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Chapter II: About the United States

Chapters: Introduction 1 (2) 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Exploring the U.S. is one of the primary goals of every foreign national who wishes to enter the country. The U.S. covers 3,000 miles east to west and 1,500 miles north to south, not including the states of Alaska (which is larger than France) and Hawaii (which is half the size of Holland). It is difficult to comprehend it all; the distances are too great and the scenery too varied. Geographical location plays an important roll when students select a university.

Time Zone

http://www.time.gov/

There are four different time zones in the U.S.:

• EST - Eastern Time Zone
• CST - Central Time Zone
• MST - Mountain Time Zone
• PST - Pacific Time Zone

Daylight Saving Time

The main purpose of Daylight Saving Time (called "Summer Time" in many parts of the world) is to make better use of daylight. We change our clocks during the summer months to move an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening. Daylight Saving Time begins for most of the U.S. at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of April. Time reverts to standard time at 2 a.m. on the last Sunday of October. In the U.S., each time zone switches at a different time.

State Abbreviations and Capitals

Weather Information

The U.S. is a vast country. The climate conditions are significantly different from region to region. Generally, the western and southern parts of the U.S. have overall warmer weather, as compared to the eastern and northern parts. The Northeast is extremely cold in the winter, with heavy snowfalls, and is pleasant in the summer. The Southwest has extremely hot summers and comparatively short, bearable winters. It is very important for students to know about the weather conditions where they stay, especially if they have medical conditions that prevent them from living in certain climates. They should spend time finding a university where they will be comfortable.

The U.S. can be divided into six climate regions:

• Northwest Pacific: States like Oregon and Washington have high humidity and frequently wet weather. Temperatures are mild all year round, averaging around 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Mid/South Pacific: States like California and Nevada generally have good temperatures all year round. The mountainous states, such as Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming, can be very cold in the winter, dropping well below 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Midwest: States like Kansas and Iowa have excellent summer weather, but heavy snowfalls and extremely chilly winds in the winter. There are record low temperatures around -50 degree Fahrenheit and snow storms with 30-40 inches of snow accumulation.
• Northeast: States like Maryland and Pennsylvania have sunny and warm summers that can become quite hot for a very short time. Fall is especially beautiful in these areas, and winters have moderate snowfalls and freezing rain.
• Southeast: States like Georgia and Louisiana have very pleasant spring and fall seasons, with very hot and humid summers. There may be some snow and freezing rain in the winter, but it is only for a short period of time, and winters are usually quite mild.
• Southwest: States like Arizona and New Mexico are very hot and have deserts. Winters are generally short in duration and consist more of freezing rains than snow.