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Introduction to the United States
The United States of America, often written USA, US, the United States, America, or simply "the States", is a country in North America. Covering an area of 9.83 square kilometers (3.79 square miles), it is the fourth largest country by area behind Russia, Canada and China.
Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States. It was founded on 16 July, 1790. While the city was being made ready, New York City and Philadelphia served as interim capitals.
The United States has a population of 307 million people, making it the third most populous country behind China and India. The main part of the country, where forty-eight contiguous states and the capital Washington, D.C., are located, is bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The United States also has the world's largest national economy, with an estimated gross domestic product of US$14.4 trillion in 2008, accounting for one fourth of the world's GDP and one fifth of it by purchasing power parity.
The United States was created following the Declaration of Independence on the 4th of July, 1776, when thirteen British colonies on the Atlantic seaboard proclaimed their right to self-determination. These thirteen colonies, namely Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Rhone Island, were joined by other states, the last being Hawaii on 21 August, 1959, to form a total of fifty states in the federal union today. It includes the state of Alaska, which was purchased from the Russian Empire in 1867 for US$7.2 million, and many small islands in the Caribbean and the Pacific Oceans, which are all part of US territories.
Fast Facts about the United States
Official Name: The United States of America
Capital: Washington, D.C. (582,000)
Population of the United States: 299,114,000
Languages: English (82%), Spanish (11%, others
Currency: US dollar
Religions: Protestant (52%), Roman Catholic (24%), others
Size: 9,631,420 sq km (3,718,710 sq miles)
Region: North America
US Hotels
In planning your trip to the US, you should first check the price of hotel rooms offered by different hotel booking websites before placing your booking. Different sites actually quote vastly different rates for the same hotel rooms. It is therefore prudent to do a bit of homework. Use our free USA Hotel Search Engine to view and compare room rates offered by the different hotel booking sites. It helps you in making an informed decision that can potentially save you a lot of money
You can also use the search console below. Just key in the dates of your trip, and the engine will generate a list of hotels with the best prices, as plucked from the different Online Hotel Booking websites.
The 48 contiguous states can be grouped by region as follows:
New England Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
Located on the northeastern corner of the country, New England has some of the smallest as well as oldest states of the union. The earliest English settlements in the New World started here. Boston in Massachusetts is the largest city in New England.
Mid-Atlantic Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania
This is the nation's most densely populated region. It includes New York City, the largest city in the United States, and Washington, D.C., the country's capital.
South Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia
A region famous for its cooking and dishes such as jambalaya, music such as jazz and blues.
Florida
A category all its own, Florida is a state with huge resorts such as Walt Disney World, cities like Miami with its Cuban culture, and a place many choose for their retirement.
Mid-West Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin
Within this region are the farmland as well as industrial heart of America. The population is concentrated around the Great Lakes, where we find huge cities such as Chicago and Detroit.
Texas
The second largest state after Alaska, and the biggest among the 48 contiguous states, Texas is like a country in itself (and at one time, it was). Images of Texas is one of cattle ranches and oil wells.
Great Plains North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma
A sparsely populated region of grassland called the prairie, the Great Plains extend from the forests in the east to the steppes of the High Plains.
Rocky Mountains Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming
A mountainous region that lends itself to outdoor pursuits from hiking to skiing, the Rocky Mountain states has much to offer in natural beauty.
Southwest Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah
This region is where you find fantastic landscape in the form of canyons and desert, and ancient remains of native Americans.
California
This state is home to the country's entertainment capital, Hollywood, but there is more to California than that. It is also blessed with a beautiful coastline, and is a major producer of fruits and wine, as well as being a centre for information technology.
Pacific Northwest Washington, Oregon
The region has temperate rain forest, beautiful coastline with jagged mountains and the occasional volcanic eruptions. The city of Seattle was once the home of the country's aircraft manufacturing, but is today more closely regarded as home to Microsoft.
Alaska
The biggest state in the United States makes up one fifth of its land area but is sparsely populated. Clad mostly in mountainous wilderness, Alaska is rich in oil and other minerals.
Hawaii
Located over two thousand miles off the west coast of the US mainland, Hawaii is regarded as a tropical vacation paradise.
When to visit the United States
The United States is so vast and so diverse that any time is a good time.
Getting into the United States
There are flights to many cities in the United States. The main entry point on the East Coast is New York City while in the West Coast it is Los Angeles.
Where to stay in the United States
There are plenty of accommodation providers throughout the United States. They range from budget guesthouses and motels to upscale branded chains and boutique hotels. If you are looking for a mainstream hotel, click on hotels in USA to find the best rates from all the major online room providers. For hostels and other forms of budget accommodation, click on hostels in USA.
Alternatively, you can also use the search box below to find the best room rates for hotels in USA.
Find the lowest price of hotel rooms from different Hotel Booking websites. Our free Hotel Search Engine lets you compare room rates from different booking sites. Just key in your visiting City. You'd be glad to do your homework!
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