The beauty of America is the ability of the system to be self-regulated

 This letter is coming from California which is big both in terms of population (40 million) and land area (425 thousand square kilometres, compared to the area of Cyprus, which is less than 10 thousand square kilometres).

The main cities of the California are Los Angeles (4 million), San Diego (1.5m), San Francisco (1m), San Jose (1m) and Fresno (0.5 m). California has huge fertile planes and many high mountain ranges. One of those mountain ranges hosts the Yosemite National Park, which I had the opportunity to visit. I was impressed by its huge granite formations and the waterfalls which literally spring out of the granite rocks.

The climate of California is similar to that of Cyprus, with vast areas of vineyards and greenhouses, housing every kind of vegetable and fruit. As in Cyprus, in some years, water is a scarce resource, but with the controlled usage the problem appears to be adequately managed.

However, California is not merely an agricultural land. It is also a manufacturing hub, accommodating the Silicon Valley as well as many other technically advanced industries, such as that of aircraft design and manufacturing. In the old days, California was a paradise for gold diggers.

The impact of neighbouring Mexico on California is profound. The nearer one is to the border, the more often one hears Spanish and sees signs in Spanish. The Spanish names of the Californian cities speak for themselves.

The freeways are of a lower standard compared to the roads of Cyprus, while the gastronomic traditions of the country are the result of a blending process amongst the various nationalities comprising the population of the state, the emphasis being on precooking and standardisation. In sharp contrast to Europe, California does not have the personalised character of every small region forming part of the country, while the Pacific Ocean which runs along the coast underlines with shades of grey and dense fogs the vastness of the landscape, particularly in the summer months.

The beauty of America is the ability of the system to be self-regulated, to be self-cleansing and to heal its wounds. An ability which regrettably appears to be lacking in Cyprus.

However, the most significant element of the country is the feeling of the political greatness which prevails in the hearts of most Americans and from which they derive the right they feel they have to govern the world, with 333 million of people and an area of 10 million of square kilometres.

Truly, one does not need more than a couple of weeks in the country to realise that the expectation of most of our compatriots to be consulted by countries such as the United States, prior to latter committing themselves on plans that impact the world, is naïve, destined to remain unsatisfied. In the case of Cyprus, only by harmonising its interests with those of America, can one hope that better days will come. This conclusion is unquestionably valid, whether we like it or not.

Greetings from Nipomo (the big Californian Village).

 Christos Panayiotides is a freelance journalist