The United States of America is a Federal Republic consisting of a federal district, 50 states, five populated and nine unpopulated territories in the Caribbean and the Pacific. America, one of the most multicultural and ethnically diverse countries in the world, has been formed as a result of the large number of immigrations from all over the world. It was the Paleo-Indians who migrated from India 15,000 years ago while the European colonization took place in the 16th century. It was from 13 British colonies located along the Atlantic seaboard that the United States emerged from and it was the disputes between these colonies and the Great Britain which led to the American Revolution and as a result of which, on July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was unanimously issued by the delegates from 13 colonies. The current Constitution of the United States of America was adopted on September 17, 1787 of which the first 10 amendments were named as the Bill of Rights which were in turn ratified in 1791 and today guarantee many fundamental civil freedoms and rights. The geography and the climate of America are diverse and feature a wide variety of wildlife. The land area of the contiguous United States of America is 2,959,064 square miles while Alaska, which is separated from the contiguous states features 663,268 square miles. Hawaii which is an archipelago located in the central Pacific, southwest of North America, is made up of 10,931 square miles, making United States of America the world’s third largest nation by total area, land and water. Including most climate types as a result of its large and varied geography, the climate of America ranges from tropical to alpine according to the different states. The states bordering the Gulf of Mexico are prone to hurricanes while most of world’s tornadoes occur with the country, mostly in the Midwest’s Tornado Alley. The ecology and wildlife of America is considered as mega diverse and thus features about 17,000 species of vascular plants, over 1,800 species of flowering plants and more than 750 birds, 400 mammals, 500 reptiles and amphibian species, and 91,000 insect species. The bald eagle stands as the symbol of the country itself while also being both the national bird and the national animal of the country. Also boasting a diverse population consisted of 31 ancestry groups, of which, white Americans are the largest racial group, the country also features German Americans, Irish Americans, and English Americans, Asian Americans, black Americans as well as Hispanic and Latino Americans including a large number of immigrants, both legal and illegal. Because of this diversity, the America is also known to be one of the most multicultural countries in the world. The de facto national language of the United States is American English while Spanish the second most spoken and taught language in the country. Australia Australia, officially known as the Commonwealth of Australia, is made up of the mainland of the Australian continent and the island of Tasmania. Australia, known as one of the wealthiest countries in the world, features the world’s 12th-largest economy with the world’s fifth-highest per capita income. A member of the United Nations, Commonwealth of Nations, G20, ANZUS, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, World Trade Organization, and the Pacific Islands Forum, Australia also ranks high in terms of many factors relating to international comparisons of national performance such as quality of life, economic freedom, education, and the protection of political rights and civil liberties. Before late 18th century prior to the first British settlement, Australia was inhabited by indigenous Australians for at least 40,000 years. However after the Dutch discovered the continent in 1606, the eastern part of the country was claimed by Great Britain while consequently on 1 January 1901, the Commonwealth of Australia was formed. However, the Statute of Westminster 1931 ended most of the constitutional links between UK and Australia and since 1951, Australia, under the ANZUS treaty, became a formal military ally of the United States. Australia encouraged immigration from Europe and since 1970s and after the abolition of the White Australia policy, immigration from Asia and elsewhere as well. Consisting of six states, Australia operates as a constitutional monarchy featuring federal division of powers along with a parliament with Queen Elizabeth II at its apex represented by her viceroys in Australia. Each major mainland territory and state has its own parliament which is unicameral in ACT, Northern Territory and Queensland and bicameral in the other states. Featuring a landmass of 7,617,930 square kilometres surrounded by Pacific and Indian Oceans, Australia is the world’s smallest continent and the sixth largest country by total area, often referred a. watch full video.

• published: 28 Aug 2015
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