The name of Japanese currency (money) is the Yen.

The 3 branches of Japan’s government are:

a.    Legislative Branch or Diet

b.   Executive Branch or the Cabinet

c.    Judicial or the courts

Japan is famous for Haiku poetry which is characterized by the number of syllables in each of the 3 lines of the poem. 

A country brings in or imports goods from another country.

A country sells goods or exports goods to another country.

Importing and exporting is how countries trade with each other.

Foreign trade helps to keep a country’s economy strong.

Japanese legend tells about a bird that brings people good luck.  This bird is called the crane.

Japanese women wear a special silk robe called a Kimono, for special celebrations.

The national sport of Japan is Sumo Wrestling.

Baseball is called Yakyu in Japan.

Children bring a Bento box for lunch.

The most important crop in Japan is rice.

The largest mountain in Japan is Mt. Fuji.

The 2 important oceans surrounding Japan

are the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan.

Many Japanese people eat rice and use chopsticks when they eat.

Girls celebrate Hina Matsuri or the Doll Festival.

Boys celebrate a special holiday by making paper carp kites.

Japanese culture is based on tradition.

The Emperor does not make the laws in Japan, the Diet makes laws. 

The Prime Minister rules Japan with the Cabinet.

The Diet is the name of the Japanese legislature.

Japanese people practice the Shinto and or Buddhist religion.

The Bullet Train (Shinkansen) can go 130 miles per hour.

 Older people get more respect than younger people in Japan.

Fast Facts: The United States of America

o       Official Name: United States of America

o       Population: 300,000,00

o       Form of Government: Constitution-based federal republic

o       Capital: Washington, D.C.

o       Area: 3,794,083 square miles (9,826,630 square kilometers)

o       Major Mountain Ranges: Rocky Mountains, Appalachian Mountain

o       The highest peak: Mt. McKinley at 20,320 feet (6,198 meters). (Alaska)

o       Lowest point: Death Valley which is at -282 feet (-86 meters) (California)

o       Major Rivers: Mississippi, Missouri, Colorado

o       There are 50 States and the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.)

o       Largest State: Alaska

o       Smallest State: Rhode Island

o       Largest Cities: New York, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, San Diego, Detroit, Dallas, Phoenix, and San Antonio

o       Language: English

o       Money: U.S. dollar

o       National Bird: The bald eagle which is a symbol of the United States and is a protected species.

o       National Anthem: The Star Spangled Banner, which was written by Francis Scott Key

o       Motto: In God We Trust

o       National Flower: Rose

o       Languages: English (82.1%) Spanish (10.7%) Other European Languages (3.8%), Asian (2.7%), other 0.7% (2000 census)

o       Religions: Christian 78%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 1%, other 10%, none 10% (2002)

Geography

o        The U.S. is the world's third largest country in size and nearly the third largest in terms of population.

o        It is ½ the size of Russia and ½ the South America and slightly larger than Brazil and China.  It is about 2 ½  times the size of Western Europe

o        It is Located in North America

o        The country is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean.

o        Along the northern border is Canada and the southern border is Mexico.

History

o       In the early 17th century, settlers moved from Europe to the New World in order to have religious freedom. They established colonies,

o       The settlers declared independence from Britain on July 4, 1776 and fought for their independence (from Britain) during the Revolutionary War.

o       The settlers (colonists) won the war in 1783 and they formed a confederation of states (Articles of Confederation) which bound the states together.

o       In 1789 the leaders decided we needed a strong central government and they wrote the Constitution which established the Separation of Powers and divided the federal or central government into 3 branches.

o       The 3 branches of government are:  The Executive (President) the Legislative (Congress/law makers)and the Judicial branch (courts)

o       Congress is divided into 2 parts: The House of Representatives and the Senate.

o       The House of Representatives is made of 435 Congressmen or women and each representative is elected for a two year term. 

o       The Senate is made up of 2 senators who are elected from each state. Each senator serves for 6 years.

o       The 3 branches of government provide “Checks and Balances” so that no one branch can become too strong

o       Citizens over the age of 18 years old vote to elect the President and Vice President of United States every four years. The president lives in the White House in the capital city of Washington, D.C.

o       The Supreme Court is made up of nine justices who are picked by the president and must be approved by Congress.

People and Culture

o       Throughout its history, the United States has been a nation of immigrants (people who come from one country to live in another country).

o       The population is diverse with people from all over the world seeking refuge and a better way of life.

o       Advances in the past hundred years have established America as a world leader economically, militarily, and technologically. America has the largest coal reserves in the world.

The American Flag is an important symbol of the United States of America

The U.S. flag has undergone many changes since the first official flag of 1777. On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress passed the first Flag Act, which said that the flag would be made up of thirteen alternating red and white stripes and thirteen white stars on a blue field. Stars have been added to the flag as new states join the union. Stars for new states are added on July 4^th following entry into the Union. 

There are 50 stars representing the 50 states and there are 13 stripes representing the 13 original colonies which later became states.

Betsy Ross made the first flag

Nickname: Old Glory

White: Signifies purity and innocence
Red: Signifies valor and bravery
Blue: Signifies Vigilance, perseverance, and justice

Why stars and stripes? Stars are considered a symbol of the heavens and the divine goal to which man has aspired from time immemorial; the stripe is symbolic of the rays of light emanating from the sun.

Proper Display of Flag

* Display of the American flag is usually from sunrise to sunset.

* The flag should be displayed daily on or near the main building of every public place and during school days in or near every schoolhouse.

* Flags are flown at half-staff to show grief for lives lost. When the flag is flown at half-staff, it should be pulled to the top for a moment, and then lowered to the half-staff position. The flag should then be raised to the top before it is lowered for the day.

* When two or more flags are flown from the same pole, the American flag must be on top.

* When displayed with another flag against a wall, the U.S. flag should be on its own right (left to a person facing the wall).

Visit the website below for more facts about the United States of America

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/places/find/united-states-of-america/