The USA is the most powerful and highly developed country of the world. It is situated in the central part of the North American continent. Its western coast is washed by the Pacific Ocean and its eastern coast is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
   The USA is separated from Canada in the north by the 49th parallel and the Great Lakes, and from Mexico in the south by a line following the Rio Grande River and continuing across the highlands to the Pacific Ocean. The total area of the USA is over 9 million square kilometres.
   The continental part of the USA consists of the highland regions and two lowland regions. The highland regions are the Appalachia mountains in the east and the Cordillera in the west.
   Between the Cordillera and the Appalachian Montains are the central lowlands which are called the prairie, and eastern lowlands called the Mississi ppi valley.
   The principal rivers of the USA are the Mississippi, the longest river in the world (7,330 km) and the Hudson river. The climate of the USA differs greatly from one part of the country to another. The coldest climate is in the northern part, where there is heavy snow in winter and the temperature may go down to 40 degrees below zero. The south has a subtropical climate, with temperature as high as 49 degrees in summer.
   The population of the United States of America is about 250 million people, who are called Americans. Most of the people live in towns and the population of the countryside is becoming smaller and smaller.
   For many decades the USA has been the place where lots of people sought refuge from persecution for political or religious beliefs. That's why in America there are representatives of practically all racial and national groups. There are about 25 million Negroes in the country and a little over half a million Indians.
   The capital of the USA is Washington. It is situated in the District of Columbia. Washington is a beautiful administrative city with practically no industry.
   The USA is a highly developed industrial state. Its agriculture is also highly mechanized.
   There are coal-mines in the Cordillera Mountains, in the Kansas City region. Iron is mined near the Great Lakes. The USA has rich oil-fields in California, Texas and some other regions. It occupies one of the first places among the countries of the world for production of coal, iron and oil.
   The USA has a highly developed motor-ear industry. It would be no exaggeration to say that cars have become the symbol of American way of life. The vehicles produced at such companies as Ford and the General Motors are known world-wide. The motor-car industry is concentrated in and around Detroit. Ship-building is developed along the Atlantic coast and in San Francisco. The textile industry is to be found in the north-east and in the south of the country.
   The USA has a highly developed railway system. It also has the best network of roads in the world. They are called highways.
   The USA is a federal country of 50 states and the District of Columbia. The political life of the country has always been dominated by the two major parties: the Democratic party and the Republican party. At an election time they contest presidency and the majority of seats in the Congress. The Congress is the highest legislative body of the country. It consists of two chambers — the House of Representatives and the Senate.
   The President, elected by the whole nation for four years, is head of the state and the Government.
   
   Questions:
   1. What kind of state is the USA?
   2. Where is it situated?
   3. What is the USA washed by in the east and in the west?
   4. What is the USA separated from Canada by?
   5. What is the total area of the country?
   6. What are the principal rivers of the USA?
   7. What is the population of the country?
   8. Where do most people live?
   9. What did many people seek in the USA?
   10. Why are there representatives of all racial and national groups in America?
   11. Where is the capital of the country situated?
   12. Is the agriculture in America highly mechanized?
   13. What raw materials is America rich in?
   14. What has become the symbol of American way of life?
   15. Where is the motor-car industry situated?
   16. Where is the textile industry to be found?
   17. Has the USA a highly developed railway system?
   18. How many states are there in the USA?
   19. By what party has the political life in America been dominated?
   20. What do the two parties contest at an election time?
   21. What is the highest legislative body of the country?
   
   Vocabulary:
   powerful — мощный
   western — западный
   eastern — восточный
   highland regions — возвышенность
   lowland regions — низменность
   prairie — прерии
   to seek (sought, sought) refuge — искать убежище
   persecution — преследование
   political and religios beliefs — политические и религиоз-
   ные убеждения
   rich oil fields — богатые месторождения нефти
   California — Калифорния
   It would be no exaggeration >,o say — не б^дет преувели-
   чением сказать, что
   symbol — символ
   textile — текстильная промышленность
   network of roads — сеть дорог
   to contest presidency — оспаривать, претендовать на пост президента
   the majority of seats in the Congress — большинство мест в конгрессе
   the highest legislative body — высший законодательный орган
   chamber — палата

   After 350 years of development the United States of America still holds the leading position in the western world. The USA is the most powerful and highly developed country of the world. The United States of America lies in the central part of North American continent. Its western coast is washed by the Pacific Ocean. Its eastern coast is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
   The USA consists of three separate parts. They are the Hawaiian Islands, Alaska and the rest major part of the USA. There are fifty states and district of Columbia. The states differ very much in size, population and economical development. The population of the United States is about 250 million people.
   What makes the USA the leader of the western world is its economical, political and military dominance over other countries.
   The United States is a federal republic. The Government is divided into three branches: legislative (the US Congress), executive (the President and his Administration) and judicial (the US Supreme Court).
   There are two main political parties in the USA: the Democratic and the Republican.
   The flag of the USA is called "Stars and Stripes". The 50 stars — white on a blue field — represent the 50 states, 18 stripes represent 13 original English colonies, which in 1776 became independent of England.
   The capital of the United States is Washington. It was named in honor of the first president whose name was George Washington. The biggest cities of the USA are New York, San Francisco, IMS Angeles, Chicago and other.
   
   Questions:
   1. Where is the US situated?
   2. What are the major political parties?
   3. Who is the US president now?
   4. How many States are there in the country?
   5. What is the US population?
   6. What is the political structure in the country?
   7. What is the capital of the USA?
   8. What is the name of american flag?
   
   Vocabulary:
   development — развитие
   to hold — держать
   leading — ведущий
   powerful — могущественный, мощный
   coast — побережье
   to consist — состоять
   to be washed by — омываться
   separate — отдельный
   dominance — преобладание
   branch — ветвь, отрасль
   to divide — разделять
   legislative — законодательный
   executive — исполнительный
   judicial — судебный
   to represent — представлять