Moving to the United States of America

The United States of America is a fifty-state federation that lies between the world's two largest oceanic divisions, the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, in North America. It is bordered by Canada in the North and by Mexico in the south.

Its geography is nature's showcase beginning with deciduous forests in the Piedmont in the East to rolling hills, mountains, rivers including the Mississippi and Missouri river which run right through the heart of the country, and the rich and sprawling prairies of the Great Plains stretching towards the West. Its ecology is beautifully diverse and consists of at least 18,800 species of vascular and flowering plants and some 400 mammal, 750 bird, 91,000 insect and 500 reptile and amphibian species. This mega-diversity has inspired the US to be one of the world's staunchest defenders of animal and wildlife rights and causes.

The United States is the fourth largest nation in the world in terms of land area; it is also the third most populous and ethnically diverse. It remains a hub for migrants from all over the world and has developed into the biggest melting pot of multicultural influences since its first migrants came to settle some 40,000 years ago.

The US economy is, of course, the best performing in the world with a wealth of natural resources, technology and superb infrastructure working together to ensure a high level of productivity. It has a GDP of $ 14.4 trillion, the largest in the world and only 5% less than the European Union's combined GDP. It is seventeenth in terms of nominal GDP per capita and sixth in GDP per capita at purchasing power parity (PPP).

The International Monetary Fund says, "The US accounts for at least 23% of the gross world product at market exchange rates and nearly 21% at PPP". However, beyond the superpower image of the US are warm and enthralling encounters that reveal the nation's true beauty. Each year, millions of people come to witness the splendor of the Statue of Liberty, a gift from the people of France which has become a symbol of American freedom. The Grand Canyon, the world-famous gorge formed by the Colorado River in Arizona, is another sight of awe. The American Museum of Natural History promotes a reunion of roots from the unearthing of dinosaur fossils to the perfection of the human genome. Powdery white sand and crystal waters await everyone at the Caladesi Island State Park beach in Florida, while those who prefer dry cosmopolitan thrills can get lost in the thick crowds and tours of New York Times Square.

Although America is hardly a single culture, it remains bound to a common set of ideals on which its democratic and religious foundations are built. Americans value their civil liberties as much as the air they breathe and they will go to great lengths to fight for these freedoms. Monotheism is another prevalent force in modern American society. While religions can be diverse, reverence to a single divine being is important. Americans are also avid sports fans and are generally drawn to American football, the national sport, baseball and basketball, ice hockey and soccer, to name a few.

Founded on July 4, 1776, the United States of America is the world's oldest federal government and holds its Constitution as the supreme arbiter of legalities in the land. Its democracy is maintained by a system of checks and balances across the federalist system, at the federal, state and local levels of governance where executive officials and lawmakers are elected to office.