American cilization

NOM : TAPILY

PRENOM : BOUREIMA

DATE ET LIEU DE NAISSANCE : VERS 1998 A DOUROU

NUMERO MATRICULE : 16P1M13671B

UNIVERSITE : KABALA 

FACULTE :FLSL

CYCLE : licence 1 ;2 &3

MATIERE : LITERATURE ET CIVILISATION  ETRANGERE 

CHAPTER 1:GENERAL  PRESENTATION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

The United States of America is a federal republic composed of 50 states. Washington D.C is the capital of the federal republic. The fifty states were gradually admitted into the union between 1787 and 1959. 

Originally they were The 13 original states were: 13 English colonies on the American continent. The colonies became independent on July the 4th of 1776 (Independence Day) and they became original states of the new nation called the USA.

• Delaware[pic 1]
• Pennsylvania
• New Jersey
• Georgia
• Connecticut
• Massachusetts
• Maryland
• South Carolina
• North Carolina
• New Hampshire
• Rhode Island
• Virginia
• New York

Most of the states were admitted during the 19th century. The last two states were admitted in 1959 (Alaska and Hawaii)

Washington D.C. has been the capital of the US since 1800

From 1785 to 1790, New York City was the capital

From 1790 to 1800, Philadelphia was the capital

Independence were proclaimed in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) also called “The City of Brotherly Love”

Each State has its own capital and the US national anthem is called “The Star-Spangled Banner”. The lyrics of this anthem come from a poem written by Francis Scott Key.

The US flag is composed of stars and stripes of the glory, the star spangled banner. The flag consist of 13 red and white stripes representing the 13 originals states with a blue rectangle bearing 50 white stars representing the 50 states of the US.

The political motto on the US Seal is “E Pluribus Unum” meaning “out of many, one”. Meaning that though the USA is composed of 50 states with their own ideals, the nation is indivisible. The official motto is “In God We Trust” (1956)

A census is taken every ten years to count the US population and in 2010 they were 308.745.538 inhabitants (70% of white / 16, 3% of Hispanic /12, 6% of black)

The Hispanics are the faster grow up minority today. By 2050 white might be 50%

The US is a federation. The federal government sits in Washington D.C. and represents the institution created under the constitution. The federal government is divided in 3 branches:

• The legislative power : composed of “The house of representatives” and “the Senate”
• The executive power : “the President” ( The White house)
• The judicial power : “The Supreme Court”

Each branch of the power has a control on the other two and it’s called the system of “checks and balances” to avoid authoritarianism

The same pattern is found at the state level. Each state has a governor (executive power), a house of representatives and a Senate, and each state has courts

The USA is divided into different region because of the differences. There is 3 hour difference between the east coast and the west coast. There are 7 continents or regions:

• New England
• Mid-Atlantic
• South
• Midwest
• Rocky Mountains
• South West
• Pacific North West

You can find almost all physical condition in the USA: Mountains and plains/ forest / vast empty landscape/ huge cities / rivers / ocean / etc

One of the main characteristic of the US climate is the constant fear of violent happenings such as hurricanes, especially in the South East, also tornadoes, especially in the Midwest or flooding due to heavy rainfall and storms in the eastern region of the US.

Today more than 4 Americans on 5 live in urban areas. The urbanization of the US population began after the World War II. Yet, for the past 20 years, the tendency has been reversing because many American who are in search of better living condition leaves the cities for countryside. Many Americans want to live in the Suburbs. (Suburbs= residential districts situated outside cities). Life in Suburbia is a part of the American dream.

The US has 9 cities with more than 1 million of habitants:

• New York City 8.2 million
• Los Angeles 3.8 million
• Chicago 2.7 million
• Houston 2.0 million
• Philadelphia 1.5 million
• Phoenix 1.5 million
• San Diego 1.3 million
• San Antonio 1.3 million
• Dallas 1.2 million

[pic 2]

CHAPTER 2: INSTITUTIONS OF THE UNITED STATES

The 13 English colonies on the American continent became independent on July, the 4th of 1776. The writers or the declaration of independence were strongly influenced by ideals of the Age of Enlightenment (18th century)

The period was marked by political aspiration toward the government or consolidation nation creation and greater rights for common people. Reason was advocated as a primary source and bases of authority. In the US a new democratic order was established based on the Constitution of the US which is the supreme law of the land.

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