United States
Country Guide

Explore United States

United States with its capital Washington DC is located in North America (North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean). It covers some 9,833,521 square kilometers (about half the size of Russia) with 326,626,000 citizens. English, Spanish and French are the common languages used in United States (consider regional differences). Canada, Cuba and Mexico are bordering countries.

The United States of America is a large country in North America. It also boasts the world's third largest population after China and India, with over 300 million people. The United States is not the America of television and movies. It is large, complex, and diverse, with distinct regional identities. Due to the distances involved, traveling between regions can be time-consuming and expensive. The overall climate is temperate, with notable exceptions. Alaska has Arctic tundra, while Hawaii and South Florida are tropical. The United States has exceptionally onerous and complicated visa requirements. Read up carefully before your visit. The United States is extraordinarily diverse in its array of attractions. You will never run out of things to see; even if you think you've exhausted what one place has to offer, the next destination is only a road trip away. While GSM has been gaining popularity, the U.S. uses the unusual 1900 and 850 MHz frequencies; check with your operator or mobile phone dealer to see if your phone is a tri-band or quad-band model that will work here.

Popular Destinations in United States

Administrative regions of United States

• 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

About the country

The topography is vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in east with rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska as well as rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaii. The average density of population is about 33 per km². The climate 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 earthquake activity around Pacific Basin, flooding, forest fires in the west, hurricanes along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts, mud slides in California, permafrost in northern Alaska, a major impediment to development, tornadoes in the Midwest and Southeast, tsunamis, volcanic activity in the Hawaiian Islands, Western Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and in the Northern Mariana Islands; both Mauna Loa (4,170 m) in Hawaii and Mount Rainier (4,392 m) in Washington have been deemed Decade Volcanoes by the International Asso and volcanoes.

To reach someone United States dial +1 prior to a number. The local cellular networks are operated on 850 MHz, 1900 MHz, 3G, 4G. Websites typically end with the top level domain ".us". If you want to bring electric appliances (e.g. battery chaarger), keep in min the local 120 V - 60 Hz (plugs: A, B). The sign for the locally used currency Dollar is USD.

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.

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.

Geography

Area
Total (World Rank: 4)	9,833,520	sq km
Land (World Rank: 4)	9,147,590	sq km
Water (World Rank: 3)	685,924	sq km
Forest (World Rank: 63)	27.40	%
Comparative	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
Note	includes only the 50 states and District of Columbia, no overseas territories
Coastline
19924
Landborder
12048
Elevation
Lowest point (World Rank: 65)	-86	m
Highest point (World Rank: 15)	6,190	m
Agricultural land
Total (World Rank: 83)	44.50	%
Arable (World Rank: 68)	16.80	%
Permanent crops (World Rank: 158)	0.30	%
Permanent pastures (World Rank: 63)	27.40	%
Irrigated land (World Rank: 3)	264,000	sq km
Map reference
North America
Environment
Issues	- air pollution resulting in acid rain in both the US and Canada - desertification - large emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels - limited natural freshwater resources in much of the western part of the country require careful management - water pollution from runoff of pesticides and fertilizers
Agreement party	- Air Pollution - Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides - Antarctic Seals - Antarctic Treaty - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol - Antarctic-Marine Living Resources - Climate Change - Desertification - Endangered Species - Environmental Modification - Marine Dumping - Marine Life Conservation - Ozone Layer Protection - Ship Pollution - Tropical Timber 83 - Tropical Timber 94 - Wetlands - Whaling
Agreement signed	- Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants - Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds - Biodiversity - Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol - Hazardous Wastes
Hazzards	- earthquake activity around Pacific Basin - flooding - forest fires in the west - hurricanes along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts - mud slides in California - permafrost in northern Alaska, a major impediment to development - tornadoes in the Midwest and Southeast - tsunamis - volcanic activity in the Hawaiian Islands, Western Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and in the Northern Mariana Islands; both Mauna Loa (4,170 m) in Hawaii and Mount Rainier (4,392 m) in Washington have been deemed Decade Volcanoes by the International Asso - volcanoes
Location
North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico
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

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People

Population
Total (World Rank: 3)	326,626,000
Deathrate (World Rank: 84)	0.82	%
Birthrate (World Rank: 155)	1.25	%
Growthrate (World Rank: 129)	0.81	%
Migration rate (World Rank: 28)	0.39	%
Fertility rate (World Rank: 140)	1.87	%
Median age
Male (World Rank: 60)	36.80
Female (World Rank: 59)	39.40
Age structure
0 14 male (World Rank: 6)	31,256,000
0 14 female (World Rank: 6)	29,919,900
15 24 male (World Rank: 5)	22,214,000
15 24 female (World Rank: 4)	21,137,800
25 54 male (World Rank: 3)	64,528,700
25 54 female (World Rank: 3)	64,334,500
55 64 male (World Rank: 3)	20,357,900
55 64 female (World Rank: 3)	21,822,000
65 x male (World Rank: 3)	22,678,200
65 x female (World Rank: 3)	28,376,800
Health
Infant mortality rate (World Rank: 167)	0.58	%
Life expectancy total (World Rank: 42)	80	years
Life expectancy female (World Rank: 47)	82	years
Life expectancy male (World Rank: 39)	78	years
Physicians per 1000 (World Rank: 58)	2.55
Hospital bed per 1000 (World Rank: 78)	2.90
Sanitation access total (World Rank: 3)	100.00	%
Obesity adult (World Rank: 12)	36.20	%
Drinking water access (World Rank: 62)	99.20	%

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Energy

Electricity
Production (World Rank: 2)	4,088,000,000,000	kWh
Consumption (World Rank: 2)	3,911,000,000,000	kWh
Export (World Rank: 24)	9,695,000,000	kWh
Import (World Rank: 1)	80,660,000,000	kWh
Source fossil (World Rank: 104)	70.60	%
Source nuclear (World Rank: 116)	9.20	%
Crude oil
Production (World Rank: 3)	8,853,000	bbl / day
Exports (World Rank: 21)	590,900	bbl / day
Imports (World Rank: 1)	7,850,000	bbl / day
Proved reserves (World Rank: 11)	36,520,000,000	bbl
Refined products
Production (World Rank: 1)	20,080,000	bbl / day
Consumption (World Rank: 1)	19,690,000	bbl / day
Export (World Rank: 1)	4,670,000	bbl / day
Import (World Rank: 1)	2,205,000	bbl / day
Natural gas
Production (World Rank: 1)	766,200,000,000	m³
Consumption (World Rank: 2)	773,200,000,000	m³
Export (World Rank: 6)	50,520,000,000	m³
Import (World Rank: 25)	0	m³
Carbon footprint
5402000000

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Nation

Budget
Education (World Rank: 72)	5	% of GDP
Military (World Rank: 26)	3	% of GDP
Health (World Rank: 1)	17	% of GDP
Surplus (World Rank: 118)	-3	% of GDP
National symbol
bald eagle
National colours
white
Adjective
American
Noun
American(s)
Background
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.
Flag description
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

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Economy

Gdp
Purchasing power parity (World Rank: 2)	18,620,000,000,000	USD
Real growth rate (World Rank: 155)	1.50	%
Per capita purchasing power parity (World Rank: 19)	57,600	USD
Source agriculture (World Rank: 200)	0.90	%
Source industry (World Rank: 161)	18.90	%
Source service (World Rank: 27)	80.20	%
Labourforce
Total (World Rank: 3)	159,200,000
In poverty (World Rank: 129)	15.10	%
Products
Industries	- aerospace - chemicals - consumer goods - electronics - food processing - lumber - mining - motor vehicles - petroleum - steel - telecommunications
Agriculture	- beef - corn - cotton - dairy products - fish - forest products - fruits - grains - pork - poultry - vegetables - wheat
Exports	- agricultural products (soybeans - aircraft - capital goods (transistors - computers - consumer goods (automobiles - corn) - fruit - industrial supplies (organic chemicals) - medicines) - motor vehicle parts - telecommunications equipment)
Imports	- agricultural products - capital goods 30.4% (computers - clothing - consumer goods 31.8% (automobiles - electric power machinery) - furniture - industrial supplies 32.9% (crude oil 8.2%) - medicines - motor vehicle parts - office machines - telecommunications equipment - toys)

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Communication

Phone
Landline total (World Rank: 2)	121,530,000
Landline per 100 (World Rank: 42)	38.00
Mobile per 100 (World Rank: 54)	129.00
Assessment	0
Internet
Users (World Rank: 3)	246,809,000
Population (World Rank: 59)	76.20	%

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Transport

Air
Airports paved (World Rank: 1)	5,054
Airports unpaved (World Rank: 1)	8,459
Heliports (World Rank: 1)	5,287
Rail
Total length (World Rank: 1)	293,564
Road
Total length (World Rank: 1)	6,586,610
Paved length (World Rank: 1)	4,304,720
Unpaved length (World Rank: 1)	2,281,900
Water
Total length (World Rank: 5)	41,009

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