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| :: Best -Admits :: |
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Bridge Group Of Companies :: |
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| Introduction to USA |
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The USA is home to several of the world's most exciting cities, some truly mind-blowing landscapes, a strong sense of regionalism, a trenchant mythology, more history than the country gives itself credit for and, arguably, some of the most approachable natives in the world. |
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The US was fashioned from an incredibly disparate population who, with little in common apart from a desire to choose their own paths to wealth or heaven, rallied around the ennobling ideals of the Declaration of Independence to forge the richest, most inventive and most powerful country on earth. |
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So much of the country has been filmed, photographed, painted and written about that you need to peel back layers of representation to stop it from looking like a stage setting. This can make the country seem strangely familiar when you first encounter novelties like 24-hour shopping, bottomless cups of coffee, 'have a nice day', drive-thru banks, TV evangelists, cheap gasoline and newspapers tossed onto lawns. But you'd be foolish to read too much into this surface familiarity, since you only have to watch Oprah for half an hour to realize that the rituals and currents of American life are as complex, seductive and bewildering as the most alien of cultures. |
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| Full country name |
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United States of America (USA) |
| Area |
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9.63 million sq km |
| Population |
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290 million |
| Capital City |
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Washington DC (pop: 607,000) |
| People |
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Caucasian (71%), African American (12%), Latino (12%), Asian (4%), Native American (0.9%) |
| Language |
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English, Spanish, Native American languages |
| Religion |
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Protestant (56%), Roman Catholic (28%), Jewish (2%), Muslim (1%) |
| Government |
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constitution-based federal republic |
| Head of State |
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President George W Bush |
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| GDP |
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US$10.45 trillion |
| GDP per capita |
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US$36,300 + |
| Inflation |
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2.2% |
| Major Industrie |
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Oil, electronics, computers, automobile manufacturing, aerospace industries, agriculture,telecommunications, chemicals, mining, processing and packaging |
| Major Trading Partners |
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Canada, Japan, Mexico, the EU |
| Member of EU |
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No |
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| Money & Costs |
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| Currency |
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US Dollar (US$) |
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Meals |
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US$3-10 |
| Mid-range |
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US$10-15 |
| High |
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US$15-20 |
| Deluxe |
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US$20+
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| Lodging |
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| Budget |
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US$12-60 |
| Mid-range |
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US$60-100 |
| High |
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US$100-180 |
| Deluxe |
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US$180+
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If you camp or stay in hostels, catch buses and cook your own food, you could feasibly explore the country on around USD50.00 a day. Staying in motels and eating at modest cafes will mean you'll hit the USD100.00 mark, and enjoying the convenience of a rental car will push your daily budget up to USD150.00 |
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| Getting Around |
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The choices for traversing this massive country are myriad, be it via subway, bus, rail, bike or your own two feet. |
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The number of domestic airlines, competition on popular routes and frequent discounting makes flying in the US a relatively inexpensive proposition (though fares can be high on less popular routes). |
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For a country that owes so much to the penetration of railroads and that has such a potent railroad mythology, the US has a train system that can be surprisingly impractical and not always comfortable. Ticket prices vary in value, but the earlier you make a reservation, the cheaper the ticket. |
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Cycling is an increasingly popular way to travel around small areas, since roads are good, shoulders are wide and cars generally travel at safe speeds. |
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Walking is considered an un-American activity unless it takes place on hiking trails in national parks |
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Top |
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| :: Represented Universities :: |
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| :: List of Universities :: |
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