According to countryaah, the United States of America is a large country made up of 50 states and a few island territories including Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and Guam. The United States of America is often referred to as United States (without the addition “of America”) or USA. The name America is also widely used. In fact, this is the name of the continent on which the United States is located if the division of 5 or 6 continents is used. The US is in North America in the most commonly used division of 7 continents. Originally, the US was inhabited by Indians. Due to colonization and slavery, much of the American population today has mainly European and African ancestry.
Economically, culturally and politically, the United States is one of the most important and influential countries in the world. The western capital markets are dominated by the US and the US has been one of the most powerful countries in the world for many years. This has led to various wars and conflicts in the past and also in modern times the US has enemies with which it is not on too good terms. Many conflicts arise from threats from a religious (Islamic extremism) or political (communism) angle. Always having an enemy has a great advantage for the US: it connects the otherwise divided American society. It’s suddenly ‘us’ against ‘them’.
As a holiday destination, you will see that the United States is an enormously diverse destination. If you just look at the landscapes, the climatic differences and the diversity in nature, the US has almost everything you can think of. For example, it is quite possible that minimum temperatures of minus fifty degrees Celsius are measured within the same calendar year (in Alaska), while in the same year it was also once plus fifty degrees Celsius, for example in Death Valley. This already shows how big the differences are in America. Popular holiday destinations include cities such as New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The state of Florida is very popular for the sun and the amusement parks. If you really want to discover the US, you have to travel around. The Dutch mainly focus on the western regions of the country, partly because the most beautiful national parks can be found here, such as Yellowstone, Grand Canyon and Yosemite. A trend you see in recent years is that people who have already seen the main hotspots of the US choose to visit the lesser-known cities and states. So you see that places like Chicago, Philadelphia, Seattle, Boston and New Orleans are becoming more and more popular.
Sights
For the whole of the United States of America, there are no special security risks for travel in and to the country. The chance that you as a tourist will have to deal with crime is very small, but can never be ruled out. You have the greatest chance of this in the larger cities, near the most popular tourist attractions and sights or in shopping malls. As in any country in the world, there is a risk of a terrorist attack in the United States of America. The local laws and customs in the US may differ in some places from what we are used to, but do stick to these rules, tourists are tried in the same way as local residents.
However, the biggest threat while traveling in the United States of America is nature. For example, forest fires can occur in the summer months. If you are traveling through an area where these occur, keep a close eye on the news and try to shy away from your route. Tornadoes occur in many states in the spring, these are difficult to predict and can cause extensive damage. It is best to avoid the states that fall within the tornado alley in the spring. Tornadoes can occur in Hawaii and along the south and east coasts.
UNESCO
The United States of America has approximately twenty-three inscriptions on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2018. This concerns eight cultural and fifteen natural registrations. Two of the natural inscriptions are transboundary and must land parts of Canada and one is found in the overseas territory of Puerto Rico. The first enrollment was in 1978. That year included Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. A year later, Grand Canyon National Park, Everglades National Park, Independence Hall in Philadelphia, and Kluane/Wrangell-St. Elias / Glacier Bay / Tatshenshini-Alsek, part of which is in Canada. In later years, well-known natural parks such as Yosemite National Park, Added Olympic National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Redwood National Park and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to the list. Cahokia, the Statue of Liberty, Montecille, Poverty Point, and the missions of San Antonio are among the best-known cultural inscriptions in the United States on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Climate
In the United States of America, almost all climate types that there are but exist. From the tundra climate to the tropical rainforest climate, there are also enormous temperature differences across the various states from extreme cold in Alaska to extreme heat in Arizona and everything in between. It is therefore almost impossible to create an unambiguous picture of the climate in the United States of America. In addition, the weather in the United States is partly determined by the fact that several mountain ranges can be found within its borders and that the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean have a major influence on the climate of America. In most parts of the United States of America, just like in Europe, there are four distinct seasons. This ensures that every part of the year has its own weather pattern. The length of the seasons and the precise impact vary widely by state. For example, a winter in Florida feels very different from a winter in Wyoming and the summer in Alaska feels different from a summer in New York. Some states are plagued by extreme weather during the year. The states of California, Nevada and Arizona may experience extreme heat, Alaska extreme cold and other parts of the United States will again experience extreme precipitation figures. Then there are two other weather phenomena that you should actually take into account: hurricanes and tornadoes. The US is unlucky enough to be hit on both sides, the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Most hurricanes that manage to reach land do so via the Gulf of Mexico with all the consequences that entails. In addition, the United States has to deal with tornadoes, part of the country is known as tornado alley. This part is located slightly east of the central part of the United States and covers quite a few states. You have the greatest chance of tornadoes during the spring months, annually more than a thousand tornadoes occur in the United States of America.
Geography
The United States of America is the second largest country in the world after Russia and Canada with approximately ten million square kilometers in area. The country is made up of fifty states, all of which have some degree of independence from the US federal government. The country stretches from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and from the great continental ice sheet in the north to the deserts and west. The United States has land borders with Canada to the north and west (Alaska) and Mexico to the south. Part of the border between Canada and the United States of America is formed by the Great Lakes. These five major lakes are Lake Upper, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario, only Lake Michigan is located entirely in America, the others in both countries. Other major lakes in the US include Great Salt Lake, Lake Placid, Lake Yellowstone, and Lake Whasington. The highest point in the United States of America is Mount Denali with 6190 meters, this mountain can be found in the state of Alaska and is part of the Alaska Mountains. Other notable mountains are Mount Saint Elias (5489 meters), Mount Foraker (5304 meters), Mount Bona(5005 meters), Mount Whitney (4421 meters) the highest mountain in the Sierra Nevada and Mount Elbert (4401 meters) the highest mountain of the Rocky Mountains. The most famous river in the United States is the Mississippi, the Missouri is the longest at 3767 kilometers. Other well-known rivers are the Arkansas, the Colorado, the Ohio, the Yukon, the Huson, the Rio Grande and the Yellowstone. The United States also includes several islands and archipelagos. Some, like Hawaii, are a state of their own, others, such as Puerto Rico, are an overseas territory, while still other islands are part of a state. The largest and most important islands belonging to the US are Hawaii, Kodiak Island, Puerto Rico, Prince of Wales Island, Long Island, Maui, Guam, and Manhattan. About three hundred and twenty-five million people live in the United States of America, a large proportion of whom live in one of the larger cities. The six largest cities in the US are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia and Phoenix. Other notable cities include Boston, Dalles, Denver, Detroit, Las Vegas, Memphis, Miami, New Orleans, San Diego, San Francisco, and Washington DC
Travel advice
For the whole of the United States of America, there are no special security risks for travel in and to the country. The chance that you as a tourist will have to deal with crime is very small, but can never be ruled out. You have the greatest chance of this in the larger cities, near the most popular tourist attractions and sights or in shopping malls. As in any country in the world, there is a risk of a terrorist attack in the United States of America. The local laws and customs in the US may differ in some places from what we are used to, but do stick to these rules, tourists are tried in the same way as local residents.
However, the biggest threat while traveling in the United States of America is nature. For example, forest fires can occur in the summer months. If you are traveling through an area where these occur, keep a close eye on the news and try to shy away from your route. Tornadoes occur in many states in the spring, these are difficult to predict and can cause extensive damage. It is best to avoid the states that fall within the tornado alley in the spring. Tornadoes can occur in Hawaii and along the south and east coasts.
Travel documents
For a trip to and through the United States of America you must be in possession of a passport that is valid until after your return. When you arrive in the United States of America you will be asked some standard questions, usually these questions are about why you are visiting the US and what you plan to do during your trip. Sometimes it is necessary to be able to hand over a return ticket or you must be able to prove that you have enough financial means to be able to make the trip. When you leave the Netherlands, there is also a chance that you will have to answer some questions. In addition to a valid passport, you must be in possession of an ESTA. This electronic visa must be applied for at least three days before departure and is valid for two years after that, provided you keep the same passport.
You must apply for an ESTA or visa for America in good time. For example, the recommended application period for an ESTA is at least three days before departure to the United States.
On the plane you still have to fill in a customs form that you have to hand in at customs.
Info table
| Capital city | Washington |
| Phone (country code) | 1 |
| Internetdomein | .us |
| Language(s) (official) | English and in some states French, Spanish and Haiwaian are official languages |
| Language(s) (colloquial) | English, French, Spanish various Native American languages and Haiwaian |
| Religion(s) | Christian |
| Time zone(s) | UTC-5 dead UTC-10 |
| Time difference summer | In the US it is 6 to 11 hours earlier than in the Netherlands |
| Time difference winter | In the US it is 6 to 11 hours earlier than in the Netherlands, with exceptions |
| Daylight Saving Time Control | yes except in the states of Hawaii and Arizona and in the overseas territories. In addition, the dates when daylight saving time starts differ with those of the Netherlands, so that the difference is sometimes 5 to 10 hours. |
| Currency | dollar |
