into fresh lobster rolls overlooking the sea in Maine, and surfing some of the world’s best waves in Hawaii – there’s no denying America has some of the greatest coastlines in the world.13. The festivalsFrom the outlandish creativity of Burning Man in the Nevada desert, and the jazz roots celebrations of Louisiana’s Jazz Fest, to the sun-soaked stages of Coachella, America has a festival for everyone.14. American TVSaturday Night Live, Grey’s Anatomy, The Simpsons, The Bachelor, Stranger Things, Orange is the New Black, Homeland, Breaking Bad, Parks & Recreation, FRIENDS…. no matter your TV tastes, there’s probably more than one American TV show on your “recently watched” list.15. The friendly peopleIt literally doesn’t matter if you’re in a line at the grocery store, jumping onto the subway as the doors close, or taking your first bite out of your breakfast pancakes in the diner around the corner, there’s a 130% chance someone nearby is ready to have a friendly chat.16. The opportunitiesWhether you’re looking for an internship, searching for a job or trying to find an excellent college, opportunities for blossoming careers and education abound in America.Starbucks for popularizing this flavor around the world.31. Pumpkin carvingWhat is it about Americans and pumpkins? In addition to being delicious in pies and drinks, this vegetable (well, technically a fruit) looks fantastic carved into a jack o’lantern with a candle inside it on Halloween.32. Beyonce & Jay-ZThis powerhouse couple dominates everything from R&B to hip hop, fashion to modern art, and even civil rights. If America had a king & queen, these two would be wearing the crowns.33. Reality TVFrom talent shows like American Idol and The Voice, to The Bachelor and Keeping Up with the Kardashians, America introduced us to the ruthless, hilarious, over-the top world of Reality TV. Thank you… I guess.34. ThanksgivingChristmas can’t come soon enough? Thankfully there’s Thanksgiving just a month before! Thanksgiving is an opportunity to get together with your nearest and dearest without all the pressure of buying gifts. It’s also a great opportunity to stuff your face full of turkey (or the fake-meat equivalent), pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce.35. Black Friday shoppingThe day after Thanksgiving comes the biggest shopping day of the year, with massive discounts online and offline. Although online shopping has meant that deals are no longer limited to the Friday (hello Cyber Monday!), it’s still a day when many Americans shop ’til they drop.36. BBQAlthough the concept of a grill originated in the Caribbean, there’s arguably nothing more American than a backyard barbecue with burgers, cold beverages and a good buddy or two to share it all with.37. TargetAnother shopping institution and a millennial favorite. Pinterest-friendly, well-curated, and full of every gadget, outfit, lamp or shower curtain you could ever dream of – and then some.38. The natureFarms, mountain ranges, hills, plains, deserts, lakes and streams – the US truly has it all. You can spend a lifetime exploring the natural wonders the US has to offer, and still feel like you saw only a fraction.39. The road tripsIs there anything more American than hitting the road with your friends and exploring backroads in a second-hand convertible with the wind in your hair?40. July 4th and fireworksSo, that barbecue we mentioned before? Have one on the 4th July, decorate everything in red, white and blue, and throw in a firework or two for good measure.41. The Smithsonian MuseumsThe world’s largest museum, education and cultural complex, made up of 19 museums and a Zoo. It’s an absolute must-visit in Washington D.C., and a gift to humankind.42. Drive-through everythingAmericans love their cars – and they have invented a way to get everything done without having to get out of one. You can get married at a drive-through in Vegas, buy your weight in donuts at a drive-through Dunkin’ Donuts, and even shop for your groceries from the comfort of your car. What’s not to love, right?43. Michelle ObamaStep aside, Barack. The former first lady is arguably more popular than her husband these days, and as glamorous as she is relatable.44. Chicken and Waffles at Amy Ruth’s in Harlem, NYCHead to Amy Ruth’s for your fix of an utterly delicious and heart-warming soul food classic – ‘Chicken and Waffles’. (Didn’t know that chicken could actually be eaten with a waffle? Well, you do now.)45. High schoolCheerleaders, football teams, glee clubs and prom – the American high school experience is unique and in many ways the best expression of the American commitment to community and to doing things together.46. Ivy League universitiesHarvard usually tops global rankings of the best universities in the world – and for a reason. It’s notoriously hard to get into, and offers not only a fantastic education, but plenty of prestige as well. ........

The United States of America (USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territories, and nine Minor Outlying Islands.[i] It includes 326 Indian reservations. The U.S. is the world's third-largest country by land and total area.[c] It shares land borders with Canada to its north and with Mexico to its south and has maritime borders with the Bahamas, Cuba, Russia, and other nations.[j] With a population of over 333 million,[k] it is the most populous country in the Americas and the third-most populous in the world. The national capital of the United States is Washington, D.C., and its most populous city and principal financial center is New York City.The first inhabitants of North America migrated across the Bering land bridge at least 12,000 years ago. Beginning in 1607, British colonization led to the establishment of the Thirteen Colonies in what is now the Eastern United States. They clashed with the British Crown over taxation and political representation, which led to the American Revolution and the ensuing Revolutionary War. The United States declared independence on July 4, 1776, becoming the first nation-state founded on Enlightenment principles of unalienable natural rights, consent of the governed, and republicanism.The country began expanding across North America, spanning the continent by 1848. Sectional division over slavery led to the secession of the Confederate States of America, which fought the remaining states of the Union during the American Civil War (1861–65). With the Union's victory and preservation, slavery was abolished nationally. By 1900, the United States had established itself as a great power, becoming the world's largest economy. After Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the U.S. entered World War II on the side of the Allies. The aftermath of the war left the U.S. and the Soviet Union as the world's two superpowers and led to the Cold War, during which both countries engaged in a struggle for ideological dominance and international influence, avoided direct military conflict, and competed in the Space Race, which culminated with the United States landing the first humans on the Moon in 1969. Following the Soviet Union's collapse and the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s, it emerged as the world's sole superpower. The 2020s saw the U.S. emerge as the leader of the AI spring, which has led to rapid and unprecedented development in artificial intelligence, and a return to space exploration with the Artemis program, with the plan of establishing a permanent base on the Moon to facilitate the feasibility of human missions to Mars. The United States government is a federal presidential constitutional republic and liberal democracy with three separate branches of government: legislative, executive, and judicial. It has a bicameral national legislature composed of the House of Representatives, a lower house based on population; and the Senate, an upper house based on equal representation for each state. Many policy issues are decentralized at a state or local level, with widely differing laws by jurisdiction. Americans generally value liberty, individualism, and limited government. Culturally, the country is primarily Anglophonic, with other prominent regional influences. One of the world's most developed countries, the United States has the highest median income per capita of any non-microstate and possesses by far the largest amount of wealth of any country. The American economy accounts for over a quarter of global GDP and is the largest nominally. It ranks among the highest in the world in international measures of quality of life, income and wealth, economic competitiveness, productivity, innovation, human rights, and education. The United States is a founding member of the United Nations, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Organization of American States, NATO and WHO, and is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. It is a recognized nuclear-weapon state and wields considerable global influence as the world's foremost political, cultural, economic, military, and scientific power. The first documentary evidence of the phrase "United States of America" dates back to a letter from January 2, 1776, written by Stephen Moylan, a Continental Army aide to General George Washington, to Joseph Reed, Washington's aide-de-camp. Moylan expressed his desire to go "with full and ample powers from the United States of America to Spain" to seek assistance in the Revolutionary War effort.[26][27][28] The first known publication of the phrase "United States of America" was in an anonymous essay in The Virginia Gazette newspaper in Williamsburg, on April 6, 1776.[29] By June 1776, the name "United States of America" appeared in drafts of the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, authored by John