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1、ABriefIntroductionTheUnitedStatesofAmerica(commonlyreferredtoastheUnitedStates,theU.S.,theUSA,orAmerica)isafederalconstitutionalrepubliccomprisingfiftystatesandafederaldistrict.ThecountryissituatedmostlyincentralNorthAmerica,whereitsforty-eightcontiguousstatesan
2、dWashington,D.C.,thecapitaldistrict,liebetweenthePacificandAtlanticOceans,borderedbyCanadatothenorthandMexicotothesouth.ThestateofAlaskaisinthenorthwestofthecontinent,withCanadatoitseastandRussiatothewestacrosstheBeringStrait.ThestateofHawaiiisanarchipelago(群岛)i
3、nthemid-Pacific.Thecountryalsopossessesseveralterritories,orinsular(海岛的)areas,scatteredaroundtheCaribbeanandPacific.InSpring，2009ABriefIntroductionAt3.79millionsquaremiles(9.83millionkm²)andwithabout305millionpeople,theUnitedStatesisthethirdorfourthlargestcountr
4、ybytotalarea,andthirdlargestbylandareaandbypopulation.TheUnitedStatesisoneoftheworld'smostethnicallydiverseandmulticulturalnations,theproductoflarge-scaleimmigrationfrommanycountries.TheU.S.economyisthelargestnationaleconomyintheworld,withanestimated2008grossdom
5、esticproduct(GDP)ofUS$14.3trillion(23%oftheworldtotalbasedonnominalGDPandalmost21%atpurchasingpowerparity).InSpring，2009ABriefIntroductionThenationwasfoundedbythirteencoloniesofGreatBritainlocatedalongtheAtlanticseaboard.OnJuly4,1776,theyissuedtheDeclarationofIn
6、dependence,whichproclaimedtheirindependencefromGreatBritainandtheirformationofacooperativeunion.TherebelliousstatesdefeatedGreatBritainintheAmericanRevolutionaryWar,thefirstsuccessfulcolonialwarofindependence.AfederalconventionadoptedthecurrentUnitedStatesConsti
7、tutiononSeptember17,1787;itsratificationthefollowingyearmadethestatespartofasinglerepublicwithastrongcentralgovernment.TheBillofRights,comprisingtenconstitutionalamendmentsguaranteeingmanyfundamentalcivilrightsandfreedoms,wasratifiedin1791.InSpring，2009ABriefInt
8、roductionInthe19thcentury,theUnitedStatesacquiredlandfromFrance,Spain,theUnitedKingdom,Mexico,andRussia,andannexedtheRepublicofTexasandtheRepublicofHawaii.Disputesbet
