The Magna Carta was an English legal charter that was issued in 1215. Its basic principle required the king of England to follow the same laws as his subjects. It also protected the rights of individuals while limiting the power held by the government.

Americans often speak of their country as one of several large regions.  these regions are cultural units rather than governmental units --  formed by history and geography and shaped by the economics, literature and folkways that all the parts of a region share. what makes one region different from another? a region's multicultural heritage as well as distinct demographic characteristics like age and occupation make regions different and special. within several regions, language is used differently and there are strong dialects. there are also differences in outlook and attitude based on geography.