The United States of America (USA), commonly known as the United States (or US), is one of the most attractive country in the world, with more than 77 millions of tourist per year !  

Well known for its history, its film industry, its music industry and its dozens of unique and historic monuments, the United States is one of the greatest cultural, political and economic powers in the world. 

Some key information about the US : 

• Capital : Washington
• Population : 330 252 859 millions
• America is the world’s fourth-largest country by total area (9.8 million km2)
• Language : english

1. United States are composed of 50 states 

In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity. There are currently 50 of them. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory and shares its sovereignty with the federal government. You probably already know some of them like : Texas, California, Florida, Montana… These are all cultural and territorial riches for the United States.

Have a look on the map : 

2. Thanksgiving is one of the biggest holidays of the year in America!

Thanksgiving always takes place on the fourth Thursday in November. The history of this holiday dates back to November 26, 1620, when the first English immigrants to America decreed three days of thanksgiving to God for surviving epidemics and obtaining abundant harvests. Since 1941, the U.S. Congress has declared this day a holiday, and it is celebrated in every state in the country. 

Traditionally, it is celebrated with the family around a turkey. In the United States, 45 million turkeys are eaten that day each year. In New York, parades are organized in the streets to celebrate this feast together. 

3. American cuisine : not the most sophisticated, but delicious 

Not the finest, but unquestionably a rich, gourmet cuisine that is highly appreciated throughout the world. Have you heard about burgers, ribs, mac’n’cheese, pancakes ? These are all american ! 

Let’s try an american recipe together : Pancakes

American and Canadian pancakes (sometimes called hotcakes, griddlecakes, or flapjacks) are usually served at breakfast, in a stack of two or three, topped with real or artificial maple syrup and butter. They are often served with other items such as bacon, toast, eggs or sausage.

4 servings
Time: 14 min

Ingredients :

• 250 g of flour
• 30 g of sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 bag of baking powder
• 65 g of soft butter
• 1 pinch of salt
• 30 cl of milk

Step 1

• Melt the butter in a pot or in the micro-wave.
• Mix in a bol flour, baking powder and the sugar.
• Add eggs and whisk together.
• Add in the melted butter and whisk everything together.
• Add the milk little by little to avoid lumps

Step 2

• Let the dough rest for 1 hour in a cool area (the fridge is best)

Step 3

• In a warm pan, slightly oiled lay some dough without spreading it
• Flip when you see bubbles appear on the surface
• Best eaten hot!

4. Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft : the giants of the Internet are American

GAFAM is the acronym of the Internet giants for Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft. These five big American companies are the most powerful in the global digital market.  They are also known as the Big Five. They all started in the late 1990s and early 2000s. 

5. Learn english with the american TV show : Friends 

Friends is one of the most popular tv show worldwide, with 10 seasons and 236 épisodes. Each episode lasts 22 minutes and depicts the daily life of a bunch of friends: Ross, Rachel, Monica, Joey, Phoebe & Chandler.

To give you an idea of the success of the series, when the last episode of Friends was broadcast, more than 52.6 million viewers got behind their screens to watch it as soon as it came out. Unbelievable!

To discover this tv show, learn english and improve your american accent, go to Netflix!