Key Facts About the USA

Sep 14, 2024

Facts About the United States of America

Geography

  • Size: Almost 10 million square kilometers, third largest in the world (after Russia and Canada).
  • States: USA is divided into 50 states.
    • Largest state: Alaska
    • Smallest state: Rhode Island
  • Population: 334 million, third largest population globally (after China and India).
  • Largest states by population: California, Texas, Florida, New York.
  • Largest city: New York City with a population of 8.4 million, larger than 40 out of the 50 states. Other large cities include Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston.
  • Capital: Washington, D.C.
    • Washington, D.C. is separate from the state of Washington.
    • Home to the President of the USA.

History

  • Founding: Officially founded on July 4, 1776, with the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
    • Originally consisted of 13 colonies.
  • Independence Day: Celebrated annually on July 4th to commemorate independence from Great Britain.
  • First President: George Washington, elected in 1789.

Symbols

  • US Flag: 50 stars (states) and 13 stripes (colonies).
  • National bird: American bald eagle, designated in 1782.
  • Statue of Liberty: Gift from France, located on Liberty Island in NYC. Holds a tablet with the Declaration of Independence date.

Culture

  • Native Americans: Indigenous tribes lived in the USA for at least 15,000 years prior to European settlement. Approximately 5.5 million Native Americans currently reside in the country (about 1.7% of the population).
  • Languages: No official language; about 80% speak English at home, followed by Spanish (13%) and Chinese (1%).

Engagement

  • Questions posed to the audience:
    • What facts did you already know?
    • Which fact surprised you the most?
  • Call to action: Like the video and suggest topics for future content.