Top 100+ Biggest Questions Asked About America from Abroad and Best Answers

Top 100+ Biggest Questions Asked About America from Abroad - Best Answers

Every day, a whole bunch of people use Google's search engine to help answer all manner of questions, from important life-changing decisions like what to eat for lunch, to trivial queries about how many albums the band Hoobastank has put out (five).

Though America may now be an empire in decline, a decent number of these global inquiries are about the USA. To get you started, here are 100 questions about America from abroad on everything from planning to food, travel, housing, and more!

What does the world think of America?

America has long been perceived as a world-leading nation, but the rise of powerful economies in Asia has called that into question. What the Pew survey shows is that most of the world still believes in the US, and sees it as holding on to the power and influence it wielded a decade ago. Only the Japanese see America as having diminished internationally.

Among people surveyed in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region and North America, the overall image of the United States remains positive. While the Iraq War in 2003-11 proved deeply unpopular, today's US-led action against ISIS has been met with widespread approval.

Top 100+ Biggest Questions Asked About America from Abroad - Best Answers

1. Is there REALLY so much gun violence in America?

With over 300,000 registered guns and probably another million illegal guns roaming the country, it’s likely at some point you’ll encounter a person carrying a gun. Sure, there are random acts of gun violence, like mass school shootings, but for the most part, day to day life is as it is anywhere else in the world. But just know, people will be packin’ as it is in our 2nd Amendment that we have the right to bare arms to protect ourselves, our home and the people we love.

2. What time is it in America?

At time of press: 7:43 AM, 8:43 AM, 9:43 AM, 10:43, 11:43 AM, and 12:43 PM, depending on where you're standing. We're a pretty big country, and we often have to ask this question of ourselves when coordinating communications with friends, family, and colleagues thousands of miles away. Best to tailor your query to a specific city for future time inquiries.

3. Is racism STILL such a problem?

This is the 21st century, is it not? Unfortunately, it has become quite clear there are still some racial tensions in America, the media has sometimes blown things out of proportion, therefore, inciting more racial tension and further dividing our nation. Fast forward to 2020 and you can still see that racism is clearly STILL a problem. It’s an infectious disease in the US and we need to address it instead of sweeping it under the rug.

4. How many states are in the USA?

This is an easy one. There are 50 states. That said, we also have Washington, DC, and 16 island territories like Puerto Rico that are like states, but the citizens have fewer rights. It's kinda fucked up.

5. How many people are in the US?

The most recent census has us at 324,406,583 citizens, and we have a net gain of one person every 17 seconds so… "medium a lot?"

6. How old is America?

We were officially founded in 1776, so that has us at a relatively spry 238 years young, but you could be pedantic and argue older based on when colonists got here. All you need to know is that we're old enough.

7. What is the oldest city in the United States?

Augustine, founded in September 1565 by Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles of Spain, is the longest continually inhabited European-founded city in the United States – more commonly called the "Nation's Oldest City."

8. Who first discovered America?

Five hundred years before Columbus, a daring band of Vikings led by Leif Eriksson set foot in North America and established a settlement. And long before that, some scholars say, the Americas seem to have been visited by seafaring travelers from China, and possibly by visitors from Africa and even Ice Age Europe.

9. What is the capital of America?

Photo: tripsavvy

Washington, DC.

10. What currency is used in the USA?

US Dollar

11. How many stars are there on the US flag?

50

12. When was America discovered?

I'm sure you didn't mean to open such a can of worms with this question, my inquisitive foreign friend, but this is a highly contested subject. Columbus got here in 1492, but we're starting to collectively realize that he was a genocidal piece of shit and, since there were humans already living here when he came through, maybe he shouldn't get so much praise for his "discovery."

13. What was the last state to join the United States of America?

Hawaii

14. Who won the 2016 and 2020 Election?

A lot of people won their respective Senate, House, and gubernatorial races, but if you just mean the presidency, Donald Trump won.

In 2020, Joe Biden defeated Trump in the most controversial Presidential election in history.

15. The USA are the third-largest country in the world. What are the first and second largest?

Russia and Canada.

16. What percentage of Americans vote?

In the November general election, only 59.7 percent of those eligible voted.

17. What is the anthem of the USA?

Star-Spangled banner

18. When was slavery abolished in USA?

The 13th amendment, which abolished slavery, was ratified on December 6, 1865. Of course, that doesn't mean every slave was suddenly unshackled that day like at the end of The Wiz. We were terrible enough to find ways to keep quasi-slavery going for quite a while after that.

19. What is the US national bird?

Bald Eagle

20. How many Americans died in WWII?

Calculating war death is tricky, but we lost around 405,000 military and civilian lives with another 30,000 who went missing. Russia lost 24 million in the same conflict, so you could say we got off easy.

21. What is the least populous state in the USA?

Wyoming

22. Is Puerto Rico part of the United States?

Yes, PR is a territory and likely to remain one (i.e. not become a state).

23. How many states is New England made of (+ 1 bonus point per state name)?

Six. Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.

24. How many gold medals does USA have?

We have earned 1,118 gold medals over the 49 Olympic games we've participated in. This puts us in first place for all time totals, well ahead of the Soviet Union's paltry 473 golds. We get a gold medal in gold-medal-having. USA! USA! USA!

25. What is the smallest US banknote you can get (as in lowest value)?

1 dollar.

26. How to move to America?

You could sneak in, marry someone, fill out a bunch of paperwork and wait forever, visit and then defect if your homeland sucks. There are a bunch of ways to pull this off, but, honestly, with the new president, ongoing economic slump, and half the country hating immigrants, now might not be the best time to come over.

27. Is America a country?

Yes? I mean, officially it's the "United States of America," but "America" has become acceptable shorthand, whether or not South America likes it.

28. When was America great?

Good question. The answer depends on what color your skin is and the inherent subjectivity of "greatness," of course.

29. Is America a democracy?

Another one where I wish I could give you a clear cut answer, but, alas, this is also up for debate. We are a representative democracy in that we elect officials to act on our behalf, but that rarely pans out as we'd like it to.

As many point out, we're also a republic. There's overlap between democracies and republics. It's like the square and rectangle classification thing in geometry.

30. How many registered voters are in the US?

More than 200 million were registered to vote in the November election. Only 138 million voted, in the end, so I guess 60 million people had somewhere better to be that day.

31. How many aircraft carriers does the US have?

Photo: warontherocks

We currently have ten active carriers and three more buns in the oven.

We probably don't need that many, but, let's be real, aircraft carriers are pretty sick. You get the best of land, air, and sea all scrunched up into one.

32. How many Americans are there?

I just told you. I'll look again. OK, we're at 324,406,913 now. Not that drastic a change. Don't ask again.

33. Where is America?

Don't you see? America was in your heart the whole time.

But also, we're on planet Earth smushed between Canada and Mexico with the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans bookending our wester and eastern coasts respectively.

34. How many illegal immigrants are in the US?

As of 2014, we had 11.1 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States, but that's really just us spit-balling. Turns out, people trying to live under the radar are somewhat hard to keep data on.

35. When did the US enter WWII?

We took some potshots from the sidelines going all the way back to 1940, but we officially clicked "going" on WWII's Facebook event invite on December 7, 1941, after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.

36. How many Americans died in Vietnam?

Assuming you're just asking about the war and not including the tourists who choked on Banh Mis last year, 58,209 Americans died in Vietnam.

37. Do people really drive EVERYWHERE?

Yes. Public transportation is not as immaculate as it is in Europe and Japan. After Henry Ford released his first Model T in 1908, America quickly gave up on the dream of locomotives dominating the country. We still have trains which people use either for long-distance travel or for the movement of goods but don’t expect to travel around America by train as quickly and as easily as in Europe. And when you get to where you’re goin’, you’ll likely need a car, as our cities were built around the invention of the automobile.

38. Why did the US enter WWI?

A German U-boat torpedoed and sank the British vessel Lusitania, killing (among others) 129 Americans who were aboard. Soon after, a telegraph was intercepted wherein Germany was promising Mexico a bunch of (formerly Mexican) US land if it joined sides with the Huns.

Congress was like "talk shit, get hit" and voted to join the Great War on April 6, 1917.

39. Why do Americans smile ALL THE TIME?

According to The Atlantic, cultures with a lot of immigration rely heavily on non-verbal communication and therefore, you have a lot of big smiles, which helps to build trust and cooperation. Americans also value people with high energy and happy feelings and this is why we will always greet you with a smile at any public institution. Nobody likes a Debbie Downer so turn that frown upside down!

40. How to move to Canada from US?

Why are you, someone who isn't in the US, asking how to move to Canada from the US?

Anyway, if you want to do things by the books, you're going to need to fill out a ton of paperwork, spend more than you probably have saved, and wait for a while to be allowed it. Even if you try to marry a Canadian, you're still looking at a wait time of 14 months.

It might just be easier to sneak across the border and pray Trudeau's softer on illegal immigrants than Trump.

41. Is it true Americans almost NEVER take a vacation?

According to Project: Time Off, 55% of Americans squandered 658 million UNUSED vacation days. Germans, who on average work around 1,436 hours per year compared to Americans who work 2,080 hours, are actually more productive at work after a hearty vacation! Sadly, these unused days impact the American economy and cost the country $223 billion and 1.6 million jobs.

41. But WHY do Americans not use their time off?

Surprisingly, the number one reason is the fear of a mountain of paperwork they will come back to after a greatly deserved holiday, followed by a fear that no one else can do their job and that many can’t afford to take a vacation. Some even complain of a lack of support from their bosses and fellow colleagues, leaving Americans glued to their desks and their work mobile phones.

42. What is the country code for USA?

We're #1. No, literally, it's just +1.

43. Is the drinking age in America REALLY 21?

Photo: cnn

Apparently, in America, it’s ok to vote, have sex, buy a gun, smoke and join the military at the age of 18, but having a beer with some pals to relax after a hard day of work is not acceptable thanks to M.A.D.D.

44. How to watch US Netflix?

Well, I hope you watch it on a large screen, so you can really take in all the visuals. And comfortably, maybe with a friend or a loved one.

If you're talking about skirting regional restrictions, you could download a VPN.

45. How much is a US stamp?

Our stamps cost $0.47. Be sure to buy "forever stamps," though. They still count, even if the regular stamp price goes up! There is zero reason not to get these inflation-proof bad boys.

46. Why do Americans put BACON ON EVERYTHING???

Because it’s gooooood. Plenty of other great ways to add bacon to everything….bacon on pancake/waffles, bacon wrapped around veggies, bacon-wrapped sausages, bacon, bacon, bacon…… Foreigners just can’t understand the joy of having a stack of pancakes in the morning for breakfast with a few slices of bacon on the side.

47. How to get job in USA?

According to baby boomers, it's as easy as walking into a store, demanding to speak to the manager, and asking if they're hiring.

48. How many guns are in America?

Somewhere in the ballpark of 300 million guns are floating around America. That's almost one for every man, woman, and child. And if you haven't seen a child popping off rounds at the gun range, you ain't lived, brother.

49. Why is “Football” not popular in the US?

It’s not that the game is not popular in the US, because it is. There’s just a bit more competition between baseball, basketball, football and even hockey. But I think after the American team won the English Premier League, we may even start to see an increase in the love of the game.

50. What is America's nickname?

United States nicknamed Uncle Sam.

51. What was the first American state?

Delaware

Delaware is known by this nickname due to the fact that on December 7, 1787, it became the first of the 13 original states to ratify the U.S. Constitution. “The First State” became the official State nickname on May 23, 2002 following a request by Mrs.

52. How many cities are in America?

As of 2018, there are 19,495 incorporated cities, towns and villages in the United States. 14,768 of these have populations below 5,000.

53. Which ocean borders the USA on the west?

Pacific Ocean

54. What is Thanksgiving in USA?

Thanksgiving is an annual holiday where extended families come together to argue over politics and eat a meal that nobody is particularly jazzed about. Nobody has actually been thankful for something at a Thanksgiving meal since 2003.

55. How many countries share borders with the USA (+ 1 bonus point per name)?

Two. Canada and Mexico.

56. What is the highest peak in the USA?

Denali, Alaska

57. Why are Americans OBSESSED with the American flag?

The flag stands for so much more than we all realize. It stands for freedom, hope, equality, opportunity, and for the American Dream. Many people don’t have the chance for a better life in their home countries and the American flag means so much more to so many people than just an ordinary flag.

But, Americans aren’t the only ones flaunting the flag. Europeans love to wear T-shirts, and have purses or scarves also with the American flag.

58. The Statue of Liberty was a gift from another country. Which one was it?

France

59. How many states are there on the American mainland?

49

60. What is the biggest and most populous US territory?

Puerto Rico

61. What is the most populous city in the US?

New York City

62. What is the largest US State by land area?

Alaska

63. What is the longest river in the US?

Photo: whatstates

Missouri River

64. In which US city can you find the Alamo?

San Antonio, Texas

65. How to apply for US visa?

Business or pleasure? Once you know which of the 20 US visas you're applying for, just fill out some paperwork online and busy yourself for a few weeks while you wait for it to be processed.

66. How many people are in the US military?

We've got 1,281,900 people in active duty military and another 801,200 junior varsity troops spread out across our reserve forces. Don't mess with us, buster.

67. What percentage of America is white?

Obligatory "race is a social construct" aside, the self-identified non-Hispanic white population was at 63 percent in the 2012 census, but that number has likely shrunk a bit since.

68. Is the United States a country?

For the time being, yes, the United States is still a country.

69. Why are cars/trucks so BIG in America?

SUVs are great for family cars where there is a seat for everyone to have breathing room, including the dog, and allll the luggage. And your extended family.

Trucks are so big and necessary for actually doing heavy lifting. In Europe, everything was built before the invention of the automobile and so streets and alleys are too small. In Germany, many parking spots are so small, all passengers must vacate the vehicle before parking otherwise they wouldn’t be able to get out.

70. What does America mean?

People have been trying to figure that out since the country's inception. Best guess: capitalism.

If you mean the word itself, it's just named after some dude, Amerigo Vespucci, who sailed around the world a bunch during the Renaissance.

71. How many nukes does the US have?

We're sitting on a war chest of 4,760 nuclear weapons with varying degrees of BOOM-power.

That might sound like a huge number, but, in fact, we've decommissioned a fuck-ton since the 60s and 70s, when you couldn't leave the house without tripping over a Fat Man.

72. Is Canada a part of the US?

Nah. It ain't like that between us and Canada.

73. Which famous American artist was living in a mansion called Graceland?

Elvis Presley

74. Who was nicknamed “King of Pop”?

Michael Jackson

75. In which state was Taylor Swift born?

Pennsylvania

76. Who were the 3 members of Destiny’s Child (1 point per member)?

Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams.

77. How to call US from Mexico?

You can either use the +1 trick from above when dialing, or speak into the tin can and string set up we have over by Juarez.

78. How many Indians are in the USA?

As of 2010, there were 2,843,391 Indian-Americans living in the United States.

79. How many millionaires are in the US?

Photo: wealthygorilla

We've got millions of millionaires here in the USA—10.4 million American households bootstrapped themselves up to a net worth of more than $1,000,000. But we only have one Chamillionaire.

80. Which American singer is best known for the songs “Purple Rain” and “When Doves cry”?

Prince

81. When did America become a country?

We might've been founded on July 4, 1776, but most historians agree that America truly became a country the following weekend when the founders all went out to Joshua Tree to shroom and bond.

82. Is today a holiday in the US?

Probably. We love boring filler holidays here. Even if there isn't an A-list calendar holiday happening on a given date, you can bet some state legislature has deemed it "Crème brûlée appreciation day" or some bullshit.

83. How many time zones are in the US?

It's been so long since your first question about time that I'll forgive you for forgetting. There are six time zones in the US, my dear.

84. How many Syrian refugees in USA?

With 4 million Syrians fleeing their homes and ISIS and desperate for a place to turn, the US has graciously agreed to take in… (drumroll)… 16,000, give or take.

85. From which Madonna album is “Hung up”?

Confessions on a dance floor

86. What is Mariah Carey’s famous Christmas song?

All I want for Christmas is you

87. Who sang “Born in the USA”?

Bruce Springsteen

88. Which American rapper’s real name is Marshall Bruce Mathers III?

Eminem

89. Which American singer and civil rights activist sang “Think”?

Aretha Franklin

90. Which countries love American travelers most?

Scandinavian countries like Denmark, Sweden and Norway—but to be honest, many countries in the world like American travelers because they know how to behave, are friendly, outgoing, and appreciate our planet. It’s the Americans who don’t travel that people have more problems with.

91. Does everyone in America talk unclearly and have funny accents?

Students learn British English in school, so they believe Americans speak and write quite improperly.

92. Does everyone eat Mcdonald's?

Photo: inc

Sigh, no… There is an abundant amount of fast-food chains with thriving businesses, but this stereotype is blown out of proportion. Most people do not consume fast food for all three meals, and many Americans avoid fast food completely.

93. Which countries have a low opinion of American tourists? Why?

Southern Europe in general: Greece, France, and Italy. People think Americans are “sticky” and that they act like they know better and look down on other people. In the south of Europe, there is a quieter lifestyle that clashes with the American way. I’ve found the same views in some Asian countries like Thailand.

94. Isn’t the drinking age 21?

This is always asked with a tone of disbelief and followed by, “That’s so old!”

95. What are the top three ways to avoid being an “ugly American” overseas?

Take your time to blend into other cultures. Eat local food, talk to local people, and immerse yourself in local customs... At a restaurant, enjoy the experience—leave your phones and tablets behind. 2) Don’t rush from one place to another. Take a deep breath and de-stress! 3) Listen to others with respect. Talk less. Remember: We are all equal.

96. Are the high schools really like the movies?

This is usually a quite exaggerated view of our high schools, but definitely some of the portrayed images are accurate.

97. Is there a rule of thumb that Americans can abide by so we blend in better overseas?

Americans are gear freaks. They have to have the best and have all the latest gadgets, and they like to show off to others. They walk around with the most expensive cameras, phones, and handbags. Have respect for other cultures' costumes when it comes to dress codes. Otherwise, Americans abroad dress quite well (and way better than many other countries!).

98. In which two states can you find the Universal Studios?

California and Florida

98. On which river does Sully land the plane in the movie Sully?

The Hudson River

99. In which state do The Sopranos live?

New Jersey

100. What's one especially rude behavior that we should consciously try to avoid when traveling?

Talking loud for sure. No one really understands why Americans must stand in a square and shout at each other so everyone can hear them. It’s like: “I’m an American, so you all better listen!” Also: the way Americans polluting the world, buying and throwing things away without thinking of Mother Nature.

101. In which state was the Key Lime Pie invented?

Florida, in the Florida Keys to be more specific.

102. What is the name of the iconic “Golden Sponge Cake with Creamy Filling”?

Twinkies

103. What sausage is placed on a stick, coated in cornmeal batter and deep fried?

Corn Dog

104. Where can you find the only McDonalds with a Blue “M”?

Sedona, Arizona

105. From which state is the Gumbo?

Louisiana

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