AMERICAN CULTURE

ALL ABOUT THE USA!

 LOCATION
Located in the Western Hemisphere
on the continent of North America,
the United States is the fourth-
largest country in the world. Its total
area, including Alaska and Hawaii, is
9,629,091sq km(3,717,813 sq mi).
 LANGUAGE USE IN THE UNITED
STATES
English is the language spoken by most people
in the United States. The official language of
many states is English1 and it is the language
used in nearly all governmental functions.
Despite this predominance, many people in the
United States speak languages other than
English, and there has long been an interest in
these groups and in how well they are able to
participate in civic life and interact with the
English-speaking majority. Beginning in 1890,
the U.S.
 CAPITAL OF THE USA
The United States of America (USA),
commonly referred to as the United States
(U.S.) or America, is a country composed of
50 states, a federal district, five major
self-governing territories, and various
possessions.
The United States is a complex and vast
country made up of 50 states plus the city
of Washington, D.C. - the nations capital -
all of which have a distinct regional identity.
 ACTUAL PRESIDENT
DONALD TRUMP
The President of the United States is the elected
head of state and head of government of the
United States. The president leads the executive
branch of the federal government and is the
commander-in-chief of the United States Armed
Forces. The president is indirectly elected to a
four-year term by the people through an Electoral
College (or by the House of Representatives,
should the Electoral College fail to award an
absolute majority of votes to any person).
 U.S. Holidays and Customs to Know
Americans share three national holidays with many countries: Easter
Sunday, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day.
Easter, which falls on a spring Sunday that varies from year to year,
celebrates the Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. For
Christians, Easter is a day of religious services and the gathering of
family. Many Americans follow old traditions of coloring hard-boiled
eggs and giving children baskets of candy. On the next day, Easter
Monday, the president of the United States holds an annual Easter egg
hunt on the White House lawn for young children.
Christmas Day, December 25, is another Christian holiday; it marks the
birth of the Christ Child. Decorating houses and yards with lights,
putting up Christmas trees, giving gifts, and sending greeting cards have
become traditions even for many non-Christian Americans.
New Year's Day, of course, is January 1. The celebration of this holiday
begins the night before, when Americans gather to wish each other a
happy and prosperous coming year.
UNIQUELY AMERICAN HOLIDAYS

Eight other holidays are uniquely American (although

some of them have counterparts in other nations).
For most Americans, two of these stand out above
the others as occasions to cherish national origins:
Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July.
Thanksgiving Dayis the fourth Thursday in
November, but many Americans take a day of
vacation on the following Friday to make a four-day
weekend, during which they may travel long
distances to visit family and friends. The holiday
dates back to 1621,the year after the Puritans
arrived in Mass.
Eight other holidays are uniquely American (although some
of them have counterparts in other nations). For most
Americans, two of these stand out above the others as
occasions to cherish national origins: Thanksgiving and the
Fourth of July.
Thanksgiving Dayis the fourth Thursday in November,
but many Americans take a day of vacation on the
following Friday to make a four-day weekend, during
which they may travel long distances to visit family and
friends. The holiday dates back to 1621, the year after
the Puritans arrived in Massachusetts, determined to
practice their dissenting religion without interference.
The Fourth of July, orIndependence Day,
honors the nation's birthday -- the signing of
the Declaration of Independence on July 4,
1776. It is a day of picnics and patriotic
parades, a night of concerts and fireworks.
The flying of the American flag (which also
occurs on Memorial Day and other holidays) is
widespread. On July 4, 1976, the 200th
anniversary of the Declaration of
Independence was marked by grand festivals
across the nation.
 Martin Luther King Day: The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., an
African-American clergyman, is considered a great American
because of his tireless efforts to win civil rights for all
people through nonviolent means. Since his assassination in
1968, memorial services have marked his birthday on January
15. Presidents' Day: Until the mid-1970s, the February 22
birthday of George Washington, hero of the Revolutionary
War and first president of the United States, was a national
holiday. In addition, the February 12 birthday of Abraham
Lincoln, the president during the Civil War, was a holiday in
most states. The two days have been joined, and the holiday
has been expanded to embrace all past presidents. It is
celebrated on the third Monday in February.
Memorial Day: Celebrated on the fourth Monday of May, this
holiday honors the dead. Although it originated in the
aftermath of the Civil War, it has become a day on which the
dead of all wars, and the dead generally, are remembered in
special programs held in cemeteries, churches, and other
public meeting places.
 Labor Day: The first Monday of September, this holiday
honors the nation's working people, typically with parades.
For most Americans it marks the end of the summer vacation
season, and for many students the opening of the school
year.
Columbus Day: On October 12, 1492, Italian navigator
Christopher Columbus landed in the New World. Although
most other nations of the Americas observe this holiday on
October 12, in the United States it takes place on the
second Monday in October.
Veterans Day: Originally called Armistice Day, this holiday
was established to honor Americans who had served in World
War I. It falls on November 11, the day when that war
ended in 1918, but it now honors veterans of all wars in
which the United States has fought. Veterans' organizations
hold parades, and the president customarily places a wreath
on the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National
Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.