The United States is a country of 50 states that occupies a vast swath of North America, with Alaska in the northwest and Hawaii extending the country’s presence into the Pacific Ocean. Among the major cities on the Atlantic coast are New York, a global financial and cultural center, and the capital Washington D.C. Chicago, a Midwestern metropolis, is famous for its architectural influence and, on the West coast, Hollywood, Los Angeles, is famous for the film industry.