USA - Estados Unidos da América

You U.S are a great country of North America. The largest economic, military and cultural power in the world, the USA attracts millions of visitors on business and to enjoy the countless tourist attractions of its immense territory. The country is located mainly in the central region of theNorth America, between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, bordering theCanada in the north and with theMexico in the south. the state ofAlaska is in the northwest of the continent, bordering the Canada in the east and with the Russia to the west, across the Bering Strait.

Understand

The United States, officially the United States of America, is a federal constitutional republic composed of fifty states and a federal district. The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the Central Pacific. The country also has several other territories in the Caribbean and the Pacific.

With 9.37 million km² in area and with about 309 million inhabitants, the United States is the fourth largest country in total area and the fifth largest in continuous area and third in population. The country is one of the most multicultural and ethnically diverse nations in the world, a product of strong immigration from many countries. The US economy is the largest national economy in the world, with a gross domestic product of $14.4 trillion. Indigenous peoples, probably of Asian origin, have inhabited what is now US territory for many thousands of years old. This Native American population was greatly reduced after contact with Europeans, due to disease and wars. The United States was founded by the thirteen British colonies located along the country's Atlantic coast. On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was issued, which proclaimed their right to self-determination and the creation of a cooperative union. The rebel states defeated the Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War, the first successful colonial war. The Philadelphia Convention passed the current United States Constitution on September 17, 1787; its ratification the following year made the states part of a single republic with a strong central government. The Bill of Rights, consisting of ten constitutional amendments guaranteeing various civil rights and fundamental freedoms, was ratified in 1791. In the 19th century, the United States acquired land from the France, Spain, UK, Mexico and Russia, and annexed the Republic of Texas and the Republic of Hawaii. Disputes between the agrarian south and the industrialized north of the country over the rights of states and the expansion of the institution of slavery provoked the American Civil War of 1861. The victory of the north prevented the definitive separation of the country and led to the end of legal slavery in the United States. In the 1870s, the country's economy became the largest in the world. The Spanish-American War and World War I confirmed the country's status as a military power. The nation emerged from World War II as the first country with nuclear weapons and as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union left the United States as the only remaining superpower on the planet. The country accounts for two-fifths of global military spending and is a strong economic, political and cultural leader in the world.

Climate

As the country is very extensive, the climate varies between regions of the country. THE Florida has a subtropical climate, while the Alaska has a polar climate. Much of the country has a continental climate, with hot summers and cold winters. Certain parts of the United States, such as the California has a Mediterranean climate. In general, however, most of the country has a temperate or sub-tropical climate, marked by four distinct seasons, with regular changes in temperature and precipitation.

Holidays

• January, 1st - New Year
• Third Monday of January - Martin Luther King, Jr.
• third monday in february - Presidents' Day, in honor of Washington and Lincoln's birthdays
• last monday of may - Memorial Day of the Fallen Combatants
• 4th of July - Independence Day
• first monday of september - Labor Day
• second monday of october - Discovery of the "New World"
• November 11th - Veterans Day
• fourth thursday of november - Thanksgiving
• December 25th - Christmas

Regions

Traditionally, the United States is divided into 13 regions:

New England (New England) (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont) Located in the northeast region of the country, New England has some of the oldest cities in North America.

Mid-Atlantic (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania) The region is made up of large cities, mountains and traditional resorts, such as long island and the Jersey shore.

South (alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Caroline, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia) The South is known for home cooking, friendly people and musical traditions such as jazz, blues and country.

Florida Despite being located in the south (in the extreme southeast to be more precise), it forms a region apart. It is one of the main summer destinations in the country and a gateway to all of Latin America.

Midwest (Illinois, indian, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin) Many of the states in this region are bathed by the great lakes, the largest freshwater lake system in the world, forming the North Coast from United States.

Texas The country's second-largest state, Texas is almost a country of its own (which, in fact, has already happened). The landscape has a bit of everything: from mountains and desert in the east to forest in the west. The climate is also varied and changes very quickly.

Great Plains (North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, oklahoma)

Rocky Mountains (Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming) Deserts, Canyons and Snowy Mountains

South-west (Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah)

California Most populous state in the country. Despite being located in the Southwest, it forms a separate region.

Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon)

Alaska The largest state, making up nearly 18% of the total area of ​​the United States, however it is the most sparsely populated and is not contiguous with the rest of the country.

Hawaii Located in an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, it is the most distant state from the rest of the continent.

Cities

• Washington, D.C., the capital
• Boston- The largest educational hub in the United States.
• Chicago
• Houston - The 4th largest city in the country
• Los Angeles - This big and famous city in the south of California it has beautiful beaches, Hollywood, Disneyland, and more.
• Miami - Tourist Center, visited by tourists all year round for its warm climate and beaches.
• New York - The largest city in the USA, it is a frenetic and cosmopolitan metropolis
• Orlando - The second largest city in the US in terms of tourist traffic.
• San Francisco

Other destinations

• Grand Canyon, famous and beautiful canyon dug by the Colorado River
• Guam
• Yosemite National Park
• Yellowstone National Park
• Everglades National Park
• Puerto Rico

To arrive

• Brazilian citizens need a visa to visit the country. Read preliminary information [1] and schedule an interview through the website. [2]
• Portuguese citizens in possession of an electronic passport do not need a visa.

By airplane

• Of Brazil there are direct flights from Belo Horizonte, Manaus, strength, Recife, savior, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo to several cities in the United States, such as Miami, Atlanta, Orlando, New York, Dallas, Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., totaling dozens of daily departures. The companies that connect the two countries are: American Airlines, Continental, Delta, Japan Airlines, Korean, LATAM and United Airlines
• In Portugal there are direct flights from Lisbon It's from Harbor for New York by TAP and Continental, and from Lisbon It's from Harbor for Boston by SATA, via Thin tip.

Of boat

Entering the United States by sea other than via a registered cruise ship can be difficult. The most frequent entry points by sea in the country are Los Angeles, Florida, and the ports of the eastern coastal states.

There are some passenger ferries between the US and the Canada, namely the Atlantic Provinces to the New England it's from Victory, British Columbia, until Seattle.

Cunard [3] offers sea travel between the UK and New York.

NOTICE: ALL people who want to enter the United States by sea must have a valid passport.

By car

By bus/bus

By train/train

Amtrak [4] offers train services between Canadian cities from Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal and the U.S.A.

Circular

By airplane

The United States is a commercial aviation paradise. Airplanes of all types and to all destinations are available from numerous airlines. Local tickets can be purchased directly at airline counters at airports, via the internet, over the phone, at travel agencies and by mail.

Your pocket will tell you the destination, the type of aircraft, the company and it is possible to charter and rent planes, helicopters, jets.

Within 50 miles of any reasonable city there will be at least half a dozen airports, some for international destinations, some for regional destinations, for commercial and private aviation, and for various types of aircraft.

By car

You can rent a car at the airport when you disembark and at every international airport there is an annex building for car rental companies. There are cars of all types and for all budgets. For about 400 dollars a week it is possible to rent a good and comfortable car, in the range of a Dodge Siebling or Ford Logus already with DWL and civil liability insurance.

The roads are excellent, very well built, well signposted, with perfect pavement, easy access and well signposted, always with shoulder, very well preserved and the main ones are double lane, with several lanes of traffic.

The speed limit is usually 70 miles/hour, about 110 km/h, and the traffic on the main roads is heavy, with huge and fast trucks, and overtaking can be made either on the right or on the left of the vehicle that is on the front.

Americans don't respect speed limits much and the greatest risk of accidents is when changing lanes on the road, it's no use giving an arrow that you're going to change lanes, whoever is behind has the right to overtake if he has a more powerful vehicle.

Caution is required in school areas and school buses. It would be wise to stop your car on the side of the road when you see a school bus loading or unloading children.

The "Stop" signs at intersections must be respected and passing a red light carries high fines.

By bus/bus

In the United States there are fast, safe and not always comfortable interstate and intercity buses, with little legroom. Companies like Greyhound and Peter Pan generally operate the lines. There are, however, few opening times and terminals can be little known and generally dangerous areas.

By train/train

Speak

• The official language is English, which is used in most stores, restaurants and other businesses. O Spanish it is also very employed, particularly in the southern states: Texas, Florida and south of California, for example. In New Orleans, we also speak a little French and Creole.
• There are large concentrations of Portuguese speakers in the regions of New York, Boston and Miami.

Buy

The United States is known as the country of consumerism. It has supermarkets, shopping malls, large department stores and countless stores specializing in all kinds of items.

O Walmart it's a tacky goods paradise and boasts of being the world's largest sales center for nylon socks, boxer shorts and battery-powered penguins. The Target chain is more refined and sells everything Walmart sells with a better presentation and a higher price. The stores are always huge and it's nice to take a walk inside them.

For electronics, such as cameras and software, look for Circuit City and Best Buy, chains of stores specializing in this sector, with the most varied promotional offers. Brazilians unfortunately can only bring 500 dollars in electronics because if they bring more than that they will pay a fee of 60% of the amount that exceeds the 500 dollar quota. be careful and just in case take the invoices! However, as long as mobile phones are enabled, they do not enter the quota.

With the

The country is known as the land of fast food. There are McDonald's, Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Subway or Wendy's on every corner.

There are also good and expensive restaurants where you can eat steaks with mashed potatoes or baked potatoes, various types of sauce, vegetables and pasta. Buffets, salad bars, and a combination of Mexican and American food ("Tex-Mex") are common in southern states like Texas and California. Other states have their own types of cuisine, such as food Hawaiian, food new mexican or food Cajun at Louisiana. In addition to these, the visitor can choose from a variety of "ethnic food" restaurants, such as Italian restaurants and pizzerias, Jamaican, Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Dominican, Portuguese (barbecue and seafood), Brazilian (barbecue and seafood) restaurants ), Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, Polish, Jewish kosher, halal for Muslims, Russians, etc. The addresses of the best restaurants can be found in tourist brochures distributed in shopping malls, hotels and places of great influx of tourists.

barbecue, or barbecue it's a national craze, like many Brazilians, the weekend of Americans is to barbecue and drink cold beer. There are good charcoal, gas and electric grills, and the barbecue can be hamburger, sausage or chicken.

In larger cities, there are also vegetarian or vegan restaurants and supermarkets that cater to the public that prefers organic products, rice milk, soy, vegetable meats, sprouts and cereals, which are generally expensive products. But big supermarket chains always have cheaper alternatives for a growing group concerned about eating food without additives.

drink and go out

Remember that it is forbidden to drink alcoholic beverages on the streets, with the exception of the state of Nevada where you can walk on the street while drinking (see Las Vegas). For other cases, only inside bars, restaurants or places where there is a clear authorization. Remember that the minimum drinking age is 21 years.

sleep

For the tourist who likes to do what is known as “individual tourism” and who enjoys moving freely around the country with freedom, there is nothing better than renting a car and using the highway.

Those who choose this option will have an incredible chain of relatively inexpensive hotels ranging from 50 to 80 dollars a couple, in well-appointed rooms with two king-size beds, cable TV, refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker and hairdryer. hair, in addition to the other usual comforts. In every highway (highway) there is an access interchange at least every 5 or 10 miles with gas stations, different “Inns”, Motels or Hotels.

In access to major destinations such as Miami, Atlanta, Washington, Boston, etc. on every highway these facilities will be within walking distance of the city center and shopping malls. It's worth staying at one of these motels while getting to know the city.

Learn

Work

To work in the United States you need a visa with special authorization. Tourist visa holders cannot have paid work in the country. There is, however, a wave of undocumented immigrants across the country who do various types of work while waiting for better days, through legalization with employer sponsorship, marriage to a citizen, or anesthesia granted by the president of the republic.

After the attacks of September 11, 2001, immigration policy became extremely rigid. With the current economic crisis when those from the land have been doing jobs they didn't do before, public opinion is also against immigration. Racism aside, several allege that undocumented people tend to work for wages lower than those offered to citizens. Therefore, the tendency is to criminalize undocumented persons, punishing both the employer with heavy fines and the employee with imprisonment and subsequent deportation.

Safety

In case of emergency, do not hesitate to call the police or fire department. The United States has large investments in the area of ​​security and prevention. Although we all know the FBI agency from the famous series and movies, the security services are mostly done by local and/or district police and firefighters. American cities in general are safe and offer a harmonious climate for those who visit them.

Health

In the case of continuous use of medication, it is convenient to travel to the United States with a sufficient amount of medication for the stay. You must have an up-to-date prescription and pharmacies may not accept a prescription made in another country. Health care, treatments and drugs are very expensive in the United States, where there is no comprehensive public health system, but under international law, hospitals cannot deny emergency services.

respect

One of the rules of good practice is to respect the environment and all services or public spaces, do not litter the streets or highways, this can generate a very high fine, do not make the sound volume high, whether at home or inside the car to avoid major inconvenience, do not drink alcohol in public spaces, prohibited by law, do not disrespect any civil servants or public servants, as well as always respecting bus lines, subways, events, clinics and any other service.

Stay in touch

To call the country of origin, enter the code 011 for international calls, the country code, in this case 55 (Brazil), the area code of the destination telephone region and finally the destination telephone number.
Example: 011 55 Area Code Telephone

Leave

• Bermuda
• Canada
• Greenland
• Clipperton Island
• Mexico
• Saint Peter and Michael

This country article is usable . It contains links to major cities and other destinations (all with states of usable or better), a valid regional structure, and includes information about the country's currency, language, cuisine, and culture. At least the most important attraction is identified with directions. A braver person could use it to travel, but please dig deep and help it grow!