The USA is located mostly in North America, and comprises 48 contiguous states, lying between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, and bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. Two additional federated states are not connected to the mainland, with Alaska located in the north-western part of the North American continent, and Hawaii situated in the mid-Pacific. With a land area of over 3.5 million square miles, and a population of 302 million, the United States is the third largest country in the world both by land area and population.
Due to its size, the US has an extremely varied geography, which ranges from the fertile prairies of the Great Plains to deciduous forests of the eastern regions, mountain ranges such as the Appalachian Mountains, or the Sierra Nevada, the Great Lakes and the areas surrounding the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. This geographic diversity also means climatic diversity ranging from continental in the north, to tropical in Florida, subarctic in Alaska and alpine in the Western mountains.
Over 80% of the American population lives in urban areas, and the US has many growing metropolitan areas, and four global cities with a population of more than 2 million, namely, New York, Los Angeles, Houston and Chicago. If you are looking for the diversity of a big city where your property investment could truly prosper, the US offers a variety of locations, and different settings and climates to choose from.
The USA has a genuinely diverse society, with the majority of the population having European origins. Many have their ancestry traceable to the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain or Germany, and there are altogether thirty-one different ancestry groups. The largest racial minority groups include the African Americans, Asian Americans, and a growing number of Hispanic and Latino Americans. The US is thus one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, mostly due to steady immigration throughout its history. Immigration nowadays is not as easy as it used to be, there's a strict quota system in place, and public attitudes about immigration have also been affected negatively in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.
The US ideal of the 'American Dream', the ideal of high social mobility and the importance of individual achievement still holds strong, and plays an important role in attracting immigrants, despite various studies showing that social mobility is actually higher in Canada and many Western European countries. The culture of United States fuses a diversity of traditions, values and influences from different ethnic groups, and the dominant American culture nowadays is largely derived from the traditions of European immigrants. The US can boast a multicultural and open society, where several traditions and influences are present alongside each other, and where the importance of individual achievement is enduring.
This diversity and openness of the American society and its prosperous economy create a strong basis for a successful investment. If you are interested in USA investment properties, find out more about overseas property investment, and check out Belgrave Group's unique investment opportunities in Atlanta and Detroit.