Interesting Information On The United States Of America

Oscar Wilde said, “America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between”. For most people around the world, USA is a fairyland, a land of dazzling cities, posh cars and a convivial and lavish lifestyle. All its grandeur can be attributed to the fact that it is the richest country by far in the modern world. For decades, the USA has been the great melting point where people from different countries with diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds converged. Consisting of a federal district and fifty states, the USA is the third largest country in terms of population and fourth largest in terms of land area and a significant part of its total population is that of immigrants. There are many interesting yet little known facts about the USA, which have been compiled in the article below for you to explore. Read and share.

Interesting Information On The United States Of America

• The first European to set foot on present-day United States territory was Christopher Columbus, who arrived at Puerto Rico on November 19, 1493.
• The United States is the world’s third largest country in the world after Russia and Canada.
• When in 1991 the Soviet Union collapsed, the USA became the world’s only remaining superpower and thus, possesses a political dominance across the globe.
• The phrase “United States of America” was mentioned for the first time in the Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776). On November 15, 1777, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation, the first of which stated “The Stile of this Confederacy shall be ‘The United States of America’.” The name was coined by Thomas Paine.
• Did you know that the Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper?
• The United States comprises of 50 states. The smallest state is Rhode Island, which has an area of around 1,545 square miles (4,002 sq km) and the largest state by area is Alaska, which has 663,268 square miles (1,717,854 sq km) of land.
• Santa Fe, which was founded in 1610, is the oldest city in the U.S.A.
• The nation was originally founded by thirteen colonies, who declared themselves independent on the 4 of July, 1776. The Articles of Confederation were amended, and on March 1, 1781 the states were united under a weak federal government. However, it adopted the current constitution on September 17, 1787.
• Each year on the Fourth of July, citizens who are descendants of those who signed the Declaration of Independence, symbolically tap the Liberty Bell 13 times while bells across the nation also ring 13 times in honor of the patriots from the original 13 states.
• It is United States of America where the cinema was born. Hollywood in California is considered to be the movie capital of the world.
• American Indians were not given US citizenship until the year 1924.
• The United States doesn’t have any official language. However, English is the most widely spoken language in the U.S.A and is also used by the government.
• In the U.S.A, the only royal palace is in Honolulu, Hawaii. It was occupied by the King Kalakaua and Queen Lili’uokalani. However, in the year 1893, the monarchy was subverted. Till the time Hawaii was declared as a state in 1959, the building then served as the capitol building. Today the palace has turned into a museum.
• Chinese Americans are the largest Asian subgroup in the US, with a population of around 2.4 million. However, in the last decade, there has been a growth of 106 percent in the number of the Asian Indians, the largest in any Asian sub group.
• During the American Civil War, it is said that more people lost their lives from disease than from gunshots or fighting.
• US emerged as a military power during the World War I. United States was the first nation to acquire nuclear weapons after the Second World War.
• The 50 stars on the US flag represent the 50 states, and 13 stripes stand for the 13 original states. An early version of the American flag had a picture of a coiled rattlesnake. In American history, the rattle snake served as the symbol of resistance against the British rule.
• Around 35 million Americans are linked by blood to one or more of the 102 pilgrims who came to America on the Mayflower in 1620.
• The number of automobiles in Los Angeles surpasses the number of residents.
• After the end of the Second World War, New York replaced Paris as the center of contemporary fine art.
• The highest ever temperature registered in the United States was in Death Valley of California on July 10, 1913. The temperature recorded was134°F (56°C). The lowest ever temperature registered in the USA was at Prospect Creek, Alaska on January 23, 1971. The temperature recorded was -80°F (-62°C).
• Since the 19th century, America has been the leader in the field of scientific and technological advancements. In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell devised the telephone. Thomas Edison’s laboratory developed the first long-lasting light bulb. The Wright Brothers’ built the world first airplane, which made a controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight.
• History confirms that the United States had never lost any war in which mules were used.
• Texas houses world’s tallest battle monument while Ohio prides itself on staging world’s highest roller coaster.
• Rock, pop, soul, hip hop, country, blues, and jazz are among America’s most internationally renowned genres of music.
• Nowhere in the Constitution does it say that US Supreme Court justices have to be lawyers or have any legal training. In fact, several justices in the court’s history had never attended law school. James Byrnes, on the court from 1941 to 1942, had little formal education and never attended college.