NIK-LAS.com | Why USA?

The United States of America is located in North America between Canada to the north and Mexico to the south, and bordered by both the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is often referred to as the "USA," the "U.S.," the "United States," "America," or simply "the States". It has a land area of about 9.6 million sq km, that boasts the world's third largest population of over 310 million people, with much of the population living on the east and west coasts.

The climate here is mostly temperate, though tropical in Hawaii and South Florida, arctic tundra in Alaska, arid in the southwest; and low winter temperatures in the northwest. Northeastern and cities of the Upper South are known for hot summers with high humidity.

The United States was initially populated by Native Americans, or American Indians. European settlers from Spain, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Russia started to colonize the continent during the 16th and 17th Centuries. They imported Africans as slaves to cultivate large plantations, making slavery an important part of the Southern states' economy. On 4 July 1776, colonists from 13 British states declared independence from Great Britain, which resulted into the Revolutionary War that lasted until 1783, and ended with the Americans taking control of all the British territory.

During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added to expand the nation. Its European settlers pushed farther west, displacing and decimating the Native American populations via warfare and disease - this was known as the Trail of Tears. Many Native Americans were relegated to reservations by treaty, and military force, while many of the tribes in the east were forcibly relocated to lands in present-day Oklahoma. The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 brought French-owned territory extending from the Mississippi River to parts of the West; Florida was purchased from Spain in 1813; American settlers in Texas rebelled against the Mexican government and the Mexican-American War of 1848 won the following territories of Mexico: Texas, California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. Alaska was purchased from Russia in 1867, and the previously independent Hawaii was annexed in 1898.

Slavery was abolished by Constitutional amendment after the American Civil War (1861-65) between the North and Southern Slave States. But the former slaves, their descendants and blacks were to remain an economic and social underclass for many years.

After the U.S. victories in World Wars I and II and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the U.S. was established as one of the world's most powerful nation state. Its economy has maintained relatively steady growth over the years, along with rapid advances in technology.

The American consumer culture, as well as Hollywood movies and many genres of popular music, arguably established the United States as the cultural center of the world. The country is large, complex, and diverse, with distinct regional identities. There are over 10,000 cities, ranging from densely-populated metropolitan cities like New York to smaller rural towns of under 1,000 inhabitants. There is a selection of major cities and vast, uninhabited and naturally beautiful areas scattered across the region.

There are so many popular tourist destinations to visit, that includes: the massive skyscrapers and architectural gems of Manhattan and Chicago; the major museums and monuments of Washington D.C.; the quaint French Quarter and the annual Mardi Gras festivities at the birthplace of Jazz, New Orleans; the natural wonders of The Grand Canyon, Arizona; the warm, sunny beaches of Florida, Hawaii and Southern California; Walt Disney World in Orlando; Hollywood's film industry, musical artists, surfers, and great natural beauty from beaches to mountains in Los Angeles; plus, Yellowstone Park in Alaska, and Yosemite National Park.

For dining, fast food restaurants that serve burgher, pizza, Chinese and Mexican food, fish, chicken, or barbecued meat, are very popular. In major cities one may also select between inexpensive neighborhood eateries to extravagantly expensive restaurants. Diners are typically American restaurants popular for serving a variety of large-portion meals and are frequented by locals for breakfast.

Nightlife in the U.S. varies by city. Nightclubs run the usual gamut of various popular music scenes, and may specialize in certain genre of music or distribute its genre's diversity on different dance floors at the same venue. 21 is the legal drinking age and may limit entrance to some locals after certain hours.

Las Vegas and Reno are the most famous adult playground resort cities for gambling, among other after-hours activities such as amusement parks, night clubs, strip clubs, shows, bars and four star restaurants. Atlantic City, and Biloxi, also offers their own slice of gambling outside of Nevada.

Since its discovery, the United States of America has had a history of mass immigration; becoming a "melting pot" of cultures from across the globe, though some would say a "mixing pot" of all the beautiful color of culture and people the world has to offer. This diversity is reflective in the variety of things to do and see when visiting this country.