An Overview of the USA (United States of America)

The USA is the world’s foremost economic and military power, with global interests and an unmatched global reach.

America’s gross domestic product accounts for close to a quarter of the world total, and its military budget is reckoned to be almost as much as the rest of the world’s defence spending put together.

The country is also a major source of entertainment: American TV, Hollywood films, jazz, blues, rock and rap music are primary ingredients in global popular culture.

The US has the most highly-developed mass media in the world. Its dramas, comedies, soap operas, animations, music videos and films have a global audience and are part of the staple fare of broadcasters worldwide.

America is the home of many of the world’s biggest modern-age businesses – Microsoft, Apple, Google, Amazon, eBay, Facebook, to mention just a few.

Freedom of expression is guaranteed by the constitution, and some broadcast outlets give airtime to extreme hues of political – often right-wing – and religious thinking.

The USA is a vast country with great variations in climate, scenery and culture. Having said that, America is culturally much more unified than, say, the European Union and has the advantage of a major language – English – being commonly used throughout the country even though others like Spanish and German are still used in some regions largely as second languages.

The choice of things to see and do in the United states is vast; from Broadway and downtown New York (the big apple), to the west coast and the surfing lifestyle, to the National Parks and the Great Lakes, to the Disney theme parks, to great centres for music in Tennessee, New Orleans & California … the options go on and on.

If travelling to the USA, a citizen of a foreign country must first obtain a visa, either a non-immigrant visa for temporary stay, or an immigrant visa for permanent residence.

There are many different types of non-immigrant visas depending on the purpose of travel. The most common visa is the “visitor” visa for people desiring to enter the U.S. temporarily for business (B-1) or for pleasure or medical treatment (B-2). People planning to travel to the U.S. for different purposes, such as students, temporary workers, crew members, journalists, etc, must apply for a different visa in the appropriate category.

According to U.S. immigration law, every applicant is considered to be an intending immigrant until he or she can prove otherwise during an interview with a Consular Officer. Each applicant must demonstrate that he or she has a residence outside of the United States and has strong ties that will compel him or her to return to this residence after the conclusion of a temporary visit to the United States.

Return to United States Holiday Page

Further Information About the United States of America:

• Accommodation & Places to Stay
• Places of Interest
• How to Get There
• Weather & Climate
• Local Cuisine
• Things to Do in the United States
• History of United States