Symbols Of The USA: The Statue of Liberty And The Grand Canyon

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The Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is a canyon of immense size that is located in the state of Arizona. The enormous, deep canyon was carved by the Colorado River and is breathtaking according to numerous visitors. It is listed as one of the “Seven Natural Wonders” and became a national park in 1919.

In the 20th century, it was discovered that tourism was by far the best source of income. In the beginning of Grand Canyon’s tourism, you could go there by horse and diligence. Later, a railroad was built there and today the multi-lane highways lead the tourists to the heart of the Grand Canyon. However, it is still prohibited to travel by motorhome in the area that makes up the Grand Canyon National Park. Nonetheless, tourism in the area is constantly increasing. Every year, five million tourists visit the world’s most famous canyon to watch the sun rise or fall behind the reddish cliffs that form the edge of the Grand Canyon. It is also usually visited from the top in order for the visitors to appreciate the view to the fullest. You can also visit it from the bottom but you need to for example, ride a mule to get down there. The South Rim of the Grand Canyon is the most accessible and thus, the section that attracts the most tourists and visitors. The South Rim offers services such as lodging, camping and food supply.

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The temperature on the top and bottom differentiate a lot. It is cooler on top whereas it is hotter at the bottom, inside the Grand Canyon. The reason for this is that for example, the “South Rim” is located 2286 meters above sea level. The coldness of the air is proportional to the altitude, tremendous changes in elevation cause great differences in temperature. The climate is mostly semi-arid, there are different physical and biological environments found in the park. Since 1919 this area has been a protected national park and the area is a classic research site for, among other things, paleontologists and geologists who make yearly discoveries that can give rise to new attractions such as old skeletons of dinosaurs and other ancient animals. The Grand Canyon consists of many different types of stones, including slate, sandstone and limestone. The park does not only consist of the Grand Canyon but it is also some sort of a zoo where you can come across over 100 different species of animals and about 300 different kinds of birds. An example of a rare specie that can be observed is the mountain lion.

The Statue Of Liberty:

The Statue of Liberty, formally the Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World, is one of the world’s most recognized statues and the main symbol of the city of New York. The statue stands tall on Liberty Island and for over 130 years, the colossal statue has welcomed millions of travelers to the United States.

The project to construct the statue was announced in 1875 in France. The idea for the statue was first introduced by the French anti-slavery activist Edouard to the French sculptor Frederic. Fredric then took the idea and ran with it. He designed the Statue of Liberty, helped to raise funding for the project, and picked the site in New York Harbor. The arm and torch were constructed first and were unveiled at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia the next year. Following, the head was finished and displayed at the Paris World’s Fair in 1878. The rest of the statue was manufactured in sections over several years. All the sections of the Statue of Liberty were shipped to the United States. The statue was eventually completed and inaugurated October 28, 1886. The internal construction was built by civil engineer Gustave Eiffel who subsequently built the Eiffel Tower. He was the one that brought up the unique idea to use an iron grid structure inside the statue in order to support it. This would give the statue durability and reduce the strains on the outer copper skin at the same time, he killed two birds with one stone.

The Statue of Liberty is 93 meters from the pedestal to the tip and the physical features of the statue carry a significant meaning. The statue represents the freedom and liberty of the US democracy. The broken shackles at her feet signify breaking away from tyranny and oppression. The seven rays on her crown stand for the seven continents. According to the National Park Service the 25 windows in her crown illustrate gemstones found on the Earth and heaven’s rays shining over the Earth. The torch she holds high symbolizes lighting the path to freedom and it reflects the sun during the day. She also holds a tablet in her left hand that represents the law and has July 4, 1776 written on it in Roman numerals.

The statue was a gift to the Americans from the French people as a symbol of friendship during the American Revolution. The French also paid for the statue besides the financing of the pedestal.

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