The United States of America is often referred to as the Land of Opportunity and the name is fitting because there are so many unique opportunities presented to travelers in the U.S. The country is comprised of 50 individual states which are each roughly the same size and general population as the various European countries. Featuring large cities, smaller towns, farmlands, forests, deserts, mountains, prairies and other areas, the United States is a traveler's buffet of rich experiences. While most of the United States has a temperate climate with the four seasons, Spring, Summer, Winter and Autumn, there are areas of the country with climate ranges from tropical to Arctic climate types. As the third most populated country in the world, the United States has well over 300,000,000 residents.

The Eastern coast line of the U.S. is known for several large metropolitan areas that draw tourists from all over the world. These cities include:

New York - This city is often called the “melting pot” because it is one of the oldest cities in the country and a hub of immigration to the U.S,, bringing a wealth of cultural backgrounds to this city. It also boasts of one of the world's most famous skylines

Boston- Sometimes called "Bean Town", this city is known for beans and baseball among other things.

Philadelphia- First capital of the U.S. And a focal point in the political and cultural cchanges in the American Revolution, Philadelphia is the city of brotherly love.

Washington, D.C.- Home of the President of the United States and the capital of the country, this city has more museums than one can see and experience first hand in a lifetime.

Atlanta- Home to the 1996 Olympics and thriving as an ever-growing hub city in the U.S.

Miami- Perhaps the most famous international tourism and vacation destinations in the world, this city is well known for its Latino Culture, wild night life and beautiful beaches with amazing vistas.

The West Coast of the U.S., a line that runs from the state of Washington to California, is well known for a laid back and relaxed kind of local ambience. With surfer towns and bustling cities, this side of the U.S. Is known for entertainment legends and some of the most eccentric attitudes and people in the United States.

Los Angeles is like a world in itself. Explore this city and you may well discover anything your heart desires located in the city from Tinsellocal community to East L.A. Then, turn south to tour Orange County´s Huntington Bevery and witness Surf City USA or go visit the Californian Riviera or the beautiful city of Laguna Bevery to check out the world famous fine arts scene. While you're in L.A., be sure to check out all that Hollywood has to offer.

If the bustling East coast and the laid back West coast just aren't your particular idea of paradise, you might prefer the central United States. Check out the remote wilderness tours in Colorado or visit the majestic Rocky Mountains , a mountain range that boast world class white-water rafting,scenic vistas, and old west charm that cannot be rivaled by any other area in the world.

The United States is known around the world for its powerful, diverse and technologically advanced economy. The per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $30,200 is the largest among all major industrial nations. The United States' market-oriented economy makes it possible for private individuals and business firms to create most of the products used or exported from the country. The U.S. government purchases goods, supplies and services predominantly in the private sector or through a bid for contract process. With such a free trade system, US business firms enjoy considerably more flexibility than their counterparts in Western Europe and Japan in matters such as expansion, termination of surplus employees and development of new products. As a trade off for this flexibility however, U.S. owned businesses often encounter difficulties when trying to produce their products for foreign markets. The United States has always been a leader in technology and todays business leaders are still close to the forefront in technological advances, especially in computers, medical, aerospace and military equipment. This onrush of technology has played a large part in the gradual development of a "two-tier labor market" . The two tier labor market is one in which those on the bottom tier lack the education or professional/technical skills of those on the top tier. The lower tier worker often receives lower pay and less opportunity for health insurance coverage and other benefits. The period of 1994-1997 saw moderate gains in real output, low inflation rates and a drop in the unemployment rate to below 6%. These changes did little, however, to alleviate long-term problems, such as inadequate investment in the economic infrastructure, rapidly soaring medical costs for the aging population, substantial trade deficits and the freeze on earnings levels in lower economic groups. These economic problems have continued to be problematic and were sometimes highlighted by the severe financial crises occuring in East Asia, wild fluctuations in stock prices in comparison to corporate earnings and other factors. Labor force:
Industry: 23%
Services: 75% (1997 est.)
Inflation rate—consumer price index: 2% (1997)
Total: 136.3 million (includes unemployed) (1997)
By occupation:
GDP: purchasing power parity—$8.083 trillion (1997 est.)
GDP—real growth rate: 3.8% (1997)
GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$30 200 (1997 est.)
GDP—composition by sector:
Agriculture: 2%
Professional 29.1%;
Technical sales and administrative support 29.6%;
Services 13.5%;
Manufacturing, mining, transportation, and crafts 25.1%;
Farming, forestry, and fishing 2.7%
Unemployment rate: 4.9% (1997)
Budget:
Revenues: $1.579 trillion
Expenditures: $1.601 trillion including capital expenditures of $NA (1997)
Industries: Leading industrial power of the world. Highly diversified and technologically advanced; Main industries include Petroleum, Steel, Motor vehicles, Aerospace, Telecommunications, Chemicals, Electronics, Food processing, Consumer goods, Lumber, Mining.
Industrial production growth rate: 3.9% (1997)
Electricity—capacity: 741.589 million kW (1995)
Electricity—production: 3.585 trillion kWh (1995)
Electricity—consumption per capita: 13 732 kWh (1995)
Agriculture—products: Wheat, Other grains, Corn, Fruits, Vegetables, Cotton; Beef, Pork, Poultry, Dairy products; Forest products; Fish.
Exports:
Total value: $625.1 billion (f.o.b. 1996)
Commodities: Capital goods, Automobiles, Industrial supplies, Raw materials, Consumer goods, Agricultural products
Industrial Partnerships: Canada 22%; Western Europe 21%; Japan 11%; Mexico 8% (1995)