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Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix is the largest and most populous city in the State of Arizona. It also serves as the state capital, and is the most populous capital in the country, with more than a million people. Phoenix is located on the banks of the Salt River, and is known as “The Valley” as it is surrounded by mountains.

Father Eusebio Kino, an Italian Jesuit, was among the first Europeans to travel to Phoenix during the 1600s and 1700s. Jack Swilling, an American Civil War veteran, founded the city in 1867. The name Phoenix comes from the ruins of a former civilization. Phoenix was incorporated as a city in 1881.

During World War II Phoenix’s economy shifted to that of a distribution center. During the last half of the 1900s the city’s population began to grow. The city has maintained a growth streak in recent years and is the second-fastest-growing metropolitan area in the United States, second only to Las Vegas, Nevada.

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Hawaii

Hawaii is a state located on an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan and northeast of Australia. Honolulu on the island of Oahu serves as the state’s capital.

The first recorded European contact with Hawaii was by British explorer James Cook in 1778. The area was known as the Republic of Hawaii from 1894 to 1898. It was then annexed to the United States through the Newlands Resolution in 1898. Hawaii was the 50th state admitted into the Union in 1959.

After becoming part of America, Hawaii saw a construction boom and rapidly growing economy. In recent decades, the Hawaiian government has made more of an effort to promote Hawaiian culture.

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Seattle, Washington

Seattle is a coastal port city and the largest city in the Pacific Northwest United States. It is located between part of the Pacific Ocean known as Puget Sound and Lake Washington and is about 96 miles south of Canada.

Seattle was founded by the European Denny Party in 1851. The area was originally called New York and was renamed Alki in 1853. The city was later renamed Seattle after Chief Sealth of the Duwamish and Suquamish tribes. The city was officially incorporated in 1869. Over the years, the city’s economy has been affected by the lumber industry, the Klondike Gold Rush, the shipbuilding boom and the dot-com boom.

Central Connecticut State University ranked Seattle the most literate of America’s 69 largest cities in 2005 and 2006, and the second most-literate city in 2007. Seattle also was ranked as the most educated city by the United States Census Bureau in 2002.

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Located in Central Texas, Austin is the state’s capital and fourth-largest city. From 2000 to 2006, it was known as the third fastest growing large city in the nation.

Originally founded in the 1830’s, the area that is now Austin was first called Waterloo. Renamed after Stephen F. Austin, the city became the capital of the independent Republic of Texas in 1839. Throughout the remained of the 19^th century, Austin was considered a center for both government and education. Presently, the city is known best as home to many hi-tech companies and other businesses.

According to the city’s official slogan, Austin considers itself “the live music capital of the world” and the area is known for having a strong appreciation of arts, despite it’s big business appeal.

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Michigan

Michigan is a state located in the Midwestern United States. The state is bounded by four of the five great lakes and Lake St. Clair and has the longest freshwater shoreline in the world. Michigan also is the only state to consist entirely of two peninsulas. Lansing serves as the state capital.

French voyagers explored and settled in Michigan during the 17th Century. The state was named after Lake Michigan, whose name is a French adaptation of the Ojibwe term for “large water” or “large lake.” Population in the state grew slowly until the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825, which made transportation easier. Michigan became a part of the Union in 1837.

In the 20th Century, Michigan’s economy underwent a large change because of the automotive industry, and the state remains the leading auto producer today. Detroit, the state’s largest city, has been losing population as people move to the outskirts of the city.

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Arizona

Arizona is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. Phoenix serves as the state’s capital and largest city. Arizona is one of the Four Corners states, as it borders New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, California, touches Colorado and borders Sonora and Baja California, Mexico.

In 1539, Spanish Franciscan Marcos de Niza explored the region. The state seceded from the Union in 1861. Arizona was admitted back into the Union in 1912, making it the 48th and last of the contiguous states. Cotton farming and copper mining, two of Arizona’s early important industries, suffered during the great depression, and tourism soon became the state’s thriving industry. During World War II, Arizona was the site of German and Italian Prisoner of War camps, and Japanese US-resident internment camps.

Following World War II, the state’s population began to grow. In the 1960s, Arizona saw the development of many retirement communities and special age-restricted areas catering only to senior citizens.

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Louisiana

The State of Louisiana is located in the southern region of the United States. Baton Rouge serves as the state capital, and New Orleans is the largest city. Louisiana is the only state divided into parishes, which are equivalent to counties.

Louisiana was named after King Louis XIV of France. The land was originally claimed by Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle, and was acquired by the United States in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase.

The state is known for being multicultural and has French, Spanish and African influences. The state has a large population of Cajun and Creole people, African-Americans and Franco-Americans, southern white people, other Europeans, Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans.

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Virginia

Virginia is a state located on the Atlantic Coast of the southern United States, and is bordered by North Carolina and Tennessee to the south, Kentucky to the west, West Virginia to the northwest and Maryland to the northeast. Richmond serves as the state capital, while Virginia Beach is the most populous city.

In 1583, Sir Walter Raleigh was granted a charter to explore the area north of Florida. In 1584, he explored the coast, and Virginia was named after Queen Elizabeth I of England, who was known as the “Virgin Queen.” Virginia seceded from the Union in 1861, and rejoined the Union in 1870. During the Civil War, Virginia saw more battles than any other state.

Virginia is home to many federal agencies and military bases. As of the 2000 census, Virginia had the highest number of counties and independent cities, 15 in the top 100 wealthiest jurisdictions in the country. The state also has the highest concentration of technology workers.

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San Francisco, California

The City of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city in California, and 14th most populous city in the country. The city is located at the tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, with the Pacific Ocean to the west, San Francisco Bay to the east and the Golden Gate to the north.

In 1776, the Spanish settled near present day San Francisco, which is named for Francis of Assisi. The city’s population boomed in 1848 during the California Gold Rush, and was devastated by an earthquake and fire in 1906. The Hunters Point Naval Shipyard and Fort Mason played important roles during World War II. The UN Charter, forming the United Nations, was drafted and signed in San Francisco in 1945.

The dot-com boom of the late 1990s brought many startup companies to the area, and high technology and entrepreneurship continue to play an important role in the city’s economy. Today San Francisco is a popular tourist destination and is known for its diverse culture and various landmarks.

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Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is a state located in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic United States. Harrisburg serves as the state capital. Pennsylvania accounts for 9 percent of all wooded areas in the country, and was known as the Quaker Province in colonial times.

In 1681, Charles II granted a land charter to William Penn to repay a debt owed to Penn’s father. The land was named Pennsylvania, meaning “Penn’s Woods.” Pennsylvania is known as being the home of the Founding Fathers, and the Declaration of Independence was signed there. The Battle of Gettysburg, a major turning point in the Civil War, took place near Gettysburg, Pa.

Dickinson College of Carlisle, founded by Benjamin Rush in 1773, was the first college in the country. Pennsylvania was the home of the first commercially drilled oil well, drilled by Edwin L. Drake in 1859 near Titusville, Pa. The state also was home to the first zoo in Philadelphia.

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