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| United States |
United States is a federal republic consisting of 50 states and a federal district. Except for Alaska (northern Canada) and Hawaii (Pacific Ocean), 48 other states and federal district located in North America. United States border with Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico in the south, and with Canada on the north and northwest (Alaska exclave). In the west the country borders the Pacific Ocean and on the east by the Atlantic Ocean. In addition, the United States also "has" some areas in the Caribbean and the Pacific, although the region is not part of the United States.
With a total area of 9.83 million km2 and a population of 309 million people, the United States is the largest state-3 or-4 based on the total land area and third largest based on population. The country is a multiethnic and multicultural country, which is caused by the influx of immigrants from around the world. United States economy is the world's largest economy, with gross domestic product (estimated 2008) of U.S. $ 14.4 trillion (one quarter of the world based on nominal GDP and a fifth based on purchasing power parity).
Before the arrival of Europeans, Americans have been inhabited by Indians for thousands of years. But Indian tribes population declined rapidly due to disease outbreaks and wars with European settlers. America was formed from 13 former British colony which gained independence on July 4, 1776. This new country and then won the war with Britain in the American Revolutionary War. In the 19th century, the United States to expand massively, the Louisiana purchase from France, Alaska from Russia, and annexed the regions of Mexico that is New Mexico, Texas and California after the Mexican-American War.
Conflicts between the northern states to southern states on the question of states rights and slavery sparked the American Civil War in the 1860s. Northern states and then managed to win this war and defend the unity of the country. U.S. economy become the largest in the world since the 1870s. Victory in the Spanish-American War and World War I lifted the United States as one of the world's military forces. In World War II, the United States became the first country to have nuclear weapons. The end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union made the United States became the only world superpower and the leading edge in terms of military, economic, cultural, and political.
In 1507, German cartographer, Martin Waldseemüller create a world map that contains the word "America" to refer to the western continent. Naming was named after the name of an Italian explorer, Amerigo Vespucci. British colonies which gained independence first used the name "United States of America" in the proclamation of independence on July 4, 1776. The name is then set on November 15, 1777.
History
United States formed from 13 former British colonies after the American Revolution after the declaration of independence on July 4, 1776. At its origin, its political structure was a confederation. But after a long debate and the formation of the American Constitution, the colony was finally agreed to form a union state.
In the 19th century, U.S. forces spread throughout the continent of North America. Through coercion, military force and diplomacy, the United States obtained many other states inside and outside the country such as Cuba and the Philippines. Even so, this country experienced the worst social problems. In an effort to develop the power of the white, aboriginal Indians have been victimized. Through military force, destruction, removal and construction of the reservation area, the native Indians had been removed. In the south, there is still no system of slavery with the blacks as second class citizens. Discrimination against the color is one of the causes of civil war between the states and North-South state. Although the system of slavery had been abolished after the defeat of the countries of the South, racism continues to reign so that the mid-20th century.
During that era, this country move forward into a world industrial power, which is continual so that the 20th century, known as the medieval glories of America or the American Century. In this century the widespread American influence in the international arena and become a center of innovation and technology in the world when it's Best. Some of the contributions of technology, including telephones, televisions, computers, Internet, nuclear weapons, airplanes and space travel.
This country has suffered some bitter experiences such as the American Civil War (1861-1865) and the bad economic collapse during the "Great Depression" (1929-1939) who not only hit the United States in fact almost the whole world. The most distressing experiences is the latest 9 / 11 attacks on 11 September 2001 at the World Trade Center, New York, where nearly three thousand people were killed due to terrorist attacks.
In terms of history, this country has been involved in several major world wars, the War of 1812 against Britain, and berpakta also with the British during World War I and World War II. In the 1960s-era Americans involved in the Cold War against another great power and influence of Soviet communism. In an effort to stem the spread of communism in Asia, the United States in the Korean War, Vietnam and finally in Afghanistan. After the Soviet collapse and disintegration, the U.S. got into an economic power and the strongest military in the world. During the 1990s, the United States proclaimed itself as the world police and army action in Kosovo, Haiti, Somalia and Liberia, and the First Gulf War against Iraq that invaded Kuwait. After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 at the World Trade Center and Pentagon, the U.S. launched retaliatory attacks against Afghanistan and impose Taliban country there and in 2003 launched the Second Gulf War against Iraq to remove Saddam Hussein's regime.
United States is a constitutional democracy with three-tier system and judicial institutions are free. There are three ranks of national, state and local government which has legislative and executive bodies with the power of their respective fields. This country uses a system of federalism in which the partnership or in the central state and the states share power. Central state authorities for several things such as printing of U.S. currency and defense policy. However, the states power to determine rights and the laws of each such as abortion rights and a maximum penalty of a baby in terms of legislation.
One element is apparent in the American division of powers doctrine. Article 1 to 3 of the American Constitution, has outlined in detail on the powers of the main State executive, legislature and judiciary. Checks and Balances or checks and balances is a major feature of American countries and it is so comprehensive that no one branch of the state that has absolute power to oversee the other branches.
In this country all people aged 18 years and over are eligible to vote. Elections for the presidential election held every four years and the latest was in November 2004.
In addition to the presidential elections, there is also a part-time election, held in mid-term presidency. In this election the president is not elected but all members of the House of Representatives and one third of all senators from each state. This election was last held on 7 November 2006.
State
When the United States declared independence, the thirteen colonies became states-states. At first the state of these states joined as an alliance but later formed a unified state. In subsequent years, the number of states increases with the inclusion of state-states in the west, land purchases and the state split-existing state. Each state is divided into counties (sort county), cities (such municipality or autonomous cities) and townships (such districts).
The United States also has a federal district, Washington, DC, and the colonies such as Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam and the Virgin Islands.