|
Background: |
The
United States became the world's first modern
democracy after its break with Great Britain
(1776) and the adoption of a constitution
(1789). During the 19th century, many new states
were added to the original 13 as the nation
expanded across the North American continent and
acquired a number of overseas possessions. The
two most traumatic experiences in the nation's
history were the Civil War (1861-65) and the
Great Depression of the 1930s. Buoyed by
victories in World Wars I and II and the end of
the Cold War in 1991, the US remains the world's
most powerful nation-state. The economy is
marked by steady growth, low unemployment and
inflation, and rapid advances in technology.
|
|
Location: |
North America, bordering both the North Atlantic
Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between
Canada and Mexico |
|
Geographic
coordinates: |
38
00 N, 97 00 W |
|
Map references: |
North America |
|
Area: |
total: 9,629,091 sq km
land: 9,158,960 sq km
water: 470,131 sq km
note: includes
only the 50 states and District of Columbia
|
|
Area -
comparative: |
about one-half the size of Russia; about
three-tenths the size of Africa; about one-half
the size of South America (or slightly larger
than Brazil); slightly larger than China; about
two and one-half times the size of Western
Europe |
|
Land boundaries: |
total: 12,248 km
border countries: Canada 8,893 km
(including 2,477 km with Alaska), Cuba 29 km (US
Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay), Mexico 3,326 km
note: Guantanamo
Naval Base is leased by the US and thus remains
part of Cuba |
|
Maritime claims: |
contiguous zone: 24 NM
continental shelf: not specified
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
|
Climate: |
mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and
Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great
plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid
in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter
temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated
occasionally in January and February by warm
Chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the
Rocky Mountains |
|
Terrain: |
vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and
low mountains in east; rugged mountains and
broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged, volcanic
topography in Hawaii |
|
Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point: Death Valley -86 m
highest point: Mount McKinley 6,194 m
|
|
Natural
resources: |
coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates,
uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel,
potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum,
natural gas, timber |
|
Land use: |
arable land: 19%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 25%
forests and woodland: 30%
other: 26% (1993 est.) |
|
Irrigated land: |
207,000 sq km (1993 est.) |
|
Natural hazards: |
tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquake activity
around Pacific Basin; hurricanes along the
Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts; tornadoes in
the midwest and southeast; mud slides in
California; forest fires in the west; flooding;
permafrost in northern Alaska, a major
impediment to development |
|
Environment -
current issues: |
air
pollution resulting in acid rain in both the US
and Canada; the US is the largest single emitter
of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil
fuels; water pollution from runoff of pesticides
and fertilizers; very limited natural fresh
water resources in much of the western part of
the country require careful management;
desertification |
|
Environment -
international agreements: |
party to: Air Pollution, Air
Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic
Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species,
Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping,
Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical
Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air
Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Biodiversity, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Hazardous Wastes |
|
Geography - note: |
world's third-largest country (after Russia and
Canada) |
|
Population: |
278,058,881 (July 2001 est.) |
|
Age structure: |
0-14 years: 21.12% (male 30,034,674; female
28,681,253)
15-64 years: 66.27% (male 91,371,753;
female 92,907,199)
65 years and over: 12.61% (male
14,608,948; female 20,455,054) (2001 est.)
|
|
Population growth
rate: |
0.9% (2001 est.) |
|
Birth rate: |
14.2 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
|
|
Death rate: |
8.7
deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
|
Net migration
rate: |
3.5
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
|
|
Gender
ratio: |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female
(2001 est.) |
|
Infant mortality
rate: |
6.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
|
|
Life expectancy
at birth: |
total population: 77.26 years
male: 74.37 years
female: 80.05 years (2001 est.)
|
|
Total fertility
rate: |
2.06 children born/woman (2001 est.)
|
|
Nationality: |
noun: American(s)
adjective: American |
|
Ethnic groups: |
white 83.5%, black 12.4%, Asian 3.3%, Amerindian
0.8% (1992)
note: a separate
listing for Hispanic is not included because the
US Census Bureau considers Hispanic to mean a
person of Latin American descent (especially of
Cuban, Mexican, or Puerto Rican origin) living
in the US who may be of any race or ethnic group
(white, black, Asian, etc.) |
|
Religions: |
Protestant 56%, Roman Catholic 28%, Jewish 2%,
other 4%, none 10% (1989) |
|
Languages: |
English, Spanish (spoken by a sizable minority)
|
|
Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over can read and
write
total population: 97%
male: 97%
female: 97% (1979 est.) |
|
Country name: |
conventional long form: United States of
America
conventional short form: United States
abbreviation: US or USA |
|
Government type: |
federal republic; strong democratic tradition
|
|
Administrative
divisions: |
50
states and 1 district*;
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California,
Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of
Columbia*, Florida,
Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,
Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland,
Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi,
Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New
Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York,
North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma,
Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South
Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah,
Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia,
Wisconsin, Wyoming |
|
Dependent areas: |
American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland
Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman
Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Northern
Mariana Islands, Palmyra Atoll, Puerto Rico,
Virgin Islands, Wake Island
note: from 18 July
1947 until 1 October 1994, the US administered
the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, but
recently entered into a new political
relationship with all four political units: the
Northern Mariana Islands is a commonwealth in
political union with the US (effective 3
November 1986); Palau concluded a Compact of
Free Association with the US (effective 1
October 1994); the Federated States of
Micronesia signed a Compact of Free Association
with the US (effective 3 November 1986); the
Republic of the Marshall Islands signed a
Compact of Free Association with the US
(effective 21 October 1986) |
|
Independence: |
4
July 1776 (from Great Britain) |
|
National holiday: |
Independence Day, 4 July (1776) |
|
Constitution: |
17
September 1787, effective 4 March 1789
|
|
Legal system: |
based on English common law; judicial review of
legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations |
|
Suffrage: |
18
years of age; universal |
|
Executive branch: |
chief of state: President George W. BUSH
(since 20 January 2001) and Vice President
Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001);
note - the president is
both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President George W.
BUSH (since 20 January 2001) and Vice President
Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001);
note - the president is
both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the
president with Senate approval
elections: president and vice president
elected on the same ticket by a college of
representatives who are elected directly from
each state; president and vice president serve
four-year terms; election last held 7 November
2000 (next to be held NA November 2004)
election results: George W. BUSH elected
president; percent of popular vote - George W.
BUSH (Republican Party) 48%, Albert A. GORE, Jr.
(Democratic Party) 48%, Ralph NADER (Green
Party) 3%, other 1% |
|
Legislative
branch: |
bicameral Congress consists of Senate (100
seats, one-third are renewed every two years;
two members are elected from each state by
popular vote to serve six-year terms) and House
of Representatives (435 seats; members are
directly elected by popular vote to serve
two-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 7 November
2000 (next to be held 4 November 2002); House of
Representatives - last held 7 November 2000
(next to be held 4 November 2002)
election results: Senate - percent of
vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Republican
Party 50, Democratic Party 50; House of
Representatives - percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - Republican Party 221,
Democratic Party 211, independent 2, vacant 1
|
|
Judicial branch: |
Supreme Court (its nine justices are appointed
for life by the president with confirmation by
the Senate); United States Courts of Appeal;
United States District Courts; State and County
Courts |
|
Political parties
and leaders: |
Democratic Party [Terence McAULIFFE, national
committee chairman]; Republican Party [James S.
GILMORE III, national committee chairman];
several other groups or parties of minor
political significance |
|
International
organization participation: |
APEC, ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN
(dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CCC,
CE (observer), CERN (observer), CP, EAPC, EBRD,
ECE, ECLAC, ESCAP, FAO, G-5, G-7, G-10, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO,
MIPONUH, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD,
OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UN, UN Security Council,
UNCTAD, UNHCR, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIBH,
UNMIK, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTAET, UNTSO, UNU, UPU,
WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC |
|
Flag description: |
thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top
and bottom) alternating with white; there is a
blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner
bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars
arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six
stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of
five stars; the 50 stars represent the 50
states, the 13 stripes represent the 13 original
colonies; known as Old Glory; the design and
colors have been the basis for a number of other
flags, including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and
Puerto Rico |
|
Economy -
overview: |
The
US has the largest and most technologically
powerful economy in the world, with a per capita
GDP of $36,200. In this market-oriented economy,
private individuals and business firms make most
of the decisions, and government buys needed
goods and services predominantly in the private
marketplace. US business firms enjoy
considerably greater flexibility than their
counterparts in Western Europe and Japan in
decisions to expand capital plant, lay off
surplus workers, and develop new products. At
the same time, they face higher barriers to
entry in their rivals' home markets than the
barriers to entry of foreign firms in US
markets. US firms are at or near the forefront
in technological advances, especially in
computers and in medical, aerospace, and
military equipment, although their advantage has
narrowed since the end of World War II. The
onrush of technology largely explains the
gradual development of a "two-tier labor market"
in which those at the bottom lack the education
and the professional/technical skills of those
at the top and, more and more, fail to get
comparable pay raises, health insurance
coverage, and other benefits. Since 1975,
practically all the gains in household income
have gone to the top 20% of households. The
years 1994-2000 witnessed solid increases in
real output, low inflation rates, and a drop in
unemployment to below 5%. Long-term problems
include inadequate investment in economic
infrastructure, rapidly rising medical costs of
an aging population, sizable trade deficits, and
stagnation of family income in the lower
economic groups. Growth weakened in the fourth
quarter of 2000; growth for the year 2001 almost
certainly will be substantially lower than the
strong 5% of 2000. The outlook for 2001 is
further clouded by the continued economic
problems of Japan, Russia, Indonesia, Brazil,
and many other countries. |
|
GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $9.963 trillion (2000
est.) |
|
GDP - real growth
rate: |
5%
(2000 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita: |
purchasing power parity - $36,200 (2000 est.)
|
|
GDP - composition
by sector: |
agriculture: 2%
industry: 18%
services: 80% (1999) |
|
Population below
poverty line: |
12.7% (1999 est.) |
|
Household income
or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: 1.8%
highest 10%: 30.5% (1997) |
|
Inflation rate
(consumer prices): |
3.4% (2000) |
|
Labor force: |
140.9 million (includes unemployed) (2000)
|
|
Labor force - by
occupation: |
managerial and professional 30.2%, technical,
sales and administrative support 29.2%, services
13.5%, manufacturing, mining, transportation,
and crafts 24.6%, farming, forestry, and fishing
2.5% (2000)
note: figures
exclude the unemployed |
|
Unemployment
rate: |
4%
(2000) |
|
Budget: |
revenues: $1.828 trillion
expenditures: $1.703 trillion, including
capital expenditures of $NA (1999) |
|
Industries: |
leading industrial power in the world, highly
diversified and technologically advanced;
petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace,
telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food
processing, consumer goods, lumber, mining
|
|
Industrial
production growth rate: |
5.6% (2000 est.) |
|
Electricity -
production: |
3.678 trillion kWh (1999) |
|
Electricity -
production by source: |
fossil fuel: 69.64%
hydro: 8.31%
nuclear: 19.8%
other: 2.25% (1999) |
|
Electricity -
consumption: |
3.45 trillion kWh (1999) |
|
Electricity -
exports: |
14
billion kWh (1999) |
|
Electricity -
imports: |
43
billion kWh (1999) |
|
Agriculture -
products: |
wheat, other grains, corn, fruits, vegetables,
cotton; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products;
forest products; fish |
|
Exports: |
$776 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
|
Exports -
commodities: |
capital goods, automobiles, industrial supplies
and raw materials, consumer goods, agricultural
products |
|
Exports -
partners: |
Canada 23%, Mexico 14%, Japan 8%, UK 5%, Germany
4%, France, Netherlands (2000) |
|
Imports: |
$1.223 trillion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
|
Imports -
commodities: |
crude oil and refined petroleum products,
machinery, automobiles, consumer goods,
industrial raw materials, food and beverages
|
|
Imports -
partners: |
Canada 19%, Japan 11%, Mexico 11%, China 8%,
Germany 5%, UK, Taiwan (2000) |
|
Debt - external: |
$862 billion (1995 est.) |
|
Economic aid -
donor: |
ODA,
$6.9 billion (1997) |
|
Currency: |
US
dollar (USD) |
|
Exchange rates: |
British pounds per US dollar - 0.6764 (January
2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037
(1998), 0.6106 (1997), 0.6403 (1996); Canadian
dollars per US dollar - 1.5032 (January 2001),
1.4851 (2000), 1.4857 (1999), 1.4835 (1998),
1.3846 (1997), 1.3635 (1996); French francs per
US dollar - 5.65 (January 1999), 5.8995 (1998),
5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995),
5.5520 (1994); Italian lire per US dollar -
1,668.7 (January 1999), 1,763.2 (1998), 1,703.1
(1997), 1,542.9 (1996), 1,628.9 (1995), 1,612.4
(1994); Japanese yen per US dollar - 117.10
(January 2001), 107.77 (2000), 113.91 (1999),
130.91 (1998), 120.99 (1997), 108.78 (1996);
German deutsche marks per US dollar - 1.69
(January 1999), 1.9692 (1998), 1.7341 (1997),
1.5048 (1996), 1.4331 (1995), 1.6228 (1994);
euros per US dollar - 1.06594 (January 2001),
1.08540 (2000), 0.93863 (1999)
note: financial
institutions in France, Italy, and Germany and
eight other European countries started using the
euro on 1 January 1999 with the euro replacing
the local currency in consenting countries for
all transactions in 2002 |
|
Fiscal year: |
1
October - 30 September |
|
Telephones - main
lines in use: |
194
million (1997) |
|
Telephones -
mobile cellular: |
69.209 million (1998) |
|
Telephone system: |
general assessment: a very large,
technologically advanced, multipurpose
communications system
domestic: a large system of fiber-optic
cable, microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and
domestic satellites carries every form of
telephone traffic; a rapidly growing cellular
system carries mobile telephone traffic
throughout the country
international: 24 ocean cable systems in
use; satellite earth stations - 61 Intelsat (45
Atlantic Ocean and 16 Pacific Ocean), 5
Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 4
Inmarsat (Pacific and Atlantic Ocean regions)
(2000) |
|
Radio broadcast
stations: |
AM
4,762, FM 5,542, shortwave 18 (1998)
|
|
Radios: |
575
million (1997) |
|
Television
broadcast stations: |
more than 1,500 (including nearly 1,000 stations
affiliated with the five major networks - NBC,
ABC, CBS, FOX, and PBS; in addition, there are
about 9,000 cable TV systems) (1997)
|
|
Televisions: |
219
million (1997) |
|
Internet country
code: |
.us
|
|
Internet Service
Providers (ISPs): |
7,800 (2000 est.) |
|
Internet users: |
148
million (2000) |
|
Railways: |
total: 225,750 km mainline routes
standard gauge: 225,750 km 1.435-m gauge
(1999) |
|
Highways: |
total: 6,370,031 km
paved: 5,733,028 km (including 74,091 km
of expressways)
unpaved: 637,003 km (1997) |
|
Waterways: |
41,009 km
note: navigable
inland channels, exclusive of the Great Lakes
|
|
Pipelines: |
petroleum products 276,000 km; natural gas
331,000 km (1991) |
|
Ports and
harbors: |
Anchorage, Baltimore, Boston, Charleston,
Chicago, Duluth, Hampton Roads, Honolulu,
Houston, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, New Orleans,
New York, Philadelphia, Port Canaveral, Portland
(Oregon), Prudhoe Bay, San Francisco, Savannah,
Seattle, Tampa, Toledo |
|
Merchant marine: |
total: 376 ships (1,000 GRT or over)
totaling 10,814,622 GRT/14,416,517 DWT
ships by type: barge carrier 9, bulk 68,
cargo 29, chemical tanker 13, combination bulk
3, container 80, liquefied gas 1,
multi-functional large-load carrier 3, passenger
9, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 98, roll
on/roll off 49, short-sea passenger 3,
specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 9 (2000
est.) |
|
Airports: |
14,720 (2000 est.) |
|
Airports - with
paved runways: |
total: 5,174
over 3,047 m: 182
2,438 to 3,047 m: 220
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1,331
914 to 1,523 m: 2,440
under 914 m: 1,001 (2000 est.)
|
|
Airports - with
unpaved runways: |
total: 9,546
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 164
914 to 1,523 m: 1,675
under 914 m: 7,698 (2000 est.)
|
|
Heliports: |
131
(2000 est.) |
|
Military
branches: |
Department of the Army, Department of the Navy
(includes Marine Corps), Department of the Air
Force
note: the Coast
Guard is normally subordinate to the Department
of Transportation, but in wartime reports to the
Department of the Navy |
|
Military manpower
- military age: |
18
years of age |
|
Military manpower
- availability: |
males age 15-49: 70,819,436 (2001 est.)
|
|
Military manpower
- reaching military age annually: |
males: 2,039,414 (2001 est.) |
|
Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$276.7 billion (FY99 est.) |
|
Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
3.2% (FY99 est.) |
|
|
|
|
Facts
About The United States
