       The United States of America form a state which has existed only since 1776.
       The country is situated in the North American continent and washed by the Pacific Ocean in the west and the Atlantic Ocean in the east. The territory of the state is about 9 363 million square kilometres.
       The western half of the territory is occupied by mountain ranges and plateaus. The Rocky Mountains are the highest mountains of the country with the peaks Mount McKinley (6194) in Alaska, Mount Rainier (4392) in the state of Washington, Mount Shasta (4317) in California. The Appalachian Mountains go along the eastern coast washed by the Atlantic. Their highest peak is Mitchell (2037).
       The biggest lakes are the Great Lakes (Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario). Great Salt Lake in the state of Utah is also known. The longest river is the Mississippi with the Missouri and the Ohio, the Columbia, the Colorado and the Yukon (in Alaska). There are many national parks and monuments the (Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Big Bend, Everglades).
       The USA borders on Canada in the north and on Mexico in the south. It has a sea-border with Russia.
       The USA is rich in mineral resources such as coal, gas, oil and metals.
       The climate of the country is mostly continental, temperate or subtropical. The winter temperature varies from 25 below zero in Alaska to 20 degrees above zero in Florida. In summer the average temperature is about 20 to 25 degrees above zero.
       The country is a federative republic which consists of 50 states and District of Columbia, where Washington, D.C., the capital of the country, is situated. The head of the country is the President, who is elected every four years. Every state has its own Constitution and the system of power. The supreme legislative organ is the Congress of the US. The members of the Congress are called congressmen. The Congress consists of two chambers - the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House of Representatives is the lower chamber, the representatives are elected proportionally to the population of the USA. The Senate is the higher chamber, two senators are elected from each of the USA states notwithstanding the size of population in the state.
       The main political parties are the Republicans (their symbol is Elephant) and the Democrats (their symbol is Donkey).
       The main law of the USA is the Constitution. It was created and adapted in Philadelphia in 1787. The main goals of the Constitution were to create a stable federative state and to guarantee the right to have private property. But other rights and freedoms of the citizens were not guarantees by the Constitution. So in 1789 there appeared the necessity of including more articles which would declare and guarantee political and personal rights of the US citizens. The first ten items - called Amendments - were called the Bill or Rights. The Bill or Rights on the one hand is now a part of the US Constitution, that's why it is rather difficult to write a Bill or Rights foe an imaginary state. The US Bill or Rights is an addition to the existing Constitution and is formed of some Amendments to it. So any Bill or Rights should be built on the Constitution. On the other hand, the US Bill of Right is the only part of the US Constitution which guarantee the main rights and freedoms of the citizens. Russia doesn't need any Bill of Rights, since all the rights and freedoms are guaranteed by the Russian Constitution.
       If to take the US Bill of Rights as the example, it proclaims that the Congress can't influence the religious life of the citizens or abridge the freedom of speech or of the press. All people have the right to assemble and to petition the Government. People have the right to keep and bear Arms, to be secure in their houses and papers. All people are equal to the law and only a Grand Jury can declare a person guilty, the trial must be speedy and public. I think all these rights are very important and I would include them in any Bill of Rights. Another important freedom is the free¬dom of worship.
       I would also include the right to get education, to work and get paid enough to support their life.
       The population of the country is sometimes called «salad bowl», because all nations and nationalities are mixed up, though they keep their specific features. There are white people, Afro-Americans, American Indians, Puerto-Ricans, Chinese and Japanese people.
       For centuries Indians and Eskimos inhabited the territory. But when the colonization began, many Africans were brought as slaves. There are many books which describe the life of black people in those days. «Uncle Tom's Cabin» is one of them. At that time many Indians were killed, their languages were forgotten.
       After the War of Independence the state bought some land from France and Russia (Alaska), gained Florida and a part of Mexico.
       The War between the industrial North and the agricultural South (1861 -1865) was a civil war. It is described in the book of Margaret Mitchell «Gone with the Wind».
       Great Britain, the Soviet Union and the USA struggled against the Fascists during World War II together.
       The flag of the USA has thirteen white and red stripes and 50 white stars against the blue background (one for every state).
       There are some national holidays celebrated in the USA, such as Thanksgiving Day and Columbus Day.
       American children start going to nursery school when they are 3. At the age of 5 they visit kindergarten and then at 6 it is time for the elementary (primary) school which includes 6 grades (from the first to the sixth). Then there is Junior high (school) for 3 years (age 12-14) and High school (15-17). At school they get their driving licenses. They can also work at a fast food restaurant or a car park to get their pocket money. After school they can go to a college or a university or find a job.
       Many famous Americans, such as Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Franklin Roosevelt, William (Bill) Clinton, Mark Twain, O'Henry, J.D. Sallinger are famous all over the world.