The
USA is one of the largest countries in the world, covering the greater part of
the North American continent, and has borders with Canada to the North and
Mexico to the South. Its Eastern seaboard fronts the Atlantic Ocean, the West
Coast faces the Pacific Ocean, while the Southern shores are bathed by the warm
waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. The state of Alaska is
separate from the rest of the USA, being located adjacent to Canada in the
North-West corner of the continent. The Island state of Howaii is found more
than 2000 miles from mainland USA in the Pacific Ocean. The total population of
the USA is more than 250 million.
The
country has a wide diversity of terrain, including the gentle landscape of the
New England states, the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains, the deserts and Canyons
of Arizona, the Everglades in Florida, the Great Lakes on the Northern border
and the fertile plains of the Mid West. As well as the country’s natural
attractions, tourists from all over
the world are drawn by such famous cities as New York, Las Vegas, San Francisco,
New Orleans, Boston, Los Angeles and Washington DC. Popular manmade attractions
include Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Statue
of Liberty and the White House.
Florida
The popularity of Florida with British tourists has contributed greatly to the USA becoming the number one long-haul destination for UK travellers. Located in the South Eastern USA, 100 miles north of the Tropics, Florida’s east coast borders the Atlantic Ocean, while its Western Shores are bathed by the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Tourism is the state’s largest industry, generating more than $30 billion in 1992 and employing 657000 people across a range of sectors including accomodation,attractions and transportation.
Florida
offers visitors a blend of natural, scenic beauty coupled with an array of
tourist attractions that any country in the world would find hard to beat.
Orlando is the centre of the state’s tourist attractions and is home to the
world famous Walt Disney World, attracting more than 20 million visitors per
year.
Florida
offers visitors a variety of terrain, including 10000 freshwater lakes, over
1800 miles of coastline, swamps,hills,forests, countless small Islands and 1000
miles of sandy beaches. Miami and Miami Beach are twin gateways to the Florida
Peninsula, as well as being the World’s biggest cruise port. They offer
tourists year round attractions, including the nearby Everglades National Park.
The world famous Florida Keys stretch for nearly 200 miles, terminating in Key
West with its unique wildlife and architecture.
Sometimes
referred to as ‘the sunshine state’ climate is a key feature of the states
success, with long summers and mild winters. Average annual temperatures in
summer are around 27 degrees C and in the winter approximately 12 degrees C. It
is however affected by Hurricanes and less severe tropical storms, giving heavy
rainfall during the months of July and October.
The
cities and states on the East coast of the USA are important destinations for UK
visitors for long holidays, and ,increasingly, short breaks. The area includes
the New England States of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts,
Connecticut and Rhode Island, and The cities of New York, Boston , Philadelphia,
Washington DC, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Newport. Inland ,the area
has a wealth of natural attractions, including the Great Lakes, Niagra Falls,
The Appalachian Mountains, the Adirondacks and Catskill ranges, plus a number of
National Parks
New
York is the largest city in the USA and the third largest in the world. Among
its numerous attractions are the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building,
Broadway, the World Trade Centre, the Lincoln Centre, the United Nations and
Greenwich Village to name but a few. The city is famous for its ethnic quarters,
including Chinatown and Little Italy in lower Manhattan, and Germantown along 86th
Street. Boston is the state capital of Massachusetts and the gateway to New
England. It is the cradle of American Democracy, home of the Boston Tea Party
that began the move towards the declaration of independence in 1776. It is the
oldest of US cities and has a distinctly British atmosphere. Washington DC
(District of Columbia) is the capital of the USA and offers a variety of tourist
attractions, including the Whitehouse, the Lincoln Memorial, Arlington Cemetery,
the Capitol Building, the Washington Monument, Potomac Park, the Smithsonian
Institute and the Jefferson Memorial.
The
climate of the Eastern Seaboard and its hinterland provides opportunities for
both coastal, summer tourism and winter sports activity in the mountains. Much
of the region experiences warm, sunny conditions from May to October, with
average temperatures peaking at 22 degrees C in July and August. Winters are
cold, with temperatures generally below freezing between December and March.
The
West Coast of the USA runs from the border with Canada in the North to the
Mexican boundary in the South.
The
region includes the state of California,
the most populous state in the USA and the country’s leading tourist area,
famous for its sunny climate, excellent beaches, cosmopolitan cities, wine
growing areas, mountain ranges and national parks. Known as the ‘Golden
State’ on account of its sunny climate and links with pioneering for gold,
California is also synonymous with glamour and the film industry, being the home
of Hollywood, the location of the most famous film studios in the world. The
West Coast also has some of the world’s leading
cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Seattle.
Los
Angeles is the principal gateway to Southern California and has the second
highest population of any city in the USA. It is best known for the Hollywood
Film Studios, exclusive Beverly Hills community and the Original Disneyland
theme park at Anaheim, some 25 miles South of Los Angeles centre. The city also
has a number of excellent swimming and surfing beaches, including Laguna Beach,
Long Beach, Malibu Beach and Redondo Beach.
San
Francisco acts as the main gateway to Northern California, Nevada and Oregon.
The city has developed on a peninsula, with the Pacific Ocean to the West and
San Francisco bay to the East, the entrance to the Bay being spanned by the
famous Golden Gate Bridge. The Chinatown district of the city has the largest
Chinese community outside Asia, with a variety of theatres, museums and
authentic eating places.. The former prison Island of Alcatraz in San Francisco
Bay has been transformed into a major attraction for visitors. There are a
number of natural attractions close to the San Francisco metropolis, including
Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Yosemite National Parks, each with a mixture of pine
forests, glacial valleys and waterfalls.
Las
Vegas is the largest city in Nevada and one of the major gambling and
entertainment centres of the world. Hotels, casinos, restaurants, night clubs
and entertainment venues are found on ‘the strip’ a section of Las Vegas
Boulevard South. Lake Tahoe spans the state boundary between Nevada and
California, and is located in one of the USA’s main mountain resort areas,
with year round attractions and activities.
Seattle,
in the North-West corner of the USA, is the principal international gateway to
the state of washington and the Pacific North West region of the country, as
well as being close the city of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. The city
is surrounded by the waters of Lake Washington and Puget Sound, with a backdrop
of the Cascades and Olympic Mountains. The Seattle Centre is the cultural heart
of the city, the home of opera, ballet and theatre. Seattle is also well known
for its associations with the sea, with harbour tours and fishing trips
available to visitors.
The
size of the US land mass, and its varied topographical structure, results in
wide variations in the country’s climate. The North East of the country
including the New England States, has warm summers, with temperatures close to
30 degrees C in the warmest months, but experiences cold winters with freezing
temperatures. Rainfall in this area is spread evenly throughout the year and
humidity is generally high in August and September. The Southern states of the
USA, including Florida, Georgia and Alabama have hot summers and mild winters.
Heavy rainfall in the summer months is not uncommon and the area can be very
humid at this time of year. California and other South-Western states have hot
summers and mild winters, with rainfall generally confined to winter months.
Humidity is high in the summer months, especially in May, June, July and August.
The desert regions of the interior are hot and dry throughout the year, while
mountain regions, including the Rockies, experience very low winter
temperatures.
The
majority of UK tourists travelling to USA arrive by Air The major gateway
airports are:
Atlanta,Baltimore,
Boston, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles,
Miami, Minneapolis/St Paul, New York/Newark, Orlando, Philadelphia,Phoenix, San
Francisco,Seattle, St Louis, Tampa and Washington.
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