The United States of America, abbreviated as the
United States, is a state in North America. Area - 9.5 million km²
(4th place in the world). Population - just over 333 million people
(2021, estimate; 3rd place in the world). The United States has a
federal form of structure, administratively divided into 50 states
and the Federal District of Columbia; a number of island territories
(Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam and others) are also subordinate
to them.
The capital is Washington DC, and the largest in
terms of population is New York City. The United States borders
Canada in the north, Mexico in the south, and also has a sea border
with Russia in the west. They are washed by the Pacific Ocean from
the west, the Atlantic Ocean from the east and the Arctic Ocean from
the north.
The United States of America was formed in 1776
with the unification of thirteen British colonies that declared
their independence. The War of Independence lasted until 1783 and
ended with the victory of the colonists. In 1787, the US
Constitution was adopted, and in 1791 - the Bill of Rights, which
significantly limited the powers of the government over citizens. In
1861, conflicts between the slave-owning southern and industrial
northern states led to the outbreak of a four-year Civil War. The
consequence of the victory of the northern states was the widespread
prohibition of slavery, as well as the restoration of the country
after the split that arose when the southern states were united into
the Confederation and declared their independence.
Until the
First World War, US foreign policy activity was limited to interests
in the territories of North, Central and South America - according
to the Monroe Doctrine formulated back in 1823. After the First
World War, the United States Congress did not give consent to the
country's entry into international organizations (for example, the
League of Nations and the Chamber of International Justice under
it), which limited the role of the United States in world politics.
However, the country's participation in the anti-Hitler coalition
significantly increased the influence of the United States on the
world arena, and from the second half of the 20th century, the
country became the core of the so-called. "First World". In 1945,
the United States became the first nuclear power and the first and
only country to use nuclear weapons in hostilities (the atomic
bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki), and since 1946 they were in a
state of global confrontation with the USSR, which lasted until the
early 1990s, when The Soviet Union ceased to exist.
The
United States possesses the armed forces with the most powerful
nuclear capabilities on the planet in terms of the total number of
deployed warheads, but second after Russia in the total number of
nuclear warheads, including the world's largest naval forces; have a
permanent seat on the UN Security Council with veto power; are the
founding state of the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO), one of the
founders of the United Nations, the World Bank, the International
Monetary Fund, the Organization of American States (OAS) and other
international organizations.
The United States is a highly
developed country, the largest economy in the world in terms of
nominal GDP and second in terms of GDP (PPP). Although the country's
population is only 4.3% of the global population, Americans own
about 40% of the world's total wealth. The United States leads the
world in a number of socio-economic indicators, including average
wages, HDI, GDP per capita, and labor productivity. While the US
economy is post-industrial, characterized by a predominance of the
service sector and the knowledge economy, the country's
manufacturing sector remains the second largest in the world.
The country's economy accounts for about a quarter of world GDP
and generates a third of global military spending, making the United
States the world's main economic and military power. In addition,
the United States has the most political and cultural influence in
the world, is also a leader in scientific research and technological
innovation, and is currently considered the only superpower on the
planet.
Waverly Hills Sanatorium is a massive abandoned hospital that was constructed in 1924 to treat and prevent spread of Tuberculosis. It is located on the outskirts of Louisville in South- West Louisville/ Jefferson County in Kentucky state. Later it was handed over to Geriatrics medicine in 1962 after first antibiotic streptomycin was invented to treat Mycobacterium tuberculosis, causative bacteria of tuberculosis. It was finally closed in 1980 due to unsatisfactory care for its patients. It is considered to be one of the most haunted places in United States. More
Trans- Allegheny Lunatic Asylum is situated at Asylum Drive, Weston, West Virginia in United States. In the 19th century society in United States began to shift its views on treatment of individuals with mental issues and challenges. In the middle of the century Thomas Kirkbride developed a theory of construction of a Sanatorium with supportive and curative environment for the patients. Over 300 such facilities were constructed across the country. Trans- Allegheny Sanatorium became one such facility. More
America's Stonehenge is located near Salem. It is arguable the most mysterious places in USA that is still in the middle of the debates on the age of the construction and its origin. More
Eastern State Penitentiary is located in the outskirts of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in United States. This prison covers an area of 11 acres (45,000 m2) and was constructed in 1829. It was eventually closed in 1971. More
Villisca Axe Murders House in Villisca, Iowa is a famous site of a gruesome murder of the whole family that occurred here on June 10, 1912. More
Chaco Culture National Historical Park is situated in San Juan and McKinley Counties, New Mexico in United States. It covers an area of 33,978 acres (13,750 ha) and protects one of the largest and most interesting settlement of the mysterious Anasazi tribe. According to the legends of the Navajo people that took over these lands centuries later, Anasazi simply disappeared in the underground cavers through the crevices. More
Glenn Dale Hospital is located in Glenn Dale, Prince Georges County, Maryland just outside of Washington D.C., USA. Glenn Dale Hospital was constructed in 1934 to isolate and treat patients with tuberculosis. In the early 60s Glenn Dale changed its purpose due to improvements in medicine and treatment of the tuberculosis or the "white death". Last 20 years medical center was transformed into a center for chronically and mentally ill patients. More
Bodie was named after Waterman S. (Bill) Bodey who discovered large gold deposit north of Mono Lake in 1859. Unfortunately for him a winter storm caught him off guard and he froze to death. A mining camp on the gold mine site was named after him. Things were going slow for Bodie until 1875 then a large pocket of precious metal was discovered after an accidental cave in. It quickly swelled to 10,000 residents. More
Bannerman Castle is a picturesque structure that implements architecture of the European castle in United States. It is located on small Pollepel Island that covers an area of 6.5 acres in the Hudson river about 50 miles north of New York City. The name of the island of Pollepel is sometimes attributed to a Dutch words that literally means "a wooden spoon", while other claim it is named after a girl named Polly Pell who was stranded on the island once. More
Saint Elmo Ghost Town located in Colorado is one of the best preserved ghost town in United States. It was originally found by gold prospectors in 1880. Initially called Forrest City due to heavy forested area this city changed its name due to objections at the post office. California already had a city by this name, thus a under a new name it was incorporated as a Saint Elmo after a popular novel of the time. At its peak this city had population of 2000. More
Pennhurst Insane Asylum is located in Spring City in a state of Pennsylvania, United States. Pennsylvania Legislature authorized funds to construct a large complex that became known as Eastern Pennsylvania State Institution for the Feeble-Minded and Epileptic. Pennhurst State School and Hospital was completed in 1908 with intention to help physically and mentally disabled individuals to some degree of rehabilitation. More
Peoria State Hospital also known as Illinois Asylum for the Incurable Insane or Bartonville State Hospital is situated in Bartonville, Illinois. It was constructed in 1895-1910. It was closed in 1972 and have been abandoned since then. More
Ohio State Reformatory is a former prison situate in a small town of Mansfield, Ohio Despite it small size made history as a filming location of The Shawshank Redemption (1994). Besides the Ohio State Reformatory claims to be one of the most haunted locations in United States. More
ix Rivers National Forest is situated in Northwest California in United States. This nature reserve covers a total area of 957,590 acres. This large expanse of forest is most famous for Patterson-Gimlin film of the Bigfoot. It is still considered as one of the best proofs for existence of this elusive creature. More
Most famous resident of Lake Champlain is an alleged water serpent known locally simply as Champ. The Iroquois and the Abenaki called this serpent "Tatoskok." Besides obvious similarities to Loch Ness Monster (aka Nessie) in Scotland the lake has many similar features as Loch Ness. More
Fort McHenry is located in Baltimore, Maryland state of USA. These military fortifications were constructed in 1789 under supervision of French immigrant Jean Foncin. It was named after Hames McHenry who was a Scottish- Irish immigrant and a surgeon- soldier. He eventually rose to Secretary of War under first American president George Washington. Military fortifications stood at the Locust Point peninsula that guarded the entrance to the Baltimore Harbor. Bastions were encircled by a dry moat that run around the fort perimeter. More
Walden Pond is located near Concord, Massachusetts state in USA. It covers an area of about 61 acres. Walden Pond is most famous for its resident- Henry David Thoreau who lived on its shores for 2 years 2 months and 2 days starting with July of 1845 to September 1847. Here he wrote his famous Walden; on life in the Woods. More
Saratoga National Historic Park situated 15 miles South- East of Saratoga Springs in New York state is a famous battle site of a Revolutionary War. Here in 1777 Battle of Saratoga was fought between American patriots under leadership of Horatio Gates and 9000 British regular troops or "Redcoats" along with Hessians, and Native Americans under command of General John Burgoyne. The battle was decisively won by the American Colonial forces. More
Plimouth Plantation is a historic open air museum located in Plymouth, Massachusetts off the Route 3A. It is a recreation of the original Plymouth Colony established on this spot in the 17th century by the first English colonists. More
Fort Ticonderoga is a French citadel constructed in 1755- 58 in Ticonderoga, New York State in United States. It was designed by Marquis de Lotbinière and covers an area of 21,950 acres. More
Gettysburg National Military Park is located in Adams County, Pennsylvania in USA. It covers an area of 3,965 acres of a former battle site that became the famous as the largest engagement between the North/ Union and the South/ Confederate armies during the Civil War. More
Fort Ross was found here as a fortress post for the Russian empire in 1812. It was intended to safeguard the possessions of the Russian tsars in the New World from competing Spaniards to the south. Napoleon's betrayal of the Spanish kings allowed cooperation between the two countries. More
Devil's Lake is located just two miles south of Baraboo, Wisconsin on the South Range of the Baraboo hills. Devil’s lake got it’s name from the Ho- Chunk nation. Native Americans believed that during their rituals a voice was heard coming from a lake. These celebrations are still held annually. At the south end of the lake there is a burial mount in a form of a giant bird that spreads its wings. More
Porcupine State Park is a wilderness area in the Porcupine mountains, named so by the Ojibwa tribe due to silhouette of the range. On the northern side it is bordered by lake Superior. Besides it has two small lakes. The first one is Lake of the Clouds and it is clearly visible from the observation point. Another lake is Mirror lake that is accessible by foot. It is less crowded and camping on its shore is pleasant and secluded. More
Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park is located in a state of Arizona in USA. This iconic nature reserve became synonymous with American West. More
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site is a massive settlement of Native Americans in Collinsville in the South Illinois in USA. It is the largest archaeological site North of Mexico. More
Natchez Trace runs from Natchez Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee states of United States. The trail is thousands years old and was probably originally trumped by bison and deer. Later Choctaw and Chickasaw connected the road and used as a trade route. Arriving Europeans started using this route and in 1801 US government signed a peace treaty with Choctaw that allowed Europeans passage. More
Mesa Verde National Park is situated in Montezuma County, Colorado in United States. It is designated as an UNESCO World Heritage Site for the ruined settlement of the Anasazi tribe. This historic reserve covers a total area of 52,485 acres. More
