United States (presentation), United States of America, commonly known as the United States or America, federal republic located on the North American continent, consisting of 48 contiguous states and the noncontiguous states of Alaska and Hawaii. The United States is covered in seven articles: this overview, plus separate articles on the United States (geography), the United States (people), the United States (culture), the United States (economy) , the United States (government) and the United States. States (History). These six subjects – geography, population, culture, economics, government and history – comprise the interrelated elements of the nation's experience. Geography comes first, because terrain, resources, and climate influenced how people who arrived in the United States formed new societies. People, in all their diversity, constitute the second element because they have formed communities and built a society. The following three elements constitute major elements of this society: its culture, its economy and its government. The story is about how people created a society. It details how people adapted to geographic contexts, how they built and modified their economy and government, and how their culture changed along the way. Thus, the six topics—geography, population, culture, economics, government, and history—form a progression of interconnected topics.II E Pluribus Unum: The American ExperienceSection Print Preview | Edit this sectionE Pluribus Unum is the motto of the United States, appearing on the country's coins and paper money, as well as many of its public monuments. It means “Out of many, one”. First used to unify the 13 British colonies in North America during the American Revolution (1775-1783), the phrase took on new meaning as the United States welcomed wave after wave of immigrants from many countries. . These immigrants had to find ways to reconcile their diverse backgrounds and unite under a constitution and set of laws. This process of creating a society from many different backgrounds is one of the greatest stories of the American experience. “What then is the American, this new man? asked one of the thousands of immigrants who arrived in North America in the 18th century. “He is an American who, leaving behind him all his old prejudices and manners, receives new ones through the new way of life he has adopted, the new government he obeys, and the new rank he occupies. The American is a new man, who acts according to new principles... Here, individuals of all nations merge into a new race of men. »Continue reading the article