FAQ's

General Information

http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/
This Department of State, Office of International Information Programs (IIP) site provides foreign audiences with information designed to assist in understanding U.S. society, values and politics. It also opens a window to other public diplomacy products, as well as to other significant sites relating to these themes.
http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/
Authoritative resource for foreign audiences seeking information about American society, political processes, official U.S. policies and culture. (Department of State, Office of International Information Programs (IIP))
http://usa.usembassy.de/
About the USA. Topics covered are Arts & Leisure, Economy, Government, History, Society, Sports, Technology, Travel.
http://www.usembassy.de/germany/visa/
Information on different visa categories and how to apply for them. Includes information on the Green Card (Diversity) Lottery.

Comprehensive Guides

Government websites
http://educationusa.state.gov/predeparture/everyday.htm
U.S. Department of State, Education USA
Practical Information for everday living, e.g. how to open an account, information on the U.S. postal system, telecommunication etc.
http://www.bva.bund.de/aufgaben/auswanderung/index.html
The German Bundesverwaltungsamt (Informationsstelle für Auslandstätige und Auswanderer) provides information to potential emigrants.
http://www.fh-hannover.de/usa/
The information center of the Fachhochschule Hannover provides links to programs of study, departments at colleges, internships, industries, lists of companies and associations.

Other websites
http://www.insiders.com/relocation/
Information on relocating within the U.S.A. or moving overseas. Even though written for Americans, much of the information is also of interest to Germans (for example how to get insurance or how to buy real estate.)
http://www.homefair.com/
This guide offers information on moving. It includes reports on schools and cities, various calculators (i.e. salary calculator, moving calculator), and real estate and apartment guides.
http://www.lifeintheusa.com/
"Life in the USA" is a very short but comprehensive guide to American life. Particularly helpful is the section on "Everyday life in the USA: etiquette and behaviour".
http://www.cityfamily.org/
This magazine is designed to help newcomers to America develop skills related to life in these United States, particularly "your family, your job, your home and your money."

Government and Laws

Government websites
http://www.whitehouse.gov
White House homepage
http://www.senate.gov
Homepage of the United States Senate
http://www.house.gov
Homepage of the U.S. House of Representatives
http://www.firstgov.gov
One-stop access to all online U.S. Federal Government resources.
http://www.findlaw.com
Findlaw - Search engine for legal information.

Other websites
http://www.law.cornell.edu/
The Cornell Law School Legal Information Institue's online law library.

States and Cities

Government websites
http://usa.usembassy.de/travel.htm
Introductory texts on U.S. regions and states, including links.
http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsServlet
Information by region, state or city on population, housing, economic and geographic data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Other websites
http://www.ersys.com
Using maps, charts, reports, and relevant links, Ersys covers over 1300 US cities with detailed information on demographics, environmental factors, economic indicators, housing stats, media (newspaper, television, and radio), schools, transportation, local contacts, and much more!
http://www.statelocalgov.net/
State and Local Government on the Net. List of official homepages of the states. They contain links to and contact information on state and municipal authorities.
http://www.50states.com
Statistics, facts and links for the fifty states.
http://www.forbes.com/bestplaces/
Forbes ranking of American cities. Also provides statistical information.
http://money.cnn.com/money/bestplaces
"Best Places to Live" in the U.S.A. Information on 300 cities and towns.
http://www.insiders.com/
"Insider" information on numerous cities, providing background on neighborhoods, schools, and events.
http://www.epodunk.com/profiles/index.html
ePodunk provides information about over 25,000 communities around the country, focusing more on small places than on cities.

Insurance

Government websites
http://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/handbook/
Social Security Handbook. Explains the American social security system. The FAQ section answers standard inquiries, such as, how to apply for a social security card.
http://www.ssa.gov/international/inter_intro.html
The United States has bilateral Social Security agreements with 20 countries, including Germany.
http://www.ahcpr.gov/consumer/
Introduction to U.S. health insurance and the different types of insurance.
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/
The Federal Consumer Information Center in Pueblo, Colorado, offers free online publications on numerous topics, inlcuding automobile and real estate insurance.

Other websites
http://www.insure.com/
Insure.com, a mostly commercial site, provides consumers with comprehensive and current insurance information.

Statistics

Government websites
http://www.census.gov/statab/www/
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2000. Statistics of the U.S. Census Bureau on population, prices, crime etc.

Other websites
http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/stats.html
Links to numerous statitical sites.

Schools and Education System

Government websites
http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/itsv/0600/ijse/ijse0600.htm
Education in the United States - The Pre-University Years. Articles on education.
http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/factover/ch6.htm
Introduction to the American school system.
http://nces.ed.gov/globallocator/
National Center for Education Statistics. Information on public and private schools and universities. A search engine allows the search for information on a specific school.
http://educationusa.state.gov/undergrad/pubs/iywts1.pdf (pdf)
If you want to study in the United States: Undergraduate Study. How to choose and apply to U.S. bachelor's and associate degree programs, plus information on technical and vocational educational opportunities in the United States.
http://www.bva.bund.de/aufgaben/auslandsschulwesen/verzeichnis/welt/namerika/index.html
Zentralstelle für das Auslandschulwesen
List of German schools in the United States.

Other websites
http://childcareaware.org/
Child Care Aware is a non-profit initiative committed to helping parents find the best information on locating quality child care and child care resources in their community. We do this by raising visibility for local child care resource and referral agencies nationwide, and by connecting parents with the local agencies best equipped to serve their needs.
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Education/Schools/index.cfm
School Choice 2001. Report on the state of education in the different states. Provides addresses and links, for example to the Department of Education.
http://www.kinderstart.com/educationdaycarechildcare/index.html
Thematisch gegliederte Links zu "Education/Daycare/Childcare". Enthält u.a. Adressenverzeichnisse.

Political and Social Topics

Government websites
http://www.state.gov
The homepage of the Department of State provides official texts and background on current foreign affairs.
http://usinfo.state.gov/usinfo/products/washfile.html
The Washington File provides United States Government official texts, policy statements and interpretive material, features, and byline articles prepared daily by the U.S Department of State, International Information Programs.
http://www.usembassy.de/germany/policy.html
Policy quotes and excerpts from government publications on topics relating to political security, the economy, and U.S. domestic issues.

Other websites
http://newslink.org
Links to U.S. papers, magazines, radio and TV stations
http://www.headlinespot.com/
A guide to U.S. and international news resources on the Web (headlines, news, newspapers, TV stations). The user can search by region, topic and editorial. News can be called up by city or region.