Geography and Climate of the United States

The U.S. borders both the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans and is
bordered by Canada and Mexico. It is the third largest country in the world by
area and has a varied topography. The eastern regions consist of hills and low
mountains while the central interior is a vast plain (called the Great Plains
region) and the west has high rugged mountain ranges (some of which are
volcanic in the Pacific Northwest). Alaska also features rugged mountains as well
as river valleys. Hawaii's landscape varies but is dominated by volcanic
topography.
Like its topography, the climate of the U.S. also varies depending on location. It is
considered mostly temperate but is tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in
Alaska, semiarid in the plains west of the Mississippi River and arid in the Great
Basin of the southwest.

Cuisine of the United States

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fried chicken

Apple pie is a tradition in the United States

The cuisine of the United States refers to food prepared in the United States.
The European Colonization of the Americas gave way to introduction of many ingredients and
cooking styles. These styles extended to the 19th and 20th centuries.
Seafoods have been in the United States since pre-Colonial times. Native American ate fish and
other seafood in those times.
Pizza is based on the traditional Italian dish which was brought to the U.S. by Italian immigrants. It
varies, however, based on the style and development region.
In the Southern United States, fried chicken is extremely popular, though it is eaten everywhere.

The United States of America is the world's largest single national economy.[21] The United States'
nominal GDP was estimated to be $17.311 trillion as of Q2 2014,[22] approximately a quarter
of nominal global GDP.[23][24]Its GDP at purchasing power parity is also the largest of any single
country in the world, approximately a fifth ofthe global total.[25][26] The U.S. dollar is the currency most
used in international transactions and is the world's foremost reserve currency.[27] Several
countries use it as their official currency, and in many others it is the de facto currency.[28] The United
States has a mixed economy[29][30] and has maintained a stable overall GDP growth rate, a moderate
unemployment rate, and high levels of research and capital investment.[31] Its six largest trading
partners are Canada, China, Mexico, Japan, Germany, and Italy.[32]
The US has abundant natural resources, a well-developed infrastructure, and high productivity.[33] It
had the world's ninth-highest per capita GDP (nominal) and sixth-highest per capita GDP (PPP) as
of 2013.[34][35] The U.S. is the world's third-largest producer of oil and largest producer of natural gas.
[36]

It is the second-largest trading nation in the world behind China.[37] It has been the world's largest

national economy (not including colonial empires) since at least the 1890s.[38] As of 2010, the country
remains the world's largest manufacturer, representing a fifth of the global manufacturing output.
[39]

Of the world's 500 largest companies, 132 are headquartered in the US, twice that of any other

country.[40]
The United States has one of the world's largest and most influential financial markets. The New
York Stock Exchange is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization.[41] Foreign
investments made in the US total almost $2.4 trillion,[42] while American investments in foreign
countries total over $3.3 trillion.[43]Consumer spending comprises 71% of the US economy in 2013.
[44]

The United States has the largest consumer market in the world, with a household final

consumption expenditure five times larger than the Japan's.[45] The labor market has
attracted immigrants from all over the world and its net migration rate is among the highest in the
world.[46] The U.S. is one of the top-performing economies in studies such as the Ease of Doing
Business Index, the Global Competitiveness Report, and others.[47]
The US economy is currently embroiled in the economic downturn which followed the financial crisis
of 200708, with output still below potential according to the Congressional Budget Office[48] and
unemployment still above historic trends while household incomes have stagnated.[49] As of August
2014, the unemployment rate was 6.1%,[50] while the government's broader U-6 unemployment rate,
which includes the part-time underemployed, was 12.0%.[51] At 11.3%, the U.S. has one of the
lowest labor union participation rates in the OECD.[52]Households living on less than $2 per day
before government benefits, doubled from 1996 levels to 1.5 million households in 2011, including
2.8 million children.[53] The wealthiest 10% of the population possess 80% of all financial assets.
[54]

Total public and private debt was $50.2 trillion at the end of the first quarter of 2010, or 3.5 times

GDP.[55] In December 2013, the total of the public debt was about 0.7 times GDP.[56] Domestic
financialassets totaled $131 trillion and domestic financial liabilities totaled $106 trillion.[57]
US real GDP contracted by 2.1% in the first quarter of 2014, the first decline since 2011. [2] However
in the second quarter of 2014, the US GDP grew by 4.2%, reversing the contraction seen in the first
quarter and surpassing previous estimates.[2]