ABSTRACT
The United States (US) entered the twenty first century as undoubtedly the most powerful state in the world. In terms of market capitalisation the American stock exchange in Wall Street South Manhattan, New York, a few hundred meters from the very large hole where the Twin Towers once were, is the largest in the world, and so remains the very heart of world capitalism. In 2006, six of the world's top ten corporations were headquartered in the US. These included Exxon/Mobile, Chevron and ConocoPhilips, which are primarily oil companies. In Information Technology, US corporations have led the world in the development of the Internet and the associated technologies and commercial applications. The largest corporations directly involved have included Bill Gates' Microsoft and Larry Ellison's Oracle, and US companies have taken up the commercial applications of the Internet quicker than those of other countries.
