Description of the USA
Settled 40,000 years ago by ancestors of Amerindians; diverse cultures developed; Spanish, French, British and others settled here from 16th century, native cultures were largely destroyed; nation expanded westward through 19th century; had Civil War in 1860s; official language is English, though a sizable minority speaks Spanish, and various other languages are also spoken.
— The Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names (TGN)