People and culture in the USA

The USA is home to more than 324 million people, making it the third-largest country in the world by population.

Historically, immigration to the USA after its discovery by Europeans was mainly from England and other European countries, and then later from Latin America and Asia.

Made up of 50 states, the USA faces the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans and is bordered by Canada in the north and Mexico in the south. Taking up a large portion of the North American continent, the USA extends its reach through the states of Alaska in the far northwest and Hawaii in the Pacific.

The USA is divided into four major regions the West, the Midwest, the South and the Northeast. Each of these regions are further subdivided into two or more census divisions.

It is impossible to geographically define the USA with a single term given the disparity between the country's bustling city streets, wide-open plains, mountain ranges, coastal cities and quiet country towns.

The climate of the US varies considerably from coast to coast due to the differences in latitude and the country’s varied geographical features.

The seasons in the United States are: - Winter (December to February) - Spring (March to May) - Summer (June to August) - Autumn/Fall (September to November)

Much of the eastern parts of the US have a humid continental or subtropical climate, with four distinct seasons. The Southeast has mild winters and hot humid summers and the Northeast and Midwest have much colder winters with frequent snowfalls and periods with snow on the ground.

Hawaii typically experiences tropical weather conditions with cold and wet seasons during winter months and dry seasons during warmer months. Alaska on the other hand, experiences Arctic conditions with very distinct winter and summer season due to the significant changes in temperatures between the two seasons.

The Founding Fathers of the USA, who created the Constitution, wanted to ensure it was written to allow for a separation of powers, or three separate branches of government the Legislative that makes the laws, the Executive that carries out the laws and the Judicial that evaluates the laws.

The US Government is known as a representative democracy with two legislative bodies, the Senate and House of Representatives. The Senate has 100 elected senators with two senators per state who serve a six-year term, while the House of Representatives has 435 voting representatives.

The number of representatives from each state in the House of Representatives is based on the state's population. Each representative serves a two-year term and can be re-elected.

The Executive Branch consists of the President of the United States, the Vice President and the Cabinet. A president can only remain in office for a maximum of two four-year terms.

The Judicial Branch is made of the court system that includes the Supreme Court, the US Court of Appeals, the US District Courts, State Courts and the County Courts.

Any areas that the Federal Government does not directly control are ruled by the state governments, which are modelled after the federal government and made up of three branches: Legislative, Executive and Judicial.

The USA is one of the most diverse countries in the world and its exact breakdown of ethnic diversity is extremely difficult to determine as most Americans come from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.

Being one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world naturally brings a wide diversity of religious beliefs and practices. Many Americans believe that religion plays a very important role in their lives and this is unique among developed countries.

The indigenous people in the USA are referred to as Native Americans but are also known as American Indians or Indians for short. Native Americans are considered to be the people whose ancestors were indigenous to the lands within the nation's modern borders before Christopher Columbus arrived in 1492.

These people formed distinct tribes, bands, and ethnic groups, many of which are still intact today.

The USA does not have an official language. However, around 80 per cent of its people are native English speakers.

The use of English in the USA is a result of the British colonisation of the Americas. Since the first English-speaking settlers arrived early in the 17th century, American English has been influenced by the languages of West Africa, the Native American population, German, Dutch, Irish, Spanish and other languages of successive waves of immigrants to the USA.

A wide variety of accents and dialects can be found across the country. As a result, American English might be difficult for a visitor to decipher.

Americans have their own unique form of slang language, and you will soon become familiar with words like 'buck' (dollar), 'bail' (leaving quickly) or 'raincheck' (reschedule).