It is the largest city in the USA and an industrial port. It lies on the Hudson and East Rivers. It covers an area of 780 square kilometers. The city's population of 7,300,000 people (or 18 million in whole conurbation) is divided into Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island (Richmond). It is one of the most important financial, commercial and cultural centers in the world.

The first European to enter New York Bay was Giovanni da Verrazano in 1524. In 1624 the New Amsterdam was established by Netherlanders. In 1664 New Amsterdam became an English colony and renamed New York because of Duke of York. It was also a capital city (1789 – 1791).

The center of commerce in New York is the Wall Street, which is the home of the New York Stock Exchange and the American Stock Exchange.

NY is the second busiest port in the world (after Rotterdam). NY has three main airports: John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark International Airport and La Guardia Airport. The main train stations are Grand Terminal and Pennsylvania Station. The coach terminal is the Port Authority Bus Terminal. The subway system began to operate in 1904 and it is the largest urban transportation system in the world. The local buses and cabs are also known.

NY consists of many immigrant neighborhoods, e.g. the Jewish one is the largest in the world. NY has 12 avenues and about 200 streets. The most famous bridges are the Brooklyn Bridge, the George Washington Bridge, and the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. The typical building in NY is skyscraper, which includes residential quarters, office spaces, parking lots, restaurants, shopping, cultural and sports facilities.

Points of Interest. The Statue of Liberty – it is designed by F. A. Bartholdi, it has become a symbol of both freedom and the USA itself; it was erected in 1886. Ellis Island – the gateway for immigrants. Manhattan – heart of NY, famous skyline, commercial and financial center. Wall Street – financial center. The Federal Hall National Memorial was the site of inauguration of George Washington. The World Trade Center – the second highest building in the world. St. Paul's Chapel is the oldest church in NY. The Empire State Building is probably the most famous building in NY. The New York Public Library holds about 36 million objects, including Gutenberg Bible. The Chrysler Building is the seat of the Chrysler automobile company. The Grand Central Terminal is one of the finest public buildings in USA; it is a gateway to NY. The United Nations Headquarters is a group of three buildings – the Secretariat, the General Assembly and the Conference Building. Times Square is the place where the New Year is celebrated and also the place of the New York Times. The Rockefeller Center is a group of 19 buildings with various purposes. Parks – the Central Park is the largest park in NY, the New York Botanical Garden and the Bronx Zoo are also known.

Culture and Entertainment – The Theater District around the Times Square, the Radio City Music Hall, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, New York State Theater, Metropolitan Opera House. The Museums and Galleries: the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Cloisters, The Guggenheim Museum, Museum of Modern Art, American Museum of Natural History.

Schools – The most important schools are Columbia University and New York University. Sports – the famous stadiums Yankee and Shea, Madison Square Garden, Flushing Meadows Park (tennis championships).

Washington, District of Columbia is the capital of the United States. The population of the city is 623,000 (the metropolitan area 3,750,000). Washington lies on the Potomac River. The major industry is government. Washington is also the seat of many national and international organizations, e. g. the World Bank, International Monetary Fund. The major newspapers have their headquarters there, e.g. The Washington Post, The USA Today.

Transportation. The city has three main airports: Washington National Airport, Dulles International Airport and Baltimore-Washington International Airport. The only railroad station is the Union Station. City has also the subway, taxis and bus service.

Places of interest. The most prominent landmark is the Capitol building, which extends on Capitol Hill. It has the Senate Wing in the north and the House of Representatives Wing in the south. On the top of the Capitol is the bronze statue of Freedom. Inside the Capitol there are the House and Senate Chambers. The Supreme Court, a white marble building, is situated directly in opposite of Capitol. The Library of Congress contains 90 million items. Close to the Library of Congress stands Folger Shakespeare Library, with the world's largest collection of Shakespeare's works. In the west of the Capitol there is situated the Mall, with the world's densest concentration of museums. The Smithsonian Institution dominates. In the Tidal Basin there is famous cherry-tree orchard. Washington Monument, the white marble obelisk ringed by US flags, stands as a symbol of both the man and the city whose name it bears. Jefferson Memorial, the adaptation of the ancient Roman Pantheon, commemorates the third US President. It is dominated by a bronze statue of Thomas Jefferson. Lincoln Memorial commemorates the 16^th US President Abraham Lincoln. This landmark was inspired by Greek Parthenon in Athens. It includes the famous marble statue of seated Lincoln. The Arlington House is the home of the South's great hero, Robert E. Lee, whose name is connected with Lincoln. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is the black granite wall engraved with the names of 58,000 people who are dead or missing. The Arlington National Cemetery contains the graves of military personnel and dependents, but also the US Presidents W. H. Taft and J. F. Kennedy are buried here. The Pentagon (named after its pentagonal shape) houses the headquarters of the Department of Defense. The White House (named after the sandstone exterior walls) is the president's residence; its part called the Eclipse is the ceremonial ground.

Parks. Washington is world famous for its parks and green spaces. The most attractive parks are the West and East Potomac Parks and Constitution Gardens.

Culture and Entertainment. The Smithsonian Institution is one of the largest museum and research complexes in the world. It is comprised of 14 museums and the National Zoo. Its collections number more than 100 million objects. The most interesting parts are Castle, the Museum of African Art, the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the National Air and Space Museum, the National Gallery of Art, National Archives and so on. The other museums are the Philips Collection and the Corcoran Gallery. The most famous theaters and concert halls are the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the National Theater, Arena Stage, Ford's Theater (here was shot President Lincoln), Wolf Trap Farm for the Performing Arts. The Mount Vernon outside Washington is the place where lived Washington family. Schools. The oldest and best reputed Washington's universities are Georgetown University and the George Washington University.