United States
(Source of information on this page credited to and provided by the CIA's
- The World Factbook)
| 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.) |
| Sex
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.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.61% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
850,000 (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
20,000 (1999 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 |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| 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 - fit for military service: |
NA |
| 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.) |
| Disputes
- international: |
maritime boundary disputes
with Canada (Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca,
Machias Seal Island); US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased from
Cuba and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate
the lease; Haiti claims Navassa Island; US has made no territorial
claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the right to do so) and does
not recognize the claims of any other nation; Marshall Islands claims
Wake Island |
| Illicit
drugs: |
consumer of cocaine shipped
from Colombia through Mexico and the Caribbean; consumer of heroin,
marijuana, and increasingly methamphetamine from Mexico; consumer
of high-quality Southeast Asian heroin; illicit producer of cannabis,
marijuana, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and methamphetamine;
money-laundering center |
