General+information

=General Information=

The United States of America, often referred to as the USA, is the third most populated country in the world. Many people see the USA as the third largest country if you consider the disputed area Kashmir not to be a part of China. The USA is the only remaining super power after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and has by far the biggest military defense of all countries in the world. About half of the total amount of money spent on military defense all over the world, is spent by the USA. The States are recognized by their mixed cultures. In some ways, you can compare the States to a wok: The different cultures are the ingredients, and together they create a surprisingly good-tasting meal.

The USA is a huge country with a lot of environmentally differences; from dry deserts like Death Valley to temperate rain forests in Washington; from swamp areas in Alabama to prairies in Texas. The country has in fact some of the most known and spectacular natural areas in the world, for example Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone and Everglades.

The USA consists of 50 different states, where 48 of them are on the USA’s mainland. The two remaining states are Hawaii and Alaska. Alaska is located between Canada and Russia, and is connected to the North American mainland. Hawaii is a group of islands located in the Pacific Ocean, to the west of the USA.