And after celebrating with Canada, here we go with the United States! Today is indeed the Fourth of July, when Americans celebrate the passage of the Declaration of Independence by Congress, which happened on the same day of the year 1776. Although Congress had already votes in devour on the 2^nd July 1776, this process was not completed until 2 days later.

And how do Americans celebrate this very very special day? There are parades, barbecues and political speeches. Everything is covered in patriotic red, white and blue, which represent the Stars and Stripes. There are also some unique celebrations. One of the funniest ones I have found is the hot dog eating contest run on Coney Island, New York. Last year’s winner was Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, who managed to gulp down 54 hot dogs (buns included) in 10 minutes. Also, Independence Day ends with an impressive show of fireworks throughout the country, this is why pictures relating to this event often display them. At the same time, fireworks over the Detroit River commemorate Canada’s independence during the International Freedom Festival, taking place in American Detroit and Canadian Windsor.

And now a few interesting facts about Independence Day:
- In July 1776, the estimated population of the US was 2.5 million. One year ago the estimated figure was ‘just’ 311.7 million.
- In 2010, $190.7 million in fireworks were imported from China.
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