United States

United States of America

federal republicIndependence 4 July 1776 (from England)

United States as the 1996 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 92 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

Position38 00 N, 97 00 W

Area9,372,610 sq km

LocationNorth America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean

Populationas each edition published it

266.48 million July 1996 est. · 250.41m in 1990

Population growth% a year

0.91% 1996 est. · 1.02% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 35.8 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

75.95 years 1996 est. · 75.8 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.06 children per woman 1996 est. · 1.9 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

6.7 deaths per 1,000 live births 1996 est. · 10 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$27,500 1995 est. · $23,400 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

2.1% 1995 est. · 2.1% in 1993

Geography

North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean | and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico

15 fields

Land useshare of 9,372,610 sq km

arable land 20%permanent crops 0%meadows and pastures 26%forest and woodland 29%other 25%irrigated 181,020 sq km (1989 est.)

Area

9,372,610sq km

land area: 9,166,600 sq kmnote: includes only the 50 states and District of Columbia

comparative area:: 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 smaller than China;
about two and one-half times the size of Western Europe

Coastline

19,924km

contiguous zone: 12 nmcontinental shelf: not specifiedexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

12,248km

border countries: Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska), Cuba 29 km (US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay), Mexico 3,326 kmnote: Guantanamo Naval Base is leased by the US and thus remains part of Cuba

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

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

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

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;
mud slides 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

Geographic note

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

People

15 fields

Population

266,476,278

(July 1996 est.)growth rate: 0.91% (1996 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1996 est.)

Birth

14.8Death

8.8Net migration

3.1

Male · female(1996 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years75.95

72.65 · 79.41

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy97%

97% · 97%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1979 est.)

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)

Age structure

0-14 years:: 22% (male 29,718,390; female 28,335,934)
15-64 years:: 65% (male 86,225,056; female 87,411,573)
65 years and over:: 13% (male 13,850,234; female 20,021,655) (July 1996 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.69 male(s)/female
all ages:: 0.96 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate

6.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.06 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality

noun:: American(s)
adjective:: American

Languages

English, Spanish (spoken by a sizable minority)

Government

Federal republic

19 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

43.2%

William Jefferson CLINTON (Democratic Party) 43.2%George BUSH (Republican Party) 37.7%Ross PEROT (independent) 19.0%other 0.1%

Legislature, 100 seatsone dot, one seat

Republican Party 54Democratic Party 46

Legislature, 435 seatsseats by party

Republican Party 231Democratic Party 203independent 1

Name of country

conventional long form:: United States of America
conventional short form:: United States
abbreviation:: US or USA

Data code

Type of government

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 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) and Vice President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993) were elected for four-year terms by a college of representatives elected directly from each state;
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 was 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, justices are appointed for life by the president with confirmation by the Senate

Political parties and leaders

Republican Party, Haley BARBOUR, national committee chairman and Jeanie AUSTIN, co-chairman;
Democratic Party, David C. WILHELM, national committee chairman;
several other groups or parties of minor political significance

International organization participation

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, 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, UNCRO, UNCTAD, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIH, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP, UNPROFOR, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, 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 $27,500, the largest among major industrial nations.

26 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$27,500

(1995 est.)

Real growth rate

2.1%

(1995 est.)industrial production growth: 5.4% (1994 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

2.5%

(1995)

Unemployment rate

5.6%

(December 1995)

GDP composition by sector(1995 est.)

agriculture 2%industry 23%services 75% (1995 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$1.258 trillionExpenditures

$1.461 trillion (1994)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Installed generating capacity, 695,120,000 kW

Electricity production

3.1 trillionElectricity consumption per capita

11,236 (1993)

Economic overview

The US has the most powerful, diverse, and technologically advanced economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $27,500, the largest among major industrial nations. In this market-oriented economy, private individuals and business firms make most of the decisions, and government purchases of goods and services are made predominantly in the 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.

In all economic sectors, US firms are at or near the forefront in technological advances, especially in computers, medical equipment, and aerospace, although their advantage has steadily 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 professional/technical skills of those at the top and, more and more, fail to get pay raises, health insurance coverage, and other benefits.

The years 1994-95 witnessed moderate gains in real output, low inflation rates, and a drop in unemployment below 6%. The capture of both houses of Congress by the Republicans in the elections of 8 November 1994 has intensified the debate over how the US should address its major economic problems.

These problems include inadequate investment in economic infrastructure, rapidly rising medical costs of an aging population, sizable budget and trade deficits, and stagnation of family income in the lower economic groups. The outlook for 1996 is for continued moderate growth, low inflation, and about the same level of unemployment.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $7.2477 trillion (1995 est.)

Labor force

132.304 million (includes unemployed) (1995); by occupation: managerial and professional 28.3%, technical, sales and administrative support 30.0%, services 13.5%, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and crafts 25.3%, farming, forestry, and fishing 2.8%

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

wheat, other grains, corn, fruits, vegetables, cotton;
beef, pork, poultry, dairy products;
forest products;
fish

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

Exports

$578 billion (f.o.b., 1995 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)

Imports

$751 billion (c.i.f., 1995 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)

External debt

$NA

Economic aid

donor: ODA, $9.721 billion (1993)

Currency

1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents

British pounds

(L) per US$ - 0.6535 (January 1996), 0.6335 (1995), 0.6529 (1994), 0.6658 (1993), 0.5664 (1992), 0.5652 (1991)

Canadian dollars

(Can$) per US$ - 1.3666 (January 1996), 1.3724 (1995), 1.3656 (1994), 1.2901 (1993), 1.2087 (1992), 1.1457 (1991)

French francs

(F) per US$ - 5.0056 (January 1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992), 5.6421 (1991)

Italian lire

(Lit) per US$ - 1,583.8 (January 1996), 1,629.6 (1995), 1,612.4 (1994), 1,573.7 (1993), 1,232.4 (1992), 1,240.6 (1991)

Japanese yen

(Y) per US$ - 105.84 (January 1996), 94.06 (1995), 102.21 (1994), 111.20 (1993), 126.65 (1992), 134.71 (1991)

German deutsche marks

(DM) per US$ - 1.4617 (January 1996), 1.4331 (1995), 1.6228 (1994), 1.6533 (1993), 1.5617 (1992), 1.6595 (1991)

Fiscal year

1 October - 30 September

Transportation

8 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 13,387 in all

179

over 3 047 m

201

2 438 to 3 047 m

1,204

1 524 to 2 437 m

151

2,361

914 to 1 523 m

1,563

7,720

under 914 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

6,284,488Railways

240,000

Highways: paved: 5,574,341 km (in 1991, included 85,267 km of expressways) · unpaved: 710,147 km (1993 est.) · Railways: (nongovernment owned) · standard gauge: 240,000 km 1.435-m gauge (1989)

Railways

total:: 240,000 km mainline routes (nongovernment owned)
standard gauge:: 240,000 km 1.435-m gauge (1989)

Highways

total:: 6,284,488 km
paved:: 5,574,341 km (in 1991, included 85,267 km of expressways)
unpaved:: 710,147 km (1993 est.)

Waterways

41,009 km of navigable inland channels, exclusive of the Great Lakes

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:: 322 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 10,716,000 GRT/15,259,000 DWT
ships by type:: bulk 21, cargo 20, chemical tanker 17, intermodal 125, liquefied gas tanker 14, passenger-cargo 2, tanker 110, tanker tug-barge 13

note: in addition, there are 190 government-owned vessels (1995 est.)

Heliports

63 (1995 est.)

Communications

9 fields

Fixed lines

182.558 million

(1987 est.)

Defense expenditures

$272.2billion

3.8% of GDP (1995 est.)

Telephone system

domestic:: large system of fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and domestic satellites
international:: 24 ocean cable systems in use; satellite earth stations - 61 Intelsat (45 Atlantic Ocean and 16 Pacific Ocean) (1990 est.), 5 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 4 Inmarsat (Pacific and Atlantic Ocean regions)

males age 15-49:: 69,302,573
males fit for military service:: NA
males reach military age (18) annually:: 1,864,580 (1996 est.)

Central Intelligence Agency. “United States.” The World Factbook 1996. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/united-states/1996.

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