“I think that the US and the Philippines have always had a good relationship with each other. We’ve been colonized by the Americans and we have their culture in our traditions even up to this day. The Philippines is very welcoming with the Americans and I don’t see any problem with that at all.”
–Pia Alonzo Wurtzback
Representing Philippines during the Ms. Universe 2015
Top 5 Q&A portion
The USA is the world’s foremost economic and military power, with global interests and an unmatched global reach.
The United States originated in a revolution which separated it from the British Crown. The constitution, drafted in 1787, established a federal system with a division of powers which has remained unchanged in form since its inception.
Timeline
1565 – First permanent European settlement in North America.
17th-18th centuries – Hundreds of thousands of Africans brought over and sold into slavery to work on cotton and tobacco plantations.
1775 – American Revolution: George Washington leads colonist Continental Army to fight against British rule.
1787 – Founding Fathers draw up new constitution for United States of America. Constitution comes into effect in 1788.
19th century – Residual resistance by indigenous people crushed as immigration from Europe assumes mass proportions, with settlers moving westwards.
1861-1865 – US Civil War: Federalist forces defeat the Confederate pro-slavery states in the South. Slavery is abolished under the Thirteenth Amendment.
1929-33 – 13 million people become unemployed after the Wall Street stock market crash of 1929 triggers what becomes known as the Great Depression.
1941 – Japan attacks the US fleet at Pearl Harbour in Hawaii, precipitating the United States’ entry into World War Two.
1954 – Racial segregation in schools becomes unconstitutional; start of campaign of civil disobedience to secure civil rights for Americans of African descent.
2001 11 September – Co-ordinated suicide attacks on various high-profile targets by the al-Qaeda jihadist group, prompting the US to embark on a ”war on terror” which includes the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq.
2008 – Barack Obama is elected the first black president of the United States.
Can you name the these states?
| state | capital | population of capital: census | population of capital: estimated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Montgomery | (2010) 205,764 | (2017 est.) 199,518 |
| Alaska | Juneau | (2010) 31,275 | (2017 est.) 32,094 |
| Arizona | Phoenix | (2010) 1,445,632 | (2017 est.) 1,626,078 |
| Arkansas | Little Rock | (2010) 193,524 | (2017 est.) 198,606 |
| California | Sacramento | (2010) 466,488 | (2017 est.) 501,901 |
| Colorado | Denver | (2010) 600,158 | (2017 est.) 704,621 |
| Connecticut | Hartford | (2010) 124,775 | (2017 est.) 123,400 |
| Delaware | Dover | (2010) 26,047 | (2017 est.) 37,538 |
| Florida | Tallahassee | (2010) 181,376 | (2017 est.) 191,049 |
| Georgia | Atlanta | (2010) 420,003 | (2017 est.) 486,290 |
| Hawaii | Honolulu | (2010) 337,256 | (2017 est.) 350,395 |
| Idaho | Boise | (2010) 206,100 | (2017 est.) 226,570 |
| Illinois | Springfield | (2010) 116,250 | (2017 est.) 114,868 |
| Indiana | Indianapolis | (2010) 820,445 | (2017 est.) 863,002 |
| Iowa | Des Moines | (2010) 203,433 | (2017 est.) 217,521 |
| Kansas | Topeka | (2010) 127,473 | (2017 est.) 126,587 |
| Kentucky | Frankfort | (2010) 25,527 | (2017 est.) 27,621 |
| Louisiana | Baton Rouge | (2010) 229,493 | (2017 est.) 225,374 |
| Maine | Augusta | (2010) 19,136 | (2017 est.) 18,594 |
| Maryland | Annapolis | (2010) 38,394 | (2017 est.) 39,321 |
| Massachusetts | Boston | (2010) 617,594 | (2017 est.) 685,094 |
| Michigan | Lansing | (2010) 114,297 | (2017 est.) 116,986 |
| Minnesota | Saint Paul | (2010) 285,068 | (2017 est.) 306,621 |
| Mississippi | Jackson | (2010) 173,514 | (2017 est.) 166,965 |
| Missouri | Jefferson City | (2010) 43,079 | (2017 est.) 42,895 |
| Montana | Helena | (2010) 28,190 | (2017 est.) 31,429 |
| Nebraska | Lincoln | (2010) 258,379 | (2017 est.) 284,736 |
| Nevada | Carson City | (2010) 55,274 | (2017 est.) 54,745 |
| New Hampshire | Concord | (2010) 42,695 | (2017 est.) 43,019 |
| New Jersey | Trenton | (2010) 84,913 | (2017 est.) 84,964 |
| New Mexico | Santa Fe | (2010) 67,947 | (2017 est.) 83,776 |
| New York | Albany | (2010) 97,856 | (2017 est.) 98,251 |
| North Carolina | Raleigh | (2010) 403,892 | (2017 est.) 464,758 |
| North Dakota | Bismarck | (2010) 61,272 | (2017 est.) 72,865 |
| Ohio | Columbus | (2010) 787,033 | (2017 est.) 879,170 |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma City | (2010) 579,999 | (2017 est.) 643,648 |
| Oregon | Salem | (2010) 154,637 | (2017 est.) 169,798 |
| Pennsylvania | Harrisburg | (2010) 49,528 | (2017 est.) 49,192 |
| Rhode Island | Providence | (2010) 178,042 | (2017 est.) 180,393 |
| South Carolina | Columbia | (2010) 129,272 | (2017 est.) 133,114 |
| South Dakota | Pierre | (2010) 13,646 | (2017 est.) 14,004 |
| Tennessee | Nashville | (2010) 601,222 | (2017 est.) 667,560 |
| Texas | Austin | (2010) 790,390 | (2017 est.) 950,715 |
| Utah | Salt Lake City | (2010) 186,440 | (2017 est.) 200,544 |
| Vermont | Montpelier | (2010) 7,855 | (2017 est.) 7,484 |
| Virginia | Richmond | (2010) 204,214 | (2017 est.) 227,032 |
| Washington | Olympia | (2010) 46,478 | (2017 est.) 51,609 |
| West Virginia | Charleston | (2010) 51,400 | (2017 est.) 47,929 |
| Wisconsin | Madison | (2010) 233,209 | (2017 est.) 255,214 |
| Wyoming | Cheyenne | (2010) 64,019 | (2017 est.) 63,624 |
United States, officially United States of America, abbreviated U.S. or U.S.A., byname America, country in North America, a federal republic of 50 states. Besides the 48 conterminous states that occupy the middle latitudes of the continent, the United States includes the state of Alaska, at the northwestern extreme of North America, and the island state of Hawaii, in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The conterminous states are bounded on the north by Canada, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Gulf of Mexico and Mexico, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. The United States is the fourth largest country in the world in area (after Russia, Canada, and China). The national capital is Washington, which is coextensive with the District of Columbia, the federal capital region created in 1790.
List of US states with their area, nickname:
| State (code) | Area (km²) | Area (mi²) | Nickname | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama (AL) | 131,427 | 50,744 | The Yellowhammer | |
| Alaska (AK) | 1,481,354 | 571,954 | Last Frontier | |
| Arizona (AZ) | 294,314 | 113,635 | Grand Canyon State | |
| Arkansas (AR) | 134,857 | 52,069 | Natural State | |
| California (CA) | 403,935 | 155,960 | Golden State | |
| Colorado (CO) | 268,628 | 103,718 | Centennial State | |
| Connecticut (CT) | 12,548 | 4,845 | Constitution State | |
| Delaware (DE) | 50,060 | 19,328 | First State | |
| Florida (FL) | 139,670 | 53,927 | Sunshine State | |
| Georgia (GA) | 149,977 | 57,906 | Peach State | |
| Hawaii (HI) | 16,635 | 6,423 | Aloha State | |
| Idaho (ID) | 214,315 | 82,747 | Gem State | |
| Illinois (IL) | 143,961 | 55,584 | Prairie State | |
| Indiana (IN) | 92,895 | 35,867 | Hoosier State | |
| Iowa (IA) | 144,772 | 55,897 | Hawkeye State | |
| Kansas (KS) | 211,901 | 81,815 | Sunflower State | |
| Kentucky (KY) | 102,896 | 39,728 | Bluegrass State | |
| Louisiana (LA) | 112,825 | 43,562 | Pelican State | |
| Maine (ME) | 79,931 | 30,862 | Pine Tree State | |
| Maryland (MD) | 25,314 | 9,774 | Old Line State | |
| Massachusetts (MA) | 20,306 | 7,840 | Bay State | |
| Michigan (MI) | 147,122 | 56,804 | Wolverine State | |
| Minnesota (MN) | 206,190 | 79,610 | North Star State | |
| Mississippi (MS) | 121,489 | 46,907 | Magnolia State | |
| Missouri (MO) | 178,415 | 68,886 | Show-Me State | |
| Montana (MT) | 380,831 | 147,040 | Teasure State | |
| Nebraska (NE) | 199,100 | 76,873 | Cornhusker State | |
| Nevada (NV) | 284,449 | 109,826 | Silver State | |
| New Hampshire (NH) | 23,227 | 8,968 | Granite State | |
| New Jersey (NJ) | 19,211 | 7,417 | Garden State | |
| New Mexico (NM) | 314,311 | 121,356 | Land of Enchantment | |
| New York (NY) | 122,284 | 47,214 | Empire State | |
| North Carolina (NC) | 126,161 | 48,711 | Old North State | |
| North Dakota (ND) | 178,648 | 68,976 | Peace Garden State | |
| Ohio (OH) | 106,056 | 40,948 | Buckeye State | |
| Oklahoma (OK) | 177,848 | 68,667 | Sooner State | |
| Oregon (OR) | 248,632 | 95,997 | Beaver State | |
| Pennsylvania (PA) | 116,075 | 44,817 | Keystone State | |
| Rhode Island (RI) | 27,706 | 10,697 | Ocean State | |
| South Carolina (SC) | 77,984 | 30,110 | Palmetto State | |
| South Dakota (SD) | 196,541 | 75,885 | Mount Rushmore State | |
| Tennessee (TN) | 106,752 | 41,217 | Volunteer State | |
| Texas (TX) | 678,055 | 261,798 | Lone Star State | |
| Utah (UT) | 212,752 | 82,144 | Beehive State | |
| Vermont (VT) | 23,956 | 9,249 | Green Mountain State | |
| Virginia (VA) | 102,549 | 39,594 | Old Dominion | |
| Washington (WA) | 172,349 | 66,544 | Evergreen State | |
| West Virginia (WV) | 62,361 | 24,078 | Mountain State | |
| Wisconsin (WI) | 140,663 | 54,310 | Badger State | |
| Wyoming (WY) | 251,490 | 97,101 | Equality State |
US States Flag Map
References:
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2018, April 27). List of state capitals in the United States. Retrieved January 11, 2019, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-state-capitals-in-the-United-States-2119210
Donald, D., Bradley, H., Schmidt, K., Economist Intelligence Unit, Lewis, P. F., Oehser, P. H., . . . Zelinsky, W. (2019, January 06). United States. Retrieved January 11, 2019, from https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States/
List of US states. (n.d.). Retrieved January 11, 2019, from https://www.sport-histoire.fr/en/Geography/List_of_US_states.php
Vila, A. C. (2015, December 21). FULL TEXT: Miss Universe 2015 Q&A with top 5 contestants. Retrieved January 11, 2019, from https://www.philstar.com/entertainment/2015/12/21/1535034/full-text-miss-universe-2015-qa-top-5-contestants
http://www.bbc.com. (2018, November 08). United States country profile. Retrieved December 4, 2018, from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-16761057
U.S. News. (n.d.). Everything You Need to Know For Your Trip to New York City. Retrieved December 4, 2018, from https://travel.usnews.com/New_York_NY/
Bucket of Bakets (Bucket of Whys) 
