes the birth of a new independent country in the world, the United States of America; There are 13 white five-pointed stars in the crown, representing the original 13 states in the United States. The eagle's two claws hold an olive branch and an arrow respectively, symbolizing peace and strength. The yellow ribbon held by the eagle beak reads "e pluribus unum" in Latin, which means that the United States of America is a complete country composed of many states.

National anthem: "Home of the Brave" ("The Stars and Stripes" is translated as "The Stars and Stripes"). The lyrics were written by an American lawyer named Francis Scott Key when he saw the Stars and Stripes flying high above the fortress through the smoke on the battlefield of the Anglo-American War. Music score is the famous masterpiece of Susa, the "King of March". Home of the Brave was officially designated as the national anthem by the US Congress in 193 1.

Definition of country name: the United States of America is the abbreviation of U.S.A, and the United States is named after the state. In English, America and America are the same word "America", but the Chinese translation is different. The former refers to the whole America, and the latter refers to the United States.

The nickname of the United States is "Uncle Sam". Legend has it that during the 19 12 Anglo-American War, sam wilson, a businessman from Troy, new york, wrote "America" on the beef barrel supplied to the army, indicating that it was American property. This is exactly the same as the abbreviation of his nickname "Uncle Sam" ("America"), so people jokingly call these materials labeled "America" Uncle Sam. Later, "Uncle Sam" gradually became the nickname of the United States. In 1930s, American cartoonists described "Uncle Sam" as a tall, white-haired old man with a star-spangled banner and a goatee. 196 1 year, the U.S congress passed a resolution, officially recognizing "Uncle Sam" as a symbol of the United States.

National Day: July 4th (American Independence Day, 1776).

National flower: Rose symbolizes beauty, fragrance, enthusiasm and love. 1985 was approved as the national flower by the Senate.

National stone: sapphire

National bird: vulture (vulture) The United States is the first country in the world to determine the national bird. The bald eagle first appeared on the American flag during the War of Independence. 1776 On July 4th, the Second Continental Congress issued the Declaration of Independence, which decided that the new America must have a special national emblem. 1On June 20th, 782, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution to make the bald eagle, which is endemic to North America, the national bird of the United States and the bird as the main body of the national emblem. Vultures are beautiful in appearance, fierce in temperament and full of feathers on their heads. Its biggest feature is white head and white tail. It represents courage, strength and victory.

Physical geography: Located in the central part of North America, the territory also includes Alaska in the northwest of North America and Hawaii Islands in the central Pacific Ocean. It borders Canada to the north, Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. It covers an area of 93726 1.4 million square kilometers, 4,500 kilometers from east to west, 2,700 kilometers from north to south and 22,680 kilometers from coastline. Most areas have a continental climate, while the south has a subtropical climate. The temperature difference between the central and northern plains is very large. The average temperature in Chicago is MINUS 3 degrees in June and 24 degrees in July. 65438+ 10, the average temperature along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico is 1 1℃, and it is 28℃ in July.

Capital: Washington, D.C., with a population of about 520,000 (2000).

Population: 300 million (2005). About 84% of them are white, 65,438+03% are black, 3.3% are Asian, and about 654,38+06,000 are Chinese. Most of them have been naturalized in the United States. General English. 56% of the residents believe in Protestantism, 28% in Catholicism, 2% in Judaism, 4% in other religions, and 10% does not belong to any sect.

Administrative Districts: It is divided into ten regions: New England, Central China, Mid-Atlantic, Southwest China, Appalachian Mountains, Alpine Areas, Southeast China, Pacific Coast, Great Lakes Region, Alaska and Hawaii. * * * The United States has 50 states and the capital, Washington, with a total of 3,042 counties. The federal territory includes the free association of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands; Overseas Territories include Guam, American Samoa and the United States Virgin Islands. The names of these 50 states are: 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 and Michigan. 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 >; & gt& gt

Major cities: Washington, D.C., new york, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Houston, Detroit, Dallas, Baltimore, Phoenix and San Francisco. California), Cleveland (Ohio), Boston (Massachusetts), New Orleans (Louisiana), Seattle (Washington), Denver (Colorado), St. Louis (Missouri), Minneapolis (Minnesota), Honolulu, Hawaii, Buffalo (new york), Salt Lake City (Utah

Cultural and natural heritage: Everglades National Park (Florida), Fog Mountain National Park (Tennessee/North Carolina), Crohn and wrangell-St. elias Park (Yukon/South Alaska), mammoth cave National Park (Central Kentucky), Olympic National Park (Northwest Washington), Woodwood Park (Northwest California), Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming/Montana/Idaho junction), Independence Hall (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), Ford Terrace National Park (Southwest Colorado), Cahokia Wharf Site (Illinois), Colorado Grand Canyon (Midwest Colorado), Statue of Liberty (Freedom Island at the mouth of Hudson River in New York), Nassemity National Park (Central Chaco National Historical Park (Northwest New Mexico), Monticello and University of Virginia (Virginia, the former is Jefferson's former residence), hawaii volcanoes national park, Hawaii.

Cultural entertainment

Location: Central North America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean in the east and the Pacific Ocean in the west.

Area: 9372665438+400,000 square kilometers

Population: about 262 million.

Capital: Washington

Ethnic group: There are many immigrants, and 100 descendants of many ethnic groups live in the United States.

Language: English

Religion: Protestantism, Catholicism, Judaism and Orthodox Church.

Date of establishment of diplomatic relations with China: 1979 65438+ 10/.

Time difference with China: The United States is divided into four time zones, each with a time difference of one hour. Eastern time is later than Beijing time 13 hours; Western time is later than Beijing time 16 hours.

Currency: USD

International area code: 0 1

The United States * * * has 50 states plus a District of Columbia, with a vast territory and complex terrain. The eastern Atlantic coast is mostly plain and hilly, with rich forest resources and numerous lakes. Important cities are Washington, new york, Boston, Philadelphia and Miami. The Great Plains in central China is an important farming and pastoral area. The 6,400-kilometer-long Mississippi River runs through the north and south, and important cities include Atlanta, Chicago, Houston and New Orleans. In the western mountains of the Great Plains, there are the famous Colorado Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Park. On the west coast of the Pacific Ocean, California with beautiful sunshine, San Francisco and Los Angeles are here, and Seattle is an important city on the west coast. Near the Canadian border in the north, there are famous Great Lakes tourist areas, the most spectacular of which is Niagara Falls. In addition, the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean in the western United States are also world-famous holiday resorts.

The United States is an economically developed and highly modernized country, and its rich natural resources and diverse national cultures make it an attractive tourist country.

Tip: When airport porters and hotel waiters serve passengers, tourists should give a certain tip, usually one yuan per piece of luggage.

Etiquette: accidentally hit someone and say "sorry"; Ask others to make way and say "I'm sorry"; Don't smoke in public places. Before smoking in other places, ask people around you, "May I smoke?" ; Follow the western habit of "ladies first" and let the ladies go first; Say "hi" first when greeting people.

Safety: Whether staying in a high-class hotel or an economy hotel, you must lock the chain inside the door. If someone knocks at the door, ask first, "Who is it?" Then open the door a crack and see who it is; Try not to go to areas with few pedestrians at night. In case of robbery, call 9 1 1.

Time difference: The east and west coasts of the United States are more than 4,500 kilometers apart, and the whole country is divided into Eastern Time, Central Time, Mountain Time, Pacific Time, Alaska Time and Hawaii Time, one hour earlier in turn. Tourists are advised to pay attention when traveling and making phone calls.

Shopping in the United States, you will find many super-large shopping centers with elegant environment in the United States. They are not only shopping places, but also a cultural phenomenon. In the morning, the old people walk in the mall, the children come to the recreation room of the mall to play after school, and the young mothers come here to spend a happy weekend in the form of shopping. In addition, there are restaurants and cinemas in the mall. It can be said that American shopping centers are more like fully functional leisure places. This business model has been popularized all over the world.

When shopping, you might as well go shopping more. Generally speaking, there will always be sales at reduced prices in large shopping malls, and stores will hang up "discount" signs. At this time, you can buy something satisfactory with a fraction of the original price.

Aviation: There are flights to all parts of the United States in major cities around the world, and air transportation is convenient. Domestic air tickets in the United States can be discounted. Tickets purchased 2 1 day in advance can enjoy the biggest discount, followed by 14 and 7 days ago. It is the most expensive to buy tickets for the same day. Look at the travel special issue of the local newspaper on Sunday, and you will find that there are discounted air tickets for sale. Some small airlines have lower ticket prices, but their planes are older.

Railroad: American National Railroad Passenger Transport Company has trains to all parts of the United States, and there are special packages for sale. Package tickets can be used without restriction within the specified time limit and area, including all-line general, western general, eastern general and west coast general, etc. For tourists, it is more economical to buy this kind of ticket to travel around the United States, but they must buy it with their passports before going to the United States. There is also a price difference between the peak season and the off season.

Highway: Turtle Bus Company has a tour bus from San Francisco to new york and Boston from June to June every year 10, and travels more than 5,000 kilometers across the American continent in 14 days, including food, accommodation and sightseeing. The fare is only about $500 (please call 18008678647 for details). Greyhound coach company sells car packages to foreigners, and can take the company's long-distance buses nationwide within a certain period of time, and students and elderly people over 62 can enjoy discounts.

There are many entertainments in America. More elegant entertainment includes concerts, museums and opera performances. The United States has the world-famous Metropolitan Museum of Art and metropolitan opera. Popular entertainment activities include gambling in Las Vegas and watching cabaret performances, or watching various basketball games, baseball games and football games. , especially high-level NBA games. If tourists happen to catch up with the game, they must go to the scene to feel the warm atmosphere. As for general bars, nightclubs and cafes, there will be many in every city, and tourists can choose suitable entertainment places according to their own preferences.

American catering is characterized by diversity. Generally, big cities have restaurants with flavors from all over the world. European restaurants are mainly French and Italian restaurants. These places have a good environment and high prices. When going to these restaurants, it is best to look at the menu in front of the store first to avoid the embarrassment of sitting down and leaving when the price of vegetables is too high. There are Chinese restaurants all over the United States, mainly Guangdong restaurants, selling seafood dishes at moderate prices; There are also restaurants in Japan, India, the Middle East, Latin America and Southeast Asia. Fast food is rich in American local characteristics, including hamburger restaurants represented by McDonald's, fried chicken restaurants represented by KFC, and fast food restaurants selling pizza, sandwiches and hot dogs. After eating in a regular restaurant, you have to tip 15- 20% of the total consumption, but you don't have to tip in a fast food restaurant.

Tourists in the United States can often eat fast food if they want to save money; You might as well make a budget, within $5 for breakfast, $0/0 for lunch and $20 for dinner.

There are different levels of hotels in the United States, and tourists can choose different levels of hotels according to their own economic conditions.

Generally, the charge for a double room in a high-end hotel is $65,438+070 per night, that for a mid-range hotel is $70-65,438+040, that for a budget hotel is only $ 40-70, and that for a single room is $65,438+00-20, so it will be more cost-effective to live with a companion. If you want to save more, you can stay in a youth hostel, where the charge is generally only about $65,438+05 per day, but you must sleep in a bunk bed and the bathroom is public, but you can make friends with young travelers from all over the world.

Hotel fees vary from place to place. The price in new york is relatively high. You can only stay in a third-class economy hotel for $80, but you can use this money to find a mid-range hotel in Los Angeles. Places with scenic spots are another matter. In addition, hotel prices are different in different seasons, and there may be multiple price differences in peak season and off season. Wherever tourists go, they can look up hotel items in the local yellow pages phone book in order to find a safer hotel.

American restaurants usually don't provide free meals, and only a few will provide free breakfast.

There are the following national holidays in America. Many places are closed these days. Please go through the formalities before the holiday, and then join the carnival crowd:

1 month 1 day

New Year

The third week of January, Monday

Martin Luther king's birthday

The third week of February, Monday

President's Day

Monday in the fourth week of May.

Memorial Day

Independence Day (also called Independence Day)

Independence Day

The first week of September, Monday

International Workers' Day

Monday, the second week of October

Columbus Day of Discovery of America

1 1 Last week of the month, Thursday

Thanksgiving Day

December 25

Christmas day

The United States has a great span from east to west, from north to south, so the national climate difference is quite big. Also in winter, the temperature drops to a few degrees below zero in some areas, and some places can take a sea bath. Summer in the United States is very hot, so tourists should be prepared for "high temperature"; But if you travel to the northern United States, you'd better take a thick sweater or a cold jacket. Even in summer, the northern part of the United States is relatively cool, and even a little chilly at night.

Basketball was invented by a PE teacher in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA in 189 1. 1904 The third Olympic Games, the first basketball exhibition. From 65438 to 0908, the United States formulated a unified national basketball rule. Since then, basketball has gradually spread throughout America, Europe and Asia, becoming a worldwide sport.

NBA Men's Basketball Professional League is America's favorite game. At the beginning of each season, the venue is almost full, and the superb skills of basketball stars fascinate the audience. Many American boys dream of becoming NBA basketball stars, because they can not only earn astronomical income, but also become idols that people worship. The NBA is not only a sports event in the United States, it has penetrated into the commercial and advertising industries, and besides the huge box office revenue every season, it can also get a lot of extra commercial and advertising profits.

Tourists in the United States, if they are catching up with the NBA season, might as well go to a game, see the skilled skills of American basketball players and see the American enthusiasm for basketball. It is particularly worth mentioning that Michael Jordan, a former player of Chicago Bulls and a great basketball star, led the Bulls to win six NBA championships and set countless brilliant records. In order to thank Jordan for the honor he brought to Chicago, a statue of Jordan was erected in this city.

In addition to the Chicago Bulls mentioned above, which became popular because of Jordan, there are the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, seattle supersonics and so on.