Portal:United States

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search
United States portal logo

Template:/box-header

Flag of the United States of America
Great Seal of the United States of America
Location on the world map
Shortcut:
The United States of America is a federal republic of 50 states, a capital district, and a few other territories. It resides mostly in central North America. The U.S. has three land borders, two with Canada and one with Mexico, and is otherwise bounded by the Pacific Ocean, the Bering Sea, the Arctic Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. Of the 50 states, only Alaska and Hawaii are not contiguous with any other state. The U.S. also has a collection of districts, territories, and possessions around the world. Each state has a high level of local autonomy according to the system of federalism. The United States traces its national origin to the declaration by 13 British colonies in 1776 that they were free and independent states. They were recognized as such by the Treaty of Paris in 1783. Since then, the nation has grown to become a global superpower and exerts a high level of economic, political, military, and cultural influence.
Libertybell alone small.jpg More about… the United States, its history and diversity

Template:/box-footer

Selected article

NASA logo
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is the United States government agency that is responsible for the civilian space program as well as for aeronautics and aerospace research. President Dwight D. Eisenhower established the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1958 with a distinctly civilian (rather than military) orientation encouraging peaceful applications in space science. The National Aeronautics and Space Act was passed on July 29, 1958, disestablishing NASA's predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). The new agency became operational on October 1, 1958. Since that time, most U.S. space exploration efforts have been led by NASA, including the Apollo moon-landing missions, the Skylab space station, and later the Space Shuttle. Currently, NASA is supporting the International Space Station and is overseeing the development of the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, the Space Launch System and Commercial Crew vehicles. The agency is also responsible for the Launch Services Program (LSP) which provides oversight of launch operations and countdown management for unmanned NASA launches.

Template:/box-header


Template:/box-footer

Selected society biography

David Alexander Johnston (1949–1980) was a volcanologist with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) who was killed by the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington. One of the principal scientists on the monitoring team, Johnston died while manning an observation post on the morning of May 18, 1980. He was the first to report the eruption, transmitting the famous message "Vancouver! Vancouver! This is it!" before being swept away by the lateral blast created by the collapse of the mountain's north flank. His work and that of his fellow USGS scientists had convinced the authorities to close Mount St. Helens to the general public and to maintain the closure in spite of heavy pressure to re-open the area; their work saved thousands of lives. His story has become part of the popular image of volcanic eruptions and their threat to society, and also part of the history of volcanology. Following his death, Johnston was commemorated in several ways, including a memorial fund set up in his name at the University of Washington, and two volcano observatories that were named after him. Johnston's life and death have been featured in several documentaries, films, docudramas and books about the eruption. Along with other people killed by the volcano, Johnston's name is inscribed on memorials dedicated to their memory.

Selected quote

E Pluribus Unum included in the Seal of the United States, being one of the nation's mottos at the time of the seal's creation
E Pluribus Unum — Out of many, one

Template:/box-header

Joseph Smith, Jr.

Template:/box-footer

Selected picture

Walt Whitman (1887)
Credit: George C. Cox

A photograph of American poet, essayist and journalist Walt Whitman, taken in 1887. Whitman, often called the father of free verse, is considered one of the most important poets in American canon.

Selected location

A view looking south down Brush Street at the Renaissance Center (rear left) and the Wayne County Building (right) in Detroit, Michigan.
Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and Metro Detroit is the second largest metropolitan area in the Midwestern United States. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in the Midwest region of the United States. Located north of Windsor, Ontario Detroit is a geographically unique as the only U.S. city that looks south to Canada. It was founded in 1701 by the Frenchman Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac.

It is known as the world's traditional automotive center — "Detroit" is a metonym for the American automobile industry — and an important source of popular music, legacies celebrated by the city's two familiar nicknames, Motor City and Motown. Other nicknames emerged in the twentieth century, including Rock City, Arsenal of Democracy (during World War II), The D, D-Town, and The 3-1-3 (its area code). The metropolitan area is an important center for research and development; its broad based economy includes advanced manufacturing, robotics, biotechnology, information technology, and finance. Metro Detroit attracts about 15.9 million visitors annually.

In 2008, Detroit ranked as the United States' eleventh most populous city, with 910,920 residents. A population shift to the suburbs began in the 1950s and continued as the metropolitan area grew to one of the nation's largest. The name Detroit sometimes refers to the Metro Detroit area, a sprawling region with a population of 4,425,110 for the Metropolitan Statistical Area, and 5,354,225 for the Combined Statistical Area, making it the nation's eleventh-largest as of the 2008 Census Bureau estimates. The Windsor-Detroit area, a critical commercial link straddling the Canada-U.S. border, has a total population of about 5,800,000.

Selected culture biography

Bob Dylan performing at St. Lawrence University in New York, 1963.
Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter who has been a major figure in music for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler, and an apparently reluctant figurehead, of social unrest. A number of his songs such as "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times They Are a-Changin'" became anthems for the US civil rights and anti-war movements. His early lyrics incorporated a variety of political, social and philosophical, as well as literary influences. They defied existing pop music conventions and appealed hugely to the then burgeoning counterculture. Initially inspired by the songs of Woody Guthrie, Robert Johnson, Hank Williams, and the performance styles of Buddy Holly and Little Richard. Dylan has both amplified and personalized musical genres, exploring numerous distinct traditions in American song—from folk, blues and country to gospel, rock and roll, and rockabilly, to English, Scottish, and Irish folk music, embracing even jazz and swing.

Since 1994, Dylan has published three books of drawings and paintings, and his work has been exhibited in major art galleries. As a songwriter and musician, Dylan has received numerous awards over the years including Grammy, Golden Globe, and Academy Awards; he has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2008, a Bob Dylan Pathway was opened in the singer's honor in his birthplace of Duluth, Minnesota. The Pulitzer Prize jury in 2008 awarded him a special citation for "his profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power."

Template:/box-header

Wikinews United States portal
Read and edit Wikinews


Template:/box-footer

Template:/box-header

Template:/Categories

Template:/box-footer

Selected panorama

Template:/box-header Featured article star.png

As of 24 March 2023, there are Script error: No such module "Number table sorting". featured and Script error: No such module "Number table sorting". good articles within WikiProject United States scope. This makes up 0% of the articles on Wikipedia, 0% of all featured articles and lists, and 0% of all good articles. Including non-article pages, such as talk pages, redirects, categories, etcetera, there are Script error: No such module "Number table sorting". pages in the project.
Featured culture biographies: Actors and filmmakersJames Thomas Aubrey, Jr.Kroger BabbEric BanaJoseph BarberaBette DavisKirsten DunstJudy GarlandJake GyllenhaalMaggie GyllenhaalAnthony Michael HallWilliam HannaPhil HartmanEthan HawkeKatie HolmesJanet JacksonMichael JacksonAngelina JolieDiane KeatonMadonna (entertainer)Austin NicholsBrad PittNancy ReaganRonald ReaganAaron SorkinKaDee StricklandSharon TateReese WitherspoonAnna May Wong; Arts and entertainmentJames Robert BakerWilliam D. BoyceStephen CraneH.D.Emily DickinsonGeorge Washington DixonZelda FitzgeraldMargaret FullerWilliam GibsonRufus Wilmot GriswoldErnest HemingwayOliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.Jenna JamesonJames Russell LowellMaster JubaI. M. PeiEdgar Allan PoeRoman VishniacNathaniel Parker Willis; MusiciansAaliyahAlice in ChainsAudioslaveBix BeiderbeckeBig StarMariah CareyDamageplanBob DylanFlea (musician)Black FrancisJohn FruscianteGodsmackThe GreencardsInsane Clown PosseJanet JacksonMichael JacksonBradley JosephMaynard James KeenanFrank KlepackiDavid LoveringMadonna (entertainer)John MayerMetallicaNine Inch NailsNirvana (band)The Notorious B.I.G.Leo OrnsteinEllis PaulPearl JamPixiesElvis PresleySelenaSlayerThe Smashing PumpkinsElliott SmithGwen StefaniThe SupremesTool (band)Uncle TupeloWilcoFrank Zappa; Sports and gamesNick AdenhartShelton BenjaminMoe BergTim DuncanBobby EatonOrval GroveArt HouttemanMagic JohnsonMichael JordanBart KingSandy KoufaxJimmy McAleerBob MeuselStan MusialBen PaschalCM PunkJ. R. RichardJackie RobinsonBill RussellSigi SchmidLee Smith (baseball)Ozzie SmithPaul StastnyJim ThorpeTyrone Wheatley

Featured society biographies: MilitaryDaniel BooneJames BowieSimon Bolivar BucknerHenry Cornelius BurnettFrederick Russell BurnhamWesley ClarkBrian EatonGerald FordWinfield Scott HancockBenjamin HarrisonWilliam Henry HarrisonRutherford B. HayesThomas C. HindmanThomas C. KinkaidEli LillyJohn McCainGeorge B. McClellanFred MoosallySylvanus MorleyEdwin Taylor PollockRonald ReaganUriel SebreeLawrence Sullivan RossIsaac ShelbyWilliam Tecumseh ShermanMyles StandishEdward TellerBenjamin Franklin TilleyStephen TriggHarriet Tubman; Politics and governmentSamuel AdamsJ. C. W. BeckhamDaniel BooneWilliam O'Connell BradleySimon Bolivar BucknerHenry Cornelius BurnettCharles Carroll the SettlerMurray ChotinerWesley ClarkGrover ClevelandCalvin CoolidgeRichard CordrayJohn J. CrittendenGerald FordWendell H. FordWilliam GoebelEmma GoldmanJohn W. JohnstonFranklin Knight LaneJohn McCainGeorge B. McClellanBob McEwenThomas R. MarshallHarvey MilkEdwin P. MorrowPat NixonBarack ObamaRosa ParksPaul E. PattonEdwin Taylor PollockNancy ReaganRonald ReaganTheodore RooseveltLawrence Sullivan RossTerry SanfordAntonin ScaliaSolomon P. SharpIsaac ShelbyAugustus Owsley StanleyStephen TriggJerry VoorhisDaniel WebsterFranklin D. RooseveltHarry S. Truman; Science and academiaEdward Drinker CopeOliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.David A. JohnstonEli LillyGlynn LunneyBarbara McClintockSylvanus MorleyGerard K. O'NeillHilary PutnamEdward TellerRoman VishniacOtto Julius Zobel

Featured lists: There are over 230 Featured lists in the scope of United States including: 109th United States CongressCommandant of the Marine CorpsKorean War Medal of Honor recipientsMost populous counties in the United StatesNational Parks of the United StatesTallest buildings in Washington, D.C.U.S. state name etymologiesU.S. states by populationUnited States Secretary of EnergyVolcanoes in the Hawaiian – Emperor seamount chain
See more by WikiProject...

Featured portals:CaliforniaPortal:ConnecticutFloridaIllinois (Chicago) • Indiana (Indianapolis) • Kentucky (Louisville) • MinnesotaNevadaNew YorkOklahomaOregonPuerto RicoRhode IslandTexas (Houston) • UtahAmerican Civil WarBarack ObamaMilitary of the United States (United States Navy, United States Air Force) • U.S. Roads (Maryland Roads, Michigan Highways) Template:/box-footer Template:/box-header

History (book A, B) TimelinePre-ColumbianColonial United StatesThirteen ColoniesDeclaration of IndependenceAmerican RevolutionWestward ExpansionCivil WarReconstructionWorld War IGreat DepressionWorld War IIKorean WarCold WarVietnam WarCivil RightsWar on TerrorismForeign relationsMilitaryDemographicIndustrialInventions and DiscoveriesPostal

Government (book) Law (ConstitutionBill of RightsSeparation of powers) • Legislative branch (HouseSenate) • Executive Branch (CabinetFederal agencies) • Judicial Branch (Supreme CourtAppeals) • Law enforcement (DoJFBI) • Intelligence (CIADIANSA) • Military (ArmyNavyMarinesAir ForceCoast Guard) • Flag

Politics Political parties (DemocratsRepublicans) • Elections (Electoral College) • Political ideologyPolitical scandalsRed states and blue statesUncle SamPuerto Rican independence movement

Geography (book) Political divisionsTerritoryStatesCitiesCountiesRegions (New EnglandMid-AtlanticThe SouthMidwestGreat PlainsNorthwestSouthwest) • Mountains (AppalachianRocky) • Rivers (MississippiColorado) • IslandsExtreme pointsNational Park SystemWater supply and sanitation

Liberty Bell

Economy (book) U.S. DollarCompaniesWall StreetFederal ReserveBankingStandard of living (Personal & Household incomeIncome inequalityHomeownership) • CommunicationsTransportation (CarsTrucksHighwaysAirportsRailroads) • Tourism

Society Demographics (book A, B) • Languages (American EnglishSpanish) • ReligionSocial class (American DreamAffluenceMiddle classPovertyEducational attainmentProfessional and working class conflict) • MediaEducationHolidaysCrimePrisonsHealth care

Culture (book) Music (ClassicalFolkPopularJazz) • Film & TV (Hollywood) • Literature (American FolklorePoetryTranscendentalismHarlem RenaissanceBeat generation) • PhilosophyVisual arts • (Abstract expressionism) • CuisineDanceArchitectureFashion

Issues Affirmative actionAmerican exceptionalismAnti-AmericanismCapital punishmentDrug policy & ProhibitionEnvironmentalismHuman rightsImmigrationUnited States–Mexico barrierObesityPornographyRacial profilingSame-sex marriageAbortionAdolescent sexuality

Wikipedia Books United States

Template:/box-footer Template:/box-header

United States-related lists

Culture

Education

Economy

Geography

Government

History

Law

Media

Natural history

Statue of Liberty

People

Protected areas

Religion

Transportation

Template:/box-footer Template:/box-header {{Wikipedia:U.S. Wikipedians' notice board/to do}} Template:/box-footer Template:/box-header United States is one of the United States WikiProjects.

National United States
States

List of U.S. State-level WikiProjects and their sub-projects

Territories
Regional
Borders
Culture
Government
Society
Transportation
Featured content

Template:/box-footer

Template:/box-header





Border territories

Those listed in bold italics are Featured Portals. Template:/box-footer Template:/box-header Template:/Wikimedia Template:/box-footer

Purge server cache