| 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 |
|
