Toon World

(Dirty Div@) · Tue Mar 27, 2007 10:35 am USA

The United States of America (often abbreviated to "USA" or "U.S.") is a country of the western hemisphere, comprising fifty states and several territories. Forty-eight contiguous states lie in central North America between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bound on land by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south; Alaska is in the northwest of the continent with Canada to its east, and Hawaii is in the mid-Pacific. The United States is a federal constitutional republic; Washington, its capital, is coextensive with the District of Columbia (D.C.), the federal capital district.

At over 3.7 million square miles (over 9.6 million km²) and with over 300 million people, the United States is the third or fourth largest country by total area and third largest by population. With a gross domestic product (GDP) of over $13 trillion, the U.S. has the largest national economy in the world. GDP per capital ranks first among the larger economies of the world, and third or eighth overall, depending on the measurement. The product of large-scale historical immigration and home to a complex social structure as well as a wide array of household arrangements, the U.S. is one of the world's most ethnically and socially diverse nations.

The nation was founded by thirteen colonies declaring their independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776 as the new nation, the "United States of America." It adopted the current constitution (which has been amended several times subsequently) on September 17, 1787. The country greatly expanded in territory throughout the 19th century, acquiring further territory from Great Britain, as well as lands from France, Mexico, Spain, and Russia. With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, it became the world's sole remaining superpower, and is a declared nuclear weapons state. The United States continues to exert dominant economic, political, cultural, and military influence around the globe

BrOkEn HeArTeD · Sat Mar 31, 2007 8:38 am

tnx for this info Jean

CartOOn · Tue Apr 03, 2007 6:28 am

well...I'll put more:

American flags

American Holidays is an introductory survey of the historical and social background of American holidays.
People in every culture celebrate holidays. Although the word "holiday" literally means "holy day," most American holidays are not religious, but commemorative in nature and origin. Because the nation is blessed with rich ethnic heritage it is possible to trace some of the American holidays to diverse cultural sources and traditions, but all holidays have taken on a distinctively American flavor. In the United States, the word "holiday" is synonymous with "celebration! "

In the strict sense, there are no federal (national) holidays in the United States. Each of the 50 states has jurisdiction over its holidays. In practice, however, most states observe the federal ("legal or public ") holidays, even though the President and Congress can legally designate holidays only for federal government employees.
The following ten holidays per year are proclaimed by the federal government.
New Year's Day January 1
Martin Luther King Day third Monday in January
Washington's Birthday third Monday in February
Memorial Day last Monday in May
Independence Day July 4
Labor Day first Monday in September
Columbus Day second Monday in October
Veterans Day November 11
Thanksgiving Day fourth Thursday in November
Christmas Day December 25

In 1971, the dates of many federal holidays were officially moved to the nearest Monday by then-President Richard Nixon. There are five holidays which are not necessarily celebrated on Mondays: Thanksgiving Day, Veterans Day, New Year's Day, Independence Day and Christmas Day. When New Year's Day, Independence Day, or Christmas Day falls on a Sunday, the next day is also a holiday. When one of these holidays falls on a Saturday, the previous day is also a holiday. 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 President's Day or Veterans Day.

Federal holidays are observed according to the legislation of individual states. The dates of these holidays, and others, are decided upon by each state government, not by the federal (national) government. Each state can agree on the same date that the President has proclaimed, such as Thanksgiving Day. State legislation can also change the date of a holiday for its own special commemoration. Cities and towns can decide not to celebrate a federal legal holiday at all. However, the majority of the states (and the cities and towns within them) usually choose the date or day celebrated by the rest of the nation. There are other "legal" or "public" holidays which are observed at the state or local level. The closing of local government offices and businesses will vary. Whether citizens have the day off from work or not depends on local decisions.

TylerStrikes · Tue Apr 03, 2007 6:45 am

Colombus Day?

What's that?

Princess_preety · Tue Apr 03, 2007 11:41 am

I don't know