UNITED STATES
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UNITED STATES
@United States:Geography
Location: North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and
the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico
Map references: North America
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USA - MAJOR CITIES
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Latitude, Internat'l Time
Population Longitude Phone Code Zone
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New York 7,033,000 40.45N, 74.00W 1-212 GMT-5
Los Angeles 3,420,000 34.00N,118.15W 1-213 GMT-8
Chicago 2,726,000 41.50N, 87.45W 1-312 GMT-6
Houston 1,610,000 29.45N, 95.25W 1-713 GMT-6
Philadelphia 1,543,000 40.00N, 75.10W 1-215 GMT-5
San Diego 1,095,000 32.45N,117.10W 1-619 GMT-8
Dallas 991,000 32.47N, 96.48W 1-214 GMT-6
Phoenix 972,000 33.30N,112.03W 1-602 GMT-7
Detroit 970,000 42.23N, 83.05W 1-313 GMT-5
San Antonio 927,000 29.25N, 98.30W 1-512 GMT-6
San Francisco 711,000 37.46N,122.25W 1-415 GMT-8
WASHINGTON D.C. 575,000 38.55N, 77.00W 1-202 GMT-5
Boston 554,000 42.21N, 71.03W 1-617 GMT-5
Seattle 512,000 47.36N,122.19W 1-206 GMT-8
Denver 460,000 39.44N,104.59W 1-303 GMT-7
Atlanta 384,000 33.44N, 84.23W 1-404 GMT-5
Honolulu 376,000 21.18N,157.51W 1-808 GMT-10
Miami 352,000 25.46N, 80.11W 1-305 GMT-5
Anchorage 224,000 61.13N,149.54W 1-907 GMT-9
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Area:
total area: 9,372,610 sq km
land area: 9,166,600 sq km
comparative area: about 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 smaller than China; about two
and one-half times the size of Western Europe
note: includes only the 50 states and District of Columbia
Land boundaries: total 12,248 km, Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km
with Alaska), Cuba 29 km (US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay), Mexico
3,326 km
Coastline: 19,924 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 12 nm
continental shelf: not specified
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
International disputes: 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; Republic of Marshall Islands claims Wake
Island
Climate: mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida and
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
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: 20%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 26%
forest and woodland: 29%
other: 25%
Irrigated land: 181,020 sq km (1989 est.)
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
natural hazards: tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquake activity around
Pacific Basin; hurricanes along the Atlantic coast; tornadoes in the
midwest; mudslides in California; forest fires in the west; flooding;
permafrost in northern Alaska is a major impediment to development
international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Air
Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine
Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not
ratified - Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Desertification,
Hazardous Wastes, Tropical Timber 94
Note: world's fourth-largest country (after Russia, Canada, and China)
@United States:People
Population: 263,814,032 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 22% (female 28,391,451; male 29,845,630)
15-64 years: 65% (female 86,454,415; male 85,474,002)
65 years and over: 13% (female 19,949,978; male 13,698,559) (July 1995
est.)
Population growth rate: 1.02% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 15.25 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 8.38 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 3.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 7.88 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.99 years
male: 72.8 years
female: 79.7 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.08 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: American(s)
adjective: American
Ethnic divisions: white 83.4%, black 12.4%, Asian 3.3%, Native
American 0.8% (1992)
Religions: Protestant 56%, Roman Catholic 28%, Jewish 2%, other 4%,
none 10% (1989)
Languages: English, Spanish (spoken by a sizable minority)
Literacy: age 15 and over has completed five or more years of
schooling (1979)
total population: 97%
male: 97%
female: 97%
Labor force: 131.056 million (includes unemployed) (1994)
by occupation: managerial and professional 27.5%, technical, sales and
administrative support 30.3%, services 13.7%, manufacturing, mining,
transportation, and crafts 25.5%, farming, forestry, and fishing 2.9%
@United States:Government
Names:
conventional long form: United States of America
conventional short form: United States
Abbreviation: US or USA
Digraph: US
Type: federal republic; strong democratic tradition
Capital: Washington, DC
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 has 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 England)
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 and head of government: President William Jefferson
CLINTON (since 20 January 1993); Vice President Albert GORE, Jr.
(since 20 January 1993); election last held 3 November 1992 (next to
be held 5 November 1996); results - William Jefferson CLINTON
(Democratic Party) 43.2%, George BUSH (Republican Party) 37.7%, Ross
PEROT (Independent) 19.0%, other 0.1%
cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president with Senate approval
Legislative branch: bicameral Congress
Senate: elections last held 8 November 1994 (next to be held 5
November 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (100
total) Republican Party 54, Democratic Party 46
House of Representatives: elections last held 8 November 1994 (next to
be held 5 November 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats
- (435 total) Republican Party 231, Democratic Party 203, independent
1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Republican Party, Haley BARBOUR,
national committee chairman; Jeanie AUSTIN, co-chairman; Democratic
Party, David C. WILHELM, national committee chairman; several other
groups or parties of minor political significance
Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), ANZUS, APEC, AsDB, Australia Group,
BIS, CCC, CP, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, ESCAP, FAO, G- 2, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8,
G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM,
ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OSCE, PCA,
SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR,
UNMIH, UNOMOZ, UNPROFOR, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTO, ZC
Flag: 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 most powerful, diverse, and technologically
advanced economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $25,850, the
largest among major industrial nations. The economy is market oriented
with most decisions made by private individuals and business firms and
with government purchases of goods and services made predominantly in
the marketplace. In 1989 the economy enjoyed its seventh successive
year of substantial growth, the longest in peacetime history. The
expansion featured moderation in wage and consumer price increases and
a steady reduction in unemployment to 5.2% of the labor force. In
1990, however, growth slowed to 1% because of a combination of
factors, such as the worldwide increase in interest rates, Iraq's
invasion of Kuwait in August, the subsequent spurt in oil prices, and
a general decline in business and consumer confidence. In 1991 output
fell by 0.6%, unemployment grew, and signs of recovery proved
premature. Growth picked up to 2.3% in 1992 and to 3.1% in 1993.
Unemployment, however, declined only gradually, the increase in GDP
being mainly attributable to gains in output per worker. The year 1994
witnessed a solid 4% gain in real output, a low inflation rate of
2.6%, and a drop in unemployment below 6%. The capture of both houses
of Congress by the Republicans in the elections of 8 November 1994
means substantial changes are likely in US economic policy, including
changes in the ways the US will address its major economic problems in
1995-96. These problems include inadequate investment in economic
infrastructure, rapidly rising medical costs of an aging population,
and sizable budget and trade deficits.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $6.7384 trillion
(1994)
National product real growth rate: 4.1% (1994)
National product per capita: $25,850 (1994)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.6% (1994)
Unemployment rate: 5.5% (March 1995)
Budget:
revenues: $1.258 trillion
expenditures: $1.461 trillion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1994)
Exports: $513 billion (f.o.b., 1994)
commodities: capital goods, automobiles, industrial supplies and raw
materials, consumer goods, agricultural products
partners: Western Europe 24.3%, Canada 22.1%, Japan 10.5% (1993)
Imports: $664 billion (c.i.f., 1994)
commodities: crude oil and refined petroleum products, machinery,
automobiles, consumer goods, industrial raw materials, food and
beverages
partners: Canada, 19.3%, Western Europe 18.1%, Japan 18.1% (1993)
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate 5.4% (1994 est.)
Electricity:
capacity: 695,120,000 kW
production: 3.1 trillion kWh
consumption per capita: 11,236 kWh (1993)
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
Agriculture: accounts for 2% of GDP and 2.9% of labor force; favorable
climate and soils support a wide variety of crops and livestock
production; world's second largest producer and number one exporter of
grain; surplus food producer; fish catch of 4.4 million metric tons
(1990)
Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for domestic consumption
with 1987 production estimated at 3,500 metric tons or about 25% of
the available marijuana; ongoing eradication program aimed at small
plots and greenhouses has not reduced production
Economic aid:
donor: commitments, including ODA and OOF, (FY80-89), $115.7 billion
Currency: 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
British pounds: (#) per US$ - 0.6350 (January 1995), 0.6529 (1994),
0.6033 (1993), 0.5664 (1992), 0.5652 (1991), 0.5603 (1990)
Canadian dollars: (Can$) per US$ - 1.4129 (January 1995), 1.3656
(1994), 1.2901 (1993), 1.2087 (1992), 1.1457 (1991), 1.1668 (1990)
French francs: (F) per US$ - 5.2943 (January 1995), 5.5520 (1994),
5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453 (1990)
Italian lire: (Lit) per US$ - 1,609.5 (January 1995), 1,612.4 (1994),
1,573.7 (1993), 1,232.4 (1992), 1,240.6 (1991), 1,198.1 (1990)
Japanese yen: (Y) per US$ - 99.75 (January 1995), 102.21 (1994),
111.20 (1993), 126.65 (1992), 134.71 (1991), 144.79 (1990)
German deutsche marks: (DM) per US$ - 1.5313 (January 1995), 1.6228
(1994), 1.6533 (1993), 1.5617 (1992), 1.6595 (1991), 1.6157 (1990)
Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September
@United States:Transportation
Railroads:
total: 240,000 km mainline routes (nongovernment owned)
standard gauge: 240,000 km 1.435-m gauge (1989)
Highways:
total: 6,243,163 km
paved: 3,633,520 km (including 84,865 km of expressways)
unpaved: 2,609,643 km (1990)
Inland waterways: 41,009 km of navigable inland channels, exclusive of
the Great Lakes (est.)
Pipelines: petroleum 276,000 km; natural gas 331,000 km (1991)
Ports: 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: 354 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 11,462,000
GRT/16,477,000 DWT
ships by type: bulk 22, cargo 28, chemical tanker 16, intermodal 130,
liquefied gas tanker 13, passenger-cargo 2, tanker 130, tanker
tug-barge 13
note: in addition, there are 189 government-owned vessels
Airports:
total: 15,032
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 181
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 208
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1,242
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2,489
with paved runways under 914 m: 8,994
with unpaved runways over 3,047 m: 1
with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 180
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1,730
@United States:Communications
Telephone system: 126,000,000 telephones; 7,557,000 cellular
telephones
local: NA
intercity: large system of fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay,
coaxial cable, and domestic satellites
international: 16 satellites and 24 ocean cable systems in use; 61
INTELSAT (45 Atlantic Ocean and 16 Pacific Ocean) earth stations
(1990)
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 4,987, FM 4,932, shortwave 0
radios: 530 million
Television:
broadcast stations: 1,092 (about 9,000 cable TV systems)
televisions: 193 million
@United States:Defense Forces
Branches: Department of the Army, Department of the Navy (includes
Marine Corps), Department of the Air Force
Defense expenditures: $284.4 billion, 4.2% of GDP (1994 est.)
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