The USA. The United States of America stretches from the Atlantic Ocean across North America and far into the Pacific

The United States of America stretches from the Atlantic Ocean across North America and far into the Pacific. Because of such a huge size of the country the climate dif­fers from one part of the country to another. The coldest climate is in the northern part, where there is heavy snow in win­ter and the temperature may go down to 40 degrees below zero. The south has a subtropical climate, with temperature as high as 49 degrees in summer.

The continental part of the USA consists of the highland regions and two lowland regions. The highland regions are the Appalachian mountains in the east and the Cordillera in the west. Between the Cordillera and the Appalachian mountains are the central lowlands which are called the prairie, and eas­tern lowlands called the Mississippi valley.

There are many mountains especially in the west and south­west. The Rocky Mountains extend all the way from New Me­xico to Alaska.

Many rivers cross the country. The most important are the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Colorado, and the Sacramento. The main lakes in the USA are the Great Lakes in the north.

The nation's natural advantages and resources are proba­bly greater than those of any other area of equal size.

The land is as varied as it is huge. There are plains and mountains, grasslands and forests, sandy soil, clay and rich, dark loams. The mineral resources vary from precious gold and rare uranium to common lead and zinc. Coal, oil, iron, copper and other minerals are abundant. They form basis of modern industry.

The history of the USA dates back only to the 15th centu­ry. In the 15th century there was no USA at all. The present territory of the USA was divided among some countries. In the 15th — 16th centuries some territory of the USA belonged to Great Britain (northern and western lands); southern parts (California, Florida, New Mexico, Texas) belonged to Spain, then — to Mexico; the central part, the territory was called Louisiana — to France; Alaska was possessed by Russia; some territories remained to be under Indians control.

In 18th century there were only thirteen Britain's Ameri­can colonies and they broke with Great Britain in 1776 and later were recognized as the new nation of the the United States of America, following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the ori­ginal 13 as the nation expanded their frontiers across the North American continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions.

There were three most dramatic experiences in the nation's history: the Civil War (1861-1865), the Great Depression of the 1930s and Vietnam War of the 1960s — 70s. After its victories in World Wars I and II and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the USA remains the world's most pow­erful state. The economy is marked by steady growth, low un­employment and inflation, and great advances in technology.

Nowadays USA is world's third-largest country by size (af­ter Russia and Canada) and by population (after China and India). The total territory of the USA is 9,630,000 sq km. It is about half the size of Russia or lightly larger than China or Brazil. The USA has borders with Canada, Mexico and Rus­sian Federation. The lowest point is Death Valley — 86 m and the highest one is Mount McKinley 6,194 m.

By July 2002, the population of the USA was about 280,565,000. The largest US river is the Mississippi River.

It is a multicultural and multinational country. As to reli­gion there are 56% of Protestants, 28% of Catholics and 2% of Jews. Ethnic groups include white 77%, black 13%, Asian 4.5%.

It is a federal republic with strong democratic traditions. The capital of the US is Washington, DC. The country includes 50 states and 1 district plus dependent areas as: Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, etc.

Independence Day is celebrated on 4 July (from Great Bri­tain). Constitution Day is 17 September, which was approved in 1787.

The chief of state is President; note — the president is both the chief of state and head of government.

There are three political parties in the USA. They are Demo­cratic Party, Green Party and Republican Party. Do you know that among American people, the Democratic Party is associ­ated with mother (mom) and Republican Party is associated with dad (father)? It is a very interesting fact. The currency of the USA is US dollar.

Questions:

1. Is the USA the largest country in the world?

2.What is the total territory of the USA?

3.What is the lowest point of the USA?

4.What is the highest point of the USA?

5.How many people live in the USA today?

6.What city is the capital of the USA?

7.How many states are there in the USA? When do they celebrate their Independence Day?

8.Who is the chief of state?

9. How many political parties are there in the USA?

10.What is the currency of the USA?

Vocabulary:

The United Kingdom of Great Britain Соединенное Королевство Великобритании

and Northern Ireland и Северной Ирландии

the British Isles Британские острова

to be situated быть расположенным

to consist of состоять из

total area общая площадь

respectively соответственно

to include включать

at the head во главе

parliament парламент

chamber палата

to separate разделять

to wash омывать

surface поверхность

to vary менять(ся), разнообразить

mountainous гористый

valley долина

vast огромный

plain равнина

deep глубокий

to influence влиять

climate климат

mild мягкий, умеренный

the whole year round круглый год

population население

urban городской

highly developed высокоразвитый

textile текстиль

aircraft самолеты

navigation судоходство

equipment оборудование

chief главный, основной

shipbuilding кораблестроение

constitutional monarchy конституционная монархия

law закон

in law по закону

the head of the state глава государства

queen королева

in practice фактически, на практике

to reign царствовать

to rule править

to elect выбирать

government правительство

Prime Minister премьер-министр

to stretch, to extend простираться

to consist состоять

advantage преимущество

equal равный

clay глина

precious драгоценный

diverse разнообразный

semiarid полупустынный

coal уголь

copper медь

lead свинец

timber древесина

hazard риск, опасность

mud грязь

slide оползень

earthquake землетрясение

wet мокрый, сырой

the Appalachians горы Аппалачи

semidesert полупустыня

desert пустыня

severe суровый

main land mass континентальная часть

border граница

shores побережье

Dialogue:

- What kind of country is Great Britain?

- Great Britain is a capitalist country.

- What chambers does the British Parliament consist of?

- It consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.

- Whom do the chambers consists of?

- The House of Lords has 850 members, composed of the lords. The House of Commons consists of 630 members, who are elected by ballot.

- What political parties are there in Great Britain?

- At present there are the following political parties in Great Britain: the Conservatives, the Labour Party, the Liberals and the Communist Party.

- Which party is in power now?

- At present the Labour is in power.

- Whose interest does the Labour Party serve?

- In reality the Labour party serves the interests of the English bourgeoisie. The only party that serves the interests of the English working people is the Communist Party.

Translate into English:

1. Соединенное Королевство Великобритании и Северной Ирландии расположено на Британских островах, состоящих из двух больших и тысяч малых островов.

2. Британские острова омываются Атлантическим океаном, Ирландским морем, Северным морем и проливами Ла-Манш и Па-де-Кале.

3. На климат Великобритании оказывает влияние Гольфстрим.

4. Великобритания производит и экспортирует станки, электронику, текстиль, суда.

5. Великобритания - конституционная монархия.

6. Нынешняя террито­рия США была разделена между несколькими государства­ми.

7. За 19-е и 20-е столетия было присоединено 37 новых штатов к первым 13, так как нация расширила свои грани­цы по всему североамериканскому континенту.

8. После своих побед в Пер­вой и Второй мировых войнах и по окончании холодной войны в 1991 году США остается самым сильным государ­ством в мире.

9. В экономике наблюдается постоянный рост и большие достижения в технологии.

10. В настоящее время США — третья страна в мире по пло­щади территории (после России и Канады) и населению (пос­ле Китая и Индии).