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Culture of the United StatesThis article is about the culture of the United States. For customs and way of life, see

Society of the United States.

The development of the Culture of the United States of America has been marked

 by a tension between two strong sources of inspiration: European ideals, especially

British; and domestic originality of awesome.

American culture encompasses traditions, ideals, customs, beliefs, values, arts, and

innovations developed both domestically and imported via colonization andimmigration. Prevalent ideas and ideals which evolved domestically such as important

national holidays, uniquely American sports, proud military tradition, and innovations

in the arts and entertainment give a strong sense of  national pride among the

 population as a whole.

It includes both conservative and liberal elements, military and scientific

competitiveness, political structures, risk taking and free expression, materialist and

moral elements.

It also includes elements which evolved from Native Americans, and other ethnic

subcultures; most prominently the culture of African American slave descendants anddifferent cultures from Latin America. Many cultural elements, especially popular 

culture have been exported across the globe through modern mass media where

American culture is sometimes resented[citation needed ]. Some cultural elements have

remained rather exclusive to North America.

Culture of the

United States

Architecture

Cinema

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Comic books

Cuisine

Dance

Folklore

Literature

Music

PoetryRadio

Sculpture

Sports

Television

Theater

Visual arts

Contents• 1 Languages

o 1.1 Native Language Statistics for the United States

• 2 Literature

• 3 Religion

o 3.1 Religious statistics for the United States

• 4 National Holidays

• 5 Cuisine

• 6 Sports

o 6.1 Sports and community culture

• 7 Scientific

•

8 Visual artso 8.1 Architecture

o 8.2 Sculpture

• 9 Popular culture

o 9.1 Fashion

o 9.2 Theater 

o 9.3 Television

o 9.4 Music

o 9.5 Films

o 9.6 Dance

• 10 Firearms

• 11 See also

• 12 References

Languages

Main article: Languages in the United States

Although the United States has no official language at the federal level, 30 states have

 passed legislation making English the official language and it is widely considered to be the de facto national language. - |title=Selected Social Characteristics in the United

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States: 2007|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=2008-10-09}}</ref>

Bilingual speakers may use both English and Spanish reasonably well but code-switch

according to their dialog partner or context. Some refer to this phenomenon as

Spanglish.

Indigenious languages of the United States include the  Native American languages,which are spoken on the country’s numerous Indian reservations and Native

American cultural events such as  pow wows; Hawaiian, which has official status in

the state of Hawaii; Chamorro, which has official status in the commonwealths of 

Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands; Carolinian, which has official status in the

commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; and Samoan, which has official

status in the commonwealth of American Samoa.

Native Language Statistics for the United States

It should be noted the following information is an estimation as actual statistics

constantly vary.

According to the CIA,[1] the following is the percentage of native speakers of different

languages in the United States:

• English (82.1%)

• Spanish (10.7%)

• Other Indo-European languages (3.8%)

• Other Asian or Pacific Islander  languages (2.7%)

• Other languages (0.7%)

Literature

Mark Twain is regarded as among the greatest writers in American history.

Main article: Literature of the United States

In the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, American art and literature took mostof its cues from Europe. During its early history, America was a series of  British

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colonies on the eastern coast of the present-day United States. Therefore, its literary

tradition begins as linked to the broader tradition of English literature. However,

unique American characteristics and the breadth of its production usually now cause it

to be considered a separate path and tradition. Writers such as Nathaniel Hawthorne,

Edgar Allan Poe, and Henry David Thoreau established a distinctive American

literary voice by the middle of the nineteenth century. Mark Twain and poet WaltWhitman were major figures in the century's second half; Emily Dickinson, virtually

unknown during her lifetime, would be recognized as America's other essential poet.

Eleven U.S. citizens have won the Nobel Prize in Literature, most recently Toni

Morrison in 1993. Ernest Hemingway, the 1954 Nobel laureate, is often named as one

of the most influential writers of the twentieth century.[2] A work seen as capturing

fundamental aspects of the national experience and character—such as Herman

Melville's  Moby-Dick (1851), Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885),

and F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (1925)—may be dubbed the "Great

American Novel". Popular literary genres such as the Western and hardboiled crime

fiction were developed in the United States.

Religion

Main article: Religion in the United States

Completed in 1716, Mission Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de Acuña is

one of numerous surviving colonial Spanish missions in the United States. These were

 primarily used to convert the Native Americans to Roman Catholicism.

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Surrounded by sleek modern skyscrapers, Saint Patrick's Cathedral stands as the last

old world holdout of New York's Rockefeller Plaza

Among developed countries, the US is one of the most religious in terms of its

demographics. According to a 2002 study by the Pew Global Attitudes Project, the

US was the only developed nation in the survey where a majority of citizens reportedthat religion played a "very important" role in their lives, an attitude similar to that

found in its neighbors in Latin America.[3]

Several of the original Thirteen Colonies were established by English and Irish

settlers who wished to practice their own religion without discrimination or 

 persecution as religious extremists in Europe: Pennsylvania was established by

Quakers, Maryland by Roman Catholics and the Massachusetts Bay Colony by

Puritans. Nine of the thirteen colonies had official public religions. Yet by the time of 

the Philadelphia Convention of 1787, the United States became one of the first

countries in the world to codify µfreedom of religion into law, although this originally

applied only to the federal government, and not to state governments or their politicalsubdivisions.

Modeling the provisions concerning religion within the Virginia Statute for Religious

Freedom, the framers of the United States Constitution rejected any religious test for 

office, and the µFirst Amendment  specifically denied the central government any

 power to enact any law respecting either an establishment of religion, or prohibiting

its free exercise. In following decades, the animating spirit behind the constitution's

Establishment Clause led to the disestablishment of the official religions within the

member states. The framers were mainly influenced by µsecular , Enlightenment 

ideals, but they also considered the pragmatic concerns of minority religious groups

who did not want to be under the power or influence of a state religion that did not

represent them.[4] Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence§ said

"The priest has been hostile to liberty. He is always in alliance with the despot." µ[5]

Religious statistics for the United States

It should be noted the following information is an estimation as actual statistics constantly vary.

According to the µCIA§,µ[6]§ the following is the percentage of followers of different

religions in the United States:

• µChristian§: (78.5%)

o µProtestant§ (51.3%)

oRoman Catholic (23.9%)

o Mormon (1.7%)

oOrthodox (1.6%)

• µAtheist§/µAgnostic§ (4%)

• µJewish§ (1.7%)

• µBuddhist§ (0.7%)

• µMuslim§ (0.6%)

• Other/Unspecified (14.6%)

 National Holidays

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µµ §§

µFireworks§ light up the sky over the µWashington Monument§. Americans

traditionally shoot fireworks throughout the night on the Fourth of July.

µµ §§

µMartin Luther King Day§ memorializes the legacy of µDr. King§, who is widely

regarded as the Patriarch of the µCivil Rights Movement§. Dr. King is pictured above

delivering his "µI Have a Dream§" speech.

µInauguration Day§ is the only µFederal holiday§ that is not annual but rather occurs

only once every four years. The day begins with the inaguaration ceremony and ends

with a military parade.

µµ §§

µHalloween§ is a widely observed tradition in the United States. It typically involvesdressing up in costumes and an emphasis on the bizarre and frightening.

µµ §§

The µMacy's Thanksgiving Day Parade§ is attended by over 2.5 million people each

year. It is the largest organized festivity in the United States and is viewed by more

Americans each year than any other holiday celebration.µ[7]§

The United States observes holidays derived from events in µUS history§, religious

traditions, and µnational patriarchs§.

As a legacy of colonization, µThanksgiving§ has become a traditional American

holiday which evolved from the will of English pilgrims to “give thanks” for their 

welfare. Today, Thanksgiving is generally celebrated as a family reunion with a large

afternoon feast. µEuropean colonization§ has led to many traditional µChristian§

holidays such as µEaster §, µLent§, µSt. Patrick’s Day§, and µChristmas§ to be

widely observed albeit they are celebrated in a secular manner by many people today.

µIndependence Day§ (colloquially known as the µFourth of July§) celebrates the

anniversary of the country’s µDeclaration of Independence§ from the µKingdom of 

Great Britain§. It is generally observed by parades throughout the day and the

shooting of fireworks at night.

µHalloween§ is thought to have evolved from the ancient celtic festival of  µSamhain§

which was introduced in the American colonies by Irish settlers. It has become a

holiday that is widely celebrated by children and teens who traditionally dress up in

costumes and go door to door saying the words “Trick or Treat” in exchange for 

candy. It also brings about an emphasis on eerie and frightening µurban legends§ and

µmovies§. The popularity of celebrating Halloween has become continusly popular 

among university students in the US. Both µUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison§ and

µOhio University§ in µAthens, Ohio§ are known across the US for their Halloween

street fairs.

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Additionally, Mardi Gras, which evolved from the Catholic tradition of µCarnival§, is

observed notably in µNew Orleans§, St. Louis, and µMobile, AL§ as well as

numerous other towns. µTexas§ still observes the anniversary of its µIndependence

Day§ from Mexico.

Federally recognized holidays are as follows:

Date Official Name Remarks

January 1 µNew Year's Day§

Celebrates beginning of the µGregorian

calendar § year. Festivities include counting

down to midnight (12:00 AM) on the

 preceding night, µNew Year's Eve§.

Traditional end of holiday season.

Third Monday

in January

Birthday of Martin

Luther King, Jr., or 

µMartin Luther King,

Jr. Day§

Honors µMartin Luther King, Jr.§, µCivil

Rights§ leader, who was actually born on

January 15, 1929; combined with other 

holidays in several states.

January 20, the

first January 20

following a

Presidential

election

µInauguration Day§

Observed only by federal government

employees in µWashington D.C.§, and the

 border counties of µMaryland§ andµVirginia§, in order to relieve congestion that

occurs with this major event. Swearing-in of 

µPresident of the United States§ and µVice

President of the United States§. Celebrated

every fourth year. Note: Takes place on

January 21 if the 20th is a Sunday (although

the President is still privately inaugurated on

the 20th). If Inauguration Day falls on a

Saturday or a Sunday, the preceding Friday or 

following Monday is not a Federal Holiday

Third Monday

in February

µWashington's

Birthday§

Washington's Birthday was first declared a

federal holiday by an 1879 act of Congress.

The Uniform Holidays Act, 1968, shifted the

date of the commemoration of Washington's

Birthday from February 22 to the third

Monday in February. Many people now refer 

to this holiday as "µPresidents' Day§" and

consider it a day honoring all American

 presidents. However, neither the UniformHolidays Act nor any subsequent law changed

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the name of the holiday from Washington's

Birthday to Presidents' Day.µ[8]§

Last Monday in

MayµMemorial Day§

Honors the nation's war dead from the CivilWar onwards; marks the unofficial beginning

of the summer season. (traditionally May 30,

shifted by the Uniform Holidays Act 1968)

July 4 µIndependence Day§Celebrates µDeclaration of Independence§,

also called the Fourth of July.

First Monday inSeptember 

µLabor Day§Celebrates the achievements of workers andthe labor movement; marks the unofficial end

of the summer season.

Second Monday

in October µColumbus Day§

Honors µChristopher Columbus§, traditional

discoverer of  µthe Americas§. In some areas it

is also a celebration of  µItalian§ culture and

heritage. (traditionally October 12); celebrated

as µAmerican Indian Heritage Day§ and

µFraternal Day§ in µAlabama§;µ[9]§

celebrated as µNative American Day§ inµSouth Dakota§.µ[10]§ In Hawaii, it is

celebrated as Discoverer's Day, though is not

an official state holiday.µ[11]§

 November 11 µVeterans Day§

Honors all veterans of the µUnited States

armed forces§. A traditional observation is a

moment of silence at 11:00 a.m. remembering

those killed in war. (Commemorates the µ1918

armistice§, which began at "the eleventh hour 

of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.")

Fourth Thursday

in November µThanksgiving Day§

Traditionally celebrates the giving of thanks

for the autumn harvest. Traditionally includes

the consumption of a µturkey dinner §.

Traditional start of the µholiday season§.

December 25 µChristmas§

Celebrates the Nativity of µJesus§. Some

 people consider aspects of this religiousholiday, such as giving gifts and decorating a

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µChristmas tree§, to be secular rather than

explicitly µChristian§.

• µFederal Holidays Calendars§ from the U.S. µOffice of Personnel

Management§.

Cuisine

Mainstream µAmerican culinary arts§ are similar to those in other Western countries.

µWheat§ is the primary µcereal§ grain. Traditional American cuisine uses ingredients

such as µturkey§, µwhite-tailed deer § µvenison§, µpotatoes§, µsweet potatoes§,

µcorn§, µsquash§, and µmaple syrup§, indigenous foods employed by American

Indians and early European settlers. Slow-cooked pork and beef µbarbecue§, µcrab

cakes§, µpotato chips§, and µchocolate chip cookies§ are distinctively American

styles. µSoul food§, developed by African slaves, is popular around the South and

among many African Americans elsewhere. µSyncretic§ cuisines such as µLouisiana

creole§, µCajun§, and µTex-Mex§ are regionally important. Iconic American dishes

such as µapple pie§, µfried chicken§, µpizza§, µhamburgers§, and µhot dogs§ derive

from the recipes of various immigrants and domestic innovations. So-called µFrench

fries§, Mexican dishes such as µburritos§ and µtacos§, and µpasta§ dishes freely

adapted from Italian sources are widely consumed.µ[12]§ Americans generally prefer 

coffee to tea, with more than half the adult population drinking at least one cup a

day.µ[13]§ Marketing by U.S. industries is largely responsible for making µorange

 juice§ and µmilk § (now often fat-reduced) ubiquitous breakfast beverages.µ[14]§

During the 1980s and 1990s, Americans' caloric intake rose 24%;µ[12]§ frequent

dining at µfast food§ outlets is associated with what health officials call the American"obesity epidemic." Highly sweetened µsoft drinks§ are widely popular; sugared

 beverages account for 9% of the average American's daily caloric intake.µ[15]§

Common American Foods

µµ §§

Traditional

Thanksgiving dinner 

with Turkey, dressing,

sweet potatoes, and

cranberry sauce.

µµ §§

Typical American

seafood with Fried

fish, shrimp, hush

 puppies, and fries.

µµ §§

Caesar salad.

µµ §§

Hamburger, fries, and

a coke.

µµ §§

Chicken Fried Steak 

(alternatively known

as Country Fried

Steak.)

µµ §§

California club pizza

with avocados and

tomatoes.

µµ §§

Toasted turkey

sandwich.

µµ §§

American style

 breakfast with

 pancakes, maple

syrup, sausage links,

 bacon strips, and fried

eggs.

Sports

Main article: µSports in the United States§µµ §§

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A typical µBaseball diamond§ as seen from the stadium. Traditionally the game is

 played for nine µinnings§ but can be prolonged if there is a tie.

µµ §§

The opening of µCollege football§ season is a major part of American culture andtradition.

µµ §§

µBasketball§ is widely enjoyed by American youth and is considered by many to be

the second most popular sport in the United States.

µµ §§

Massive µmarching bands§ accompanied by µcheerleaders§ and colorguard are

almost universal at µAmerican Football§ games, especially during µhalftime§.

Although high school bands tend to be much smaller, it is rare for a game not to

feature a marching band at halftime.µµ §§

µBowling§ is a popular pastime for Americans of all ages.

µSports§ in the µUnited States§ are an important part of the American culture.

However, the sporting culture of the U.S. is unique from that of many other countries.

Compared to any other nation, American preferences for sports differ from the rest of 

the world. For example, professional µsoccer § is not as popular in the United States

as it is in many parts of the world.

µBaseball§ is the oldest of the major American teamsports. Professional baseball

dates from 1869 and had no close rivals in popularity until the 1960s; though baseball

is no longer the most popular sport it is still referred to as the "national pastime." Also

unlike the professional levels of the other popular spectator sports in the U.S.,  µMajor 

League Baseball§ teams play almost every day from April to October. µAmerican

football§ now attracts more television viewers than baseball; however, µNational

Football League§ teams play only 16 regular-season games each year, so baseball is

the runaway leader in ticket sales.

µBasketball§ is another major sport, represented professionally by the µNational

Basketball Association§. It was invented in µSpringfield, Massachusetts§ 1891, byCanadian-born physical education teacher  µJames Naismith§.

µAmerican football§, known in many µanglophone§ countries as µgridiron§, is

widely considered to be the most popular sport in the United States. The 32-team

µNational Football League§ (NFL) is the most popular and only major professional

American football league. Its championship game, the µSuper Bowl§, is the biggest

annual sporting event held in the United States. Additional millions also watch

µcollege football§ throughout the autumn months, and some communities,

 particularly in rural areas, place great emphasis on their local µhigh school§ team.

American football games usually include µcheerleaders§ and µmarching bands§

which aim to raise school spirit and entertain the crowd at µhalf-time§.

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Many Americans recognize a fourth sport - µIce hockey§. Always a mainstay of 

µGreat Lakes§ and µNew England§-area culture, the sport gained tenuous footholds

in regions like the American South in recent years, as the µNational Hockey League§

 pursued a policy of expansion.

The quickly growing sport of µmixed martial arts§ has taken off in America since itsintroduction in the early 1990s. Today, the µUltimate Fighting Championship§ is one

of the most profitable organizations in the country.

Sports and community culture

µHomecoming§ is an annual tradition of the µUnited States§. People, towns, high

schools and colleges come together, usually in late September or early October, to

welcome back former residents and µalumni§. It is built around a central event, such

as a µbanquet§, a µparade§, and most often, a game of µAmerican football§, or, on

occasion, µbasketball§, or  µice hockey§. When celebrated by schools, the activities

vary widely. However, they usually consist of a football game played on the school'shome football field, activities for students and alumni, a µparade§ featuring the

school's µmarching band§ and sports teams, and the coronation of a Homecoming

Queen (and at many schools, a Homecoming King).

Scientific

Cultural map of the world according to the µWorld Values Survey§, describing the

United States as low in "Rational-Secular Values" and high in "Self-Expression

values".

There is a fondness for scientific advancement and technological innovation in

American culture. Some of these efforts are centered in µSilicon Valley§. Other 

strong scientific areas include nuclear research, space (µNASA§), military research,

and biotech. Respect for scientific advancement still ranks high in the US and the

element of competitiveness is exercised as early as in elementary school.

American culture has also made significant gains through the immigration of 

accomplished scientists. For example, numerous members of the European

intelligentsia emigrated during µWorld War II§ to escape µFascist§ persecution. Atthe time, the U.S. was one of the few safe countries to flee to.

Visual arts

In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, American artists primarily

 painted landscapes and portraits in a realistic style. A parallel development taking

shape in rural America was the µAmerican craft§ movement, which began as a

reaction to the µIndustrial Revolution§. Developments in modern art in Europe came

to America from exhibitions in New York City such as the µArmory Show§ in 1913.

After World War II, New York emerged as a center of the art world.[ µcitation

needed§]Painting in the United States today covers a vast range of styles.

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Architecture

µArchitecture§ in the US is regionally diverse and has been shaped by many external

forces, not only English. US Architecture can therefore be said to be eclectic,

something unsurprising in such a multicultural society.µ[16]§ In the absence of a

single large-scale architectural influence from indigenous peoples such as those inMexico or Peru, generations of designers have incorporated influences from around

the world. Currently, the overriding theme of American Architecture is modernity: an

example of which are the skyscrapers of the 20th century.

Early µNeoclassicism§ accompanied the Founding Father's idealization of European

Enlightenment, making it the predominant architectural style for public buildings and

large manors. However, in recent years, the suburbanization and mass migration to

the µSun Belt§ has allowed architecture to reflect a µMediterranean§ style as well.

Sculpture

The history of sculpture in the United States reflects the country's 18th century

foundation in Roman republican civic values as well as Protestant Christianity.

[µcitation needed§] Perhaps the most iconic American sculpture is the µMount

Rushmore National Memorial§, an 18m high relief of four US Presidents' faces

carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore.

Popular culture

American µpopular culture§ has expressed itself through nearly every medium,

including movies, music, and sports.

• µMickey Mouse§

• µBarbie§

• µMetallica§

• µMichael Jackson§

• µElvis Presley§

• µBritney Spears§

• µMadonna§

• µBruce Springsteen§

• µNirvana§

• µRihanna§• µMichael Phelps§

• µAndre Agassi§

• µAerosmith§

• µLance Armstrong§

• µBabe Ruth§

• µBaseball§

• µAmerican football§

• µBasketball§

• µscrewball comedy§

• µG.I. Joe§

• µJazz§

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• µCountry music§

• µRap & Hip Hop§

• µThe Simpsons§

• µSuperman§

• µSpongeBob SquarePants§

• µThe Sopranos§• µGone with the Wind§

• µMarilyn Monroe§

• µMarilyn Manson§

• µJames Dean§

• µTom Cruise§

• µBrad Pitt§

• µMichael Jordan§

• µIndiana Jones§

• µSylvester Stalone§

•

µSesame Street§• µCatch-22§

• µStar Trek §

• µStar Wars§

These names, genres, and phrases have joined more tangible American products in

spreading across the globe.

The U.S. is also popular for evolving/adapting many elements of various other 

cultures, such as µfood§ (i.e. µpizza§, µhamburgers§, and µhibachi§), and television

shows (µAmerican Idol§, µPower Rangers§).

Fashion

Apart from professional business attire, fashion in the United States is eclectic and

 predominantly informal.[µcitation needed§]µBlue jeans§ were popularized as work 

clothes in the 1850s by merchant µLevi Strauss§, a German immigrant in San

Francisco, and adopted by many American teenagers a century later. They are now

widely worn in every state by people of all ages and social classes.[ µcitation

needed§]Along with mass-marketed informal wear in general, blue jeans are arguably

U.S. culture's primary contribution to global fashion.µ[17]§ The country was also

home to the headquarters of many leading µdesigner labels§ such as µRalph Lauren§

and µCalvin Klein§. Labels such as µAbercrombie & Fitch§, µAmerican Eagle§, andµHollister § cater to various µniche markets§.

Further iconic items of American fashion are the µT-Shirt§ and the µBaseball cap§.

Theater 

Theater of the United States is based in the µWestern§ tradition, mostly borrowed

from the performance styles prevalent in Europe, especially England.[µcitation

needed§] Today, it is heavily interlaced with American µliterature§, film, television,

and music, and it is not uncommon for a single story to appear in all forms. Regions

with significant music scenes often have strong theater and µcomedy§ traditions as

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well. µMusical theater § may be the most popular form: it is certainly the most

colorful, and choreographed motions pioneered on stage have found their way onto

movie and television screens. µBroadway§ in New York City is generally considered

the pinnacle of commercial U.S. theater, though this µart§ form appears all across the

country. µOff-Broadway§ and µoff-off-Broadway§ diversify the theatre experience in

 New York. New York's Theater District is also the largest in the country withµCleveland's§ being the second largest. Another city of particular note is µChicago§,

which boasts the most diverse and dynamic theater scene in the country.  µRegional or 

resident theatres§ in the United States are professional theatre companies outside of 

 New York City that produce their own seasons. Often tiny rural communities are able

to awe audiences with extravagant productions.

Television

Television is one of the major mass media of the United States. Ninety-seven percent

of American households have at least one television set and the majority of 

households have more than three.[µcitation needed§]

The US can be said to be the homeland of modern network television.

Music

American contemporary music can be heard all over the world, through µMTV§,

µChannel V§, µVH1§, µBET§ and by artists such as µMichael Jackson§, µEscape the

Fate§, µElvis Presley§, µJimi Hendrix§, µPatsy Cline§, µBilly Joel§, µMetallica§,

µGuns N' Roses§, µBob Dylan§, µCreedence Clearwater Revival§, µBruce

Springsteen§, µBenny Goodman§, µFrank Sinatra§, µRandy Newman§, µMadonna§,

µEminem§, µBackstreet Boys§, µRihanna§, µDean Martin§, µAerosmith§, µB. B.

King§, µThe Doors§, µPrince§, µBon Jovi§, µNirvana§, µVan Halen§, µGarth

Brooks§, µWeezer §, µThe Ramones§, µLinkin Park §, µAvenged Sevenfold§, µWu-

Tang Clan§ and µGreen Day§. American popular music also contains many styles of 

music that developed in the US and were popular music when they came up (or still

are). Examples are µrock & roll§, µhip-hop§, µDance§, µswing§, µjazz§, µblues§,

µcountry§, µR&B§, µfunk §, µpop§, and various others.

Films

American films are very popular, including icons like µStar Wars§, µThe Godfather §,µThe Karate Kid§, µSchindler's List§, µTitanic§ and µThe Matrix§. American movie

actors and actresses are widely recognized such as µTom Hanks§, µAl Pacino§,

µJulia Roberts§, µBrad Pitt§, µMarilyn Monroe§, µGeorge Clooney§, µWill Smith§,

µMeryl Streep§, µRobert De Niro§, µLeonardo DiCaprio§, µDenzel Washington§,

µMarlon Brando§ and µJohnny Depp§.[µcitation needed§] Outside the US, American

Film is usually referred to in a generalizing manner as µHollywood§.

Dance

There is great variety in dance in the United States, it is the home of the  µLindy Hop§

and its derivative µRock and Roll§, and modern µsquare dance§ (associated with theµUnited States of America§ due to its historic development in that country—nineteen

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U.S. states have designated it as their  µofficial state dance§) and one of the major 

centers for µmodern dance§. There is a variety of µsocial dance§ and µconcert or 

 performance dance§ forms with also a range of traditions of  µNative American§

dances.

Firearms

In sharp contrast to most other µdeveloped nations§, µfirearms laws in the United

States§ are permissive and private gun ownership is common, with about 40% of 

households containing at least one firearm. In fact, there are more privately owned

firearms in the United States than in any other nation on earth, both per capita and in

total.µ[18]§ Rates of gun ownership vary greatly by region and by state, with gun

ownership tending to be most common in µAlaska§, the µMountain States§ and µthe

South§ and least common in µHawaii§, the µisland territories§ and the µNortheast

megalopolis§.µ[19]§ µHunting§, µplinking§ and µtarget shooting§ are popular 

 pastimes, although ownership of firearms purely for utilitarian purposes such as self-

defense is common as well.µ[20]§

References

1A. Brandon Zook 

1. µ^§ µUnited States§, CIA World Factbook.

2. µ^§ Meyers, Jeffrey (1999). Hemingway: A Biography. New York: Da Capo,

 p. 139. µISBN 0-306-80890-0§.

3. µ^§ µ"U.S. Stands Alone in its Embrace of Religion"§. Pew Global Attitudes

Project. µhttp://pewglobal.org/reports/display.php?ReportID=167§. Retrieved

1 January 2007.

4. µ^§ Marsden, George M. 1990. Religion and American Culture. Orlando:

Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, pp.45-46.

5. µ^§ Jefferson, Thomas (1904). The writings of Thomas Jefferson. Thomas

Jefferson Memorial Association of the United States. pp. 119.

6. µ^§ µ"CIA Fact Book"§. CIA World Fact Book. 2002.

µhttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html§.

Retrieved 2007-12-30.

7. µ^§ µhttp://www1.macys.com/campaign/parade/parade.jsp§

8. µ^§

µhttp://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode05/usc_sec_05_00006103----000-.html§

9. µ^§ µ"Section 1-3-8"§.

µhttp://www.legislature.state.al.us/codeofalabama/1975/1-3-8.htm§.

10. µ^§ µ"Holidays Observed"§.

µhttp://www.state.sd.us/puc/misc/holidays.htm§.

11. µ^§

µhttp://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Oct/08/br/br2504137896.html

§

12. ^ µa§ µb§ Klapthor, James N. (2003-08-23). µ"What, When, and Where

Americans Eat in 2003"§. Institute of Food Technologists.

µhttp://www.ift.org/cms/?pid=1000496§. Retrieved 2007-06-19.

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13. µ^§ µ"Coffee Today"§. Coffee Country. PBS. May 2003.

µhttp://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/guatemala.mexico/facts.html#02§.

Retrieved 2007-06-19.

14. µ^§ Smith, Andrew F. (2004). The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in

America. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 131–32. µISBN 0-19-

515437-1§. Levenstein, Harvey (2003). Revolution at the Table: TheTransformation of the American Diet. Berkeley, Los Angeles, and London:

University of California Press, pp. 154–55. µISBN 0-520-23439-1§. Pirovano,

Tom (2007). µ"Health & Wellness Trends—The Speculation Is Over"§. AC

 Nielsen. µhttp://us.acnielsen.com/pubs/2006_q1_ci_health.shtml§. Retrieved

2007-06-12.

15. µ^§ µ"Fast Food, Central Nervous System Insulin Resistance, and Obesity"§.

Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. American Heart

Association. 2005.

µhttp://atvb.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/25/12/2451#R3-101329§.

Retrieved 2007-06-09. µ"Let's Eat Out: Americans Weigh Taste,

Convenience, and Nutrition"§ (PDF). U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.µhttp://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/eib19/eib19_reportsummary.pdf §.

Retrieved 2007-06-09.

16. µ^§ Dell Upton. 1998. "Architecture in the United States-Oxford history of 

art." pp. 11 ff. µISBN 019284217X§

17. µ^§ Davis, Fred (1992). Fashion, Culture, and Identity. Chicago: University of 

Chicago Press, p. 69. µISBN 0-226-13809-7§.

18. µ^§ µ"U.S. most armed country with 90 guns per 100 people"§. Reuters.

µhttp://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL2834893820070828§.

19. µ^§ µ"Gun Ownership by State"§. Washington Post.

µhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-

srv/health/interactives/guns/ownership.html§.

20. µ^§ µ"The US gun stock: results from the 2004 national firearms survey"§.

Injury Prevention Journal.

µhttp://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/13/1/15.full§.