U.S. GOVERNMENT
- Basic information on the U.S. Congress, Senate and House of Representatives.
The U.S. Congress is composed of two bodies, the Senate and the House of
Representatives. The Senate has 100 members - two senators for each of the
fifty states. Senators are elected for six years. The House
of Representatives comprises 435 Representatives; the number representing each state is determined
by its population. Representatives are elected every two years. A Resident
Commissioner for Puerto Rico, and Delegates from American Samoa, the District
of Columbia, Guam and the Virgin Island complete the composition of Congress.
For more information on the U.S. Congress, please check the Library
of Congress Home Page.
- How does a Congressional bill become Federal law?
The entire process is explained in the House of Representatives document
How Our Laws are Made. Basically, a proposed law, whether initially introduced
in the House or the Senate, must be passed by both the House and the Senate,
in exactly the same form, and then approved by the President, before becoming
a law.
- Daily record of proceedings in Congress.
The Congressional Record, available fulltext at GPO
Access, a service of
the U.S. Government Printing Office, is the daily record of proceedings on
the floor of the House and the Senate.
- Rules, regulations and notices issued by the U.S. government.
The Federal Register (FR), available in full text since 1994 at GPO Access,
is published each federal working day. Final rules, regulations and decisions
are cumulated annually in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
- Members of the U.S. Executive branch.
Can be found at the Official
Federal Government Web Sites.
GENERAL STATE
FACTS
- Administrative divisions of the United States : 50 states and the District of Columbia (Washington) -- with capitals:
Alabama (Montgomery), Alaska (Juneau), Arizona (Phoenix), Arkansas (Little
Rock), California (Sacramento), Colorado (Denver), Connecticut (Hartford),
Delaware (Dover), Florida (Tallahassee), Georgia (Atlanta), Hawaii (Honolulu),
Idaho (Boise), Illinois (Springfield), Indiana (Indianapolis), Iowa (Des
Moines), Kansas (Topeka), Kentucky (Frankfort), Louisiana (Baton Rouge),
Maine (Augusta), Maryland (Annapolis), Massachusetts (Boston), Michigan
(Lansing), Minnesota (St. Paul), Mississippi (Jackson), Missouri (Jefferson
City), Montana (Helena), Nebraska (Lincoln), Nevada (Carson City), New
Hampshire (Concord), New Jersey (Trenton), New Mexico (Santa Fe), New York
(Albany), North Carolina (Raleigh), North Dakota (Bismarck), Ohio (Columbus),
Oklahoma (Oklahoma City), Oregon (Salem), Pennsylvania (Harrisburg), Rhode
Island (Providence), South Carolina (Columbia), South Dakota (Pierre),
Tennessee (Nashville), Texas (Austin), Utah (Salt Lake City), Vermont (Montpelier),
Virginia (Richmond), Washington (Olympia), West Virginia (Charleston),
Wisconsin (Madison), Wyoming (Cheyenne).
The last two states to join the Union were Alaska (49th) and Hawaii (50th).
Both joined in 1959.
- Status of Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico.
Washington D.C. is a federal district under the authority of Congress. Local
Government is run by a mayor and 13-member city council. Washington D.C.
is represented in Congress by an elected, nonvoting Delegate to the House
of Representatives. Residents have been able to vote in presidential elections
since 1961.
Puerto Rico is a Commonwealth associated with the U.S. Its indigenous inhabitants
are U.S. citizens. Puerto Ricans are unable to vote in U.S. presidential
elections but they do elect a nonvoting resident commissioner to the U.S.
House of Representatives.
- Other Dependent Areas of the U.S.:
American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston
Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Northern Mariana Islands,
Palmyra Atoll, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Wake Island. Note: from 18 July
1947 until 1 October 1994, the U.S. has administered the Trust Territory
of the Pacific Islands, but recently entered into a new political relationship
with all four political units: the Northern Mariana Islands is a Commonwealth
in political union with the U.S. (effective 3 November 1986); Palau concluded
a Compact of Free Association with the U.S. (effective 1 October 1994); the
Federated States of Micronesia signed a Compact of Free Association with
the U.S. (effective 3 November 1986); the Republic of the Marshall Islands
signed a Compact of Free Association with the U.S. (effective 21 October
1986).
AMERICANA
- The national anthem of the U.S. Text of the U.S. National
Anthem, is available. Also, one can play the Star
Spangled Banner (a sound card required) at the U.S.
Military Academy at West Point, web site.
- U.S. flag facts
Flag: Thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating
with white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing
fifty small white five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizonal rows
of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars; the 50
stars represent the 50 states and the 13 stripes represent the 13 original
states (colonies). Known as Old Glory. In the Pantone system the colors are:
blue PMS 282 and red PMS 193. The first flag was made by Betsy Ross. Information
on Betsy Ross, the history of the flag and the flag etiquette may be found
at the Betsy Ross Home
Page, maintained by the Independence Hall Association
of Philadelphia.
- U.S. Public holidays
Federal legal public holidays are always:
January 1st -- New Year's Day
3rd Monday in January -- Martin Luther King's Birthday
3rd Monday in February -- Washington's Birthday
Last Monday in May -- Memorial Day
July 4th -- Independence Day
1st Monday in September -- Labor Day
2nd Monday in October -- Columbus Day
November 11th -- Veterans Day
4th Thursday in November -- Thanksgiving Day
December 25th -- Christmas Day
Virtually all the states observe certain other days during the year; the
principal ones are:
February 12th -- Lincoln's Birthday
March 28 -- Good Friday
Note: If a holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is observed; if
on a Saturday, the previous Friday.
Daylight Saving Time:
Daylight Saving Time (DST) is achieved by advancing the clock one hour. Most
states, the District of Columbia and U.S. possessions observe DST beginning
at 2:00 am on the first Sunday in April, and ending at 2:00 am on the last
Sunday in October.
Other American Celebration Days:
February 2nd -- Groundhog Day
2nd Sunday in May -- Mother's Day
3rd Sunday in June -- Father's Day.
AMERICAN STUDIES
- Introduction to American history, government and politics
in addition to geographical information, economic indicators, environmental
data and
the
U.S. national budget can be found at the Department
of State (International Information Programs), Home Page. - The
text of the U.S. Constitution.
- The
Bill of Rights.
- The
Declaration of Independence.
STATISTICS ON THE U.S.
- Statistical information can be found (free of charge) at the Bureau of
the Census Statistical Abstract site. StatUSA, a service of the US Department
of Commerce, provides access to American economic, demographic and social
statistics. - One-stop web site for U.S. federal statistics, FedStats, offers easy access
to the full range of statistics and information produced by more than 70
agencies in the United States Federal Government (maintained by the Federal
Interagency Council on Statistical Policy).
MAPS OF THE USA
Yahoo Maps provides road maps state by state as
well as interactive street maps of cities within each state, including
a zoom function which can take
you all the way to the neighborhood level. MapQuest also offers a range
of interactive street maps and atlases.
TRAVEL AND TOURIST INFORMATION
Most of the states now have their own home pages with a wide range of interesting
and useful information. They usually include links to cities and places
of interest within their borders. Useful travel information is also available
at the CNN Travel Guide and Microsoft
Expedia Travel Services.
POSTAL INFORMATION
Information on how to address a letter to the U.S., the postal abbreviations
for each of the fifty states, the zip code of an address in the U.S.,
current postal rates in the U.S., can be found at the U.S.
Postal Service web site.
EMBASSIES AND CONSULATES
Both lists of addresses/telephone numbers for all U.S. embassies
and consulates around the world, and of foreign country embassies
and consulates in the
U.S., are available at the U.S.
Department of State Home Page. DIRECTORY
OF U.S. ADDRESSES AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS
Addresses/phone numbers of private
individuals.
Addresses/phone numbers of commercial
enterprises.
For both people and businesses, please check the Switchboard Internet
Directory.
U.S. WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
Can be found at the University of California (College of Chemistry)
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