"Describe and explain where applicable the socio-economic, political and environmental factors that influence the residents in the UK and USA."

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Cultural Background Of The USA and UK

“Describe and explain where applicable the socio-economic, political and environmental factors that influence the residents in the UK and USA.”

Introduction

When we talk about the UK and USA in general, they are both considered to be very different to each other; this however is not always the case. As an introduction to these countries we will look at them in general, and then draw on key areas that have influence on the residents.

Great Britain as it was commonly known as then, was the dominant industrial and maritime power of the 19th century, played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th century saw the UK's strength seriously depleted in two World Wars. The second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation. As one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council, a founding member of NATO, and of the Commonwealth, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy; it currently is weighing the degree of its integration with continental Europe. A member of the EU, it chose to remain outside the European Monetary Union for the time being. Constitutional reform is also a significant issue in the UK. The Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1999.

Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the original 13 as the nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions. The two most traumatic experiences in the nation's history were the Civil War (1861-65) and the Great Depression of the 1930s. Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and II and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the US remains the world's most powerful nation-state. The economy is marked by steady growth, low unemployment and inflation, and rapid advances in technology.

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Geography

The UK is located in Western Europe, and islands include the northern one-sixth of Ireland. It stretches over 244,820 sq km in total, with 241,590 sq km of that being land, and 3,230 sq km being water. This land area is split into four different countries, which are the subdivided into counties, boroughs and districts. To be more precise England is spit into 36 counties, Northern Island into 6 counties, Scotland into 32 council areas, and Wales 9 counties. This is the first main difference when comparing these two countries as the areas are very different. The USA ...

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