United States and Notting Hill (film): Difference between pages

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Revision as of 01:16, 25 May 2007

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{{Infobox Film

:''For alternative meanings, see the disambiguation page for [[US (disambiguation)|US]], [[USA (disambiguation)|USA]], or [[United States (disambiguation)|United States]].''

| name = Notting Hill

| image = NottingHillRobertsGrant.jpg

The '''United States of America'''—also referred to as the '''United States''', the '''U.S.''', the '''USA''', '''America''' {{an|America}}, and the '''States''' (colloquially)—is a [[federal republic]] of 50 [[U.S. state|states]], located primarily in central [[North America]].

| caption = The film's poster.

| producer = [[Duncan Kenworthy]]

{{Infobox Country |

| director = [[Roger Michell]]

native_name = United States of America |

| writer = [[Richard Curtis]]

common_name = the United States |

| starring = [[Julia Roberts]]<br>[[Hugh Grant]]<br>[[Rhys Ifans]]<br>[[Emma Chambers]]<br>[[Tim McInnerny]]<br>[[Gina McKee]]<br>[[Hugh Bonneville]]

image_flag = Flag of the United States.svg |

| music = [[Trevor Jones (composer)|Trevor Jones]]

image_coat = Great Seal of the US.png|20px |

| cinematography = Michael Coulter

national_motto = <br>''[[E pluribus unum]]'' (1789 to present)<br>([[Latin]]: "Out of Many, One")<br>''[[In God We Trust]]'' (1956 to present) |

| editing = Nick Moore

image_map = LocationUSA.png |

| distributor = [[Music Corporation of America|MCA]]-[[Universal Studios|Universal]]<br />[[PolyGram Filmed Entertainment]]

national_anthem = ''[[The Star-Spangled Banner]]'' |

| released = {{flagicon|UK}} [[May 21]], [[1999]]</br>{{flagicon|USA}} [[May 28]], [[1999]]

official_languages = [[Languages in the United States|None at federal level]];<br> [[American English]] [[de facto]] |

| runtime = 124 min.

capital = [[Washington, D.C.]] |latd=38|latm=53|latNS=N|longd=77|longm=02|longEW=W|

| budget = $42 million

government_type = [[Democracy|Democratic]] [[federal republic]] |

| gross = $116 million

leader_titles = &nbsp;• [[President of the United States|President]]<br>&nbsp;• [[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]] |

| language = [[English language|English]]

leader_names = [[George W. Bush]]<br>[[Dick Cheney]] |

| website = http://www.notting-hill.com/

largest_city = [[New York City]] |

| imdb_id = 0125439

area = 9,631,418 |

| amg_id = 1:179536

area_rank = 3rd|

area_magnitude = 1 E12|

percent_water = 4.87% |

<!-- population estimate from census bureau website http://www.census.gov/population/www/popclockus.html -->

population_estimate = 297,446,524 |

population_estimate_year = October 2005 |

population_estimate_rank = 3rd |

population_census = 281,421,906 |

population_census_year = 2000 |

population_density = 32 |

population_density_rank = 140th |

GDP_PPP_year = 2005 |

GDP_PPP = $12,378,000 million |

GDP_PPP_rank = 1st |

GDP_PPP_per_capita = $41,763 |

GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 3rd |

sovereignty_type = [[American Revolutionary War|Independence]] |

established_events = &nbsp;• Declared<br>&nbsp;• Recognized

[[United States Constitution|'''Constitution''']]<br>&nbsp;• Completed<br>&nbsp;• Ratified<br>&nbsp;• Effective|

established_dates = From [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]]<br> [[July 4]], [[1776]]<br>[[September 3]], [[1783]]

[[September 17]], [[1787]]<br>[[May 23]], [[1788]]<br>[[March 4]], [[1789]]|

currency = [[United States dollar|Dollar]] ([[$]]) |

currency_code = USD |

country_code = USA |

time_zone = |

utc_offset = -5 to -10 |

time_zone_DST = |

utc_offset_DST = -4 to -10 |

cctld = [[.gov]] [[.edu]] [[.mil]] [[.us]] [[.um]] |

calling_code = 1 |

HDI = 0.944 |

HDI_rank = 10th |

footnotes=|

}}

'''''Notting Hill''''' is a [[1999 in film|1999]] [[romantic comedy film]] set in the [[Notting Hill]] district of [[London]], [[England]], [[United Kingdom|United Kingdom]], that was released on [[May 21]] [[1999]]. The [[screenplay]] was written by [[Richard Curtis]] who had previously written ''[[Four Weddings and a Funeral]]''. It was produced by [[Duncan Kenworthy]], and directed by [[Roger Michell]]. The film stars [[Julia Roberts]], [[Hugh Grant]], [[Rhys Ifans]], [[Emma Chambers]], [[Tim McInnerny]], [[Gina McKee]] and [[Hugh Bonneville]].

Bookshop owner William Thacker's world begins to turn upside down after the world's most famous actress, Anna Scott, visits his store. Later, Will knocks his orange juice into Anna as she passes him in the street. After she gets changed at his house, Anna surprises Will with a kiss. The pair then begin a relationship, but encounter numerous problems on the way.

The United States has land borders with [[Canada]] and [[Mexico]], and [[Territorial waters|territorial water]] boundaries with Canada, [[Russia]] and the [[Bahamas]]. It is otherwise bounded by the [[Pacific Ocean]], the [[Bering Sea]], the [[Arctic Ocean]], the [[Atlantic Ocean]], the [[Gulf of Mexico]], and the [[Caribbean Sea]]. Forty-eight of the states—often referred to as the continental, contiguous or [[Lower 48]] states—are located in a single region between Canada and Mexico. The other two, [[Alaska]] and the [[archipelago]] of [[Hawaii]], are not contiguous with the others. There is a [[federal district]], the [[District of Columbia]] named 'Columbia' for the old poetic name for the country, comprising the [[capital]], [[Washington, D.C.]] The United States also owns a number of [[Political divisions of the United States#Territories of the United States|overseas territories]].

The official founding date of the United States is [[July 4]], [[1776]], when the Second [[Continental Congress]]—representing the 13 [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]] [[13 colonies|colonies]]—adopted the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]]. However, the structure of the nation was profoundly changed in 1788, when the states replaced the [[Articles of Confederation]] with the [[United States Constitution]]; the date on which each of the original 13 states adopted the Constitution is typically regarded as the date that state "entered the Union" (became part of the United States). Since the mid-20th century, the United States has become the dominant [[Geopolitics|global]] influence in [[economic]], [[political]], [[military]], [[scientific]], [[technological]] and [[cultural]] affairs.

==History==

{{main4|History of the United States|Military history of the United States|Timeline of United States history|List of U.S. military history events}}

American history started with the [[migration]] of people from [[Asia]] across the [[Bering land bridge]] approximately 12,000 years ago following large animals that they preyed upon into the Americas. These '[[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]]' left evidence of their presence in [[petroglyph]]s, [[burial mound]]s, and other [[artifact]]s. It is estimated that at least ten million lived in the territory now occupied by the US before European contact, and the subsequent introduction of foreign diseases such as [[small pox]] that greatly diminished the native populations. Some advanced societies were the [[Anasazi]] of the southwest, who built [[Chaco Canyon]], and the [[Woodland Indians]], who built [[Cahokia]], located near present-day St Louis, a city with a population of 40,000 at its peak in 1200 CE.

During the 1500s and 1600s, the Spanish settled parts of the present-day [[Southwestern United States|Southwest]] and [[Florida]], founding [[St. Augustine, Florida|St. Augustine]], Florida in 1565 and [[Santa Fe]] (in what is now New Mexico) in 1607. The first successful English settlement was at [[Jamestown, Virginia]], also in 1607. Within the next two decades, several Dutch settlements, including [[New Amsterdam]] (the predecessor to [[New York City]]), were established in what are now the states of [[New York]] and [[New Jersey]]. In 1637, [[Swedish colonization of the Americas|Sweden established a colony]] at [[Fort Christina]] (in what is now Delaware), but lost the settlement to the Dutch in 1655.

This was followed by extensive British settlement of the east coast. The British colonists remained relatively undisturbed by their home country until after the [[French and Indian War]], when France ceded Canada and the [[Great Lakes]] region to Britain. Britain then imposed taxes on the 13 colonies, widely regarded by the settlers as unfair because they were denied representation in the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|British Parliament]]. Tensions between Britain and the settlers increased, and the thirteen colonies eventually rebelled against British rule.

In 1776, the 13 colonies split from Great Britain and formed the United States, the world's first constitutional and democratic [[federal republic]], after their [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]] of that year, and the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] (1775 to 1783). The original political structure was a [[confederation]] in 1777, ratified in 1781 as the [[Articles of Confederation]]. After long [[Federalist papers|debate]], this was supplanted by the [[United States Constitution|Constitution]] in 1789, forming a more centralized [[federalism|federal]] government. Prior to all these was the [[Albany Congress]] in 1754, in which a union was first seriously proposed.

[[Image:George-Washington.jpg|thumb|150px|right|First [[President of the United States]], [[George Washington]]]]

From early colonial times, there was a shortage of labor, which encouraged [[unfree labor]], particularly [[indentured servitude]] and [[slavery]]. In the mid-19th century, a major division occurred in the United States over the issue of [[states' rights]] and the expansion of slavery. The northern states had become opposed to slavery, while the southern states saw it as necessary for the continued success of southern [[agriculture]] and wanted it expanded to the territories. Several federal laws were passed in an attempt to settle the dispute, including the [[Missouri Compromise]] and the [[Compromise of 1850]]. The dispute reached a crisis point in 1861, when seven southern states seceded[[Confederate States of America#International Diplomacy and Legal Status|<small>¹</small>]] from the Union and formed the [[Confederate States of America]], leading to the [[American Civil War|Civil War]]. Soon after the war began, four more southern states seceded. During the war, [[Abraham Lincoln]] issued the [[Emancipation Proclamation]], mandating the freedom of all slaves in states in rebellion, though full emancipation did not take place until after the end of the war in 1865, the dissolution of the Confederacy, and the [[Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Thirteenth Amendment]] took effect. The Civil War effectively ended the question of a state's right to secede, and is widely accepted as a major turning point after which the federal government became more powerful than state governments.

During the 19th century, many new [[U.S. state|state]]s were added to the original 13 as the nation expanded across the continent. [[Manifest Destiny]] was a philosophy that encouraged westward expansion in the United States. As the population of the Eastern states grew and as a steady increase of immigrants entered the country, settlers moved steadily westward across North America. In the process, the US displaced most American Indian nations. ''(See [[Trail of Tears]].)'' This displacement of American Indians continues to be a matter of contention in the U.S. with many tribes attempting to assert their original claims to various lands. In some areas American Indian populations were reduced by foreign diseases contracted through contact with European settlers, and US settlers acquired those emptied lands. Unlike European countries, the US was never a colonial power (having itself been spawned from a colonial rebellion) but through various military victories, diplomacy, and outside dealings, the US acquired a number of overseas possessions, from [[Cuba]] to the [[Philippines]], though it gave up most of these over time. ''(See [[United States territorial acquisitions]].)''

During this period, the nation also became an [[industrialisation|industrial power]]. This continued into the 20th century, which has been termed "the [[American Century]]" because of the nation's overriding influence on the world. The US became a center for innovation and technological development; major technologies that America either developed or was greatly involved in improving include the [[telephone]], [[television]], [[computer]], the [[Internet]], [[nuclear weapon]]s, [[nuclear power]], [[air travel|aviation]] and [[space travel|aeronautics]].

In addition to the Civil War, another major traumatic experience for the nation was the [[Great Depression]] (1929 to 1941). The nation has also taken part in several major foreign wars, including [[World War I]] and [[World War II]] (in both of which the US later joined the [[Allies]]). During the [[Cold War]], the US was a major player in the [[Korean War]] and [[Vietnam War]], and, along with the [[Soviet Union]], was considered one of the world's two "[[superpower]]s". With the [[collapse of the Soviet Union]], the US emerged as the world's leading economic and military power. Beginning in the 1990s, the United States became very involved in [[police action]]s and [[peacekeeping]], including actions in [[Kosovo]], [[Haiti]], [[Somalia]] and [[Liberia]], and the first [[Gulf War]] driving [[Iraq]] out of [[Kuwait]]. After [[September 11, 2001 attacks|attacks]] on the [[World Trade Center]] and [[the Pentagon]] on [[September 11]], [[2001]], the United States and other allied nations started what they called the "[[War on Terrorism]]" and later the [[Iraq war]].

== Government and politics ==

[[Image:George-W-Bush.jpeg|thumb|175px|[[President of the United States]], [[George W Bush]].]]

{{main2|Politics of the United States|Law of the United States}}

The United States may be regarded as an example of a constitutional [[republic]] or as a [[liberal democracy]], with a government composed of and operating through a set of limited powers imposed by its design and enumerated in that design or [[constitution|Constitution of the United States of America]]. Specifically, the nation operates as a [[representative democracy]]. There are three levels of government: federal, state, and local. Each of these levels host elected officials freely selected by qualified voters eligible and therefore legally qualified to vote after their 17th year regardless of gender or any other civil criterion by [[Secret ballot|secret ballot]]. Americans (except for some [[felony disenfranchisement|felons]]) enjoy [[universal suffrage]] from the age of 18; however, the national representation of territories and the federal district of [[Washington, D.C.|Washington, DC]] in [[United States Congress|Congress]] is [[District_of_Columbia_voting_rights|limited]].

===Constitution===

[[Image:United States Bill of Rights.jpg|200px|thumb|left|The American [[Bill of Rights]], enacted in 1791, provides a list of basic guaranteed rights]]

{{main2|Constitution of the United States|Human rights in the United States}}

The Constitution of the United States sets out the powers of the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government and recognizes a number of rights of its citizens, including [[freedom of speech]], the [[right to keep and bear arms]], [[freedom of religion]], [[trial by jury]], and protection from [[cruel and unusual punishment]].

===Federal government===

The [[federal government of the United States|federal government]] is the national government, comprising the [[Congress of the United States|Congress]] (the [[legislature|legislative]] branch), the [[President of the United States|President]] (the executive branch), and the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] (the judicial branch). These three branches were designed to apply [[checks and balances]] on each other. The Constitution limits the powers of the federal government to defense, foreign affairs, the issuing and management of currency, the management of trade and relations between the states, and the protection of [[human rights]]. In addition to these explicitly stated powers, the federal government—with the assistance of the Supreme Court—has gradually extended these powers into such areas as [[welfare]] and education, on the basis of the "[[Necessary_and_Proper_Clause|necessary and proper clause]]" of the Constitution. This is in contrast to the Canadian experience, in which a centralist constitution has gradually become less so over the past century.

[[Image:Uscapitolindaylight.jpg|thumb|250px|right|The United States Capitol]]

The Congress is a [[Bicameralism|bicameral]] law- making institution composed of the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] and the [[United States Senate|Senate]], which both meet in the [[United States Capitol]] in [[Washington, D.C.|Washington, DC]]. The House has 435 members, called representatives or congressmen/congresswomen, are elected by the people of a [[congressional district]] to represent that district for a term of two years. The number of districts for each state depends on its population, except that each state has at least one representative. According to the [[United States 2000 census|2000 census]], the districts had an average population of about 640,000 people. The Senate has 100 members, called senators, who represent whole, individual states for terms of six years. Each state is represented by two senators, regardless of population. On the same day as House elections, roughly one third of the Senate seats are contested, one each from roughly two thirds of the states on a rotational basis. The Constitution initially gave the state legislatures the power to elect senators; however, the [[Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Seventeenth Amendment]] transferred this role to the people.

At the top of the executive branch is the President of the United States. The President and Vice President are elected as 'running mates' for four-year terms by the [[U.S. Electoral College|Electoral College]], for which each state, as well as the District of Columbia, is allocated a number of seats based on its representation (or ostensible representation, in the case of D. C.) in both houses of Congress (see [[U.S. Electoral College]]). The relationship between the President and the Congress reflects that between the English monarchy and parliament at the time of the framing of the United States Constitution. Congress can legislate to constrain the President's executive power, even with respect to his or her command of the armed forces; however, this power is used only very rarely—a notable example was the constraint placed on President [[Richard Nixon]]'s strategy of bombing [[Cambodia]] during the [[Vietnam War]]. The President cannot directly propose legislation, and must rely on supporters in Congress to promote his or her legislative agenda. The President's signature is required to turn congressional bills into law; in this respect, the President has the power—only occasionally used—to veto congressional legislation. Congress can override a presidential veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both houses. The ultimate power of Congress over the President is that of [[impeachment]] or removal of the elected President through a House vote, a Senate trial, and a Senate vote. The threat of using this power has had major political ramifications in the cases of Presidents [[Andrew Johnson]], [[Richard Nixon]], and [[Bill Clinton]].

The President makes around 2,000 executive appointments, including members of the Cabinet and ambassadors, which must be approved by the Senate; the President can also issue [[executive order]]s and [[pardon]]s, and has other Constitutional duties, among them the requirement to give a [[State of the Union]] address to Congress once a year. Although the President's constitutional role may appear to be constrained, in practice, the office carries enormous prestige that typically eclipses the power of Congress: the Presidency has justifiably been referred to as 'the most powerful office in the world'. The [[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]] is first in the [[United States presidential line of succession|line of succession]], and is the [[President of the Senate]] ''ex officio'', with the ability to cast a tie-breaking vote. The members of the President's [[United States Cabinet|Cabinet]] are responsible for administering the various departments of state, including the [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]], the [[United States Department of Justice|Justice Department]], and the [[United States Department of State|State Department]]. These departments and department heads have considerable regulatory and political power, and it is they who are responsible for executing federal laws and regulations.

The highest court in the land is the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]], which consists of nine justices. The court deals with federal and constitutional matters, and can declare legislation made at any level of the government as [[Constitution#Constitutional courts|unconstitutional]], nullifying the law and creating [[precedent]] for future law and decisions. A case may be appealed from a state court to a federal court only if there is a federal question; the [[State supreme court|supreme court of each state]] is the final authority on the interpretation of that state's laws and constitution. Below the Supreme Court are the [[United States courts of appeals|courts of appeals]], and below them in turn are the [[United States district court|district courts]], which are the general trial courts for federal law.

===State and local governments===

[[Image:Map of USA with county outlines.png|thumbnail|United States|United States of America, showing [[U.S. state|state]]s, divided into [[Counties of the United States|counties]].]]

The state governments have the greatest influence over people's daily lives. Each state has its own written constitution and has different laws. There are sometimes great differences in law and procedure between the different states, concerning issues such as property, crime, health, and education. The highest elected official of each state is the Governor. Each state also has an elected legislature ([[bicameral]] in every state except [[Nebraska]]), whose members represent the different parts of the state. Of note is the [[New Hampshire]] legislature, which is the third-largest legislative body in the English-speaking world, and has one representative for every 3,000 people. Each state maintains its own judiciary, with the lowest level typically being county courts, and culminating in each [[state supreme court]], though sometimes named differently. In some states, supreme and lower court justices are elected by the people; in others, they are appointed, as they are in the federal system.

The institutions that are responsible for local government are typically town, city, or [[county board]]s, making laws that affect their particular area. These laws concern issues such as traffic, the sale of alcohol, and keeping animals. The highest elected official of a town or city is usually the [[mayor]]. In [[New England]], towns operate [[direct democracy|directly democratically]], and in some states, [[Counties of the United States|counties]] have little or no power, existing only as geographic distinctions. In other areas, county governments have more power, such as to collect taxes and maintain [[law enforcement]] agencies.

=== Political divisions ===

{{main|Political divisions of the United States}}

With the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]], the [[thirteen colonies]] proclaimed themselves to be [[nation states]] modeled after the European states of the time. Although considered as sovereigns initially, under the [[Articles of Confederation]] of 1781 they entered into a "Perpetual Union" and created a fully sovereign federal state, delegating certain powers to the national Congress, including the right to engage in diplomatic relations and to levy war, while each retaining their individual sovereignty, freedom and independence. But the national government proved too ineffective, so the administrative structure of the government was vastly reorganized with the United States Constitution of 1789. Under this new union, the continued status of the individual states as sovereign [[nation states]] fell into dispute in 1861, as several states attempted to secede from the union; in response, then-President Abraham Lincoln claimed that such secession was illegal, and the result was the [[American Civil War]]. Following the Union victory in 1865, the independent status of the individual states has not been broached again by any state, and the status of each state within the union, has been deemed by mainstream officials and academics to be settled as being subordinate to the union as a whole.

In subsequent years, the number of states grew steadily due to western expansion, the purchase of lands by the national government from other nation states, and the subdivision of existing states, resulting in the current total of 50. The states are generally divided into smaller administrative regions, including [[county (United States)|counties]], [[List of cities of the United States|cities]] and [[township (United States)|township]]s.

The United States&ndash;Canadian border is the longest undefended political boundary in the world. The US is divided into three distinct sections: the [[continental United States]], also known as "The Lower 48"; [[Alaska]], which is physically connected only to Canada; and the [[archipelago]] of Hawaii in the central [[Pacific Ocean]]. The United States also holds several other territories, districts and possessions, notably the [[federal district]] of the [[District of Columbia]], which is the nation's capital, and several overseas [[insular area]]s, the most significant of which are [[Puerto Rico]], [[American Samoa]], [[Guam]], [[Northern Mariana Islands]], and the [[United States Virgin Islands]]. The [[Palmyra Atoll]] is the United States' only [[Incorporated territory|incorporated]] territory; it is [[Unorganized territory|unorganized]] and uninhabited. The United States Navy has held a base at a portion of [[Guantanamo Bay]], [[Cuba]] since 1898. The United States government possesses a lease to this land, which only mutual agreement or United States abandonment of the area can terminate. The present Cuban government of [[Fidel Castro]] disputes this arrangement, claiming Cuba was not truly [[sovereignty|sovereign]] at the time of the signing. The United States argues this point moot because Cuba apparently ratified the lease post-revolution, and with full sovereignty, when it cashed one rent check in accordance with the disputed treaty.

{| style="margin: 1em auto 1.5em auto; border-bottom: 1px solid #efefef;"

|- style="background:#efefef;"

! [[Political divisions of the United States|Political divisions]] of the United States

|-

|

{|

| align="right" style="font-size: 90%; vertical-align: top;" | '''[[U.S. state|States]]'''

| align="left" style="font-size: 90%;" | [[Alabama]] | [[Alaska]] | [[Arizona]] | [[Arkansas]] | [[California]] | [[Colorado]] | [[Connecticut]] | [[Delaware]] | [[Florida]] | [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] | [[Hawaii]] | [[Idaho]] | [[Illinois]] | [[Indiana]] | [[Iowa]] | [[Kansas]] | [[Kentucky]] | [[Louisiana]] | [[Maine]] | [[Maryland]] | [[Massachusetts]] | [[Michigan]] | [[Minnesota]] | [[Mississippi]] | [[Missouri]] | [[Montana]] | [[Nebraska]] | [[Nevada]] | [[New Hampshire|New&nbsp;Hampshire]] | [[New Jersey|New&nbsp;Jersey]] | [[New Mexico|New&nbsp;Mexico]] | [[New York|New&nbsp;York]] | [[North Carolina|North&nbsp;Carolina]] | [[North Dakota|North&nbsp;Dakota]] | [[Ohio]] | [[Oklahoma]] | [[Oregon]] | [[Pennsylvania]] | [[Rhode Island|Rhode&nbsp;Island]] | [[South Carolina|South&nbsp;Carolina]] | [[South Dakota|South&nbsp;Dakota]] | [[Tennessee]] | [[Texas]] | [[Utah]] | [[Vermont]] | [[Virginia]] | [[Washington]] | [[West Virginia|West&nbsp;Virginia]] | [[Wisconsin]] | [[Wyoming]]

|-

| align="right" style="font-size: 90%; vertical-align: top;" | '''[[Federal District|Federal&nbsp;district]]'''

| align="left" style="font-size: 90%;" | [[Washington, D.C.|District of Columbia]]

|-

| align="right" style="font-size: 90%; vertical-align: top;" | '''[[Insular area|Insular&nbsp;areas]]'''

| align="left" style="font-size: 90%;" | [[American Samoa]] | [[Baker Island]] | [[Guam]] | [[Howland Island|Howland&nbsp;Island]] | [[Jarvis Island|Jarvis&nbsp;Island]] | [[Johnston Atoll|Johnston&nbsp;Atoll]] | [[Kingman Reef|Kingman&nbsp;Reef]] | [[Midway Atoll|Midway&nbsp;Atoll]] | [[Navassa Island|Navassa&nbsp;Island]] | [[Northern Mariana Islands|Northern&nbsp;Mariana&nbsp;Islands]] | [[Palmyra Atoll|Palmyra&nbsp;Atoll]] | [[Puerto Rico|Puerto&nbsp;Rico]] | [[U.S. Virgin Islands|Virgin&nbsp;Islands]] | [[Wake Island|Wake&nbsp;Island]]

|}

|}

=== Foreign relations and military===

[[Image:Statue-of-liberty_tysto.jpg|120px|left|thumb|The [[Statue of Liberty]] is easily recognized globally.]]

{{main2|Foreign relations of the United States|Military of the United States}}

The immense military, economic, and cultural dominance of the United States has made foreign relations an especially important topic in its politics, with considerable concern about the image of the United States throughout the world. Reactions towards the United States by other nationalities are often strong, ranging from uninhibited admiration and mimicking of all things American to [[anti-Americanism]]. <!-- Needs rewording -->US foreign policy has swung about several times over the course of its history between the poles of strict [[isolationism]] and [[imperialism]] and everywhere in between. <!-- A paragraph providing a cogent, neutral account is needed; this is totally inadequate. -->

Three of the nation's four military branches are administered by the [[Department of Defense]]: the [[United States Army|Army]], the [[United States Navy|Navy]] (including the [[United States Marine Corps|Marine Corps]]), and the [[United States Air Force|Air Force]]. The [[United States Coast Guard|Coast Guard]] falls under the jurisdiction of the [[Department of Homeland Security]] in [[Peace|peacetime]], but is placed under the Department of Defense in time of [[war]].

The combined United States armed forces consist of 1.4 million [[active duty]] [[personnel]], along with several hundred thousand each in the [[Reserve component|Reserves]] and the [[United States National Guard|National Guard]]. Military [[conscription]] ended in 1973. The United States [[Armed forces]] are considered to be the most powerful [[military]] (of any sort) on [[Earth]] and their [[force projection]] capabilities are unrivaled by any other [[nation]], or collaboration of nations. <!-- Some information on the budget? Evolution of the military? Characteristics of US military strategy, e.g., heavy reliance on air power? -->

== Largest cities ==

{{seemain|List of cities in the United States}}

{|align=right

|[[image:Panorama_clip3.jpg|thumb|right|245px|New York City, New York]]

|-

|[[Image:DowntownLosAngeles.jpg|thumb|right|245px|Los Angeles, California]]

|-

|[[Image:Chicagoskyline2005.jpg|245px|thumb|right|Chicago, Illinois]]

|}

The United States has dozens of major cities, including 11 of the 55 [[global cities]] of all types &mdash; with three alpha global cities: [[New York City]], [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]], and [[Chicago, Illinois|Chicago]].

The figures expressed below are for populations within city limits. A different ranking is evident when considering [[List_of_United_States_metropolitan_statistical_areas_by_population|U.S. metro area populations]] (which would also include more of the global cities), although the top three would be unchanged.

Note that some cities not listed (such as [[New Orleans, Louisiana]]; [[Seattle, Washington]]; [[Las Vegas, Nevada]]; [[Miami, Florida]]; [[Nashville, Tennessee]]; [[Boston, Massachusetts]]; and Washington, D.C.) are still considered important on the basis of other factors and issues, including culture, economics, heritage and politics.

The twenty largest cities, based on the [[United States Census Bureau]]'s 2004 estimates, are as follows:

{| border=1 align=left cellpadding=2 cellspacing=0 style="border-collapse:collapse;border:1px solid gray;font-size:100%; text-align:right; margin-left:60px"

|- style="background:#efefef;"

! # !! align=center |City !! Population !! Region

|-

| 1. ||align=left | [[New York City|New York City, New York]] || 8,168,388 || [[Northeastern United States|Northeast]]

|-

| 2. ||align=left | [[Los Angeles, California]] || 3,845,541 || [[Pacific States|Pacific]]-[[Western United States|West]]

|-

| 3. ||align=left | [[Chicago, Illinois]] || 2,862,244 || [[Midwest]]

|-

| 4. ||align=left | [[Houston, Texas]] || 2,012,626 || [[South Central United States|South-Central]]

|-

| 5. ||align=left | [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]] || 1,470,151 || [[Northeastern United States|Northeast]]

|-

| 6. ||align=left | [[Phoenix, Arizona]] || 1,418,041 || [[Southwestern United States|Southwest]]

|-

| 7. ||align=left | [[San Diego, California]] || 1,263,756 || [[Pacific States|Pacific]]-[[Western United States|West]]

|-

| 8. ||align=left | [[San Antonio, Texas]] || 1,236,249 || [[South Central United States|South-Central]]

|-

| 9. ||align=left | [[Dallas, Texas]] || 1,210,393 || [[South Central United States|South-Central]]

|-

|10. ||align=left | [[San Jose, California|San Jos&#233;, California]] || 904,522 || [[Pacific States|Pacific]]-[[Western United States|West]]

|-

|11. ||align=left | [[Detroit, Michigan]] || 900,198 || [[Midwest]]

|-

|12. ||align=left | [[Indianapolis, Indiana]] || 784,242 || [[Midwest]]

|-

|13. ||align=left | [[Jacksonville, Florida]] || 777,704 || [[Southeastern United States|Southeast]]

|-

|14. ||align=left | [[San Francisco, California]] || 744,230 || [[Pacific States|Pacific]]-[[Western United States|West]]

|-

|15. ||align=left | [[Columbus, Ohio]] || 730,008 || [[Midwest]]

|-

|16. ||align=left | [[Austin, Texas]] || 681,804 || [[South Central United States|South-Central]]

|-

|17. ||align=left | [[Memphis, Tennessee]] || 671,929 || [[Southern United States|South]]

|-

|18. ||align=left | [[Baltimore, Maryland]] || 636,251 || [[Mid-Atlantic States|Mid-Atlantic]]

|-

|19. ||align=left | [[Fort Worth, Texas]] || 603,337 || [[South Central United States|South-Central]]

|-

|20. ||align=left | [[Milwaukee, Wisconsin]] || 596,974 || [[Midwest]]

|}

<br clear=left>

<br>

== Economy ==

{{main|Economy of the United States}}

The economy of the United States is currently organized on the [[neo-liberal]] model, which advocates limited [[government regulation|government intervention]] in the economy and trade, and advocates greater [[corporate rights]]. Previously, the United States was a proponent of [[Keynesian economics]]. The United States falls behind most industrialised countries in terms of [[social welfare]] and its [[social safety net]].

[[Image:US_%241_obverse.jpg|left|thumb|220px|The [[United States dollar|U.S. dollar]] is the official currency.]]

The largest industry of the U.S. is now [[Tertiary sector of industry|service]], which employs roughly three-quarters of U.S. residents. The US Finacial sector is the strongest in the world, succesfully exploiting labour and resources primarily in nations open to the global economic policies enforced by the [[WTO]] and [[World Bank]]. In [[natural resource]] industries the country has extensive [[gold]], [[oil]], [[coal]], and [[uranium]] deposits. In the [[Agriculture]] industries the US is a top producers of, among others, [[maize]], [[soy beans]], [[wheat]], [[sugar]], and [[tobacco]]; the United States is a net exporter of food. The U.S. [[manufacturing]] sector produces, among other things, [[automobile|cars]], [[airplanes]], and [[electronics]].

Economic activity varies greatly from one part of the country to another, with many industries being largely dependent on a certain city or region; [[New York City]] is the center of the American [[finance|financial]], [[publishing]], [[broadcasting]], and [[advertising]] industries; [[Silicon Valley]] is the country&#8217;s primary ___location for [[high technology]] companies, while [[Los Angeles]] is the most important center for [[film]] production. The [[Midwest]] is known for its reliance on manufacturing and heavy industry, with [[Detroit]] serving as the center of the American [[automotive industry]]; the [[Great Plains]] are known as &ldquo;the breadbasket of America&rdquo; for their tremendous agricultural output, while [[Texas]] is largely associated with the [[oil]] industry; the southeast is a major hub for [[medical research]], as well as many of the nation's [[textiles]] manufacturers.

Several countries continue to link their [[currency]] to the [[United States dollar|dollar]] or even use it as a currency (such as [[Ecuador]]), although this practice has subsided since the collapse of the [[Bretton Woods system]].

The largest trading partner of the United States is Canada (20%), followed by Mexico (12%), [[People's Republic of China|China]] (Mainland 10%, [[Hong Kong]] 1%) and [[Japan]] (8%). More than 50% of total trade is with these four countries. In 2003, the United States was [[World Tourism Rankings|ranked]] as the third most visited [[Tourism|tourist]] destination in the world; its 40.4 million visitors ranked behind [[France]]'s 75 million and [[Spain]]'s 52.5 million.

The USA's imports exceed exports by 68%, leading to an annual trade deficit of $470 billion, or 5% of gross domestic product.

{{seealso|List of United States companies}}

== Geography and climate ==

{{Dual image|National-atlas-general-reference-map-USA.png|Map of the United States|http://www.nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/pdf/reference/genref}}

{{main|Geography of the United States}}

As the world's third-largest country after Russia and Canada, with a total area of 3,718,711 square miles (9,631,418 sq km), the United States contains a considerable variety of landscape: temperate forestland and rolling hills on the east coast, [[mangrove]] in [[Florida]], the [[Great Plains|great plains]] in the center of the country, the [[Mississippi River|Mississippi]]-[[Missouri River|Missouri]] river system, the [[Great Lakes]] (shared with Canada), the [[Rocky Mountains]] west of the plains, deserts and temperate coastal zones west of the Rocky Mountains and [[temperate rain forests]] in the Pacific northwest. [[Alaska]]'s [[tundra]] and the [[volcano|volcanic]], [[tropical]] islands of [[Hawaii]] add to the geographic diversity.

The climate varies along with the landscape, from tropical in [[Hawaii]] and southern [[Florida]] to [[tundra]] in [[Alaska]] and atop some of the highest mountains. Most of the North and East experience a temperate continental climate, with warm summers and cold winters. Most of the American South experiences a subtropical humid climate with mild winters and long, hot, humid summers. Rainfall decreases markedly from the humid forests of the Eastern Great Plains to the semi-arid shortgrass prairies on the high plains abutting the Rocky Mountains. Arid deserts, including the [[Mojave desert|Mojave]], extend through the lowlands and valleys of the southwest, from westernmost Texas to California and northward throughout much of [[Nevada]]. Some parts of [[California]] have a [[Mediterranean climate]]. Rainforests line the windward mountains of the Pacific Northwest from Oregon to Alaska.

== Transportation ==

[[Image:La city hwys.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Stack [[interchange]] in [[Los Angeles]] ]]

[[Image:Interstate95.png|right|100px]]

{{main|Transportation in the United States}}

Because the United States is a relatively young nation, most of the development of U.S. cities has taken place after the invention of the [[automobile]]. To link its vast territories, the United States built a network of high capacity, high speed [[highways]], of which the most important aspect is the [[Interstate Highway]] system, commissioned in the 1950s by President [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] and modeled after the German [[Autobahn]]. The United States also has a [[First Transcontinental Railroad|transcontinental rail system]] which is used for moving freight across the lower forty-eight states.

Passenger rail service is provided by [[Amtrak]], which serves 46 of the lower forty-eight states.

Many cities in the United States have extensive [[mass transit]] systems. [[New York City]] operates one of the world's largest and most heavily used [[subway]] systems. The [[regional rail]] and bus networks which extend into Long Island, New Jersey, Upstate New York, and Connecticut are among the most heavily used in the world.

[[Air travel]] is often preferred for destinations over 300&nbsp;[[mile]]s (500&nbsp;[[kilometer|km]]) away, and some [[airports]], such as [[Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport]] and Chicago's [[O'Hare International Airport]], are among the busiest in the world. There are several major [[seaport]]s in the United States, the three busiest are the [[Port of Los Angeles]] (California), [[Port of Long Beach]] (California) and [[Port_Authority_of_New_York_and_New_Jersey|Port of New York/New Jersey]]. Others include [[Houston, Texas]], [[Charleston, South Carolina]], [[Savannah, Georgia]], [[Miami, Florida]], [[Portland, Oregon]], [[San Francisco, California]], [[Boston, Massachusetts]], [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]], and [[Seattle, Washington]], plus, outside the contiguous 48 states, [[Anchorage, Alaska]] and [[Honolulu, Hawaii]].

<br style="clear:both;" />

== Society ==

=== Demographics ===

<!--[[Image:USA 2000 population density.png|thumb|Population density by county]]]]-->[[Image:2k_night.jpg|thumb|2000 [[population density]]]]

{{main|Demographics of the United States}}

====Ethnicity and race====

[[Image:Census-2000-Data-Top-US-Ancestries-by-County.jpg|left|thumb|Top ancestry in each U.S. county in 2000.]]

Americans, in part due to [[Race (U.S. census)|categories]] outlined by the U.S. government, generally are described as belonging to one of five [[Race|racial]] groups: '''[[Whites|White]]''', also called ''Caucasian'' (those having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa); '''[[Black]]''', also called ''[[African American]]'' (those having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa); '''[[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native Americans]]/[[Alaskan Native]]s''', also called ''[[Native Americans in the United States|American Indians]]'' (those having origins in any of the original peoples of North, Central and South America, and who maintain tribal affiliation or community attachment); '''[[Asian]]''', also called ''[[Asian American]]'' and frequently specified as ''[[Chinese American]]'', ''[[Filipino American]]'', ''[[Indian American]]'', ''[[Japanese American]]'', ''[[Korean American]]'' (those having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, and the Indian subcontinent); and '''[[Native Hawaiian]]/[[Pacific Islander|Other Pacific Islander]]''' (those having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands).

The government and Census Bureau considers race to be separate from [[ethnicity]] (that is [[Hispanic]] origin).

Although "Asian American" includes those whose ancestry originates from the countries of the [[Indian subcontinent]] (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh), the category is more popularly identified with [[East Asia]]. The term ''African-American'' is associated with centuries-long residents, and does not make distinctions between them and, say, recent [[Afro-Caribbean]] immigrants from [[Jamaica]] or refugees from [[Somalia]]. Furthermore, the categories disregard the multi-ethnic heritage of many Americans.

The majority of the 295 million people currently living in the United States descend from [[Europe|European]] immigrants who have arrived since the establishment of the first colonies (most, however, arrived after [[Reconstruction]]). This majority, 69.1% in 2000, decreases each year, and whites are expected to become a [[plurality]] within several decades. In the [[2000 Census]], Americans were able to state their ancestry. The most frequently stated European ancestries were [[German peoples|German]] (15.2%), [[Irish people|Irish]] (10.8%), [[English people|English]] (8.7%), [[Italian people|Italian]] (5.6%) and [[Scandinavian]] (3.7%). Many immigrants also hail from [[Slavs|Slavic]] countries such as [[Poland]] (both Catholic [[Poles]] and [[Ashkenazi|Ashkenazi Jews]]), and in recent years an influx of Russians (mainly Ashkenazi Jews). Other significant immigrant populations came from eastern and southern Europe and French Canada. Most Americans of French descent, in fact, including the [[Cajuns]] of [[Louisiana]], are descended from French Canadians, as France has never been a major immigrant-sending country. These numbers, however, are less precise than they appear. Even though a high proportion of the population has two or more ancestries, only slighly more than one ancestry was stated per person, suggesting that many were omitted, either because they were not known or not considered important by the individuals. Also many citizens listed themselves as "American" on the census (7.2%). Some ancestries are likely to have been understated more than others, with English ancestry perhaps particularly prone to be overlooked as it is least distinct from "American". A [[:Image:Census-2000-Data-Top-US-Ancestries-by-County.jpg|county by county map of plurality ethnic groups]] reveals that the areas with the largest "American" ancestry populations were mostly settled by English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh, suggesting that the percentages listed for those groups should consequently be larger. (See [[British-Americans]].)

[[Image:Census-2000-Data-Top-US-Ancestries.jpg|right|thumb|Top ancestries in 2000.]]

Likewise, while there were few immigrants directly from [[Spain]], [[Hispanics in the United States|Hispanics]] from Mexico and South and Central America are considered the largest minority group in the country, comprising 13.4% of the population in 2002. This has brought increasing use of the [[Spanish in the United States|Spanish language in the United States]]. Mexicans alone made up 7.3% of the population in the 2000 census, and this proportion is expected to increase significantly in the coming decades. The Hispanic category is based more on language than race and is defined by the Census as anybody from or with forebears from Spain or Spanish-speaking Latin America so Hispanics may be of any race. About 45% identify by their ethnic background only ("Mexican", "Salvadoran"); they are mostly [[mestizo]], though some may be unmixed [[Amerindian]]s. About 40% identify as white of European (Spanish) ancestry; however, on average, they tend to have a slightly greater admixture of Amerindian or African blood than non-Hispanic whites. They are a diverse group consisting of most [[Cuban American]]s, many [[Puerto Ricans]], and a large proportion of the [[New Mexico|New Mexican]] ''Hispanos'', [[Tejanos]], and recent [[South American]] immigrants, as well as children of mixed marriages between Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites. Another 5% identify as black or mulatto; they typically are descended from Spanish-speaking Caribbean immigrants such as [[Dominican Republic|Dominicans]]. The remainder includes mostly self-identified Indians ([[Maya]], [[Mixtec]], etc.) and people of mixed background. With the exception of a tiny minority of families with specific Spanish or Mexican ancestry, [[Filipino people|Filipinos]] are not classified as Hispanic.

About 12.9% (2000 census) of the American people are [[African American]]s of non-Hispanic origin, some of whom are descendants of the [[slave trade|enslaved Africans]] brought to the U.S. between the 1620s and 1807 and emancipated during the [[American Civil War]]. Starting in the 1970s, the black population has been bolstered by immigration from the [[Caribbean]], especially [[Jamaica]] and [[Haiti]]; more recently, starting in the 1990s, there has been an influx of African immigrants to the United States due to the instability in political and economic opportunities in various nations in [[Africa]].

A third significant minority is the [[Asian American]] population (4.2%), most of whom are concentrated on the [[West Coast of the United States|West Coast]] and [[Hawaii]]. It is by no means a monolithic group; the largest groups are immigrants or descendants of emigrants from the Philippines, [[China]], [[India]], [[Vietnam]], [[South Korea]] and [[Japan]]. While the Asian-American population is generally a fairly recent addition to the nation's ethnic mix, large waves of Chinese, Filipino and Japanese immigration happened in the mid to late 1800s.

The [[indigenous peoples in the United States]], such as [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian]]s and [[Inuit]], make up about 1.5% of the population.

According to the 2000 census, the United States has 31 ethnic groups with at least one million people each.

{{seealso|Immigration to the United States}}

==== Religion ====

{{main2|Religion in the United States|Demographics of the United States#Religious Affiliation}}

The United States is noteworthy among developed nations for its relatively high level of religiosity. According to a 2004 [[Gallup poll]], about 44% of Americans attend a religious service at least once a week. However, this rate is not uniform across the country; attendance is more common in the [[Bible Belt]]—composed largely of [[Southern U.S.|Southern]] and [[Midwest|Midwestern]] states—than in the [[Northeastern United States|Northeast]] and [[West Coast of the United States|West Coast]]. In the Southern states, Baptists are the largest group, followed by Methodists; Roman Catholics are dominant in the Northeast and in large parts of the Midwest due to their being settled by descendants of Catholic immigrants from Europe (such as Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Poland) or other parts of America (mainly Quebec and Puerto Rico). The rest of the country for the most part has a complex mixture of various Christian groups.

'''Table: Self-reported religious identification of the adults—1990 and 2001''' [http://www.gc.cuny.edu/faculty/research_briefs/aris/key_findings.htm]

<small>NB: All figures are after adjustment for refusals to reply, which jumped from 2.3% in 1990 to 5.4% in 2001</small>

{| {{prettytable}} style="text-align:right"

! style="text-align:left" | Religion|| 1990 || 2001 || Change<br>% point

|-

!style="text-align:left"| Christian

!style="text-align:right"| 88.2%|| 79.8%|| &ndash;8.4%

|-

|align=left style="text-indent:2em"| [[Catholic]]

| 26.8%|| 25.9%|| &ndash;0.9%

|-

|align=left style="text-indent:2em"| [[Baptist]]

| 19.8%|| 17.2%|| &ndash;2.6%

|-

|align=left style="text-indent:2em"| [[Protestant]] (no [[christian denomination|denomination]] supplied)

| 10.0%|| 2.4%|| &ndash;7.6%

|-

|align=left style="text-indent:2em"| [[Methodism|Methodist]]

| 8.3%|| 7.2%|| &ndash;1.1%

|-

|align=left style="text-indent:2em"| [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]]

| 5.3%|| 4.9%|| &ndash;0.4%

|-

|align=left style="text-indent:2em"| Other Christian

| 18.0%|| 22.2%|| 4.2%

|-

!style="text-align:left;"| Other religions

! 3.4% || 5.2% || +1.8%

|-

!style="text-align:left;" |No Religion, [[Atheism|Atheist]] or [[Agnosticism|Agnostic]]

! 8.4%|| 15.0%|| +6.6%

|---

|}

=== Education ===

{{main|Education in the United States}}

[[Image:RotundaII.jpg|204px|right|thumb|America's 19 [[World Heritage Site|World Heritage Sites]] include [[Thomas Jefferson]]'s home at [[Monticello]] and the [[University of Virginia]], the only collegiate campus on the list.]]

In the United States, education is a state, not federal, responsibility, and the laws and standards vary considerably. In most states, all students must attend mandatory schooling starting with [[kindergarten]], which children normally enter at age 5, and following through 12th grade, which is normally completed at age 18 (although in some states, students are permitted to drop out upon the age of 16 with the permission of their parents/guardians). Parents may educate their own children at home (with varying degrees of state oversight), send their children to a [[public school]], which is free, or to a [[private school]], where parents must pay [[tuition]]. Public schools are highly decentralized with funding and curriculum decisions taking place mostly at the local level through [[school boards]].

After high school, students have a choice of attending either a [[public university|public]]/[[state university]], a [[private university]], entering the workforce, or enlisting in the military. Public universities receive funding from the federal and state government but students still pay tuition, which can vary depending on the university, state, and whether the student is a resident of the state or not. Tuition at private universities tends to be much higher than at public universities.

American [[college]]s and universities range from highly competitive schools, both private (such as [[Harvard University]] and [[Princeton University]]) and public (such as the [[University of California, Berkeley]] and the [[University of Virginia]]), to hundreds of local [[community college]]s with open admission policies.

{{see|List of colleges and universities in the United States}}

=== Language ===

{{main|Languages in the United States}}

The United States does not have an [[official language]] at federal level; nevertheless, [[American English]] is the first and/or only language of the overwhelming majority of the population and serves as the ''[[de facto]]'' official language: English is the language used for legislation, regulations, executive orders, treaties, federal court rulings, and all other official pronouncements.

Twenty-seven individual states have adopted English as their official language, and three of those—[[Hawaii]], [[Louisiana]], and [[New Mexico]]—have also adopted a second official language ([[Hawaiian language|Hawaiian]], [[French language|French]] and [[Spanish language|Spanish]], respectively). Spanish follows English as the second-most spoken language in the United States, primarily due to the influence of recent [[Latin America]]n immigrants and the fact that almost a fifth of its continental territory was originally part of Mexico, and it is a primary spoken language in some areas of the [[U.S. Southwestern states|Southwest]]. [[Puerto Rico]]'s first language is Spanish, and while it is a US territory and not a state its citizens have similar rights and their migration has a significant linguistic impact on [[New York State]] and other areas.

The primary signed language is [[American Sign Language]] (ASL).

As of 2004, the United States was the home of approximately 336 languages (spoken or signed), of which 176 are indigenous to U.S. territory.

The film was well received by critics, and charted well at the box office, becoming the highest grossing British film yet released. The film won a [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|BAFTA]], and both won and was nominated for several others.

=== Culture ===

[[Image:Elvisstamp.jpg|frame|right|[[Elvis Presley]], an American singer and star who had a large impact on music and youth culture in the world.]]

{{main|Culture of the United States}}

==Plot==

U.S. popular culture has a significant influence on the rest of the world, especially the [[Western world]]. [[Music of the United States|U.S. music]] is heard all over the world, and it is the sire of such forms as [[blues]] and [[jazz]] and had a primary hand in the shaping of modern [[rock and roll]] and [[popular music]] culture. Many great [[Western classical music]]ians and ensembles find their home in the U.S. [[New York City]] is a hub for international [[opera]]tic and [[instrumental]] music as well as the world-famed [[Broadway]] plays and musicals, [[Seattle, Washington|Seattle]] is a world leader in the [[grunge]] and [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]] music industries, and [[Nashville]] is the capital of [[country music]]. New York, Seattle, and [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]] are worldwide leaders in [[graphic design]] and New York and [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] compete with major European cities in the fashion industry.

[[Image:Notting_Hill.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Will and Anna together on a date.]]

William Thacker is the owner of an [[independent bookstore]] which specializes in [[travel writing]] in [[Notting Hill, London, England|Notting Hill]]. Witty, cultivated and handsome, he has not been coping well with his divorce and is currently sharing his house with an eccentric [[Wales|Welsh]] wannabe artist named Spike. One day, Thacker encounters world famous [[Hollywood]] actress Anna Scott during her trip to London, when she enters his shop to purchase a book. Shortly thereafter, the pair accidentally collide in the street, causing William to spill his orange juice on the both of them. He offers his house, which is just across the road, as a place for Anna to get changed. She accepts and they repair to his abode. Having got changed, Anna surprises Will with a kiss. She makes sure that Will does not tell anyone about it, and leaves.

Days later, Will asks Spike if he has any messages. Spike has trouble writing down, or remembering any messages left for Will, but does recall "Some American girl called Anna" calling a few days previous. Anna is staying at the Ritz, under a pseudonym, and asks Will to come and visit her. When he arrives, Anna's room has become the centre for a press day and as a result, Will is mistaken for a member of the press. He has to interview every single cast member of Anna's new film ''Helix'', even though he has not seen the film himself. Will does get to talk to Anna, and invites her to his sister Honey's birthday party.

[[Cinema of the United States|U.S. movies]] (primarily embodied in [[Hollywood]]) and [[Television of the United States|television]] shows can be seen almost anywhere except the most [[totalitarian]] places. This is in stark contrast to the early days of the republic, when the country was viewed by Europeans as an agricultural backwater with little to offer the culturally "advanced" world centers of Asia and Europe.

[[Image:Motherhood and apple pie.jpg|250px|thumb|left|[[Apple pie]] shown alongside U.S. cultural icons]]

Nearing the mid-point of its third century of nationhood, the U.S. plays host to the gamut of human intellectual and artistic endeavor in nearly every major city, offering classical and popular music; historical, scientific and art research centers and museums; dance performances, musicals and plays; outdoor art projects and internationally significant architecture. This development is a result of both contributions by private philanthropists and government funding.

There, at Max and Bella's house, Anna feels at home with Will's circle of friends, putting up a good case for the "last brownie". The pair go on several dates, to the cinema and to a restaurant. Anna invites Will back to her hotel room, only to find that her American boyfriend, although Anna asserts that they have broken up, but Will has to leave anyway. Some time later, Anna arrives on Will's doorstep, hoping for a place to stay. Some degrading images of her have been leaked to the press and she needs to hide out. The pair bound once again, with Will helping Anna learn lines for her new film. That night, the pair sleep together for the first time. In the morning, Will is stunned to see a throng of reporters at their doorstep, it seems that careless talk by Spike down at the pub the previous night had alerted the media to Anna's whereabouts. She leaves in a hurry, and William decides once and for all to forget her.

American holidays are variously national and local. Many holidays recognize events or people of importance to the nation's history; as such, they represent significant cultural observance.

Later, Anna returns to England to make another film. She invites Will to the set of the film, he listens to the sound recording whilst Anna is busy filming. He overhears her telling her co-star that Will is "just some guy", and leaves. The next day, Anna comes to the bookshop once again, hoping to resume their love affair, but William turns her down. Will consults his friends on his decision, leading him to realize that he has just made the biggest mistake of his life. He and his friends search for Anna, racing across London in Max's car. They reach Anna's press conference before she leaves for the [[United States]], and Will successfully persuades her to stay in England with him. Anna and Will get married, with the film concluding with a shot of Will and a pregnant Anna sitting on a park bench in Notting Hill.

{{seealso3|Arts and entertainment in the United States|Media of the United States|Holidays of the United States}}

===Cast Sportsand =characters==

*'''[[Julia Roberts]]''' as '''Anna Scott''': A world famous film star. She meets Will whilst filming in Notting Hill, when she comes into his book shop.

The [[major league|major]] team sports in America are home grown. [[American football]], [[basketball]], and [[baseball]], which is often referred to as the [[baseball|Great American Pastime]], are the top three. [[Ice hockey]] is also popular in the U.S., especially in Minnesota and the northeast states. [[Soccer]], while the most popular sport on earth, does not have a large following in the U.S. Nevertheless, the U.S. hosted the [[Football World Cup|World Cup]] in 1994. The majority of the world's highest paid athletes play team sports in America [http://www.forbes.com/2004/06/23/04athletesland.html].

*'''[[Hugh Grant]]''' as '''William Thacker''': Owner of a travel book shop in Notting Hill, who has recently divorced his wife. He meets Anna Scott when she comes in looking for a book.

*'''[[Rhys Ifans]]''' as '''Spike''': Will's strange Welsh flatmate, who dreams of being an artist. He is described by Will as "the stupidest person in the world".

*'''[[Emma Chambers]]''' as '''Honey Thacker''': Will's ditzy younger sister, she is a huge fan of Anna Scott.

*'''[[Tim McInnerny]]''' as '''Max''': Will's best friend, who Will often stays with. He and Bella host Honey's birthday party.

*'''[[Gina McKee]]''' as '''Bella''': Max's wheelchair bound wife.

*'''[[Hugh Bonneville]]''' as '''Bernie''': A failing stockbroker and a friend of Will. He fails to realise who Anna Scott is upon first meeting her.

*'''[[James Dreyfus]]''' as '''Martin''': Harry's assistant at his bookshop.

*'''Richard McCabe''' as '''Tony''': A failing restaurateur, whose restaurant the group often attend.

*'''[[Dylan Moran]]''' as '''Rufus''': A thief who attempts to steal from Will's bookshop. Despite being caught on the CCTV he professes his innocence, and conceals the stolen book in his underpants.

[[Alec Baldwin]] makes an uncredited appearance as Anna's American boyfriend.<ref name=variety>{{cite web|url=http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117907270.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&p=0|title=Notting Hill|accessdate=2007-05-19|date=[[1999-04-30]]|author=Elley, Derek|publisher=Variety}}</ref> [[Sanjeev Bhaskar]] has a cameo role as one of the loud and offensive men in the restaurant Anna and Will attend.<ref name=bfi>{{cite web|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/ultimatefilm/chart/details.php?ranking=95&cc=on|title=95: NOTTING HILL|accessdate=2007-05-19|publisher=British Film Institute}}</ref> A young [[Mischa Barton]] makes a brief appearance as the [[child actor]] whom William interviews for ''Horse & Hound'' magazine.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/pages/you/article.html?in_article_id=449705&in_page_id=1908|title=Mischa Barton: Little Miss Sunshine|accessdate=2007-05-19|date=[[2007-05-12]]|author=Gordon, Jane|publisher=The Mail on Sunday}}</ref>

The United States hosts some of the premier events in other sports such as [[golf]] (including three of the four [[major championships]]), and [[tennis]] (the [[U.S. Open (tennis)|U.S. Open]]). The most popular form of [[auto racing]] is [[NASCAR]]. [[Formula One]], while dominant in the rest of the world, has only made limited inroads into the U.S. market.

==Production==

Eight [[Olympics|Olympic Games]] have been hosted in the U.S., more than any other nation. The United States generally fares very well in the Olympics, especially the [[Summer Olympics]]: in 2004, the U.S. topped the [[2004 Summer Olympics medals count|medals table]] with 103 medals (35 gold, 39 silver and 29 bronze). For details see: [[United States at the Olympics]].

===Development===

Richard Curtis spoke at length as to how he originally came up the idea for the film.

{{cquotetxt|When I was lying sleepless at nights I would sometimes wonder what it would be like if I just turned up at my friends' house, where I used to have dinner once a week, with the most famous person at that time, be it [[Madonna]] or whomever. It all sprang from there. How would my friends react? Who would try and be cool? How would you get through dinner? What would they say to you afterwards? That was the starting point, the idea of a very normal person going out with an unbelievably famous person and how that impinges on their lives.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.notting-hill.com/behindscenes/index.html|title=Behind-the-Scenes|accessdate=2007-05-22|publisher=Notting Hill.com}}</ref>}}

''Four Weddings and a Funeral'' director [[Mike Newell (director)|Mike Newell]] was approached for the film, but rejected it to work on ''[[Pushing Tin]]'' instead. He did later admit that in commercial terms he had made the wrong decision, but did not regret it.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://efilmcritic.com/feature.php?feature=78|title=The man who told Notting Hill to 'sod off'|accessdate=2007-05-21|author=Chris Parry|publisher=eFilm Critic}}</ref> The film's producer Duncan Kenworthy then turned to Roger Michell, stating that "Finding someone as good as Roger, was just like finding the right actor to play each role. Roger shone out."<ref name=production>{{cite web|url=http://www.notting-hill.com/behindscenes/index.html|title=About the Production|accessdate=2007-05-22|publisher=Notting Hill.com}}</ref>

== Related topics ==

===Casting===

{{main|List of United States-related topics}}

Julia Roberts was the production team's "one and only" choice for the role of Anna, although Michell and Kentworthy did not expect her to accept the part. She did however take the role, with her agent citing it as "the best romantic comedy she had ever read".<ref name=production/> Roberts herself commented that after reading the script she decided she was "going to have to do this".<ref name=dreamteam>{{cite web|url=http://www.notting-hill.com/behindscenes/index.html|title=A Romantic Comedy Dream Team|accessdate=2007-05-22|publisher=Notting Hill.com}}</ref> The decision to cast Hugh Grant as Will was unanimous, as together Grant and Curtis had a "writer/actor marriage made in heaven". Michell stated that "Hugh does Richard better than anyone else, and Richard writes Hugh better than anyone else", and that Grant is "one of the only actors who can speak Richard's lines perfectly".<ref name=production/> The casting of Hugh Bonneville, Tim McInnerny, Gina McKee, Emma Chambers and Rhys Ifans as Will's group of friends was "rather like assembling a family". Michell explained that "When you are casting a cabal of friends, you have to cast a balance of qualities, of types and of sensibilities. They were the jigsaw that had to be put together all in one go, and I think we've got a very good variety of people who can realistically still live in the same world."<ref name=production/>

===Filming===

{{US_topics}}

Curtis chose the setting of Notting Hill for the film as he lived there and knew the area well, stating "Notting Hill is a melting pot and the perfect place to set a film".<ref name=___location>{{cite web|url=http://www.notting-hill.com/behindscenes/index.html|title=Notting Hill, the place, the movie ___location|accessdate=2007-05-22|publisher=Notting Hill.com}}</ref> This left the producers with a challenge of having to film in a heavily populated area. Kenworthy noted "Early on, we toyed with the idea of building a huge exterior set. That way we would have more control, because we were worried about having Roberts and Grant on public streets where we could get thousands of onlookers." In the end they decided to take the risk anyway and film in the actual streets.<ref name=___location/> Michell was worried "that Hugh and Julia were going to turn up on the first day of shooting on Portobello Road, and there would be gridlock and we would be surrounded by thousands of people and paparazzi photographers who would prevent us from shooting". The ___location team, and security forces prevented this, as well as preventing problems the presence of a film crew may have caused the residents of Notting Hill, who Michell believes were "genuinely excited" about the film.<ref name=___location/> The film's ___location manager Sue Quinn described her job of finding suitable locations and getting permission to film there as "a mammoth task". She said

{{cquotetxt|The major problem we encountered was the size of our film unit. We couldn't just go in and shoot and come out. We were everywhere. Filming on the London streets has to be done in such a way that it comes up to health and safety standards. There is no such thing as a road closure. We were very lucky in the fact that we had 100% cooperation from the police and the Council. They looked favorably on what we were trying to do and how it would promote the area.<ref name=___location/>}}

Quinn and the rest of her ___location team had to send letters to thousands of people in the area, promising that they would donate to each person's favourite charity, resulting in over two hundred different charities receiving money from the film project.<ref name=___location/>

The film's production designer was [[Stuart Craig]] who was pleased for the chance to do a contempory film, stating on the film "we're dealing with streets with thousands of people, market traders, shop owners and residents which makes it really complex".<ref name=___location/> Filming began on [[April 17]] [[1998]], in both West London and at [[Shepperton Studios]].<ref name=production/> Will's bookshop was situated on [[Portobello Road]], which was one of the main areas in which filming took place. Other places within Notting Hill where filming took place included Westbourne Park Road, [[Golborne Road]], [[Landsdowne Road]] and the Coronet Cinema.<ref name=___location/> After filming for a period of six weeks in Notting Hill, filming moved to the [[Ritz Hotel]], where filming had to take place at night, the [[Savoy Hotel]], the Nobu Restaurant, the [[Zen Garden]] and [[Kenwood House]].<ref name=___location/> One the film's final scenes takes place at a film premiere, which presented difficulties for the production team. Michell wanted to film the scene in [[Leicester Square]], but the request was declined due to huge problems that fans attending a [[Leonardo DiCaprio]] premiere had caused the police. Through a health and safety act, the production received permission to film and constructed the scene in just twenty-four hours.<ref name=___location/> Interior scenes were the last scenes to be filmed, with them taking place at Shepperton Studios.<ref name=___location/>

== International rankings ==

The film features the [[1950 in art|1950]] [[Marc Chagall]] painting ''[[La Mariée]]''. In the story, Anna sees a print of the painting in William's home, and later gives him what is presumably the original. According to director Michell in an article in ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'', the painting was chosen because screenwriter Curtis was a fan of Chagall's work, and because ''La Mariée'' "depicts a yearning for something that's lost." Producers had a reproduction made for use in the film, but had to first get permission from the painting's owners as well as clearance from the British [[Design and Artists Copyright Society]]. Finally, according to producer Kenworthy, "we had to agree to destroy it. They were concerned that if our fake was too good, it might float around the market and create problems." The article also noted that "some experts say the real canvas could be worth between $500,000 and $1 million."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,273720,00.html|title=Flashes|date=[[1999-06-11]]|accessdate=2007-05-20|author=Joe Dziemianowicz; Clarissa Cruz|publisher=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref>

* [[A.T. Kearney]]/[[Foreign Policy|Foreign Policy Magazine]]: [http://www.atkearney.com/main.taf?p=5,4,1,116 Globalization Index 2005], ranked 4 out of 62 countries

* [[IMD International]]: [http://www01.imd.ch/wcy/ World Competitiveness Yearbook 2005], ranked 1 out of 60 economies (countries and regions)

* [[Reporters without borders]]: [http://www.rsf.fr/article.php3?id_article=11715 Third annual worldwide press freedom index (2004)], ranked 22 (American territory; tied with Belgium) & 108 (in Iraq) out of 167 countries

* [[Save the Children]]: [http://www.savethechildren.org/mothers/report_2005/ State of the World's Mothers 2005], ranked 11 out of 110 countries

* [[The Wall Street Journal]]: [http://www.heritage.org/research/features/index/ 2005] [[Index of Economic Freedom]], ranked 12 out of 155 countries

* [[The Economist]]: [http://www.economist.com/theworldin/international/displayStory.cfm?story_id=3372495&d=2005 The World in 2005 - Worldwide quality-of-life index, 2005], ranked 13 out of 111 countries

* [[Transparency International]]: [http://www.transparency.org/pressreleases_archive/2004/2004.10.20.cpi.en.html Corruption Perceptions Index 2004], ranked 17 out of 146 countries (tied with Belgium and Ireland)

* [[United Nations Development Programme]]: [http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/2004/ Human Development Index 2004], ranked 8 out of 177 countries

* [[World Economic Forum]]: [http://www.weforum.org/site/homepublic.nsf/Content/Global+Competitiveness+Programme%5CGlobal+Competitiveness+Report Global Competitiveness Report 2004-2005 - Growth Competitiveness Index Ranking], ranked 2 out of 104 countries

==Notes=Music===

Music for the film was composed by ''Four Wedding and a Funeral'' composer Trevor Jones.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmtracks.com/titles/notting_hill.html|title=Notting Hill|accessdate=2007-05-23|publisher=Filmtracks.com}}</ref> Several additional songs written by other artists appeared on the film's soundtrack. These include [[Elvis Costello]]'s [[cover version|cover]] of the [[Charles Aznavour]] song "[[She (Charles Aznavour song)|She]]", as well as [[Ronan Keating]]'s specially recorded cover version of "[[When You Say Nothing at All]]", the song reached number one in the British charts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/soldonsong/songlibrary/whenyousaynothingatall.shtml|title='When You Say Nothing at All'|accessdate=2007-05-21|publisher=BBC}}</ref> Originally, Charles Aznavour's version of the song was used in the film, but American test screening audiences could not understand it. Costello was then brought in by Richard Curtis to record a cover version of the song.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/395140.stm|title=Elvis alive and well in Notting Hill|accessdate=2007-05-23|author=Darryl Chamberlain|date=[[1999-07-20]]|publisher=BBC News}}</ref>

==Reception==

# {{anb|America}} ''America'' may refer to the nation of the United States or to ''[[the Americas]]'' — [[North America|North]], [[Central America|Central]] and [[South America]]. The latter usage is more common in [[Latin American]] countries where the Spanish and [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] word ''Am&eacute;rica'' refers to both continents. The ''United States'' (or ''Estados Unidos'' in Spanish and Portuguese) is a less ambiguous term and less likely to cause offense. The term ''[[Use of the word American|American]]'' meaning a citizen or national of the United States has no straightforward unambiguous synonym. Many [[alternative words for American]] have been proposed, but none have enjoyed widespread acceptance.

===Critical reaction===

The film was meet with generally positive reviews, scoring an 85% "Cream of the Crop" rating at [[Rotten Tomatoes]].<ref name=rt>{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/notting_hill/|title=Notting Hill (1999)|accessdate=2007-05-21|publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref> "Variety's Derek Elley said that "It's slick, it's gawky, it's 10 minutes too long, and it's certainly not "''Four Weddings and a Funeral'' Part 2" in either construction or overall tone", giving it an overall positive review.<ref name=variety/> Cranky Critic called it "Bloody damned good", as well as saying that it was "A perfect date flick."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crankycritic.com/archive99/nottinghill.html|title=Notting Hill|accessdate=2007-05-19|publisher=Cranky Critic}}</ref> Nitrate said that "''Notting Hill'' is whimsical and light, fresh and quirky", with "endearing moments and memorable characters".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nitrateonline.com/1999/rnottinghill.html|title=Notting Hill|accessdate=2007-05-19|author=Savada, Elias|date=[[1999-05-28]]|publisher=Nitrate}}</ref> In his review of the film's DVD John J. Puccio noted that "The movie is a fairy tale, and writer Richard Curtis knows how much the public loves a fairy tale", calling it "a sweet film".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dvdtown.com/reviews/notting-hill/739/2|title=Notting Hill <nowiki>[Ultimate Edition]</nowiki>|accessdate=2007-05-20|author=John J. Puccio|publisher=DVD Town.com}}</ref> Desson Howe of the [[Washington Post]] gave the film a very positive review, praising Rhys Ifans peformance as Spike.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/movies/reviews/nottinghillhowe.htm?movieslede=y|title='Notting Hill': Easy to Love|accessdate=2007-05-21|date=[[1999-05-28]]|author=Desson Howe|publisher=[[Washington Post]]}}</ref> James Sanford gave ''Notting Hill'' three and a half stars, saying that "Curtis' dialogue may be much snappier than his sometimes dawdling plot, but the first hour of "Notting Hill" is so beguiling and consistently funny it seems churlish to complain that the rest is merely good."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.interbridge.com/jamessanford/1999/notting.html|title=Notting Hill|accessdate=2007-05-21|author=James Sanford|publisher=Kalamazoo Gazette}}</ref> Sue Pierman of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel stated that "''Notting Hill'' is clever, funny, romantic - and oh, yes, reminiscent of ''Four Weddings and a Funeral''", but that the film "is so satisfying, it doesn't pay to nitpick."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.jsonline.com/enter/movies/reviews/may99/m.nott28052799.asp|title='Notting Hill' is perfect romantic fit for Roberts, Grant|accessdate=2007-05-21|date=[[1999-05-27]]|author=Sue Pierman|publisher=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel}}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] praised the film, saying "the movie is bright, the dialogue has wit and intelligence, and Roberts and Grant are very easy to like."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990528/REVIEWS/905280301/1023|title=Notting Hill|accessdate=2007-05-21|date=[[1999-05-28]]|author=Roger Ebert|publisher=Chicago Sun-Times}}</ref> Kenneth Turan gave a good review, concluding that "the film's romantic core is impervious to problems".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-movie990527-6,0,7251334.story|title=Notting Hill|accessdate=2007-05-21|date=[[1999-05-28]]|author=Kenneth Turan|publisher=Calender Live}}</ref> [[CNN]] reviewer Paul Clinton said that ''Notting Hill'' "stands alone as another funny and heartwarming story about love against all odds".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/Movies/9905/27/review.notting.hill/|title=Review: Julia, Hugh a perfect match for 'Notting Hill'|accessdate=2007-05-21|date=[[1999-05-27]]|author=Paul Clinton|publisher=CNN}}</ref>

Widgett Walls of Needcoffee.com gave the film "three and a half cups of coffee", stating that "the humor of the film saves it from a completely trite and unsatisfying (nay, shall I say enraging) ending", but criticised the film's soundtrack.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.needcoffee.com/html/reviews/nhill.html|title=Notting Hill (1999)|accessdate=2007-05-21|publisher=Needcoffee.com|author=Widgett Walls}}</ref> Dennis Schwartz gave the film a bad review with a grade of "C-" citing "this film was pure and unadulterated balderdash".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sover.net/~ozus/nottinghill.htm|title=NOTTING HILL|accessdate=2007-05-21|date=[[2000-11-29]]|author=Dennis Schwartz|publisher=Ozus' World Movie Reviews}}</ref>

== External links ==

''Notting Hill'' was placed 95th on the [[British Film Institute]]'s "list of the all-time top 100 films", the results of the list were based on estimates of each film's British cinema admission level.<ref name=bfi/>

{{portal}}

{{sisterlinks|United States}}

===Box office performance===

=== United States government ===

The film had its world premiere at the [[Odeon]], Leicester Square on [[April 27]] [[1999]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/329426.stm|title=Notting Hill premieres in Leicester Square|accessdate=2007-05-23|date=[[1999-04-27]]|publisher=BBC News}}</ref> The premiere received media attention in the British tabloid press, as Julia Roberts attended sporting unshaven arm pits.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/series/field/stories/mclaren02.html|title=Letter from Notting Hill|accessdate=2007-05-23|date=[[2002-12-20]]|author=Leah McLaren|publisher=Globe and Mail}}</ref> ''Notting Hill'' charted well at the box office, earning $116,089,678 as its overall domestic gross, with a worldwide gross of $363,889,678, losing out to ''[[Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace]]''.<ref name=boxoffice>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=nottinghill.htm|title=NOTTING HILL|accessdate=2007-05-20|publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> It totaled $27.7 million over its opening weekend, breaking American box office records,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/358820.stm|title=Notting Hill has The Force|accessdate=2007-05-23|date=[[1999-06-02]]|publisher=BBC News}}</ref> and making it the biggest ever opening for a romantic comedy film at that point, beating previous record holder ''[[My Best Friend's Wedding]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=1046&p=.htm|title=Weekend Box Office|accessdate=2007-05-20|date=[[1999-06-02]]|author=Brandon Gray|publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> ''Notting Hill'' made another $15 million the following week,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=1048&p=.htm|title=Weekend Box Office|accessdate=2007-05-20|date=[[1999-06-07]]|author=Brandon Gray|publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> but then began to lose out.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=1053&p=.htm|title=Weekend Box Office|accessdate=2007-05-20|date=[[1999-06-21]]|author=Brandon Gray|publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> One month after its release, ''Notting Hill'' lost its record for highest grossing opening weekend for a romantic comedy film to ''[[Runaway Bride (1999 film)|Runaway Bride]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=1065&p=.htm|title=Weekend Box Office|accessdate=2007-05-20|date=[[1999-08-03]]|author=Brandon Gray|publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> It was the sixteenth highest grossing film of 1999,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=1999&p=.htm|title=1999 DOMESTIC GROSSES|accessdate=2007-05-20|publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> and as of May 2007 is the 104th highest grossing film of all time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/world/?pagenum=2&p=.htm|title=WORLDWIDE GROSSES|accessdate=2007-05-20|publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref> At the time, it had become the highest grossing British film of all time.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/431153.stm|title=Notting Hill breaks film record|accessdate=2007-05-23|date=[[1999-08-26]]|publisher=BBC News}}</ref>

*[http://www.whitehouse.gov White House] - Official site of the U.S. President

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*[http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/us.html CIA World Factbook Entry for United States]

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*[http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/factover/homepage.htm Portrait of the USA] - Published by the United States Information Agency, September 1997.

*[http://nationalatlas.gov/ The National Atlas of the United States.]

*[http://www.theusaonline.com United States]

*[http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/ U.S. Census Housing and Economic Statistics] Updated regularly by U.S. Bureau of the Census.

*[http://www.census.gov/population/www/popclockus.html U.S. Census POPClock Projection of current U.S. population]

*[http://vlib.iue.it/history/USA/ WWW-VL: United States History Index]

=== Other Awards===

''Notting Hill'' won the Audience Award for Most Popular Film at the [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|BAFTA]]s in 2000,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0855372.html|title=2000 British Academy of Film and Television Awards|accessdate=2007-05-22|publisher=infoplease.com}}</ref> and was nominated in the categories of The Alexander Korda Award for Outstanding British Film of the year, and Best Performance by an Actor in a supporting role for Rhys Ifans.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/662167.stm|title=Bafta nominations in full|accessdate=2007-05-22|date=2000-03-01|publisher=BBC News}}</ref> The film also won Best Comedy Film at the [[British Comedy Awards]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britishcomedyawards.com/pastwinners99.html|title=The Past Winners 1999|accessdate=2007-05-22|publisher=British Comedy Awards}}</ref> The film's soundtrack won Best Soundtrack at the [[Brit Awards]], beating ''[[Star Wars - Episode I: The Phantom Menace]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/entertainment/2000/brit_awards/625884.stm|title=Brits 2000: The winners|accessdate=2007-05-22|date=[[2000-03-03]]|pblisher=BBC News}}</ref> The film won Best British Film, Best British Director for Roger Michell, and Best British Actor for Hugh Grant at the [[Empire Awards]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/news/library/soft/blwh-022000.htm|title=What are they doing?|date=2000-02-20|accessdate=2007-05-21|publisher=British Theatre Guide}}</ref>

*[http://www.adbusters.org/jams/history/timeline.swf Archive of 163 U.S. interventions]

The film received three nominations at the [[Golden Globes]], in the categories Best Motion Picture - Comedy/Musical, Best Motion Picture Actor - Comedy/Musical for [[Hugh Grant]], and Best Motion Picture Actress - Comedy/Musical for [[Julia Roberts]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thegoldenglobes.com/welcome.html?movie/notting_hill.html|title=Notting Hill|publisher=TheGoldenGlobes.com|accessdate=2007-05-22}}</ref>

*[http://www.nationalcenter.org/HistoricalDocuments.html Historical Documents]

*[http://www.teacheroz.com/states.htm Info links for each state]

*[http://www.religioustolerance.org/nat_mott.htm National Motto: History and Constitutionality]

*[http://www.travel-directory.org/Destinations/North_America/United_States/index.html Reference: U.S. specific web resources sorted by state]

*[http://www.mediatico.com/en U.S. Newspapers by State]

*[http://schema-root.org/region/americas/north_america/usa/government/ Schema-root.org: United States government] - 1080 US government topics, each with a current news feed

==References==

=== Further reading ===

{{Reflist|2}}

* Johnson, Paul M. ''A History of the American People'', Perennial, 1999. ISBN 0060930349</br>

* Zinn, Howard. ''A People's History of the United States'', Perennial, 2003. ISBN 0060528370

{{U.S. regions}}

{{North_America}}

==External links==

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{{wikiquotepar|Notting Hill}}

*[http://www.notting-hill.com/ ''Notting Hill''] official site

*{{imdb title|id=0125439|title=Notting Hill}}

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[[se:Amerihká ovttastuvvan stáhtat]]

[[sa:संयुक्त राज्‍य अमेरिका]]

[[sco:Unitit States]]

[[sh:Sjedinjene Američke Države]]

[[scn:Stati Uniti]]

[[simple:United States]]

[[sk:Spojené štáty americké]]

[[sl:Združene države Amerike]]

[[sr:Сједињене Америчке Државе]]

[[fi:Yhdysvallat]]

[[sv:USA]]

[[tl:Estados Unidos]]

[[th:สหรัฐอเมริกา]]

[[vi:Hoa Kỳ]]

[[tr:Amerika Birleşik Devletleri]]

[[uk:Сполучені Штати Америки]]

[[ur:امریکہ]]

[[yi:פֿאַראײניקטע שטאַטן פֿון אַמעריקע]]

[[za:Meijgoz]]

[[zh:美国]]