International BusinessChapter 1: What Is International Business?World Market Passport
The Environment. Located on the continent of North America, the United States of America is fourth largest country in the world. Its landmass is more than 3.7 million square miles. The country is bordered by Canada to the north, Mexico to the south, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and to the east, by the Atlantic Ocean. Made up of 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii, this country has a mixture of densely populated urban areas with wide areas of low population and incredible natural beauty. Its vast topography features deserts, plains, rolling hills and dramatic mountain ranges, flatlands, and thousands of miles of sandy beaches. Climate varies depending on region and season, with milder temperatures year round in the southern states, and cold, snowy winters in the northern states and mountainous regions. History Until the 1500s, most of what is now the United States was thinly populated forests and prairies. Small groups of Indians lived scattered over the land. In the late 1400s, Spanish explorers discovered and began settling into the southern regions, followed by English and other European settlers who settled along the new world's eastern coast. Living under British rule for years, the settlers' dedication to liberty led them to declare independence and form the United States of America in 1776. At that time, there were only 13 states, however, 37 additional states were added in the 19th and 20th centuries. Two major events dramatically mark the nation's history: the Civil War (1861-1865) and the Great Depression in the 1930s. Victories in World Wars I and II, and the Cold War in 1991 strengthened its power around the globe. Through the years, large numbers of immigrants have continued to settle in the United States. Except for black Africans brought in as slaves and later freed, these immigrants came seeking the rights and the opportunities that had become part of the American way of life. Culture and People With almost 300 million people, the United States is the third most populated country in the world. As a result of immigration, the country has one of the world's most varied populations. It has been called "a nation of immigrants." Freedom and strong economic growth and opportunity continue to be important to Americans, as well as issues such as protecting the environment, education, culture, and humanitarian concerns. Americans have made major contributions in such fields as technology, science, and medicine, as well as developed the mass production system of manufacturing, the electric light bulb, the telephone, polio vaccine, and the transistor. They also created the skyscraper and art forms as jazz and musical comedy. Click to hear the music of the United States.
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