There are fifty states in the United States. The largest in population is California, the largest in area is Alaska. Alaska is the smallest in population and Rhode Island is the smallest in size. The oldest states are the ones along the Atlantic coast. The newest states are Alaska and Hawaii. Alaska is also the coldest state. California and Florida are the warmer. Henry and his family live in Seattle, a big city, on the Pacific coast. But Los Angeles and San Francisco, also on the Pacific coast, are larger than Seattle. Henry's cousin, Susan, lives in New York. It is the largest city in the United States. Thousands of people visit New York each year. The most important city in the United States is Washington, D. C. It is the capital, but it is much smaller than New York.

In many countries around the world, more and more people live in cities. Cities share many similar things, but are also different from country to country.

MEXICO

Mexico s cities are modern but have many traditional Indian and Spanish things. The most important buildings are around a central square, which is also a place to meet with friends. There are outdoor marketplaces, where people can find almost anything they need. On Sundays, parks are popular places for families. Many people move to Mexico City from the countryside. It has a lot of excitements, but also lots of traffic and air pollution.

JAPAN

Japan s cities also have a mix of traditional and modern things. There are tall office and apartment buildings as well as traditional wooden houses. Many people would like to live near the center of cities, but because houses there are too expensive, they have to take public buses or trains from faraway places. Traffic, pollution, and crowds are problems. However, there is little crime, and even very crowded cities have many parks and gardens.

AUSTRALIA

Although 80% of Australians live near cities, the cities are not as large as those in some other countries. Most people live in houses in the outer area of the cities—not in apartment. The areas also have their own churches, schools, and shopping centers. In large cities, like Sydney, the areas are often far from the center town. Though many people take public buses and trains to work, traffic is slow and there are many traffic jams.

Valencia is in the east part of Spain. It has a port on the sea, two miles away on the coast. It is the capital of a province that is also named Valencia.

The city is a market centre for what is produced by the land around the city. Most of the city’s money is made from farming. It is also a busy business city, with ships, railways, clothes and machine factories.

Valencia has an old part with white buildings, coloured roofs, and narrow streets. The modern part has long, wide streets and new buildings. Valencia is well known for its parks and gardens. It has many old churches and museums. The university in the centre of the city was built in the 13th century.

The city of Valencia has been known since the 2nd century. In the 8th century it was the capital of Spain. There is also an important city in Venezuela (委内瑞拉) named Valencia.