America is the name of a country covering an area of 9,809,431 square kilometers, located in the northern half of the American continent. This continent was discovered in 1492 by the Spanish navigator Christopher Columbus (1446–1506). Unaware that he had reached a new land, Columbus believed he had arrived in India; for this reason, he referred to the inhabitants of the newly discovered land as Indians. Today, the indigenous people of America are known as American Indians. The first person to realize that this land was a separate continent was the Italian merchant Amerigo Vespucci (1451–1512), who arrived there in 1501. The name “America” is derived from his name.

Before the arrival of Europeans, the inhabitants of America were indigenous people commonly referred to as “Red Indians” or “Native Americans”. Their presence on the American continent dates back over 10,000 years.

Following the discovery of America at the end of the 15th century, waves of European migration began. Gradually, the British gained dominance over their rivals, and by the 18th century, thirteen English settler colonies had been established in North America. Due to disputes over taxation imposed by the British crown, these colonies sought independence, which they declared on July 4, 1776, under the leadership of George Washington (President, 1789–1797). The American War of Independence continued until 1783, and six years later, the U.S. Constitution was ratified by a Congress representing the thirteen states.

Over the course of three centuries, European settlers displaced Native Americans from their ancestral lands and, through repeated acts of genocide, drastically reduced their population. As a result, today Native Americans constitute only about nine percent of the total population of the United States.

Alongside European migration, the forced importation of African slaves to work on plantations also began. With the growth of the Black population, racial discrimination—specifically the ideology of white supremacy—intensified.

In the 19th century, as anti-racist ideas and movements emerged, civil wars broke out in the United States. Unlike the northern states, which relied on industrial production and intellectual labor, including that of Black Americans, the southern states, whose economies depended largely on agriculture and slave labor, favored the preservation of slavery. These conflicts began during the presidency of Abraham Lincoln (1861–1865) and ended after four years of war with the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation. A few days after the war ended, Lincoln was assassinated by a supporter of the southern cause.

Racial discrimination, however, did not end with the abolition of slavery, and racial tensions have continued in the United States to this day. The urban uprisings of Black Americans in major U.S. cities in the early 1990s bear witness to this reality.

The late 19th century marked the beginning of America’s rise as an economic and industrial power. During this period, the United States gradually emerged as a major global force and, relying on its economic strength, expanded its territorial reach. Today, the United States consists of fifty states, represented by the white stars on its national flag. The thirteen red and white stripes symbolize the original thirteen states at the time of independence.

The concentration of wealth in the United States attracted many of the world’s elites and wealthy figures, particularly from Europe. Among them were Thomas Edison (1847–1931), Alexander Graham Bell (1847–1922), Albert Einstein (1879–1955), and others.

In the first half of the 20th century, the United States participated in both World Wars and came to the aid of Western Europe. As European colonial powers weakened as a result of these wars, the United States readily assumed their global position.

Having used atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II—killing hundreds of thousands of people—the United States continued in the second half of the century to demonstrate its military power through repeated political and military interventions around the world. These interventions were largely aimed at containing its rival, the Soviet Union. Notable examples include the Korean War (1950–1953), the Vietnam War (1961–1973), the military coup against Iran’s national government (1953), the coup against Chile’s national government (1974), support for Iraq during the Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988), the Persian Gulf War (1990–1991), and military interventions in Lebanon, Afghanistan, Somalia, Grenada, Panama, and elsewhere.

The political system of the United States of America is a federal republic and, in terms of its governmental form, is based on popular sovereignty and democratic principles. The states are autonomous in their internal affairs, each possessing its own legislature and state government. Matters related to national security, defense, commerce, and foreign policy fall under the authority of the federal government in Washington, D.C. The United States has three independent branches of government—executive, legislative, and judicial—each with oversight over the others.

The president is the highest executive authority who is elected indirectly by the people. Citizens vote for representatives equal in number to the members of Congress, who then elect the president, typically someone to whom they have already pledged loyalty. Congress consists of two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. Each state has two senators, while the number of representatives in the House depends on the state’s population. Members of Congress are elected by direct popular vote. The Republican and Democratic parties are the two major political parties in the United States, and senior government officials are usually affiliated with one of them.

In presidential elections—the most significant elections in the country—slightly more than 50 percent of eligible voters participate on average, and the president typically enters the White House (the presidential residence) with just over 50 percent of the vote.

The United States is one of the world’s seven industrialized nations and a major military power. It is also one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and holds veto power.⁠[1]