-
You are here:
- Homepage » United States
United States Country Guide
Explore United States in North America
United States with the capital city Washington is located in North America (North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean). It covers some 9,629,091 square kilometres (about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the size of Africa; about half the size of South America (or slightly larger than Brazil); slightly larger than China; more than twice the size of the European Union) with 303,824,000 citizens.
The terrain features vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in east with rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska and rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaii. The average density of population is approximately 32 per km². The notable climate conditions in United States can be described as 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 with 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. Potential natural disasters are tsunamis or volcanoes, 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 or permafrost in northern Alaska, a major impediment to development.
To reach someone in United States dial +1 prior to a number. There are 141,000,000 installed telephones. And there are 286,000,000 registered mobile phones. The cellular networks commonly support frequencies of 850/1900 MHz. Websites registered in this country end with the top level domain ".us". If you want to bring electric equipment on your trip (e.g. laptop power supply), note the local power outlet of 120V - 60Hz.
About the flag and history of United States
13 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; the blue stands for loyalty, devotion, truth, justice, and friendship; red symbolizes courage, zeal, and fervency, while white denotes purity and rectitude of conduct; commonly referred to by its nickname of Old Glory note: the design and colors have been the basis for a number of other flags, including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico.
Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 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), in which a northern Union of states defeated a secessionist Confederacy of 11 southern slave states, and the Great Depression of the 1930s, an economic downturn during which about a quarter of the labor force lost its jobs. 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. Since the end of World War II, the economy has achieved relatively steady growth, low unemployment and inflation, and rapid advances in technology.
National administrative regions of United States
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- 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
- Washington, D.C.
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Geography Quick-Facts
| Summary | Continent: North America Neighbours: Canada, Mexico, Cuba Capital: Washington |
| Size | 9,629,091 square kilometers (km² or sqkm) or 3,717,812 square miles (mi² or sqmi) about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the size of Africa; about half the size of South America (or slightly larger than Brazil); slightly larger than China; more than twice the size of the European Union |
| Population | 303,824,000 |
| Currency | Name Dollar, Currency Code:USD |
| Country Top Level Domain (cTLD) | .us |
| Telephone Country Prefix | +1 |
| Mobile Phone Connections | 286,000,000 |
| Landline Phone Connections | 141,000,000 |
Country Position in World Rankings
Information about single country attributes and how these compare against the rest of the world. The information below is compiled with data from 2013. As such, it may differ a bit to the Information above in the text (which is from 2010).
Geography
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 9,826,675 (sq km) | 3 |
People and Society
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 316,668,567 | 3 |
| Population growth rate | 0.90 (%) | 123 |
| Birth rate | 13.66 (births/1,000 population) | 146 |
| Death rate | 8.39 (deaths/1,000 population) | 87 |
| Net migration rate | 3.64 (migrant(s)/1,000 population) | 28 |
| Maternal mortality rate | 21.00 (deaths/100,000 live births) | 136 |
| Infant mortality rate | 5.90 (deaths/1,000 live births) | 174 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 78.62 (years) | 51 |
| Total fertility rate | 2.06 (children born/woman) | 121 |
| Health expenditures | 17.90 (% of GDP) | 2 |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | 0.60 (%) | 64 |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | 1,200,000 | 9 |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths | 17,000 | 18 |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 33.00 (%) | 18 |
| Children under the age of 5 years underweight | 1.30 (%) | 127 |
| Education expenditures | 5.40 (% of GDP) | 60 |
| Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 | 17.30 (%) | 76 |
Economy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | 15,940,000,000,000 | 2 |
| GDP - real growth rate | 2.20 (%) | 128 |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | 50,700 | 14 |
| Labor force | 154,900,000 | 4 |
| Unemployment rate | 8.20 (%) | 96 |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 45.00 | 41 |
| Investment (gross fixed) | 12.90 (% of GDP) | 143 |
| Taxes and other revenues | 15.70 (% of GDP) | 185 |
| Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | -7.60 (% of GDP) | 193 |
| Public debt | 73.60 (% of GDP) | 35 |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.00 (%) | 34 |
| Central bank discount rate | 0.50 (%) | 136 |
| Commercial bank prime lending rate | 3.25 (%) | 175 |
| Stock of narrow money | 2,318,000,000,000 | 4 |
| Stock of broad money | 12,990,000,000,000 | 3 |
| Stock of domestic credit | 32,610,000,000,000 | 1 |
| Market value of publicly traded shares | 17,140,000,000,000 | 1 |
| Industrial production growth rate | 4.10 (%) | 71 |
| Current account balance | -487,200,000,000 | 193 |
| Exports | 1,612,000,000,000 | 3 |
| Imports | 2,357,000,000,000 | 2 |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | 148,000,000,000 | 19 |
| Debt - external | 15,930,000,000,000 | 1 |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | 2,824,000,000,000 | 1 |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | 4,768,000,000,000 | 1 |
Energy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 4,120,000,000,000 (kWh) | 3 |
| Electricity - consumption | 3,889,000,000,000 (kWh) | 3 |
| Electricity - exports | 19,410,000,000 (kWh) | 8 |
| Electricity - imports | 45,230,000,000 (kWh) | 4 |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 1,025,000,000 (kW) | 3 |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels | 75.50 (% of total installed capacity) | 97 |
| Electricity - from nuclear fuels | 9.90 (% of total installed capacity) | 21 |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 7.70 (% of total installed capacity) | 121 |
| Electricity - from other renewable sources | 4.80 (% of total installed capacity) | 39 |
| Crude oil - production | 9,023,000 (bbl/day) | 4 |
| Crude oil - exports | 43,800 (bbl/day) | 49 |
| Crude oil - imports | 9,013,000 (bbl/day) | 2 |
| Crude oil - proved reserves | 20,680,000,000 (bbl) | 15 |
| Refined petroleum products - production | 17,880,000 (bbl/day) | 2 |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 18,840,000 (bbl/day) | 2 |
| Refined petroleum products - exports | 1,876,000 (bbl/day) | 4 |
| Refined petroleum products - imports | 1,255,000 (bbl/day) | 6 |
| Natural gas - production | 651,300,000,000 (cu m) | 3 |
| Natural gas - consumption | 689,900,000,000 (cu m) | 2 |
| Natural gas - exports | 42,670,000,000 (cu m) | 9 |
| Natural gas - imports | 97,860,000,000 (cu m) | 4 |
| Natural gas - proved reserves | 7,716,000,000,000 (cu m) | 7 |
| Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy | 5,610,000,000 (Mt) | 3 |
Communications
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | 146,000,000 | 2 |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 290,300,000 | 3 |
| Internet hosts | 505,000,000 | 1 |
| Internet users | 245,000,000 | 2 |
Transportation
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Airports | 15,079 | 1 |
| Railways | 224,792 (km) | 1 |
| Roadways | 6,506,204 (km) | 1 |
| Waterways | 41,009 (km) | 4 |
| Merchant marine | 393 | 26 |
Military
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Military expenditures | 4.60 (% of GDP) | 19 |
Data based on CIA facts book 2010 & 2013, wikipedia, national statistical offices and their census releases
List of current world heritage sites
| Name | Since |
|---|---|
| Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site Cahokia Mounds, some 13 km north-east of St Louis, Missouri, is the largest pre-Columbian settlement north of Mexico. It was occupied primarily during the Mississippian period (800–1400), when it covered nearly 1,600 ha and included some 120 mounds. ... | 1982 |
| Carlsbad Caverns National Park This karst landscape in the state of New Mexico comprises over 80 recognized caves. They are outstanding not only for their size but also for the profusion, diversity and beauty of their mineral formations. Lechuguilla Cave stands out from the others ... | 1995 |
| Chaco Culture For over 2,000 years, Pueblo peoples occupied a vast region of the south-western United States. Chaco Canyon, a major centre of ancestral Pueblo culture between 850 and 1250, was a focus for ceremonials, trade and political activity for the prehistor ... | 1987 |
| Everglades National Park This site at the southern tip of Florida has been called 'a river of grass flowing imperceptibly from the hinterland into the sea'. The exceptional variety of its water habitats has made it a sanctuary for a large number of birds and reptiles, as wel ... | 1979 |
| Grand Canyon National Park Carved out by the Colorado River, the Grand Canyon (nearly 1,500 m deep) is the most spectacular gorge in the world. Located in the state of Arizona, it cuts across the Grand Canyon National Park. Its horizontal strata retrace the geological history ... | 1979 |
| Great Smoky Mountains National Park Stretching over more than 200,000 ha, this exceptionally beautiful park is home to more than 3,500 plant species, including almost as many trees (130 natural species) as in all of Europe. Many endangered animal species are also found there, including ... | 1983 |
| Hawaii Volcanoes National Park This site contains two of the most active volcanoes in the world, Mauna Loa (4,170 m high) and Kilauea (1,250 m high), both of which tower over the Pacific Ocean. Volcanic eruptions have created a constantly changing landscape, and the lava flows rev ... | 1987 |
| Independence Hall The Declaration of Independence (1776) and the Constitution of the United States (1787) were both signed in this building in Philadelphia. The universal principles of freedom and democracy set forth in these documents are of fundamental importance to ... | 1979 |
| La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico Between the 15th and 19th centuries, a series of defensive structures was built at this strategic point in the Caribbean Sea to protect the city and the Bay of San Juan. They represent a fine display of European military architecture adapted to harbo ... | 1983 |
| Mammoth Cave National Park Mammoth Cave National Park, located in the state of Kentucky, has the world's largest network of natural caves and underground passageways, which are characteristic examples of limestone formations. The park and its underground network of more than 5 ... | 1981 |
| Mesa Verde National Park A great concentration of ancestral Pueblo Indian dwellings, built from the 6th to the 12th century, can be found on the Mesa Verde plateau in south-west Colorado at an altitude of more than 2,600 m. Some 4,400 sites have been recorded, including vill ... | 1978 |
| Monticello and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), author of the American Declaration of Independence and third president of the United States, was also a talented architect of neoclassical buildings. He designed Monticello (1769–1809), his plantation home, and his ideal ... | 1987 |
| Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point owes its name to a 19th-century plantation close to the site, which is in the Lower Mississippi Valley on a slightly elevated and narrow landform. The complex comprises five mounds, six concentric semi-elliptica ... | 2014 |
| Olympic National Park Located in the north-west of Washington State, Olympic National Park is renowned for the diversity of its ecosystems. Glacier-clad peaks interspersed with extensive alpine meadows are surrounded by an extensive old growth forest, among which is the b ... | 1981 |
| Papahānaumokuākea Papahānaumokuākea is a vast and isolated linear cluster of small, low lying islands and atolls, with their surrounding ocean, roughly 250 km to the northwest of the main Hawaiian Archipelago and extending over some 1931 km. The area has deep cosmolog ... | 2010 |
| Redwood National and State Parks Redwood National Park comprises a region of coastal mountains bordering the Pacific Ocean north of San Francisco. It is covered with a magnificent forest of coastal redwood trees, the tallest and most impressive trees in the world. The marine and lan ... | 1980 |
| Statue of Liberty Made in Paris by the French sculptor Bartholdi, in collaboration with Gustave Eiffel (who was responsible for the steel framework), this towering monument to liberty was a gift from France on the centenary of American independence. Inaugurated in 188 ... | 1984 |
| Taos Pueblo Situated in the valley of a small tributary of the Rio Grande, this adobe settlement – consisting of dwellings and ceremonial buildings – represents the culture of the Pueblo Indians of Arizona and New Mexico. ... | 1992 |
| Yellowstone National Park The vast natural forest of Yellowstone National Park covers nearly 9,000 km2 ; 96% of the park lies in Wyoming, 3% in Montana and 1% in Idaho. Yellowstone contains half of all the world's known geothermal features, with more than 10,000 examples. It ... | 1978 |
| Yosemite National Park Yosemite National Park lies in the heart of California. With its 'hanging' valleys, many waterfalls, cirque lakes, polished domes, moraines and U-shaped valleys, it provides an excellent overview of all kinds of granite relief fashioned by glaciation ... | 1984 |