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 * PENNSYLVANIA**

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Pennsylvania has been known as the //Keystone state// since 1802, based in part upon its central location among the original Thirteen Colonies forming the United States, and also because of the number of important Americand documents signed in the state (such as the Declaration of Independence).======

Pennsylvania´s diverse thopography also produces a variety of climates. Straddling two major zones, the majority of the state with the exception of the southeastern corner has a humid continental climate. Greater Philadelphia has some characteristics of the humid subtropical climate thats covers much of Delaware and Maryland to the south.
 * Climate**

Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Harrisburg, Chester, Easton, Erie and York all have a large percent of African-Americans. Hazleton, Reading, Allentown, Lancaster, York and Bethlehem all have a large percentage of Hispanics and Latinos.
 * Ethnicity**

Pennsylvania ranks 19th overall in agricultural production, but 15th in mushrooms, 3rd in Chrismas trees and layer chickens. 4th in nursery and sod, milk, corn for silage, grapes grown (incluiding jiuce grapes), and horses productions. it also ranks 8th in the nation in winemarking.
 * Agriculture**

By **Virginia Martinez** (Vicko)


 * FLORIDA**

Florida is a [|state] located in the [|southeastern region] of the [|United States], bordering [|Alabama] to the northwest and [|Georgia] to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the [|United States]. Much of the land mass of the state is a large [|peninsula] with the [|Gulf of Mexico] to the west, and the [|Atlantic Ocean] to the east. It is nicknamed the "Sunshine State" because of its generally warm [|climate] — [|subtropical] in the northern and central regions of the state, with a true [|tropical climate] in the southern portion. The state has four large urban areas, a number of smaller industrial cities, and many small towns. The [|United States Census Bureau] estimates that the state population was 18,328,340 in 2008, ranking Florida as the fourth most populous state in the U.S. [|Tallahassee] is the state capital, [|Jacksonville] is the largest city, and the [|Miami metropolitan area] is the largest metro area.

Jaime Felipe Guerrero Garzón

=** Kentucky **=

Official Name: **Commonwealth of Kentucky** Capital: **Frankfort** Kentucky is located in the East Central United States of America, it is classificated as a southern state, it became a state in 1792. Kentucky has more miles of running water than any other state except Alaska. The numerous rivers and water impoundments provide 1,100 commercially navigable miles (1,770 kilometers).
 * Its representative bird is cardinal, and its state wild animal is gray squirrel.
 * One of the most enjoyed beverages is Milk, and it was declared state drink in 2005.
 * Kentucky has a State Musical Instrument which is Appalachian Dulcimer, adopted 2001
 * In Kentucky it is illegal to carry hidden guns with more than two meters.
 * Abramh Lincoln, the 16th USA president, was born in Kentucky in 1809.
 * Also George Cloney and Jonnhy Deep were born here.
 * According with the Kentucky laws each citizen has to take a bath at least once a year.
 * Another weird law is "No woman must appear in swimsuit at any airport in this State unless it is accompanied by two officers or unless it is armed with a truncheon." "The provisions of this Decree shall be applied to women weighing less than 90 pounds (approx. 40 kg) or m s 200 pounds (approx. 90 kg), or will be unapplied to Mares". Very weird, don't you think?

If you are plannig to go to Kentucky, you must visit one of the many horse farm in this state, Kentuckian Horse are worldwide know due his quality, you can also follow the bicentenail Abraham Lincoln heritage trail which includes visit to his birthplace, Lincoln Museum, Lincoln statue and many more things. But if you like more the forest and th wild life Kentucky has many state parks which you can visit like the one located in front of Lake Barkley or a native american archeological site like Wicklife, this are just some of their state parks, but there are also National parks such as Mammoth Cave National park, the oldest cave system in the entire world.

Kentucky seems to be a very beautiful and interesting place. **(by Lupiux Vargas)**

**Arizona**  Arizona was the 48th and last of the contiguous states admitted to the Union on February 14, 1912, the 50th anniversary of Arizona's recognition as a territory of the United States. Arizona is noted for its desert climate, exceptionally hot summers, and mild winters, but the high country in the north features pine forests and mountain ranges with cooler weather than the lower deserts. Population figures for the year ending July 1, 2006 indicate that Arizona was at that time the fastest growing state in the United States, exceeding the growth of the previous leader, Nevada, and is currently the second. Arizona has had more female governors than any other U.S. state.  Arizona is one of the Four Corners states. It borders New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, California, touches Colorado, and has a 389-mile (626 km) international border with the states of Sonora and Baja California in Mexico. It is the largest landlocked US State by population. In addition to the Grand Canyon, many other national forests, parks, monuments, and Indian reservations are located in the state.  **By Diana Diaz**  Is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil. It is located on the West Coast of the United States, and is bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the northeast, Arizona to the southeast, the Mexican state of Baja California to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Its four largest cities are Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, and San Francisco. The state is home to the nation's second and sixth largest metropolitan areas as well as eight of the nation's fifty largest cities. It is known for its varied climate and geography, as well as its diverse population. The name // California // is most commonly believed to have derived from a fictional paradise peopled by Black Amazons and ruled by a Queen Califia. The myth of Califia is recorded in a 1510 work // The Exploits of Esplandian //, written as a sequel to // Amadís de Gaula // by Spanish adventure writer Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo. The kingdom of Queen Califia or Calafia, according to Montalvo, was said to be a remote land inhabited by griffins and other strange beasts and rich in gold. The name // California // is the fifth-oldest surviving European place-name in the U.S. and was applied to what is now the southern tip of Baja California as the // island of California // by a Spanish expedition led by Diego de Becerra and Fortun Ximenez, who landed there in 1533 at the behest of Hernando Cortes. // **By Miguel Bautista.** //
 * California**

NEW JERSEY The human history of New Jersey began millennia ago with the settlement of the area by Native Americans. European contact began with the exploration of the Jersey Shore by Giovanni da Verrazzano in 1524, At the time of European contact, the area was populated by many tribes of the Lenape. The New Jersey region soon came under the control of the Swedes and the Dutch resulting in a struggle in which the Dutch were victorious. However, the Dutch colony of New Netherlands was seized by the English in 1664. New Jersey was one of the Thirteen Colonies that broke off from Britain in the American Revolution, adopting the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Becoming a state upon the formation of the United States, New Jersey saw significant action during the American Revolutionary War. New Jersey's delegates signed the Articles of Confederation in 1779 and Princeton acted as the nation's capital for four months in 1783. In 1787, New Jersey became the third state to ratify the United States Constitution. In the 19th century, New Jersey cities led the nation into the Industrial Revolution and provided soldiers for many of the wars the United States fought, including 88,000 soldiers for the American Civil War. The state became a component of the Underground Railroad. The state's transportation system continued to improve with the construction of canals and more rail lines that helped industrialization further develop. During the early 1900s, New Jersey prospered but weakened in the Great Depression in the 1930s. During World War II and the Cold War New Jersey's shipyards and military bases played an important role in the defense of the United States. In the 1960s New Jersey was the site of several race riots and of the Glassboro Summit Conference, between American President Lyndon B. Johnson and Soviet Premier Aleksei Kosygin. 10 Things you didn’t know about NJ //**Hawaii**// //Hawaii´s history is ancient dating back thousand years before American colonies become a nation in 1776, in those years Hawaii and all islands around there were a little kingdom and were often at war with each other until 1810 when Hawaii was governed by the King// Kamehameha. Modern Hawaiian history begins on January 20, 1778, when Captain James Cook's expedition made its first contact with the Hawaiian people on the islands of Kauai and Niihau. Captain Cook was not the first man to "discover" the Hawaiian Islands. He was the first known European to arrive. In 1891, after King Kalakaua death, Lili'uokalani becomes Queen who in 1893, surrendered the kingdom to the United States under protest. On July 7, 1898 Hawaiian territory was annexed to the United States, two years later Hawaii becomes a United States territory. Finally in 1959, Hawaii becomes the United States' 50th state.By Miriam Montuy [] VIRGINIA What does //Virginia// and Tennessee mean? The state of Virginia was named after England's Queen Elizabeth I. In the early 1600's, all of North America that was not Spanish or French was then called "Virginia" in honor of "The Virgin Queen," and the earliest English colonial expeditions were sent by the Virginia Company of London. Virginia became the 10th state on June 25, 1788. TENNESSEE The state of Tennessee was named after a Cherokee Indian village called Tanasi. Tanasi was also the Cherokee word for the river. Tennessee became the 16th state on June 1, 1796. Many states derive their names from native American languages. By Alain Meza __//**Oregon**//__ Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The area was inhabited by many indigenous tribes before the arrival of traders, explorers and settlers; the Oregon Territory was created in 1848, and Oregon became the 33rd state on February 14, 1859. The valley of the Willamette River in western Oregon is the most densely populated and agriculturally productive region of the state, and is home to eight of the ten most populous cities. Oregon’s largest for-profit private employer is Intel, located in the Silicon Forest area on Portland's west side. Oregon enjoys a diverse landscape including a scenic and windswept Pacific coastline, the volcanoes of a rugged and glaciated Cascade Mountain Range, dense evergreen forests, and high desert across much of the eastern portion of the state. The towering Douglas firs and redwoods along the rainy Western Oregon coast provide a dramatic contrast with the lower density and fire prone pine tree and juniper forests covering portions of the Eastern half of the state. The eastern portion of the state also includes semi-arid scrublands, prairies, deserts, and meadows. **By Javier Molina.** **WISCONSIN HISTORY**
 * 1) The first organized baseball game was played in Hoboken, NJ in 1846.
 * 2) New Jersey’s State House is the second oldest still in use. (Maryland has the oldest.)
 * 3) New Jersey was known as the "Pathway of the Revolution." Over 100 battles were fought on New Jersey soil.
 * 4) New Jersey has more horses per square mile than any other state. The United States Equestrian Team is headquartered in Gladstone, NJ.
 * 5) The properties in the United States version of the board game Monopoly are named after the streets of Atlantic City.
 * 6) The first state to sign the Bill of Rights.
 * 7) New Jersey is one of only two states (along with Oregon) where self-service filling of gasoline is prohibited.
 * 8) The first professional basketball game was played in Trenton, NJ in 1896.
 * 9) New Jersey has 127 miles of coastline on the Atlantic Ocean.
 * 10) New Jersey is home to more than 9,800 farms covering 790,000 acres of farmland.
 * BY CARMEN OLIVIER HERNANDEZ**
 * Today is Monday November 2nd, 2009.**

Pleasant Ridge, a community of African American farmers was founded in 1850s by an African American farm family named Shepard, the Green Family who came later tried several times to escape slavery in Missouri before they succeeded and made the dangerous trip to freedom in Wisconsin. More black people who lived in Wisconsin were farmers and they found an inexpensive available land in the new State of Wisconsin. Black people gradually moved from other states. Some white people lived in communities nearby Pleasant Ridge name Shine Valley, which were farmer communities. Neighbors needed each other and they shared their jobs. Women and girls processed plants. The fabrics were used to make women clothes. Pleasant Ridge disappeared, but Shine Valley continues to grow. Why? Partially because in Shine Valley marriages between African American people and white people was accepted in that community. The population of Pleasant Ridge became smaller; there were little interracial marriage there so some residents moved to start a family. Also, some young people left to go to college or find good jobs. Industrial revolution created many new jobs in cities between 1880s and 1920s thousands of people left their Wisconsin’s farms and moved to cities. Thousands more emigrated from Germany, Poland and Italy… []

__TEXAS__
Texas is the second-largest U.S. state in both area and population. The name had wide usage among Native Americans, meaning "friends" or "allies".Have an area of 696,200 km2 and a growing population of 24.6 million residents. Houston is the largest city in Texas and the fourth-largest in the United States. Texas is nicknamed the //Lone Star State// to signify Texas as an independent republic and as a reminder of the state's struggle for independence from Mexico. Texas is associated with the image of the cowboy because most of the population centers are located in areas of former prairies, grasslands, forests , and the coastline. The term " six flags over Texas " came from the several nations that had rule over the territory. Spain was the first European country to claim the area of Texas. France held a short-lived colony in Texas. Mexico controlled the territory until 1836 when Texas won its independence, becoming an independent Republic. In 1845 it joined the United States as the 28th state. The state's annexation set off a chain of events that caused the Mexican–American War in 1846. Texas declared its secession from the United States in early 1861, joining the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. After the war and its restoration to the Union, Texas entered a long period of economic stagnation. Oil discoveries initiated an economic boom in the state. Texas has since economically diversified. Today it has more Fortune 500 companies than any other U.S. state. With a growing base of industry, the state is a leader in many, including agriculture, petrochemicals , energy , computers and electronics , aerospace , and biomedical sciences. **BY JOSE ANTONIO PEREZ HERNANDEZ**

Puerto Ricans often call the island //Borinquen//, from //Borikén//, its indigenous Taíno name. The terms //boricua// and //borincano// derive from //Borikén// and //Borinquen// respectively, and are commonly used to identify someone of Puerto Rican heritage. The island is also popularly known as "//La Isla del Encanto//", which translated means "The Island of Enchantment." The official languages are Spanish and English with Spanish being the primary language. English is taught as a second language in public and private schools from elementary levels to high school and in universities. Particularly, the Spanish of Puerto Rico, has evolved into having many idiosyncrasies that differentiate it from the language as spoken in other Spanish-speaking countries. This is mainly due to the influences from ancestral languages, such as those from the Taínos and Africans, and more recently from the English language influence resulting from its relationship with the United States. Puerto Rican culture is a mix of four cultures, African (from the slaves), Taíno (Amerindians), Spanish, and more recently, North American. From Africans, the Puerto Ricans have obtained the "bomba and plena", a type of music and dance including percussions and maracas. From the Amerindians (Taínos), they kept many names for their municipalities, foods, musical instruments like the güiro and maracas. Many words and other objects have originated from their localized language. From the Spanish they received the Spanish language, the Catholic religion and the vast majority of their cultural and moral values and traditions. From the United States they received the English language, the university system and the adoption of some holidays and practices. On March 12, 1903, University of Puerto Rico was officially founded, branching out from the "Escuela Normal Industrial", a smaller organism that was founded in Fajardo three years before. Much of the Puerto Rican culture centers on the influence of music. Like the country as a whole, Puerto Rican music has been developed by mixing other cultures with local and traditional rhythms. Early in the history of Puerto Rican music, the influences of African and Spanish traditions were most noticeable. However, the cultural movements across the Caribbean and North America have played a vital role in the more recent musical influences that have reached Puerto Rico. The official symbols of Puerto Rico are the //Reinita mora// or Puerto Rican Spindalis (a type of bird), the //Flor de Maga// (a type of flower), and the //Ceiba// or Kapok (a type of tree). The unofficial animal and a symbol of Puerto Rican pride is the Coquí, a small frog genus. Other popular symbols of Puerto Rico are the "jíbaro", the "countryman", and the carite. Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rico
 * Puerto Rico **
 * Puerto Rico **, officially the **Commonwealth of Puerto Rico** (Spanish: //"Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico"// — literally //Associated Free State of Puerto Rico//), is a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands. Puerto Rico is composed of an archipelago that includes the main island of Puerto Rico and a number of smaller islands, the largest of which are Vieques, Culebra, and Mona. The main island of Puerto Rico is the smallest by land area and second smallest by population among the four Greater Antilles, which also include Cuba, Hispaniola, and Jamaica.
 * Language **
 * Culture **

By Lola Hernández

[]
 * Instructions:**
 * IDAHO**
 * 2. Answer the following questionaire: **
 * **// Answer if the following statemens are TRUE OR FALSE. Mark them in the boxes ////.//** || **T** || **F** ||
 * **The expedition had the intention of exploring the new land in search for richness and peace with native americans.** ||  ||   ||
 * **The participants of the expedition were qualified and skilled men with no discipline problems like drunkeness.** ||  ||   ||
 * **Was the Louisiana territory sold to Thomas Jefferson by Emperor Napoleon?** ||  ||   ||
 * **Six million dollar were paid by the US for the territory.** ||  ||   ||

**3. After that, each of you will add information on one State of the United States of America which you are interested in.** **DUE DATE: Thursday November 5th, 2009.** ** __MANDATORY FOR GRADING​__ ** media type="youtube" key="EVIHQ4kQ4PQ" height="344" width="425"
 * Next week, we'll work on other English speaking countries such as Belize, New Zeland and The Great Britain.**
 * listening to the video, answer the questions below.**
 * listening to the video, answer the questions below.**
 * ** __Copy the questions, answer them and send them back as an e-mail.__ **



Colorado was nicknamed the “Centennial State”. Colorado is a U.S. state located in the Rocky Mountain region; it is bordered to the north by Wyoming, to the south by New Mexico and Oklahoma, at the southwest corner by Arizona, to the east by Nebraska and Kansas and to the west by Utah. The state is well known for its magnificent scenery of mountains, rivers, lakes and plains.
 * Colorado **

Energy  Colorado has significant energy resources, it has seven hosts of the Nation’s 100 largest natural gas fields and two of its 100 largest oil fields, besides Colorado's high Rocky Mountain ridges and eastern plains offer wind power potential, and geologic activity in the mountain areas provides potential for geothermal power development. Also major rivers flowing from the Rocky Mountains offer hydroelectric power resources.

Protected areas Mesa Verde National Park is a U.S. National Park and Unesco World Heritage Site located in Montezuma County, Colorado, United States. This site relies on the Four Corners and features numerous ruins of homes and villages built by the ancient Pueblo people known as the Anasazi. It is best known for several spectacular cliff dwellings structures built within caves and under outcroppings in cliffs. by Admer Valdivieso

Ushuaia is the capital of the province of Tierra del Fuego, is the southernmost city in the world, in Argentina, is encircled by a range of rugged peaks and fronted by the Beagle Channel (named for HMS Beagle, the ship of Charles Darwin), it has approximately 64,000 inhabitants. Ushuaia means "bay penetrating westward" in the Yamana language.
 * Ushuaia a city at the end of the world **

In the past, the town was home of the Yamana Indians, later it was a penal colony for serious criminals, they prisoners built the train known as the **Tren del Fin del Mundo** (End of the Earth Train), Ushuaia was also a naval base for the Argentine government. Its climate is not as severe as it seems, the mountains and the sea soften it, and temperatures rarely drop below -10 degrees, in summer temperatures are above the +12 degrees.

You can visit the **Ushuaia** **Prison Museum**, one of the most visited attractions in Ushuaia today; it offers a fascinating look into the lives of the prisoners through interpretive displays and artifacts. There are restaurants, where tourists can eat "prison" meals. Or maybe, you could visit the **End of the World Museum**, where you can see Indian hunting tools, colonial maritime instruments, a old general store, packed with antique products and a store with excellent books about Patagonia for sale.

Ushuaia is not only a city at the "end of the world", Ushuaia is a city conformed by old-fashioned wood and metal houses and modern buildings in a spectacular environment.

This picturesque city possesses an important tourist services infrastructure, excellent hotels, casinos and restaurants, with a gourmet selection of traditional Fueguian crab, black hake, cod, bream and exquisite shellfish. By Azucena Guzmán F.