The United States is one of the biggest and most well-known countries on earth! From McDonalds to Hollywood movies, American culture has spread far and wide. But the USA is so much more than what you can see in a movie. From its early history to favorite foods, and traditions that exist only in America, here are 60 fun facts about the USA!
Read until the end to discover all the USA fun facts you probably didn’t know before
1- The official name of the USA is The United States of America. It is also referred to as the US, USA, the States, or just America.
2- The US is made up of 50 states and a national government in Washington, DC.
3- Washington DC is not a state! There is a small movement to make DC a state, but it hasn’t happened yet.
4- The United States has no official language or religion.
5- The US holds several territories: Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
6- The US is known as a “melting pot” culture. Different cultures, ethnicities, religions, and people groups all live together and melt into one society and one “pot.” Americans are proud of their country’s diversity and opportunity!
7- The US celebrates Independence Day from the British Empire on July 4. July 4th/Independence Day is celebrated with barbecues, garden parties, parades, and fireworks.
8- However, the country’s Declaration of Independence was passed on July 2. It was only officially ratified on July 4.
9-Americans use the Fahrenheit temperature system instead of Celsius. (0 ℃ = 32 ℉)
10- Americans write the date as Month/Day/Year instead of Day/Month/Year. This is because Americans say the date “June First, 2022” out loud the same way that they write it: 6/1/2022.
11- “America” was first used on a map in 1507 to refer to what is today South America.
12- The first humans migrated into North America at least 12,000 years ago, or even earlier! These were the ancestors of the Native Americans.
13- The very first documented European to arrive in North America was the Spaniard Juan Ponce de León, who landed in Florida in 1513
14- Alaska is the largest state in the US, and used to belong to the Russian Empire before the US purchased it.
15- California is the US’ #1 dairy producer
16- Lollipops were invented in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1908 by George Smith.
17- Big cities and regions have their own style of pizza: Chicago Deep-Dish, New York Style, Detroit Pizza, St Louis-Style, and New England Beach Pizza are just a few different varieties!
18- Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) was invented in Sanders Cafe in Corbin, Kentucky by Colonel Harland Sanders in 1957.
19- Denali in Alaska is North America’s tallest mountain. It is 20,310 feet (6,190 m) high.
20- Harvard was founded in 1636 as the first university in the US.
21- Ohio’s Oberlin College was the first university to give degrees to women in 1841.
22- There are over 5,300 universities in the US
23- The first traffic light in the US was built in Cleveland, Ohio in 1914.
24- The US is the only country to have all five major climate zones: tropical, dry, temperate, continental, and polar.
25- Lake Superior in the Midwest is the largest freshwater lake in the world
26- Americans are the first and only people to walk on the moon
27- The US has 423 national parks
28- There are also 2,474 state parks
29- Alcohol is not legal to drink in the US until age 21
30- Americans cannot legally rent a car until age 25
31- American teenage girls celebrate “Sweet Sixteen” as their major celebration on their 16th birthday. The second biggest birthday celebration in the US is the 21st birthday–the age when Americans can legally drink alcohol!
32- The most common language spoken in the US is English
33- The second most common language is Spanish
34- The Red and Orange areas of this map have equal populations
35- Texas, California, and Florida are the most hated states in the US
36- Texas and Florida are the states with the fastest-growing population. With great weather and affordable prices, more Americans are moving there.
37- Americans say “soccer” instead of “football/futbol,” and “American football” is its own sport. Soccer/Futbol is still popular in the US. Don’t get confused between the two!
38- American football is the country’s most popular sport
39- Walmart and Amazon are the biggest employers in the US
40- Americans are stereotypically direct, arrogant, friendly, and individualistic
41- But in reality, each individual is more complex!
42- Not making eye contact while talking is seen as rude in the US.
43- Standing too close to someone is considered invasive
44- Tipping and small talk are considered polite!
45- Massachusetts is the healthiest state in the US
46- North Dakota is the US’ happiest state
47- There are 574 federally recognized Native American tribes in the US
48- The Navajo Nation is the largest tribe in the US
49- 9.7 million Americans are registered as a Native American or an Alaska Native
50- Hispanics/Latin Americans are the largest racial group in the US, after White Europeans
51- Protestant Christianity is the largest religious group in the US
52- The King of Prussia Mall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the largest mall in the US. It has more than 450 stores.
53- The top five biggest theme parks in the US are all Disney. They include the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and a few others.
54- The Magic Kingdom in Disney World, Florida, is the largest theme park in the US. There are more than 20 million visitors a year.
55- Disneyland in California is the second largest theme park.
56- The film Dickson Greeting (1891) was the first movie shot in the US–it was only 3 seconds long
57- Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the most popular movie in the US. Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: No Way Home are the next most popular.
58- Christmas is one of the most popular holidays in the US. It’s celebrated by 90% of Americans.
59- The first Christmas tree was set up in the White House in 1856.
60- 3 billion Christmas cards are send in the US each year. Sending holiday greeting cards to friends and loved ones is an important holiday tradition.
Study in the USA
Studying in the USA is a chance to immerse yourself in the language and culture of one of the most important countries in the world. As a country with great diversity, global influence, and extremely high quality of education, an education in the US can open doors to opportunities all around the world and in your home country.
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