The Senate.

All states r represented equally in the Senate. 2 Senators from each state, inderpendent from the territory & population (100 numbers). Each Senator is elected for a term of 6 years.the elections r held every 2 years & 1/3 of the senate is elected. A senator must be at least 30 years old, besides a citizen of the USA for at least 9 years. The Senate is presided over by the Vice-president. He doesn’t vote but he does cast a deciding vote (решающий голос) in the case of a tye (ровный счет). The Senate is the only body with the power to try all impeachment, accusation, etc.

The House of Representatives.

435 members (+3 for Washington,DC) r elected every 2 years. They must be at least 25 years old, citizens of the USA at least for 7 years. Representation is based on population. The country is devided into congressional districts with equal population in each. It means that a state with a bigger population has more representatives, but each state no matter how much its population is has ta least 1 representative. The presiding person in the House of Representatives is the Speaker.

In the USA there r 538 Congressmen. The work of both Houses is largerly done in Committees. There r 16 permenate commettees in the Senate & 20 in the House of Representatives. The main function of a committee is to enqure into each bill & to recommend wheather the bill should be accepted or not,or to recommend changes to the bill.

Legislation can originate in either the Senate or in the House of Representatives, but before any bill is sent to the President for signature it must be passed by both Houses.

 

 

ECONOMIC REGIONS

The US is generally divided into 4 regions: the N-E, the M-W, the S, and the W. These are based on areas which are commonly thought as belonging together – for historical, geographical, economic or other reasons. The N-E & M-W -the historical “North” as opposed to the “South”. Each of the regions is subdivided into a number of smaller regions, mainly for economic reasons.

N-E

The oldest part of the US (7/13 original states were here). The most important part of the US, most highly industrialized, “the industrial N-E”. The largest % of urban population. The chains of cities extending from Boston to Wash.DC- the “Atlantic metropolitan belt”. Industrial, commercial & residential centers adjoin each other with only brief interruptions. The focal point of the belt is New York.

The N-E is subdivided into: New England & the Middle Atlantic Region.

· New England: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut; Boston – historical, economic & cultural importance; here there are much more computer offices per square mile than anywhere in the USA; Harvard University; best philarmony;

Massachusetts Institute of Technology – MIT (Indian).

Harvard – situated in Boston.

· The Middle Atlantic Region: NY (the Empire State), New Jersey, Pennsylvania; NYC – the greatest political, economic & cultural center; history & famous sights; Philadelphia (its importance); Baltimore; Pittsburgh (the Smoky City).

The Appalachian Mountains: iron ore & coal.

Pittsburgh – not ‘smoky’ now.

Ontario – the Niagara Falls – best seen from the Canadian side.

Rochester University – the best-equipped in the world, for people with problems (blind).

Festival of Lilac – Lilac bushes.

Niagara Falls – a small town to go there for honeymoon (lots of hotels).

New York – many skyscrapers (cf. Washington DC – none: no building should be higher than the building of Congress).

Washington DC – 4/5 of the population are the blacks; memorials: Jefferson Memorial (designed by T. Jefferson himself; Lincoln Memorial (with quotations), John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s Center (for performing arts with his bust in the middle), Washington Memorial.

Philadelphia – is between NY & Washington; founded by William Penn; all the documents were signed there. It’s a cultural center, too. The citizens do Europe when they retire. Here was sighed the Declaration of Independence.

Baltimore – some parts of the city are very much like Britain.

M-W

This term came into general use with the settlement of the West (or Far West) on the 19^th century, great diversity in climate, soil & resources, a vast extent of rich farmland, an excellent river & lake system, extensive forest lands, abundant deposits of minerals (! iron ore, limestone, coal).

Very important: includes 2 most important agricultural areas (the Corn Belt & the Wheat Belt) as well as a leading industrial area (the Lower Lakes Region).

4 principle regions:

· The Lower Lakes Region: leading industrial area (Michigan, Ohio, parts of Indiana & Illinois); Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo;

· The Upper Lakes Region: dairy farming area (Wisconsin & Minnesota); Minneapolis, St. Paul;

· The Corn Belt: Iowa – most of Indiana & Illinois – parts of Missouri – Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota;

· The Wheat Belt: extends to the W & N-W of the Corn Belt: from N.Oklahoma (south) to Canada (north). Includes: N/S Dakota - most of Kansas – Nebraska, central part – parts of Missouri – extreme north of Oklahoma.

Chicago – one of the largest transport systems: more than 30 railroads come to Chicago. Slaughterhouses are here. Food-processing & meat-processing – the birth-place of Alkapony.

Detroit – the automobile capital of the US (Ford, Chrysler, General Motors, +)

S

14 states: Virginia, W.Virginia, N/S.Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas.

¼ of Am.ppl lives here. The S has certain characteristics:

6. has lagged behind the N in industrial development -> has fewer large cities;

7. typical crops – cotton & tobacco;

8. large black population (the Black Belt), racial prejudices here are deep-rooted; most inequality btw blacks & whites in this part of the country;

9. is a supplier of raw materials (petroleum in Texas, coal in W.Virginia, lumber);

10. the standard of living here is lower, the poorest region.

But – some important changes, esp. in the post WW2 period: more industries, less cotton, mechanization, blacks move north.

3 regions:

· The South Atlantic Region: Virginia, W.Virginia, N/S. Carolina, Florida; Atlanta;

· The Deep South: Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Knoxville, Nashville, Memphis;

· The West South Central Region: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas (has undergone the most rapid economic development in the post WW2 period, now – a very important economic region); Houston, Dallas, Oklahoma City.

W

11 states: Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, California. The region is vast & extremely varied; let’s point out some distinguishing features:

6. is historically the youngest;

7. most of its states are mountain states;

8. has the lowest density of population, except of California;

9. states are mostly agricultural with emphasis on pastoral farming, only CA & Oregon are important industrial states;

10. is an important supplier of raw materials, esp. non-ferrous metals (in the Rocky mountains) & oil (CA).

3 regions:

· The Great Plains: cattle country of the “Wild West”, the eastern parts of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, the western parts of S.Dakota, Nebraska, Texas, The High West: a mass of plateaus, mountains, canyons, deserts, salt lakes, forests, scrublands, prairies, irrigated valleys; the Rockies are rich in minerals; Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah (the Mormon state);

· The Pacific Coast: economically the most important part of the W: California (San Francisco, LA), Oregon (Portland), Washington (Seattle).

Alaska

Is the largest state with the smallest population, former RUS territory; 1896- the Gold Rush; 1969 – the Oil Rush.

Hawaii

The 50^th state, the last to join the US. In the center of the Pacific. Economy is dominated by tourism, sugar cane, pineapples.

 

California - the richest state of the US (american dream – to live in California) and one of the ten largest economies in the world.

Production of fruits and vegetables: carrots, onions, broccoli, tomatoes, strawberries, and crops, grapes, cotton, flowers, and oranges; dairy products & domestic. The gathering and packing of crops is done largely by seasonal migrant labor (Mexicans). Fishing is important industry.

Industrial production: petroleum, natural gas, lumber, cement, and sand.

Since World War II - manufacturing of electronic equipment, computers, machinery, transportation equipment, and metal products.

. - major U.S. center for motion-picture, television film, and related entertainment industries, esp. in Hollywood and Burbank.

Tourism: Disneyland, Sea World, and other theme parks (millions of visitors each year), San Francisco (hilly city) with its numerous attractions and Los Angeles (cinematography, Oscar ceremony) – entertainment areas.

Many national parks and forests - such attractions as Yosemite Falls.

Oregon is one of the nation's leading producers of snap beans, peppermint, sweet cherries (orchards in the N Willamette Valley ), broccoli, and strawberries. G reenhouse products, wheat, cattle (on the plateaus), and dairy items, wheat, pears, and onions, and O. has developed a growing wine industry since 1980.

rich forestland. Wood processing was long the state's major industry; Cheap electric power is supplied by numerous dams (on the Columbia River—Bonneville Dam, The Dalles Dam, and McNary Dam). river resources: salmon-fishing industry- Astoria;

Washington

W's water resources provide both irrigation and hydroelectric power (the impact of the Columbia River on the life and economy), the river-a means of transport and a salmon-fishing field for many Native American tribes.

Commercial and industrial cities as Seattle, Tacoma, and Everett.

Seattle, an exporter and importer in trade with Asia and a gateway to Alaska, a major U.S. city and a center for the manufacture of jet aircraft (as well as missiles and spacecraft) by the Boeing Corp (headquarters). Microsoft Corp. - near Seattle, electronics, and biotechnology.

Food processing industry, irrigated farming and dairying fishing. Salmon, oysters, and crabs. There is dry farming, irrigation has converted many of the river valleys east of the Cascades into garden areas. This region contains most of Washington's vineyards; from the 1980s - wine industry. Production of apples, sweet cherries, and pears, corn, onions, potatoes, apricots, grapes, and other fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Cattle, dairy goods, sheep, and poultry.

More than half of the state's area is forested. The lumber and wood-products industry. Many of Washington's cities (Tacoma, Bellingham, Everett, and Anacortes) began as sawmill centers - Seattle.

Chemicals and primary metals, esp. aluminum. Gold, lead, and zinc. Also Tourism.

 

21. FRANCLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT (1882-1945)
The 32nd US president from the Democratic Party (1933-45). He is the only president who was elected four times. From 1921 he suffered from polio and for the rest of his life he could hardly walk without help. But this didn't prevent him from his political career. During the campaign in 1932 he defeated Herbert Hoover, introducing the New Deal programme which helped the US recover from the Great Depression. FDR was a cheerful man who gave the Americans confidence with his fireside chats on the radio. In 1933 his administration set up diplomatic relationships with the USSR. He participated in Yalta Conference where the allies met. In 1942 the secret Manhattan Project to develop the atomic bomb was begun under his supervision. He also paid much attention to the creation of the UN.