文化艺术
美国艺术的发展 – 音乐，舞蹈，建筑，视觉艺术和文学 -具有这样的特点：在欧洲的成熟与本土的独创性两大灵感的来源之间互相碰撞。 通常，最优秀的美国艺术家们都有办法同时驾驭两个来源。
经济
美国进入21世纪，经济空前强大，采取的多项措施也更为成功。美国的人口不足世界人口的5％，其经济产出却占全球25％以上。20世纪90年代，美国经济经历了历时最长的持续扩张。计算机、电信和生物科学领域的技术革新浪潮正在深刻地影响美国人的工作和生活方式。
教育 USA EDUCATION
美国没有全国性学校体制，并且除军事院校外，学校也不由联邦政府来管理。
地理与旅行
美国人常说他们的国家是由几个大的地区组成的。这些地区其实属于文化区域，而不是行政单元。这是由历史和地理条件形成的，是由一个地区各部分共有的经济、文学和社会习俗塑造而成。
政府概况
美国是一个拥有50个州的联邦制国家，联邦政府所在地为哥伦比亚特区。《宪法》确立了国家政府的结构，规定了其权力和活动范围，并且划定了国家政府和各州政府之间的关系。在国家政府和州（地方）政府之间实行分权。州内建县、镇、市和乡各级，各级均设有选任政府。
历史
第一批到达北美的欧洲人是冰岛维京人，他们于1000年左右在莱夫·埃里克松的率领下抵达。他们的足迹可以在加拿大的纽芬兰省寻到，但维京人没有建立一个永久据点，并很快失去了与新大陆的联系。
媒体
根据最近的一项研究，一般美国人每天花约8小时使用印刷和电子媒体 — 在家里，在办公室和乘坐汽车时。 这个总数包括四小时看电视，三小时听收音机，半小时听录制的音乐，另外半小时看报纸。
社会
美国人有不同的肤色和民族。美国人信奉不同的宗教，有许多不同的生活方式。在地理区域之间，农村与城市之间以及社会阶层之间存在着重要差异。此外，来自世界各地的数百万移民为美国带来了自己的文化和价值，给美国生活增添了更多的多样性与特色。虽然美国人并不总是彼此同意，但他们被一个非常特别的东西联合在一起，那就是200多年前最初在美国宪法中所描述的价值观和理想。
体育
体育在美国的经济和文化中占据相当大的部分。在美国，愿意参加几乎任何体育运动的人随处可见。棒球、美式橄榄球(American football)、篮球和曲棍球可以说是美国最流行的运动。足球(football)（在美国称“英式足球(soccer)”）在美国的中学和高校中十分受欢迎，作为职业运动则仍在兴起中。七人制橄榄球(rugby)和板球也是的流行校内运动。

美利坚合众国是一个多民族、多元化的国家，有着繁荣的经济、民主的政府和机制，以及充满活力的文化。 美国人来自各个不同的肤色和祖籍。 美国人信仰的宗教各不相同，生生活方式也各不相同。不同的地理区域之间、农村和城市之间，以及社会阶层之间存在着显著差异。 此外，数百万移民从世界各地来到美国，带来各自的文化和价值观，使美国的生活更加丰富多元。虽然美国人彼此并不总是看法一致，但是他们由一个非比寻常的纽带联合在一起，那就是200多年前最初由美国宪法提出的价值观和理想。
为纪念美国黑人为美国文化和政治生活所做的贡献，美国著名学者和史学家卡特·伍德森 (Carter G. Woodson) 于1926年创立黑人历史周。伍德森选择2月份的第二个星期为黑人历史周以纪念林肯总统(Abraham Lincoln)和废奴主义者弗雷德里克·道格拉斯(Frederick Douglass)的诞辰日。1976年，美国庆祝建国200周年，黑人历史周也随之扩大为黑人历史月。
三月，世界庆祝国际妇女节，美国同时庆祝妇女历史月。
美国1909年首次庆祝妇女节。1911年第一届国际妇女节期间，超过100万人参加了在奥地利、丹麦、德国和瑞士举行的活动。 如今，有些国家将妇女节定为国家节日，以纪念妇女取得的成就，同时凸显她们在工作和生活中依然面临的种种障碍。
全国妇女历史月起源于加利福尼亚州索诺玛县(Sonoma County)。1978年，妇女地位委员会启动了妇女历史周。 两年后，吉米∙卡特总统请美国人在国际妇女节之际庆祝妇女取得的历史性成就。1981年，国会设立了首个全国妇女历史周，并于1987年将其延长为历史月。
 
4月22日地球日是美国一年一度的环境纪念日，纪念环境日之际，美国人也评估仍需如何努力来保护我们这个星球的自然恩赐。虽然有数家非政府组织追踪当地学校和公园为纪念这一天而举办的数以千计的活动，但地球日并没有一个核心主办方。地球日确认，环境意识属于国家良知，而保护环境这一曾经只属于少数环保主义者的理念已经进入美国的主流思想。
地球日宣言四十多年前，来自各行各业的美国人集结起来应对一项共同挑战。污染损害了我们的健康和生计−从在污染的河流中游泳的儿童到暴露于危险化学品的工人，到生活在雾霾中的城市居民。首个地球日对每位公民、每个家庭和每个公职人员都发出了行动的号召。环保运动得以发声，环境保护署因此而建立，同时也地球日也推动了我们的国家就清洁空气和水制定标志性的法律。今年地球日，让我们谨记，当美国人为同一个目的团结起来时，我们可以克服任何障碍。
地球日的历史
…1970年4月22日第一个地球日是民主历史上最重要的事件之一… 2000万人表达了他们的支持…它永远地改变了美国的政治和公共政策。《美国遗产杂志》，1993年10月
地球日创立者  1969年，美国威斯康辛州参议员盖洛德∙纳尔逊（Gaylord Nelson）提出了一个他那个时代最有力量的想法：地球日。受为抗议越南战争活动的启发，地球日一经创立即获成功，第一年（1970年）便吸引了2000万参与者。
何为地球日？
4月22日地球日是美国一年一度的环境纪念日，纪念环境日之际，美国人也评估仍需如何努力来保护我们这个星球的自然恩赐。虽然有数家非政府组织追踪当地学校和公园为纪念这一天而举办的数以千计的活动，但地球日并没有一个核心主办方。地球日确认，环境意识属于国家良知，而保护环境这一曾经只属于少数环保主义者的理念已经进入美国的主流思想。
五月是亚太裔传统月−为亚洲人和太平洋岛民设立的纪念活动。亚太地区涵盖广泛，包括全部亚洲大陆；美拉尼西亚太平洋群岛（新几内亚、新喀里多尼亚、瓦努阿图、斐济和所罗门群岛）；密克罗尼西亚群岛（马里亚纳群岛、关岛、复活岛、帕劳、马绍尔群岛、 基里巴斯，瑙鲁和密克罗尼西亚联邦），以及波利尼西亚群岛（新西兰、夏威夷群岛、罗图马、中途岛、萨摩亚、美属萨摩亚、汤加、图瓦卢、库克群岛、法属波利尼西亚和复活节岛）。
与多数纪念月一样，亚太裔传统月源于一份国会议案。1977年6月，共和党纽约州众议员弗兰克·霍顿（Frank Horton）和加利福尼亚州众议员诺曼·米尼塔（Norman Y. Mineta）提出了一份议案，提请总统宣布5月的前十天为亚太遗产周。此后的一个月中，参议员丹尼尔·井上（Daniel Inouye）和斯帕克·松永（Spark Matsunaga）在参议院也提出了类似议案。两份议案在两院分别获得通过。1978年10月5日，吉米·卡特总统签署了一份联合决议，设立了亚太裔纪年周。十二年后，乔治∙ H∙ W∙布什总统签署决定，将纪念周延长为纪念月。1992年，5月作为亚太裔美国传统月正式写入法律。
选择五月为亚太裔传统月是为了纪念1843年5月7日第一位日本人移居美国，以及1869年5月10日太平洋铁路（Transcontinental Railroad）完工。铺筑这条铁路的工人大多为中国移民。
雾谷飞鸿是美国国务院国际信息局（IIP）的中文博客。“雾谷”是指美国国务院所在地Foggy Bottom，“飞鸿”取意“鸿雁传书”的典故，表达了从中国来到美国生活并工作了多年的博客作者向远方的中国朋友传递信息、相互交流的愿望。雾谷飞鸿从多个侧面详实、深入地介绍美国社会，鼓励读者参与对话，并希望成为一个提供有益信息的可靠来源。

The United States of America is a multi-ethnic, pluralistic country with a thriving economy, democratic government and institutions, and a dynamic culture.  Americans come in all different colors and nationalities. Americans practice different religions, and live many different lifestyles. Important differences exist between geographical regions, between rural and urban areas, and between social classes. In addition, the presence of millions of immigrants who came to the United States from all corners of the world with their own culture and values adds even more variety and flavor to American life. Although Americans do not always agree with each other, they are united by a very special thing: the values and ideals that were originally described in the U.S. Constitution over 200 years ago.
To celebrate and commemorate the contributions to the United States made by people of African descent, American educator and historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson established Black History Week. The Black History Week was first celebrated in February 12, 1926. The second week of February was chosen for this celebration because it marked the birthdays of two people who had greatly impacted Black Americans’ lives: Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.
In March, the world observes International Women’s Day, and, in the United States, Women’s History Month.
Women’s Day was first celebrated in the United States in 1909. In 1911, more than 1 million people attended events in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland during the first International Women’s Day. Now, it is national holiday in a few countries to commemorate the achievements women have made and to highlight the varieties of obstacles they still confront in work and life.
The origins of National Women’s History Month can be traced to Sonoma County, California, where in 1978 the Commission on the Status of Women initiated Women’s History Week. Two years later, President Jimmy Carter asked Americans to celebrate women’s historic accomplishments in conjunction with International Women’s Day. Congress established the first National Women’s History Week in 1981 and expanded it to a month in 1987.
Useful Links 
Women of Influence
Earth Day, April 22, is the annual U.S. celebration of the environment and a time for Americans to assess the work still needed to protect the natural gifts of our planet. Earth Day has no central organizing force behind it, though several nongovernmental organizations work to keep track of the thousands of local events in schools and parks that mark the day. It affirms that environmental awareness is part of the country’s consciousness and that the idea of protecting the environment — once the province of a few conservationists — has moved from the extreme to the mainstream of American thought.
Proclamation on Earth DayOver four decades ago, Americans from all walks of life came together to tackle a shared challenge. Pollution damaged our health and livelihoods — from children swimming in contaminated streams to workers exposed to dangerous chemicals to city residents living under a thick haze of smog. The first Earth Day was a call to action for every citizen, every family, and every public official. It gave voice to the conservation movement, led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, and pushed our Nation to adopt landmark laws on clean air and water. This Earth Day, we remember that when Americans unite in common purpose, we can overcome any obstacle.
The History of Earth Day…April 22, 1970, Earth Day was held, one of the most remarkable happenings in the history of democracy… 20 million people demonstrated their support… American politics and public policy would never be the same again. American Heritage Magazine, October 1993
Founder of Earth Day In 1969, as a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson came up with one of the most powerful ideas of his time: Earth Day. Inspired by the teach-ins formed to protest the Vietnam War, Earth Day was an instant success, drawing 20 million participants the first year (1970).
What is Earth Day?Earth Day, April 22, is the annual U.S. celebration of the environment and a time for Americans to assess the work still needed to protect the natural gifts of our planet. Earth Day has no central organizing force behind it, though several nongovernmental organizations work to keep track of the thousands of local events in schools and parks that mark the day. It affirms that environmental awareness is part of the country’s consciousness and that the idea of protecting the environment — once the province of a few conservationists — has moved from the extreme to the mainstream of American thought.
May is Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month – a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. A rather broad term, Asian-Pacific encompasses all of the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia (New Guinea, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji and the Solomon Islands), Micronesia (Marianas, Guam, Wake Island, Palau, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru and the Federated States of Micronesia) and Polynesia (New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Rotuma, Midway Islands, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, French Polynesia and Easter Island).
Like most commemorative months, Asian-Pacific Heritage Month originated in a congressional bill. In June 1977, Reps. Frank Horton of New York and Norman Y. Mineta of California introduced a House resolution that called upon the president to proclaim the first ten days of May as Asian-Pacific Heritage Week. The following month, senators Daniel Inouye and Spark Matsunaga introduced a similar bill in the Senate. Both were passed. On October 5, 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed a Joint Resolution designating the annual celebration. Twelve years later, President George H.W. Bush signed an extension making the week-long celebration into a month-long celebration. In 1992, the official designation of May as Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month was signed into law.
The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants.
Wild Geese from Foggy Bottom is the Department of State’s Bureau of International Information Programs’s (IIP) Chinese blog. “Wu Gu” refers to the location of the U.S. Department of State; “Fei Hong” derives from an ancient Chinese idiom—sending letters home on the backs of flying wild geese.  It expresses the desire of the bloggers, who came from China and have been living and working in the U.S. for many years, to relay information and to communicate with distant friends in China.  Wild Geese from Foggy Bottom conveys detailed, in-depth information about different aspects of the American society, encourages readers to participate in the conversation, and intends to serve as a credible resource of useful information.