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We will not even attempt to present an overview of the United States, except to say, with respect, that, if you think you know it - perhaps from a prior vacation or business trip, or from watching the movies and reading the newspapers - you may be in for some surprises: We advise you to be prepared for some culture shock, even, or maybe especially, if you come from an English-speaking country. It may look monolithic from the outside, but the US is a vast and complex country, and, for everything that you can assert about it, chances are the opposite will be equally true. Here's some suggested homework:
A good starting point is the National Geographic site which will give you a historical and physical overview of the country. You can explore the physical map, or look at "US Themes" in the L/H menu. The Yahoo map site is probably best for viewing urban areas, down to individual streets. Just enter your city of interest and click on "Get Map".
For a general introduction to the US, we can think of nothing better than the excellent Portrait of the USA put together for State Department use in US embassies overseas. A Similar overview is available in French. For access to numerous US Government web sites, and a glimpse of the sheer size and complexity of just about everything in the US, try the Uncle-Sam.com site.
A sampling of superior works of travel literature about the US should certainly include John Steinbeck's classic Travels with Charley: In Search of America and Charles Kuralt's Charles Kuralt's America. And you shouldn't pass up Bill Brysons very funny, I'm a Stranger here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years away (published in the UK as "Notes from a Big Country"). For more literary fare, try any of exiled Englishman, Jonathon Raban's brilliant meditations on America, especially: Old Glory: A Journey Down the Mississippi, Hunting Mister Heartbreak, a Discovery of America and Bad Land: An American Romance.
Vast distance is one of the defining experiences of living in the US; and this huge country has been knit together by an amazing transportation infrastructure, first by the railroad, then by the automobile, and today by the passenger jet.
Going between cities by train is still a viable way of getting from A to B, especially in the North East, in the densely populated corridor between Boston and Washington DC. You can visit the Amtrak site for railroad information.
The remarkable Interstate Highway System was built in the 50's and the 60's, and roads took over as the major arteries of communication. Roads, and driving on them, are an integral part of the American psyche, and Road Movies are a distinctive Hollywood genre.
You can also browse links to the web sites of virtually all US Airlines, large and small, and look for good air fares at the Travelocity and Expedia sites. There is also useful information on major US airports.
For transit within large metro areas, there is a fun omnibus site on subway systems throughout North America, with a map, rail fares and schedules for each system, and text in English, German and French.
If you are relocating to the Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Portland (Oregon), San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle or Washington DC areas, we recommend you go to our U.S. City Guides on this site, where they are described in more detail.