The USA has some of the world's most iconic cities and landmarks as well as some of the most the most stunning and recognizable natural wonders such as Yellowstone Park and the Grand Canyon. The nation's culture has been exported around the world and billions are familiar with Hollywood films and American music such as blues, jazz, rock, and hip-hop.
US key facts: The USA is the third biggest country in the world in terms of population and geographical size. It has the world's largest GDP and is considered to be the global super-power. How many states are there in the USA? The US has a federal government and consists of 50 states.
A short history of the USA: The United States is home to many cultures and a wide variety of ethnic groups, over the past five centuries, immigrants have moved to the US from Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Paleo-Indians migrated to North America 15,000 years ago.
Paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to North America 15,000 years ago, though the nations modern history began in the sixteenth century when Europeans began colonizing. When did America become independent? America won its independence from Britain in 1783.
With the industrial revolution, the American economy boomed at an incredible pace, as did the nation's international standing. After the Second World the US and the Soviet Union became the two leading powers, and since the collapse of the USSR, the USA has been the sole super-power.
American culture
American culture has become incredibly influential and popular around the world. Some of the America's most recognizable brands, such as McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Nike and Starbuck's are familiar sights in cities, malls, and stores around the globe.
Music, film, and television have also been huge exports. The Academy Awards (known as 'The Oscars') are a global event and have been held annually since 1944, the film studios of Hollywood continue to be the most successful film producers.
The most successful person ever in Oscar history is Walt Disney (26 Oscars), whose studio has made some of the most-loved family films including Mary Poppins, the Lion King, Aladdin, and more recently, the new Star Wars films. Disneyland and Universal Studios are two popular family holiday destinations in the US which pay tribute to American cinema.
Popular American music: Musically, no other country has been so influential over the last century. African-American music is the root of blues, which then evolved into jazz, and then rock. Over the last couple of decades, hip-hop has become increasingly popular too. Some of the most famous American artists include Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Madonna and Bob Dylan.
Twelve US citizens have won the Nobel Prize for Literature including Ernest Hemingway and John Steinbeck and major visual art movements have been developed in the US, including the pop art of Andy Warhol and the abstract expressionism of Jackson Pollock.
Popular American sports: Although baseball has been regarded as the US national sport since the late 19th century, American football is by several measures the most popular spectator sport, it has the highest average attendance of any sports league in the world, and the Super Bowl is watched by millions. Basketball, however, is the most popular of the American sports globally and there are leagues in every continent.
There are countless things to see in the USA, its cities are one of its greatest draws. Visiting New York alone you can see the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, and Central Park and on a trip to San Francisco, you'll see the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and Fort Point.
The countries natural beauty spots is another reason to visit the US. The country's ecology is megadiverse with over 17,000 types of plant and 428 mammal species, which you can see the majority of in the 59 national parks in the US.
