The United States of America - sometimes abbreviated to 'US' and often simply called 'America' - occupies the central portion of North America. Canada is to the north, and Mexico to the south.

For thousands of years, the United States was home to five hundred American Indian nations.

After the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1472, it became a target for European colonists who were embarking on the 'Age of Discovery'.

Many countries claimed parts of the United States, including England, Holland, Spain and France. In a series of battles, England came to claim the east coast, while Spain claimed the south and west, and France claimed the middle area which they called Louisiana (after Louis, the King of France).

By the end of the 18th century, the colonies of Britain were prosperous, but some people in them wanted more independence. Eventually a Revolutionary War broke out. Many colonists did not agree with the war and moved north to Canada. The rest set up the United States of America, which at first had just 13 members – the original English colonies.

Gradually the people of the United States, who by now called themselves 'Americans', explored westwards, believing it was their 'Manifest Destiny' to rule the whole of middle North America 'From sea to shining sea'. To do this they took over land that was Spanish and French. Many of the American Indians were badly treated at this time and later, and they found themselves on small reservations on poor land, while the newcomers took over the good land.

The United States turned out to have enormous wealth in terms of farmland and minerals. As millions poured into America from all over the world, determined to make their fortunes, the population of the United States grew.

Things did not go well, all the time, however, and in the 1860s there was a civil war between the North and South. This was a war that involved slaves. At the end of it, slavery was abolished, but the African American people remain disadvantaged to this day.

For the time since then, America has been fortunate not to have had a war on its land, while Europe was the site of two world wars. This was one reason that the United States could develop ahead of Europe. It also had more people and a greater wealth of resources. The attitude of the people, including the immigrants was also 'get up and go'.

The United States is still a land of immigrants, with many now coming from Mexico and countries to the south. The 'Latino' population is set to become greater than the 'European' population in the future decades.

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