United States

federal republicIndependence 4 July 1776 (from England)

United States as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 119 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalWashington, DC
LocationNorth America, between Canada and Mexico
1994

Every edition of United States

Populationas each edition published it
260.71 million July 1994 est. · 250.41m in 1990
Population growth% a year
0.99% 1994 est. · 1.02% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 35.8 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 75.8 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
2.06 children per woman 1994 est. · 1.9 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
8.11 deaths per 1,000 live births 1994 est. · 10 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$24,700 1993 · $23,400 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
3% 1993 · 2.1% in 1993

Geography

North America, between Canada and Mexico

26 fields
Coastline
19,924km
Land boundaries
12,248km
total · Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska), Cuba 29 km (US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay), Mexico 3,326 km
Irrigated land
181,020sq km
(1989 est.)

Location

North America, between Canada and Mexico

Map references

North America, Standard Time Zones of the World

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

contiguous zone

24 nm depth

continental shelf

200-m depth or to depth of exploitation

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);
  • 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

arable land

20%

permanent crops

0%

meadows and pastures

26%

forest and woodland

29%

other

25%

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;
  • sparse water resources in much of the western part of the country requires 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, Wetlands, Whaling;
  • signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Hazardous Wastes

Note

world's fourth-largest country (after Russia, Canada, and China)

People

21 fields
Population
260,713,585
(July 1994 est.)growth rate: 0.99% (1994 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1994 est.)

Birth
15.2Death
8.68Net migration
3.38

Ethnic divisions(1992)

white 83.4%black 12.4%Asian 3.3%Native American 0.8% (1992)

Religions(1989)

Protestant 56%Roman Catholic 28%Jewish 2%other 4%none 10% (1989)
Labor force
129.525million
(includes armed forces and unemployed); civilian labor force 128.040 million) (1993)
Literacy
15
age · and over having completed 5 or more years of schooling (1991)

Infant mortality rate

8.11 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

total population

75.9 years

male

72.58 years

female

79.39 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.06 children born/woman (1994 est.)

noun

American(s)

adjective

American

Languages

English, Spanish (spoken by a sizable minority)

total population

97%

male

97%

female

97%

by occupation

  • managerial and professional 27.1%;
  • technical, sales and administrative support 30.9%;
  • services 13.8%;
  • manufacturing, mining, transportation, and crafts 25.5%;
  • farming, forestry, and fishing 2.8%

Government

Federal republic

23 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

52%
Democratic Party 52%Republican Party 46%other 2%

Legislature, 100 seatsone dot, one seat

Democratic Party 57Republican Party 43

Legislature, 435 seatsseats by party

Democratic Party 258Republican Party 176Independent 1

conventional long form

United States of America

conventional short form

United States

Abbreviation

US or USA

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

  • since 18 July 1947, the US has administered the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, but recently entered into a new political relationship with three of the 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 that was approved by the US Congress but to date the Compact process has not been completed in Palau, which continues to be administered by the US as the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands;
  • 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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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 3 November 1992 (next to be held 8 November 1994);
  • results - Democratic Party 53%, Republican Party 47%, other NEGL%;
  • seats - (100 total) Democratic Party 57, Republican Party 43

House of Representatives

  • elections last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held 8 November 1994);
  • results - Democratic Party 52%, Republican Party 46%, other 2%;
  • seats - (435 total) Democratic Party 258, Republican Party 176, 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, Australian Group, BIS, CCC, COCOM, CP, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, FAO, ESCAP, G-2, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, PCA, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNOSOM, UNRWA, UN Security Council, UNTAC, UN Trusteeship Council, UNTSO, 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

The US has the most powerful, diverse, and technologically advanced | economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $24,700, the largest | among major industrial nations.

31 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$24,700
(1993)
Real growth rate
3%
(1993)industrial production growth: growth rate 4.6% (1993); accounts for 23% of GDP (1991)
Unemployment rate
6%
(May 1994)

Overview

The US has the most powerful, diverse, and technologically advanced economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $24,700, 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 1%, unemployment grew, and signs of recovery proved premature. Growth picked up to 2.6% in 1992 and to 3.0% in 1993. Unemployment, however, declined only gradually, the increase in GDP being mainly attributable to gains in output per worker. Ongoing economic problems for the remainder of the 1990s include inadequate investment in economic infrastructure, rapidly rising medical costs, and sizable budget and trade deficits.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $6.379 trillion (1993)

revenues

$1.1535 trillion

expenditures

$1.4082 trillion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993 est.)

Exports

$449 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

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 est.)

Imports

$582 billion (c.i.f., 1993 est.)

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 est.)

capacity

780,000,000 kW

production

3.23 trillion kWh

consumption per capita

12,690 kWh (1992)

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 2.8% 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

donor

commitments, including ODA and OOF, (FY80-89), $115.7 billion

Currency

1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents

British pounds

(#) per US$ - 0.6699 (January 1994), 0.6033 (1993), 0.5664 (1992), 0.5652 (1991), 0.5603 (1990), 0.6099 (1989)

Canadian dollars

(Can$) per US$ - 1.3174 (January 1994), 1.2901 (1993), 1.2087 (1992), 1.1457 (1991), 1.1668 (1990), 1.1840 (1989)

French francs

(F) per US$ - 5.9205 (January 1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453 (1990), 6.3801 (1989)

Italian lire

(Lit) per US$ - 1,700.2 (January 1994), 1,573.7 (1993), 1,232.4 (1992), 1,240.6 (1991), 1,198.1 (1990), 1.372.1 (1989)

Japanese yen

(Y) per US$ - 111.51 (January 1994), 111.20 (1993), 126.65 (1992), 134.71 (1991), 144.79 (1990), 137.96 (1989)

German deutsche marks

(DM) per US$ - 1.7431 (January 1994), 1.6533 (1993), 1.5617 (1992), 1.6595 (1991), 1.6157 (1990), 1.8800 (1989)

Fiscal year

1 October - 30 September

Communications

16 fields

Railroads

240,000 km of mainline routes, all standard 1.435 meter track, no government ownership (1989)

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, Beaumont, Boston, Charleston, Chicago, Cleveland, Duluth, Freeport, Galveston, Hampton Roads, Honolulu, Houston, Jacksonville, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Mobile, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Portland (Oregon), Richmond (California), San Francisco, Savannah, Seattle, Tampa, Wilmington

Merchant marine

385 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 12,567,000 GRT/19,511,000 DWT, bulk 23, cargo 36, intermodal 128, liquefied gas 13, passenger-cargo 3, tanker 169, tanker tug-barge 13

note

in addition, there are 219 government-owned vessels

total

14,177

usable

12,417

with permanent-surface runways

4,820

with runways over 3,659 m

63

with runways 2,440-3,659 m

325

with runways 1,220-2,439 m

2,524

Telecommunications

  • 126,000,000 telephone access lines;
  • 7,557,000 cellular phone subscribers;
  • broadcast stations - 4,987 AM, 4,932 FM, 1,092 TV;
  • about 9,000 TV cable systems;
  • 530,000,000 radio sets and 193,000,000 TV sets in use;
  • 16 satellites and 24 ocean cable systems in use;
  • satellite ground stations - 45 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 16 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT (1990)

Defense Forces

Department of the Army, Department of the Navy (including Marine | Corps), Department of the Air Force

2 fields

Branches

Department of the Army, Department of the Navy (including Marine Corps), Department of the Air Force

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $315.5 billion, 5.3% of GDP (1992)

Central Intelligence Agency. “United States.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/united-states/1994.

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