Showing posts with label US States. Show all posts
Showing posts with label US States. Show all posts

Monday, November 2, 2015

US Virgin Islands


We just learned about the US territory of Puerto Rico.

Another US territory is the US Virgin Islands, which is in the Atlantic Ocean to the south east of Florida.

There are three main islands, and about 50 other very small islands.


(from: wikipedia - united states virgin islands)

The flag of the US Virgin Islands is white with an eagle between the letters V and I.
In one talon the eagle holds an olive branch, and in the other it holds three arrows for the three major islands of Saint Thomas, Saint John, and Saint Croix.

(from: wikipedia - flag of the united states virgin islands)

There is an old fort on one of the islands named Fort Willoughby that is over 200 years old.

(from: wikipedia - hassel island, u.s. virgin islands)

Trunk Bay on the island of St. John has a white sand beach and snorkeling.

(from: wikipedia - virgin islands national park)

In all of the rest of the US and its territories, people drive cars on the right side of the road. In the US Virgin Islands, they drive on the left side of the road. place

(from: wikipedia - right- and left-hand traffic)

Across the US are 10 very large satellite dishes, over 10 feet tall each.
They make up something called the Very Long Baseline Array, that can be used to look into outer space.
One of them is on the island of St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands.

(from: wikipedia - very long baseline array)


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Monday, October 26, 2015

Puerto Rico



We just learned about the US Territory of Northern Mariana Islands.

Another US territory is the island of Puerto Rico, which is just east of Florida in the Atlantic Ocean.


(from: wikipedia - puerto rico)

The flag of Puerto Rico has a blue triangle with a star in it, three red stripes and two white stripes.


(from: wikipedia - flag of puerto rico)

On Flamenco Beach, there are some old rusting tanks that were left there over 30 years ago, and people have painted graffiti on them.

(from: wikipedia - flamenco beach)

There is a fancy old fire station called Parque de Bombas that was designed over 100 years ago to show off at the world's fair.

(from: wikipedia - parque de bombas)

There is a giant telescope called Arecibo Observatory that is over 1000 feet wide.

(from: wikipedia - arecibo observatory)


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Monday, October 19, 2015

Northern Mariana Islands


We just learned about the US Territory of Guam.

Another US territory is the Northern Mariana Islands, which are north of Australia.


(from: wikipedia - northern mariana islands)

Their flag has a blue background, with a white star, a latte stone and a decorative wreath.

(from: wikipedia - flag of northern mariana islands)

Latte stones are large cut stone pillars that are from very old times.
Many people believe they were used to hold up large houses for the important people on the island.

(from: wikipedia - latte stone)

Pagan island is one of the islands in the territory, and people used to live there until the volcano erupted.
Now it is an empty island with a volcano.

(from: wikipedia - pagan island)

Anatahan is another island in the territory that is empty because of the volcanic eruptions.

(from: wikipedia - anatahan)


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Monday, October 12, 2015

Guam


We just learned about the territory of American Samoa.

Another American territory is Guam.
Guam is in the Pacific ocean, north of Australia.


(from: wikipedia - guam)

The flag of Guam has a blue background, a red border, and the seal in the middle.
The seal is shaped like a type of stone called a Chamorro sling stone, which was used for hunting.
On the seal are a coconut, a boat called a proa, a palm tree, a river and the Agana Bay.

(from: wikipedia - flag of guam)

There is a high place on the island overlooking the ocean called Puntan Dos Amantes.

(from: wikipedia - guam)

There is a peninsula on the island that sticks out and makes an area called Apra Harbor that is very nice for ships to travel in and out of.

(from: wikipedia - apra harbor)


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Monday, October 5, 2015

American Samoa


We've looked at the 50 states in the US, and Washington D.C..

There are also places called US territories, that are kind of like states except some of them can't do things like vote for president or some other laws.

One of the territories is called American Samoa.
It is out in the Pacific ocean, between Hawaii and Australia.

Their motto is "Samoa, Muamua Le Atua" which means Samoa, Let God Be First.


(from: wikipedia - american samoa)

The flag of American Samoa is red white and blue with a bald eagle on it.
The bald eagle is holding a Samoan uatogi war club for the power of the government, and a Samoan fue fly-whisk for the wisdom of the Samoan leaders.

(from: wikipedia - flag of american samoa)

The seal of American Samoa has the fue fly switch, the To'oto'o staff for the chiefs, and the Tanoa bowl for service to the chief.

(from: wikipedia - seal of american samoa)

There are tattoos there called pe'a for boys and malu for girls.
The boys get tattoos all the way from their back down to their knees.
The girls get tattoos from their thighs to their knees.


(from: wikipedia - pe'a)

There is a special fire dance in American Samoa called the siva afi, or fire knife.

(from: wikipedia - fire knife)


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Monday, September 28, 2015

Washington D.C.


We just learned about the US State of Wyoming

Another part of the US is Washington D.C.

Washington D.C. is a part of the US called a district.
It is the capitol city of the USA.
The district's motto is Justitia Omnibus which means Justice for All.

The letters D.C. stand for District of Columbia. It was called that because when the US wanted to make a capitol, Christopher Columbus was very popular, so they named the capitol after him.

Washington D.C. is in the eastern part of the US, right by Maryland and Virginia.


(from: wikipedia - washington, d.c.)

The flag of Washington D.C. is white with three red stars above two red stripes.
It looks like this because it was the flag of George Washington.

(from: wikipedia - flag of the district of columbia)

The seal of Washington D.C. has a picture of George Washington, a picture of lady liberty with a wreath and a stone tablet of the constitution.
It also has the US capitol, some farm crops, an eagle, a train and the sun.

(from: wikipedia - seal of the district of columbia)

Because it is the nation's capitol, there are many famous buildings and statues.

The White House where the President lives.

(from: wikipedia - white house)

The US capitol where the people work to make the laws for America.

(from: wikipedia - united states capitol)

The Lincoln Memorial, a building made to honor Abraham Lincoln.

(from: wikipedia - lincoln memorial)

The Washington Monument, a tall obelisk made to honor George Washington.

(from: wikipedia - washington monument)

The Jefferson Memorial, a building made to honor Thomas Jefferson.

(from: wikipedia - jefferson memorial)


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Monday, September 21, 2015

Wyoming


We just learned about the US state of Wisconsin.

Wyoming is a state in the west part of the US.

It's nicknames are the Equality State, Cowboy State, Big Wyoming and Wonderful Wyoming.
It's motto is Equal Rights

It has the fewest people of any state in the US.

(from: wikipedia - wyoming)

The flag of Wyoming has a red and white border with a blue background and a white picture of an American Bison.
The red is for the Native Americans and Pioneers, the white is for purity and goodness, the blue is for the skies and mountains.
The bison is for the nature found in Wyoming.


(from: wikipedia - flag of wyoming)

The seal of Wyoming shows a farmer and a miner, the lamp of knowledge, the words Oil, Mines, Livestock and Grain, and a statue in the center that says Equal Rights, which is for the equality of women in the state.

(from: wikipedia - seal of wyoming)

Yellowstone National Park is in Wyoming. It is one of the largest and oldest national parks in the US.
It is a home to many animal species like moose, wolves and bears that can't live in big cities so they live naturally at Yellowstone.
It has many natural wonders, like it's own grand canyon.

(from: wikipedia - yellowstone national park)

Grand Prismatic Spring is at Yellowstone, it is the largest hot springs in the US.

(from: wikipedia - yellowstone national park)

The geyser Old Faithful is at Yellowstone, which erupts every 91 minutes.

(from: wikipedia - old faithful)


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Monday, September 14, 2015

Wisconsin


We just learned about the US state of West Virginia.

Wisconsin is a state in the midwest part of the US, bordering two of the Great Lakes, Superior and Michigan.

It's state nicknames are the Badger State and America's Dairyland.
It's state motto is Forward.

(from: wikipedia - wisconsin)

The flag of Wisconsin is blue with the state seal on it.
The state seal has the a badger, a plow, a pick and shovel, and arm and hammer, an anchor, a sailor, a miner, a cornucopia and lead ingots.

(from: wikipedia - flag of wisconsin)

Wisconsin is one of the top producers of milk and cheese in the country, and they are so well known for their cheese that some people call people from Wisconsin "cheeseheads". The people from Wisconsin thought that was funny so they made hats shaped like a piece of cheese.

(from: wikipedia - cheesehead)

The Dells of the Wisconsin River is an area with many beautiful rock formations.

(from: wikipedia - dells of the wisconsin river)

Noah's Ark is the largest water park in the US with 51 waterslides!

(from: wikipedia - water park)


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Monday, September 7, 2015

West Virginia


We just learned about the US state of Washington.

West Virginia is a state on the eastern part of the US.

It's nickname is the Mountain State because of the Appalachian Mountains, and it's motto is Montani semper liberi which means Mountaineers Are Always Free.


(from: wikipedia - west virginia)

The flag of West Virginia has a blue border and a white background, and the state seal in the middle surrounded by a wreath of the state flower rhododendron.
The seal has a boulder with the date June 20, 1863 when they became a state, two crossed rifles and a liberty cap above it to show that the state fights for freedom, a farmer on the left and a miner on the right.

(from: wikipedia - flag of west virginia)

West Virginia used to be one state together with the state of Virginia, but during the Civil War, the state split

(from: wikipedia - west virginia)

There are many caves in West Virginia, like Organ Cave.

(from: wikipedia - organ cave)

There is a very long bridge over a gorge in West Virginia called New River Gorge Bridge.

(from: wikipedia - new river gorge bridge)


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