Literary Arts Magazine Spring 2010 | Page 57

lation is 18.5 million people. Because of the country‟s civil war that lasted for a long period of 37 years, in Angola the majority of the population is poor. Their household income is very low per capita. Many people work as farmers and fisherman to survive. At the community markets, kwanza is exchanged to buy food, clothes, and other types of materials. Kwanza is the national currency of Angola. The United States has the largest and most powerful economy in the world. Its currency is the dollar. Approximately 314.7 million people live in the U.S.A. In contrast to Angolans, many Americans make $50 (US) a day, which is the minimum wage paid for work. In America, people work eight hours or more a day. Common jobs for immigrants include construction worker, restaurant employee, hair braider, and babysitter. Angola is located in southwest Africa. With an area of 1246.700 km square, it is the seventh largest country on the continent. The country is divided into 18 provinces; its capital is Luanda. The weather is tropical and humid along the coast. There are two seasons in Angola. In the winter the weather is dry and during the summer it is hot and rainy. In cities of Angola, there are a lot of beaches, such as Ilha de Luanda, Cefopescas, and Praia do Musuleu. Parks, mountains, lakes, and a variety of animals can be seen in the northern part of the country. The United States, located in North America, has an area of 9.8 million km square. This country has 50 states; the largest is Alaska. Its capital city is Washington D.C. America‟s weather is very complex with four seasons: fall, summer, winter and spring. In the winter, people go skiing and ice-skating. In the spring, tourists come to D.C. to see the Cherry Blossom trees. In my neighborhood, there is a popular park where people play, ride bikes and practice sports. In other areas of the city, you can find rivers and people sailing boats. In conclusion, I hope you have learned a little about the countries mentioned above. For example, Angola has two seasons and many dialects; in contrast, the United States of America has four seasons and only one primary language. However, Americans and Angolans both enjoy hip-hop music, fútbol and beaches. I have had the pleasure of experiencing parts of each country. Teacher: Michael Price Level 7 Evening Fall 2009 56