美国概况--英文介绍

AGeneralSurveyofUSAPart1GeneralIntroductionofUSNationalFlagNationalFlag:Thenumberofthestars50starsrepresentthe50statesofAmerica.13stripesrepresentthefirst13statesthatusedtobethecolonies.ImportantFactsAboutUSAFullcountryname:TheUnitedStatesofAmerica(USA)Population:275,000,000Area:3,618,000sqmiles(9,370,000sqkm).The4thlargestintheworld.Capitalcity:Washington,DC(pop:607,000)People:Caucasian（高加索人，白种人）(74%),AfricanAmerican(12%),Latino(9%),Asian(3%),NativeAmerican(0.8%)Languages:English(officiallanguage),plusmanysecondarylanguage,chieflySpanishReligion:Protestant(56%),RomanCatholic(28%),Jewish(2%),Muslim(1%)Government:Federalrepublicof50statesPresident:ObamaGDP:US$9trillionGDPperhead:US$25,850Annualgrowth:4.1%Inflation:2.6%Majorindustries:Oil,electronics,computers,automobilemanufacturing,aerospaceindustries,agriculture.Majortradingpartners:Canada,Japan,theEUThelongestriver:MississippiRiver,thelongestintheworld.TheGreatLakes:(fromwesttoeast)LakeSuperior,LakeMichigan,LakeHuron,LakeErie,&LakeOntario.LakeMichiganbelongstoUSA.Theother4belongtobothUSA&Canada.ThefamousNiagaraFalls.Thethreemostfamousnationalparksare1.TheRockyMountain&YellowstoneNationalPark2.TheGreatCanyonofColoradoinArizona3.YosemiteintheSierraNevadaWashingtonD.C.ThecapitaloftheU.S.WashingtonMonumentJeffersonMemorialLincolnMemorialTheWhiteHouseTheCapitolLibraryofCongressBoston—theStateofMassachusettsItistheearliestcityestablishedintheUnitedStates.Ithasmanyfamousuniversities,suchasHarvardUniversity,MassachusettsInstituteofTechnologyandUniversityofBoston.ItisfullofEuropeanatmosphere.NewYork(theBigApple)—theStateofNewYorkThelargestcityinboththeU.S.andtheworldSkyscrapersEmpireStateBuildingTheUnitedNationsHeadquartersChinatownWallStreetGreenwichVillageCentralParkPhiladelphia—theStateofPennsylvaniaIndependenceHallBetsyRossHousePennsylvaniaAcademyoftheFineArtsFranklinInstituteChicago—theStateofIllinoisThethirdlargestcityintheU.S.Ithasanickname—“TheSupermarketofAmerica”SearsTowerLincolnParkHouston—theStateofTexasNationalAeronauticsandSpaceAdministrationMannedSpacecraftTherearemanyfamouscorporationsaroundthecity,suchasGeneralElectric(GE)andInternationalBusinessMachines(IBM).SanFrancisco—theStateofCaliforniaIntheearlydaysitwastheplacewhereChinesepeopleconcentrated.GoldenGateBridgeThelargestChinatownoutsideofAsiaLosAngeles(theBigOrange)—theStateofCaliforniaThesecondlargestcityintheU.S.HollywoodBeverlyHillsDisneylandUniversityofCalifornia,LosAngeles(UCLA)DifferentPartsofUSTheAtlanticCoastThecentralnorth-eastThecentralareaFurtherwestThesouth-westTheWestCoastImportantMountainsTherearethreemajormountainranges:theAppalachiansintheeast,theRockyMountainsinthewest,andtheSierraNevadaalongtheborderofNevadaandCalifornia.AppalachianMts阿巴拉契亚山脉RockyMts落基山脉SierraNevada内华达山脉ImportantRivers(NationalRivers)1*HudsonRiver2*MississippiRiver3*MissouriRiver4*OhioRiver(InternationalRivers)1*ColoradoRiver2*ColumbiaRiver3*RioGranda4*St.LawrenceRiverPart2PoliticalSystemofUSAGeneralPrinciplesFederalismtheseparationofpowersrespectfortheConstitution&theruleoflaw.TheTwoGovernmentsThestategovernmentTheFederalgovernmentPoliticalPartiesDemocratsRepublicansSeparationofPowersexecutive(thePresident)legislature(Congress)judicialThePresidentThePresidentistheeffectiveheadoftheexecutivebranchofgovernmentaswellasheadofstate.WiththePresident,aVice-Presidentiselected,&ifthePresidentdiestheVice-PresidentbecomesPresidentfortheunexpiredpartofthe4year.TheCongresstheSenate(electedevery6years)theHouseofRepresentatives(2years)ThePartyPoliciesSimple-majorityelectoralsystem,liketheAmericanone,tendtocauseanation’spoliticstobedominatedbycompetitionbetween2parties.The2greatAmericanpartiesareRepublicParty&DemocraticParty.FamousPresidents:GeorgeWashington(1732-1799)Commander-in-chiefoftheContinentalArmyduringtheAmericanRevolution&1stPresidentoftheU.S.1789-1797)ThomasJefferson(1743-1826)3rdPresidentoftheU.S(1801-1809)&authoroftheDeclarationofIndependence.BenjaminFranklinBenjaminFranklin(1706—1790),Americanstatesman,diplomat,scientistandwriter.HewasbornintoapoorfamilyinMassachusetts,andworkedasprinterapprenticeinhisyouth.AbrahamLincoln(1809-1865)16thPresidentoftheU.S.(1861-1865)FamousandadmiredbecauseofhisleadershipduringthedifficultperiodoftheAmericanCivilWarandtheliberationofNegroesfromslavery.Part3AmericanHistoryTheEarliestInhabitants20,000yearsago,AmericanIndiansColumbusfoundthenewcontinent10,000yearsago,thelaterEskimostheyear1000,theearliestEuropeansDiscoveryInlate15th-centuryEurope,therewasagreatdemandforspices,textilesanddyesfromAsia.ChristopherColumbus,amarinerfromItaly,mistakenlybelievedthathecouldreachtheFarEastbysailing6,400kilometerswestfromEurope.EnglishSettlementsThefirstsuccessfulEnglishcolonyinAmericawasfoundedatJamestown,Virginiain1607.Ofthefirst105colonists,73diedofhungeranddiseasewithinsevenmonthsoftheirarrival.OnegroupofEnglishPuritanscrossedtheAtlanticintheshipMayflowerandsettledatPlymouth,Massach