Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

science; to ensure freedom of speech

World Health Organization WHO To ensure all people are as healthy

as possible

World Bank Group To give loans and technical help to

developing countries

Other Programs and Funds

United Nations Environment UNEP To help countries protect the

Programme environment

United Nations Children’s Fund UNICEF To help children worldwide be safe,

healthy, and educated

Office of the United Nations UNHCR To protect refugees (people who were

High Commissioner for forced to leave their country)

Refugees

World Food Programme WFP To get emergency food supplies to

people who need them

Source: United Nations

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA United Nations 23

 

United States

Established in 1776, the United States is

young compared to many other countries.

Yet by the 1900s the United States

had grown into a world power. The

capital is Washington, D.C.

Geography

The United States is the fourth largest

country in the world (after Russia,

Canada, and China). It extends across

North America from the Atlantic Ocean

on the east to the Pacific Ocean on the

west. The United States is made up of

50 states and the District of Columbia.

Forty-eight of the states lie between

Canada on the north and Mexico and

the Gulf of Mexico on the south. The

49th state, Alaska, lies northwest of

Canada. The 50th state, Hawaii, is a

group of islands in the Pacific Ocean.

The landscape of the United States

ranges from rugged mountains to flat

prairies and from moist rain forests to

dry deserts. The mountain ranges

include the Rocky Mountains and the

Sierra Nevada in the west and the Appalachian

Mountains in the east. Between

the Appalachians and the Rocky Mountains

is a vast lowland region that

includes the Great Plains. The highest

point in the country is Mount McKinley,

in Alaska. It is 20,320 feet (6,194

meters) high. The lowest point is Death

Valley, in the California desert. It lies

282 feet (86 meters) below sea level.

The United States has some of the largest

and most useful rivers and lakes in

A nighttime view of Washington,

D.C., shows the Lincoln Memorial

in the foreground, the tall

Washington Monument, and the

U.S. Capitol in the background.

Boaters enjoy a view of Yosemite

Falls in Yosemite National Park

in California.

24 United States BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA United States 25

 

the world. The longest rivers are the

Mississippi and the Missouri. They join

in the middle of the country. The combined

Mississippi-Missouri river system

is 3,710 miles (5,971 kilometers) long.

The five Great Lakes form the largest

connected area of freshwater on Earth.

The climate of the United States is as

varied as its land. It ranges from Arctic

cold in Alaska to tropical warmth in

Hawaii and southern Florida.

Plants and Animals

Forests in the eastern United States have

pine, hemlock, oak, hickory, birch, and

maple trees. Pine, fir, and spruce forests

are common in the Rocky Mountains

and along the Pacific coast. Grasslands

cover large parts of the central plains.

Sagebrush, yucca, and cactus are common

in the deserts of the Southwest.

The animals of the forest include bears,

elk, deer, foxes, bobcats, beavers, opossums,

and raccoons. Coyotes, prairie

dogs, jackrabbits, and a few bison (buffalo)

live on the grasslands. Desert animals

include snakes, lizards, scorpions,

and roadrunners.

People

The United States is made up of people

from many backgrounds. Whites make

up more than 70 percent of the population.

They have roots in Great Britain,

Ireland, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia,

Sweden, and other European countries.

The two largest minority groups are

African Americans and Hispanic Americans.

Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders,

and Native Americans make up small

groups. Most Americans speak English.

The country also has many Spanish

speakers because of its large Hispanic

population.

More than four fifths of the population

is Christian. Protestants are the largest

Christian group, followed by Roman

Catholics. Other people practice Islam,

Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.

More than three fourths of the people

live in or near cities. New York City, on

Prairies once covered large parts of the

central United States. Much of the land is

now used for farming or grazing. But there

are still areas where grasses cover the hills.

A group of white birds called ibises looks

for food in the Okefenokee Swamp in the

U.S. state of Georgia.

Facts About

THE UNITED

STATES

Population

(2008 estimate)

305,146,000

Area

3,616,236 sq mi

(9,366,008 sq

km)

Capital

Washington, D.C.

Form of

government

Republic

Major cities

New York, Los

Angeles, Chicago,

Houston,

Philadelphia,

Phoenix

26 United States BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

the East Coast, is one of the largest cities

in the world. Los Angeles, California,

and Chicago, Illinois, are the country’s

next largest cities.

Economy

The United States is a great economic

power. Service industries make up the

largest part of the economy. They

include finance, health care, education,

and tourism. Major manufactured products

include iron and steel, chemicals,

electronics, motor vehicles, aircraft, and

food.