Country

Countries with exclaves

These countries consist of two non-contiguous parts, separated by land of one or more other countries). The smaller part (the exclave) is put in parentheses.

• Angola (Cabinda)
• Azerbaijan (Nakhichevan)
• Brunei (Temburong)
• East Timor (Ocussi-Ambeno region)
• Oman (Musandam peninsula)
• Russia (Kaliningrad)
• Spain (Ceuta, Melilla)
• US (Alaska)

• Palestinian territories (Gaza Strip)

See also

• Nation state for the history of the development of the modern nation states
• List of countries
• List of country name etymologies
• Enclave, includes a list of enclaves.

External links to information by country

Pathos, humour, women, whiskey, murder, death, disease and destitution are all present in his lyrics and these themes have been carried forward and developed by his followers. People like Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, George Jones, Townes van Zandt, Kris Kristofferson and Johnny Cash have also suffered, and shared their suffering, bringing added dimensions to those themes. It would be fair to say that Jimmie Rodgers sang about life and death from a male perspective and this viewpoint has dominated some areas of country music. It would also be fair to credit his influence for the development of honky tonk, rockabilly and the Bakersfield sound.

At the time of its early popularity, country music shared America's affection with swing music, a type of jazz, and enterprising musicians such as Bob Wills fused the two to form western swing. The early development of rock and roll was a fusion of country music and blues.

In the 1990s a new form of country music emerged, called by some alternative country, or "insurgent country". Performed by generally younger musicians and inspired by traditional country performers and the country reactionaries, it shunned the Nashville-dominated sound of mainstream country and borrowed more from punk and rock groups than the watered-down, pop-oriented sound of Nashville.

Early innovators

• Jimmie Rodgers, first country superstar, the "Father of Country Music", also bluesman
• The Carter Family, rural country-blues, known for hits like "Wildwood Flower"
• Hank Snow
• Hank Williams Sr, honky tonk pioneer, singer and songwriter, known for hits like "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" and "Your Cheatin' Heart", followed in music by his son and grandson
• Bill Monroe, father of bluegrass
• Grand Ole Opry, one of the oldest radio programs
• Louvin Brothers, inspired the Everly Brothers

• Roy Acuff
• Johnny Cash, a major influence on country music who died in 2003
• Patsy Cline, immensely popular balladeer who died in 1963
• Lefty Frizzell
• Merle Haggard, popularized the Bakersfield sound
• Johnny Horton
• Waylon Jennings, one of the leaders of the outlaw country sound
• George Jones
• Kris Kristofferson, songwriter and one of the leaders of the outlaw country sound
• Loretta Lynn
• Ronnie Milsap
• Willie Nelson, songwriter and one of the leaders of the outlaw country sound
• Buck Owens, pioneer innovator of the Bakersfield sound
• Charley Pride
• Charlie Rich
• Marty Robbins
• Conway Twitty, honky tonk traditionalist
• Kitty Wells
• Tammy Wynette

• Allman Brothers Band, bluegrass influenced jam band
• Blackfoot
• The Byrds, pioneers in the field
• Flying Burrito Brothers
• The Eagles, possibly the most popular country rock band
• Kinky Friedman
• Grateful Dead, extremely long-lived bluegrass and psychedelic band
• Lynyrd Skynyrd, for many, the archetypal country rock band
• Gram Parsons, critical favorite of the country rock movement
• Poco

• Grand Ole Opry
• Hee Haw. featuring Buck Owens and Roy Clark and a pack of droll, cornball comedians, notably Junior Samples
• Austin City Limits, PBS goes country

External link

Estonia has been populated by the native Finno Ugric Estonians since prehistory. It was first christianised when the German Sword Brethren and Denmark conquered the land by 1227. Subsequent foreign powers that controlled Estonia at various times included Denmark, Sweden, Poland and finally Russia.

Following the collapse of imperial Russia during the October Revolution, Estonia declared its independence as a republic on February 24, 1918. Forcibly incorporated into the Soviet Union in June, 1940, it regained its freedom in August 20, 1991 with the Singing Revolution and collapse of the Soviet Union. August 20 remains a national holiday in Estonia because of this.

Since the last Russian troops left on August 31 1994, Estonia has been free to promote economic and political ties with Western Europe. It is seeking membership of NATO and Estonia opened accession negotiations with European Union in 1998 and is planning to join in 2004.

Estonia is a constitutional democracy, with a president elected by the parliament (elections every five years) and a unicameral parliament. The government or the executive branch is formed by the prime minister, nominated by the president, and a total of 15 ministers. The government is appointed by the president after approval by the parliament.

Legislative power lies with the unicameral parliament, the Riigikogu or State Assembly, which holds 101 seats. Members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms. The supreme judiciary court is the National Court or Riigikohus, with 17 justices whose chairman is appointed by the parliament for life on nomination by the president.

Estonia numbers 15 main administrative subdivisions, called counties (maakonnad, singular - maakond):

• Harjumaa
• Hiiumaa
• Eastern Virumaa (Ida-Virumaa)
• Järvamaa
• Jõgevamaa
• Läänemaa
• Western Virumaa (Lääne-Virumaa)
• Pärnumaa
• Põlvamaa
• Raplamaa
• Saaremaa
• Tartumaa
• Valgamaa
• Viljandimaa
• Võrumaa

Geography

Between 57.3 and 59.5 latitude and 21.5 and 28.1 longitude, Estonia lies on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea on the level northwestern part of the rising east European platform. Average elevation reaches only 50 m.

Oil shale (or kukersite) and limestone deposits, along with forests which cover 47% of the land, play key economic roles in this generally resource-poor country. Estonia boasts over 1,400 lakes (most very small, with the largest, Lake Peipsi, being 3,555 km²), numerous bogs, and 3,794 kilometers of coastline marked by numerous bays, straits, and inlets. The number of islands and islets is estimated at some 1,500 with two large enough to constitute their own counties, Saaremaa and Hiiumaa.

Its highest point is the Suur Munamägi in the southeastern corner of the country (318 m).

In 1999, Estonia experienced its worst year economically since it regained independence in 1991, largely because of the impact of the August 1998 Russian financial crisis. Estonia joined the WTO in November 1999 - the second Baltic state to join - and continued its EU accession talks. Privatisation of energy, telecommunications, railways, and other state-owned companies is a continuing process. Estonia expects to complete its preparations for EU membership by the end of 2002 and is one of the economic front-runners of those seeking entry in 2004. The Estonian economy is growing fast, partly due to a number of Finnish companies relocating their routine operations. It's economy is one of the strongest of those countries planning to join European Union.

About two thirds of the population consist of Estonians, with the rest from other former Soviet republics, mainly Russia, who predominantly live in the capital Tallinn. There is also a small group of Finnish descent.

The country's official language is Estonian, which is closely related to Finnish. Russian is also widely spoken.

The majority of Estonians are Lutheran, whereas the Russian minority is Eastern Orthodox.

• List of famous Estonians
• Tartu University
• Music of Estonia

Miscellaneous topics

• Communications in Estonia
• Transportation in Estonia
• Military of Estonia
• Foreign relations of Estonia
• Tourism in the Baltics
• List of cities in Estonia
• Crime in Estonia
• The Estonian State Decorations
• List of people on stamps of Estonia

External links

• Aerican Empire
• Al Amarja, Mediterranean island state in Over the Edge roleplaying game
• Airstrip One, Oceania in Nineteen Eighty-Four
• Ardistan of Karl Friedrich May
• Babar's Kingdom
• Beninia of John Brunner: Stand on Zanzibar
• Calia in Modesty Blaise episode The Jericho Caper
• Country of the Blind of H. G. Wells
• Dinotopia
• Ecotopia of Ernest Callenbach
• Erewhon of Samuel Butler
• Freedonia
• Freiland of Theodor Hertzka
• Gondor of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings
• Gormenghast Castle of Mervyn Peake
• Grand Fenwick (pronounced 'fennick'
• Graustark
• Herland of Charlotte Perkins Gilman
• Lancre, mountain kingdom of Terry Pratchett's Discworld
• Latveria of Marvel Universe
• Maple White Land, land of Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World
• Mardi archipelago of Herman Melville's Mardi and a voyage thither
• Moominland of Tove Jansson
• Mordor, mountain-girt land of evil in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings
• Palombia of Spirou stories
• Pellucidar, one version of Hollow Earth
• Porto Claro
• Pottsylvania of Jay Ward's The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show
• Qumar, from the television series The West Wing
• Razkavia, Germanic country in Philip Pullman's The Tin Princess
• Riallaro archipelago of Godfrey Sweven (Riallaro, the Archipelago of Exiles)
• Rohan, home to the horse-lords in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings
• Ruritania of Anthony Hope's The Prisoner of Zenda
• San Lorenzo of Kurt Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle
• Skull Island of King Kong movie(s)
• Sylvania, belligerent neighbor to Freedonia in the movie Duck Soup.
• Wakanda of the Marvel Universe
• Island of Sodor between England and the Isle of Man, the setting for the Reverend Awdry's "Thomas the Tank Engine" railway network managed by "The Fat Controller"
• The Shire, land of the Hobbits in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings
• Tanah Masa of Karel Capek's War with the Newts
• Utopia of Thomas More
• Tarzan had adventures in: Ashair, Caspak, Castra Sanguinaries & Castrum Mare, London-on-Thames, Opar, Pellucidar, Pal-ul-Don and Xujan Kingdom
• Tintin traveled to: Borduria, Khemed, San Theodoros, and Syldavia
• Lemuel Gulliver stumbled upon: Balnibarbi, Brobdingnag, Glubbdubdrib, Laputa, Lilliput and Blefuscu, Luggnagg and the land of the Houyhnhnms and Yahoos

It is historically unclear whether the following countries were intended to be fictional or whether they actually exist (or existed):

• Atlantis
• El Dorado (myth)
• Ophir

Books

• Alberto Manguel & Gianni Guadalupi: The Dictionary of Imaginary Places
• Brian Stableford: The Dictionary of Science Fiction Places

Related articles

• Imaginary country
• Imaginary counties such as Borsetshire in western England, geographic setting for Ambridge in the never-ending BBC radio series called The Archers.
• Imaginary state of USA.
  

Georgia was conquered by the Russian Empire in the 19th century. It declared independence after the Russian Revolution and enjoyed a brief spell of freedom before being reconquered by the Soviet Union in 1921. It was organised as part of the Transcaucasian SFSR until 1936 when it became the Georgian SSR. This gained its independence in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Various ares, including Abkhazia and South Ossetia in turn attempted to seceed, and after a brief civil war there is an uneasy ceasefire.

Following a crisis involving allegations of ballot fraud, Eduard Shevardnadze resigned as President in November 2003. The interim president is the speaker of the outgoing parliament (whose replacement was annulled), Nino Burdzhanadze. She has announced that the 1999 parliament has been recalled. Elections for a new president are planned for January 4, 2004.

Georgia is divided into 53 provinces, 9 cities, and 2 autonomous republics

Autonomous republics: Abkhazia, Ajaria
Cities: Chiatura, Gori, Kutaisi, P'ot'i, Rust'avi, T'bilisi, Tqibuli, Tsqaltubo, Zugdidi
Provinces: Abashis, Adigenis, Akhalgoris, Akhalts'ikhis, Akhmetis, Ambrolauris, Aspindzis, Baghdat'is, Bolnisis, Borjomis, Ch'khorotsqus, Ch'okhatauris, Dedop'listsqaros, Dmanisis, Dushet'is, Gardabanis, Goris, Gurjaanis, Javis, K'arelis, Kaspis, Kharagaulis, Khashuris, Khobis, Khonis, Lagodekhis, Lanch'khut'is, Lentekhis, Marneulis, Martvilis, Mestiis, Mts'khet'is, Ninotsmindis, Onis, Ozurget'is, Qazbegis, Qvarlis, Sach'kheris, Sagarejos, Samtrediis, Senakis, Sighnaghis,T'elavis, T'erjolis, T'et'ritsqaros, T'ianet'is, Ts'ageris, Tsalenjikhis, Tsalkis, Vanis, Zestap'onis, Zugdidis

• ISO 3166-2 codes for regions and autonomous republics of Georgia

Geography

In the north, Georgia has a 723km common border with Russia, specifically with the Northern Caucasus federal district. The following Russian republics/subdivisions - from west to east - border Georgia: Krasnodar Region, Karachay-Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia-Alania, Ingushetia, Chechnya, Dagestan.

Main cities:

• Tbilisi (1,200,000, metro area 1,400,000)
• Kutaisi (270,000)

• Religion and religious freedom in Georgia
• South Ossetia

Culture

Holidays

Date	English Name	Local Name	Remarks

• Communications in Georgia
• Transportation in Georgia
• Military of Georgia
• Foreign relations of Georgia
• Famous people from the Republic of Georgia

External links and references

Italy's history is perhaps the most important one for the cultural and social development of the Mediterranean area as a whole. The country has been host to important human activities in prehistoric times, and thusly archaeological sites of note can be found in many regions: Latium and Tuscany, Umbria and Basilicata. After Magna Graecia, the Etruscan civilisation and especially the Roman Empire that came to dominate this part of the world for many centuries, came the medieval Humanism and the Renaissance that further helped to shape European philosophy and art. The city of Rome contains some of the most important examples of the Baroque.

The Italy of modern time became a nation-state belatedly - on March 17, 1861 when the states of the peninsula and the Two Sicilies were united under king Victor Emmanuel II of the Savoy dynasty, hitherto ruler of Piedmont and kings of Sardinia. The architect of Italian unification, however, was Count Camillo Benso di Cavour, the Chief Minister of Victor Emmanuel. Rome itself remained for a decade under the Papacy, and became part of the Kingdom of Italy only on September 20, 1870, the final date of Italian unification. The Vatican is now an independent enclave surrounded by Italy, as is San Marino.

The Fascist dictatorship of Benito Mussolini that took over in 1922 led to a disastrous alliance with Nazi Germany and Japan, and ultimately Italy's defeat in World War II. On June 2, 1946 a referendum on the monarchy resulted in the establishment of the Italian republic, which led to the adoption of a new constitution on January 1, 1948. Members of the royal family were sent into exile because of their association with the fascist regime.

Italy was a charter member of NATO and the European Union, and hence joined the growing political and economic unification of Western Europe, including the introduction of the Euro in 1999.

Map

Italy is subdivided into 20 regions (regioni, singular regione), of which five enjoy a special autonomous status, marked by a *:

• Abruzzo
• Basilicata
• Calabria
• Campania
• Emilia-Romagna
• Friuli-Venezia Giulia *
• Latium (Lazio)
• Liguria
• Lombardy (Lombardia)
• Marche
• Molise
• Piedmont (Piemonte)
• Apulia (Puglia)
• Sardinia (Sardegna) *
• Sicily (Sicilia) *
• Tuscany (Toscana)
• Trentino-South Tyrol(Trentino-Alto Adige) *
• Umbria
• Aosta Valley (Valle d'Aosta)*
• Veneto

Italy consists predominantly of a large peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, where together with its two main islands Sicily and Sardinia it creates distinct bodies of water, such as the Adriatic Sea to the north-east, the Ionian Sea to the south-east, the Tyrrhenian Sea to the south-west and finally the Ligurian Sea to the north-west.

The Apennine mountains form the backbone of this peninsula, leading north-west to where they join the Alps, the mountain range that then forms an arc enclosing Italy from the north. Here is also found a large alluvial plain, the Po-Venetian plain, drained by the Po River and its many tributaries flowing down from the Alps, Appennines and Dolomites. Other well-known rivers include the Tiber, Adige and Arno.

Its highest point is the Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco) at 4,810 m, but Italy is more typically associated with two famous volcanoes: the currently dormant Vesuvius near Naples and the very active Etna on Sicily.

Italy has a diversified industrial economy with roughly the same total and per capita output as France and the United Kingdom. This capitalistic economy remains divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by private companies, and a less developed agricultural south, with 20% unemployment.

Most raw materials needed by industry and more than 75% of energy requirements are imported. Over the past decade, Italy has pursued a tight fiscal policy in order to meet the requirements of the Economic and Monetary Unions and has benefited from lower interest and inflation rates and joined the Euro from its conception in 1999.

Italy's economic performance has lagged behind that of its EU partners, and the current government has enacted numerous short-term reforms aimed at improving competitiveness and long-term growth. It has moved slowly, however, on implementing needed structural reforms, such as lightening the high tax burden and overhauling Italy's rigid labour market and expensive pension system, because of the current economic slowdown and opposition from labour unions.

• List of Italian companies

Demographics

Italy is largely homogeneous linguistically and religiously but is diverse culturally, economically, and politically. Italy has the fifth-highest population density in Europe at 196 persons per square kilometre. Minority groups are small, the largest being the German speaking in South Tyrol (1991: 287.503 german and 116.914 italian speaking) and the Slovenians around Trieste.

Other minority groups with partly official languages include the French speaking minority in the Valle d'Aosta region; the Sardinian language on Sardinia); the Ladin language in the Dolomites mountains; and the Friulian language in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, all four being Romance languages. In addition there exist several small local minorities, such as the Occitans in the southern Piedmont valleys; the Catalans in the town of Alghero on Sardinia; Albanians in villages in Calabria and Sicily; and ancient Greek dialects in villages of Calabria.

Although Roman Catholicism is the majority religion (85% of native-born citizens are nominally Catholic) there are mature Protestant and Jewish communities and a growing Muslim immigrant community.

Italy is well-known for its art, culture, and several monuments, among them the leaning tower of Pisa and the Roman Colosseum, as well as for its food (pizza, pasta, etc.), wine, lifestyle, elegance, design, cinema, theatre, literature, poetry, visual arts, music (notably Opera), holidays, and generally speaking, for taste.

Europe's Renaissance period began in Italy during the 14th and 15th centuries. Literary achievements, such as the poetry of Petrarch, Tasso, and Ariosto and the prose of Boccaccio, Machiavelli, and Castiglione exerted a tremendous and lasting influence on the subsequent development of Western culture, as did the painting, sculpture, and architecture contributed by giants such as Leonardo da Vinci, Raffaello, Botticelli, Fra Angelico, and Michelangelo. Modern artists include the sculptor Tommaso Geraci.

The musical influence of Italian composers Monteverdi, Palestrina, and Vivaldi proved epochal; in the 19th century, Italian romantic opera flourished under composers Gioacchino Rossini, Giuseppe Verdi, and Giacomo Puccini. Contemporary Italian artists, writers, filmmakers, architects, composers, and designers continue to contribute significantly to Western culture.

Football is the main national sport. Italy has won the Football World Cup three times: in 1934, 1938 and 1982. Italian football has produced some of world's best football players and teams. The latter include A.C. Milan and Inter Milano FC from Milan, A.S. Roma and S.S. Lazio from Rome, Juventus from Turin, and Fiorentina from Florence.

• List of Italians
• Cinema of Italy
• Music of Italy

Miscellaneous topics

• Communications in Italy
• Transportation in Italy
• Military of Italy
• Foreign relations of Italy
• Tourism in Italy
• Stamps and postal history of Italy
• Dishes : Pandoro.

External links

Following the European colonization of the Americas, the United States became the world's first modern democracy after its break with Great Britain, with a Declaration of Independence in 1776. The original political structure was a confederation in 1777, ratified in 1781 as the Articles of Confederation. After long debate, this was supplanted by the Constitution of a more centralized federal government in 1789. During the 19th century, many new states were added to the original thirteen as the nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions. Two of the major traumatic experiences in the nation's history were the American Civil War (1861-65) and the Great Depression of the 1930s. Buoyed by victories in World War I and World War II and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the U.S. remains the world's most powerful nation-state.

See also: Military History of the United States, Timeline of United States history

The United States of America consists of 50 states with limited autonomy in which federal law takes precedence over state law. In general, matters that lie entirely within state borders are the exclusive concern of state governments. These include internal communications; regulations relating to property, industry, business, and public utilities; the state criminal code; and working conditions within the state. Many state laws are quite similar from state to state. Finally, there are many areas of overlap between state and federal jurisdictions.

In recent years, the federal government has assumed broader responsibility in such matters as health, education, welfare, transportation, and housing and urban development. The constitutions of the various states differ in some details but generally follow a pattern similar to that of the federal Constitution, including a statement of the rights of the people and a plan for organizing the government. On such matters as the operation of businesses, banks, public utilities, and charitable institutions, state constitutions are often more detailed and explicit than the federal constitution.

The federal government itself consists of three branches: the executive branch, the legislative branch, and the judicial branch. The head of the executive branch is the President of the United States. The legislative branch consists of the United States Congress, while the Supreme Court of the United States is the head of the judicial branch. The President is elected to a four year term by the U.S. Electoral College. The various electors are in turn chosen primarily by the popular votes in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Members of Congress are elected at varying dates, as are state Governors and state legislatures.

The federal and state government is dominated by two political parties, the Republicans and the Democrats. The dominant political culture in the United States is, as a whole, somewhat to the right of the dominant political culture in European democracies. Given their complex support bases it is difficult to specifically categorise the two major parties' appeal. Within the US political culture, the Republican Party is described as center-right and the Democratic Party is described as center-left. Minor party and independent candidates are very occasionally elected, usually to local or state office, but the United States political system has historically supported catch all parties rather than coalition governments. The ideology and policies of the sitting President of the United States commonly play a large role in determining the direction of his political party, as well as the platform of the opposition.

The two parties exist on both the state and federal level, although the parties' organization, platform, and ideologies are not necessarily uniform across all levels of government.

Both major parties draw some support from all the diverse socio-economic classes which compose the mature multi-ethnic capitalist society which makes up the United States. Business interests provide the major funding and support to the Republican Party while labor unions and minority ethnic groups provide major support to the Democrats. Access to funds is vital in the political system due to the financial costs of mounting political campaigns. Thus, through lobbying, corporations, unions, and other organized groups that provide funds and political support to parties and politicians can play a large role in determining the political agendas and government decision-making.

At the Declaration of Independence, the United States consisted of 13 states. In the following years, this number has grown steadily due to expansion to the west, conquest and purchase of lands by the American government, and division of existing states to the current number of 50 :

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky

Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota

Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

The contiguous part of the US (i.e. without Hawaii and Alaska) is called continental United States.

The states are divided into smaller administrative regions, called counties in most states--exceptions being Alaska (boroughs) and Louisiana (parishes). Counties can include a number of cities and towns, or sometimes just a part of a city. See County (United States).

Geography

As the world's third largest nation (land area), the United States landscape varies greatly: temperate forestland on the East coast, mangrove forests in Florida, the Great Plains in the centre of the country, the Mississippi-Missouri river system, the Rocky Mountains west of the plains, deserts and temperate coastal zones west of the Rocky Mountains and temperate rainforests in the Pacific Northwest. The arctic regions of Alaska and the volcanic islands of Hawaii only increase the geographic and climactic diversity.

The climate varies along with the landscape, from sub-tropic in Florida to tundra in Alaska. Large parts of the country have a continental climate, with warm summers and cold winters. Some parts of the United States, particularly parts of California, have a Mediterranean climate.

The economy of the United States is organized on the capitalist model and is marked by steady growth, low unemployment and inflation, a large trade deficit, and rapid advances in technology. The American economy can be regarded as the most important in the world. Several countries have coupled their currency with the dollar, or even use it as a currency, and the American stock markets are globally seen as an indicator of world economy.

The country has rich mineral resources, with extensive gold, oil, coal and uranium deposits. Agriculture brings the country among the top producers of, among others, maize, wheat, sugar and tobacco. American industry produces cars, airplanes and electronics. The biggest sector is however service industries; about three-quarters of Americans are employed in that sector.

The largest trading partner of the USA is its northern neighbor, Canada. Other major partners are Mexico, the European Union and the industrialized nations in the Far East, such as Japan and South Korea. Trade with China is also significant.

See also: List of American companies

Most of the 280 million people currently living in the United States descend from European immigrants that have arrived since the establishment of the first colonies. Major components of the European segment of the United States population are descended from immigrants from Germany, England, Scotland, Ireland and Italy with many immigrants also from Scandinavian countries and the Slavic and other populations of eastern and southern Europe and French Canada; few immigrants came directly from France. Likewise, while there were few immigrants directly from Spain, Hispanics from Mexico and South and Central America are considered the largest minority group in the country, comprising 13.4% of the population (38.6 million people) in 2002. This has brought increasing use of the Spanish language in the United States (see Languages in the United States). About 12% (2000 census) of the people are African Americans who largely descend from the African slaves that were brought to America. A third significant minority is the Asian American population (3.6%), who are most concentrated on the West Coast. The native population of Native Americans, such as American Indians and Inuit make up less than 1% of the population.

American culture has a large influence on the rest of the world, especially the Western world. American music is heard all over the world, and American movies and television shows can be seen almost anywhere. This is in stark contrast to the early days of the American republic, when the country was generally seen as an agricultural backwater with little to offer the culturally advanced world centers of Asia and Europe. Nearing the end of its third century, nearly every major American city offers classical and popular music; historical, scientific and art research centers and museums; dance performances, musicals and plays; outdoor art projects and internationally significant architecture. This development is a result of both contributions by private philanthropists and government funding.

The United States is also a great center of higher education, boasting more than 1,500 universities, colleges, and other institutions of higher learning, the top tier of which include schools considered to be among the most prestigious and advanced in the world. Among these are the eight Ivy League Universities, elite private universities, numerous private colleges, which provide primarily undergraduate education, and an extensive system of public universities and colleges.

Other