Country Study

2019 - 2020
10 facts about the USA

The  Grand Canyon is located in northern Arizona and is one of the great tourist attractions in the US. Carved over several million years by the Colorado River.

In the US, pizza is the nation's favorite fast food. Americans eat about 100 acres  is official state animal of California. But no grizzly bears have been seen  there since 1922.

 New York was the first capital city of the US. New York City served as the nation's capital city for five years between 1785 and 1790. 

Hollywood,America is considered to be the movie capital of the world.

The most interesting fact about US is that there is no official language in the country. Although English is the most common language used in US.

McDonald's is one of the biggest fast food restaurants in the world.

The US state of Alaska has the longest coastline stretching for 6,640 miles. Florida has the second longest.

The history of the internet dates back to the 1950s when electronic computers were being developed. During the early 1960s, the US Department of Defense granted contracts for packet network systems. ARPANET was the first switching network to be developed.

Holydays and fastivals

The United States has the largest economy in the world.

Holidays and festivals

Ten federal holidays are specified by the government in U.S. Federal government offices, including the post office, are always closed on all federal holidays. Schools and businesses close on major holidays like Independence Day and Christmas Day but may not always be closed, for example, on Presidents’ Day or Veterans’ Day.

So these are 10 holidays I want to tell you.

January 1. It is a federal holiday.

Most of the celebrating of New Year’s Day takes place the night before, when Americans gather in homes or restaurants or other public places to enjoy good food and to wish each other a happy and prosperous year ahead. Thousands throng to the Times Square celebration in New York to count down to the New Year.

President's Day started with George Washington, the first ever President. In the 1970s, Congress declared that in order to honor all past presidents of the United States, a single holiday, to be called Presidents’ Day, it is on the third Monday in February. In many states, however, the holiday continues to be known as George Washington’s birthday.

Independence Day is regarded as the birthday of the United States as a free and independent nation. Most Americans simply call it the “Fourth of July,” on which date it always falls.The holiday recalls the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

Thanksgiving Day is the fourth Thursday in November, but many Americans take a day of vacation on the following Friday to make a four-day weekend, during which they may travel long distances to visit family and friends. The holiday dates back to 1621.Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival. Traditionally, it is a time to give thanks for the harvest and express gratitude in general.

St.Patrick’s day in the United States is a time of celebration for people of Irish descent and their friends. One of the biggest celebrations takes place in New York City, where a parade is held on the Irish patron saint’s feast, March 17.

Easter is one of the most awaited Christian festivals. 

Easter in USA is very much commercialised  Easter symbols like bunnies, Easter tree, Easter Eggs and Easter lamb are found in different forms during the Easter festivities throughout the market. Easter day in USA has also been a popular wedding day in the country.

Mother's Day is not a federal holiday. Many people send cards or gifts to their mother or mother figure or make a special effort to visit her. Common Mother's Day gifts are flowers, chocolate, candy, clothing, jewellery and treats, such as a beauty treatment or trip to a spa.

Father's Day is not a federal holiday. But Father's Day in USA is celebrated with great enthusiasm. This day is a time for family reunion in families, where children who are staying away from families take time out to celebrate the day with their father.

Christmas Day is a public holiday. People celebrate Christmas Day in many ways. Many people decorate their homes and gardens with lights, with Christmas trees, visit family or 




friends and exchange gifts. Children, in particular, often receive a lot of gifts from their
 lparents and other relatives and the mythical figure Santa Claus. 

Halloween is a festival that takes place on October 31. In the United States children wear
costumes and masks and go trick-or-treating.  The neighbours give children such treats as candy, fruit and pennies so that children do not play tricks on them. Halloween developed 
from New Year festivals and festivals of the dead.

School life

Children usually start school in kindergarten or first grade (at age 5 or 6) and complete school after 12th grade (at age 17 or 18). Occasionally, a student must repeat a grade because of prolonged absence or poor grades, although this is rare. The 12 years following kindergarten are usually organised under a ‘5-3-4 plan’ where grades 1 to 5 are elementary (primary) school, grades 6 to 8 are junior high or middle school and grades 9 to 12 are high school. There can be variations on this plan, eg. a 6-3-3 or 6-2-4 plan, but the basic state-decreed curriculum for each grade remains the same. Usually, a student has one teacher for all major subjects during elementary school and a different teacher for each subject during secondary school.

Although in some states a child can legally leave school at 16 (known as dropping out), this is generally discouraged (the job prospects for anyone in the US without a high school diploma are not great) and the vast majority of students stay at high school until 18.

Famous people

1. George Washington (1732-1799)

In 1789 Washington became the first president of the United States. Even during his life time Washington was labelled ‘father of his country’. Many observers praised his horseman
 ship and great physical strength – he privately opposed slavery.
2. Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

Lincolnwas the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until his 
assassination in 1865. Lincoln was from a poor family and was self educated. During his time as president he led the United States through the American Civil war, helped preserve the Union, abolished slavery, strengthened the national government and modernised the economy.
3. Michael Jackson (1958-2009)
The well known singer-songwriter, dancer and business man, Michael Jackson is referred to as ‘The King of Pop.’  The Guinness book of world records recognised him as the most successful entertainer of all time; he was a global figure in popular culture for over 4 decades. MJ started off his career in the Jackson 5 and later became a solo act. His album Thiller is the best selling album of all time.

Famoes sportmen

Serena Williams

Serena Williams is a tennis player from America and she has achieved a lot of success in her life. Not only her success has played a great role in taking her career to a new height but also she become a role model for every woman in the world. She has displayed an exceptional physical and mental strength throughout her career.
Serena has broken many records and set new ones by winning many titles in several 
competitions all over the world. 

Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps is a retired swimmer from America and has won a total of 28 medals. He is also the one who has won maximum number of Olympic gold medals. After taking his retirement, he prepared himself again to participate in the 2016 Olympics and surprised everyone by winning gold medals.

LeBron James

LeBron James is a popular basketball player from America who plays for Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association. Apart from winning three NBA Championships, he has named many titles as well as several other awards in his career.
Not only in the game of basketball but James also made his presence felt at the social as well as political level. Whether you watch any basketball match or not, you can not avoid his presence especially in America.
This was the list of top 5 American Sports Persons who made us proud by showing their exceptional skills to the world.