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On the flag Of the United States, 50 identical stars represent the
country’s 50 states. But the states themselves could not be more different.
If the stars showed their land areas, the largest, for alaska, would be nearly
500 times bigger than the star for the smallest state, Rhode Island. If the
stars showed population, alaska’s star would be the smallest, and the star
for California, which has the most people, would be more than 50 times
larger. the states vary in other ways, too. the Rocky Mountains in the
western states reach more than 14,400 ft (4,400 m) in height,
but flat plains extend for a thousand miles across the
country’s center. at Barrow, alaska, the northernmost town,
the average temperature is just 9°f (-13°C), yet in arizona
temperatures have reached 134°f (57°C). Since 1945, the
US has played a leading role in world affairs. the nation
is the most powerful in the Western world. american
finance, culture, and politics have spread outward
from the United States. Products made in the
United States are available in every
country. Decisions made by
american politicians affect
the lives of people everywhere.the United States covers much
of the continent of north
america. It reaches from the
atlantic to the Pacific oceans,
and from the Mexican border to
Canada. the nation covers a
total of 3.68 million sq miles
(9.37 million sq km).State anD feDeRal gOveRnMent
the United States is a democracy and has
a written constitution that sets out how
government works. State governments, which
meet in the state capital, have the authority
to make laws affecting their own residents.
the states were once nearly self-governing,
but today the federal, or national,
government has more power.
It makes decisions on foreign
policy and can pass laws that
affect the entire country.543- United States of America
naSa
the United States is a world leader in
technology, particularly in space
research. the national aeronautics and
Space administration (naSa) spends
billions of dollars every year on satellites and
spacecraft. In 1969, neil armstrong, commander
of naSa’s apollo 11, became the first man to walk
on the moon. One of naSa’s recent successes is
new horizons, the first probe to fly by Pluto.Technicians monitor
data in a NASA Space
Shuttle control center.neW yORk CIty
at the mouth of the hudson River, on the east Coast of the United States, is
new york City, the country’s biggest city. It is also one of the oldest. new york was
founded in the 1620s and is now an urban area with 19.7 million people. the city
is the financial heart of the nation and houses the offices of many large
companies, plus hundreds of theaters, museums, and
parks. Skyscrapers more than 1,000 ft
(300 m) tall dominate the city
center, Manhattan.Manhattan,
the center of New
York City, is an
island between
the Hudson and
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