GENERALITIES

USA

The United States is located in North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico. Consisting of 50 states and a federal district The United States is a developed country and has the world's largest national economy and it is a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. The capital is Washington, DC. United States is the third largest country in terms of population and the world's fourth largest country in area. The Climate is mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest.

The climate in the US is very diverse and changing from one city to another. In the west the climate is warmer, while the central prevalent aridity eastward enjoying a tropical environment.

Unite States’ official language is English. 

COLOMBIA

Officially Republic of Colombia, is located in America, in the North West region of South America, bordered by Venezuela, Nicaragua, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Panama. It is the only country in South America with coasts on the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It is politically organized in 32 departments and a district capital that is Bogota. Colombia has a variety of climates. This country is globally recognized for its quality in medicine.

Colombia is the third country with the largest number of Spanish speakers. The country's official language is Spanish.

EDUCATION

USA

There are public schools and private schools in the United States. The public school curricula and other policies are set through school boards; meanwhile the Private schools are free to determine their own curriculum and policies.

The education is divided into three levels: elementary school, middle or junior high school, and high school. Twelfth grade is the final year of high school.

There are also a large number and wide variety of publicly and privately administered institutions of higher education throughout the country. Post-secondary education, divided into college, as the first tertiary degree, and graduate school, is described in a separate section below. They prefer go to public schools.

In United State there are also a variety and a large number of public and private institutions of higher education. The U.S. spends more on education than any nation in the world.

COLOMBIA

Education in Colombia is considered a right and a public service.
It is a permanent cultural and social process that has as principal goal to achieve the integral development of the people, their dignity, their rights and duties. It may be a public or private education that is offered by the public sector or private institutions.

The Colombian educational system is divided into three levels:

- Preschool Education: includes grades prekindergarten, kindergarten and transition.

- Basic Education consists of two stages: the elementary school comprising grades first to fifth; and secondary, with the sixth to ninth grades.

- Medium Education: comprises tenth and eleventh grades. Only a few international schools also offer grade twelve.

You can also list a fourth level comprising higher education offered by various university entities, but compulsory education in our education system comprises only until grade eleven.Today the Colombian education system is governed by the law of childhood and adolescence (Law 1098 of 2006), in which the fundamental nature of the rights of children and adolescents is recognized.

ECONOMY

USA

The United States of America is the world's largest national economy and it is one of the most developed countries; it has an advanced industrial economy that is highly mechanized and it is a dominant force in world finance and is the world's leading exporter of food. The US has abundant natural resources and it is the world's largest producer of oil and natural gas. It is the second-largest trading nation in the world.

The first employment sector is small businesses and the second largest share of employment is large businesses.

Important manufacturing industries include petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, and food processing, lumber, and mining.

Its currency is the dollar. Dollar is the most used currency in international transactions.

COLOMBIA

The national currency is the Colombian peso.

By the variety of climates and terrains, Colombia has a variety of fauna and flora.

Globally, Colombia is the fourth largest producer of coffee and the largest producer of mild coffee in the world.

In the Colombian economy it is also important the livestock.

One of the fastest growing sectors has been the mining and energy sector, which is formed by subsets of the mining, oil, gas and energy.

Minerals most exploited in Colombia are: gold, silver, emeralds, platinum, copper, nickel, coal.

The main export is oil. It is also stood out: textile industry, food, automotive and petrochemicals.

WORK ENVIROMENT

USA

You can work full-time (40 hour for week) or part-time (30 hour for week). The working traditional hour in the U.S, is Monday to Friday from 9:00a.m to 6:00p.m. The employees have two breaks of 15 minutes and one hour for lunch. For many Americans, their biggest goal is making money, making their fortune.

In The United States there is not job security.

COLOMBIA

The rule in Colombia about hours of work is: 8 hours per day and 48 per week. In Colombia the holidays and Sundays are for resting and sharing in family. The employee is also entitled to vacation.

The economic sectors that tend to be more dynamic in the country are finance, insurance and real estate, mining and construction. Meanwhile, public administration, education, retail and wholesale trade show weaker expectations.

LIFESTYLE

USA 

In many household have no children. Some people get married and divorced several times, or even children out of wedlock Also it is very common in most families that both the mother and the father are employed full time. 

The Americans generally eat fast foods, such as chips, fried chicken, hamburgers, pizza, and tacos, among others. They prefer canned food.

In the United States there are people with different religions. The Americans are introverted, serious and workaholic.

COLOMBIA

The family is important in the society. Many couples choose to live together before, or instead of marriage. Also the separation rate is one of the highest in Colombia, and some families are shaped by mother or father and grandfathers.

Also some children must choose either live with his father or your mother.

The Colombians generally eat beef, chicken, vegetables and soup, also is very common consume the crops grown in the field as fruit, vegetables, tubers and cereals.

In Colombia, most of the population is Catholic. The Colombians are wonderful, spontaneous, cheerful and extroverted.

SOURCES OF RESEARCH


http://thisibelieve.org/essay/79985/
http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.us.htm
http://kennethschwartz.weebly.com/culture-and-lifestyle.html
http://www.immihelp.com/newcomer/american-lifestyle.html
http://www.nriol.com/america-visitors/life-style-in-usa.asp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_the_United_State