from
CIA World Factbook 2006
United States
Introduction
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) and the Great Depression of the
1930s. 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. The economy is
marked by steady growth, low unemployment and
inflation, and rapid advances in technology.
Geography
Location: North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean
and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico
Geographic 38 00 N, 97 00 W
coordinates:
Map North America
references:
Area: total: 9,631,420 sq km
land: 9,161,923 sq km
water: 469,497 sq km
note: includes only the 50 states and District of
Columbia
Area - about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the
comparative: size of Africa; about half the size of South America
(or slightly larger than Brazil); slightly larger than
China; almost two and a half times the size of the
European Union
Land total: 12,034 km
boundaries: border countries: Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km
with Alaska), Mexico 3,141 km
note: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is leased
by the US and is part of Cuba; the base boundary is 28
km
Coastline: 19,924 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm
claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: not specified
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
Elevation lowest point: Death Valley -86 m
extremes: highest point: Mount McKinley 6,194 m
Natural coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium,
resources: bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver,
tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber
Land use: arable land: 18.01%
permanent crops: 0.21%
other: 81.78% (2005)
Irrigated 223,850 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquake activity around
hazards: 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; permafrost in northern Alaska, a
major impediment to development
Environment - air pollution resulting in acid rain in both the US and
current Canada; the US is the largest single emitter of carbon
issues: dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels; water
pollution from runoff of pesticides and fertilizers;
limited natural fresh water resources in much of the
western part of the country require careful management;
desertification
Environment - party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides,
international Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine
agreements: Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty,
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
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent
Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic
Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Hazardous Wastes
Geography - world's third-largest country by size (after Russia and
note: Canada) and by population (after China and India); Mt.
McKinley is highest point in North America and Death
Valley the lowest point on the continent
People
Population: 298,444,215 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 20.4% (male 31,095,847/female 29,715,872)
15-64 years: 67.2% (male 100,022,845/female
100,413,484)
65 years and over: 12.5% (male 15,542,288/female
21,653,879) (2006 est.)
Median age: total: 36.5 years
male: 35.1 years
female: 37.8 years (2006 est.)
Population 0.91% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 14.14 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 8.26 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 3.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 6.43 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 7.09 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 5.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 77.85 years
expectancy at male: 75.02 years
birth: female: 80.82 years (2006 est.)
Total 2.09 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 0.6% (2003 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 950,000 (2003 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - 14,000 (2003 est.)
deaths:
Nationality: noun: American(s)
adjective: American
Ethnic groups: white 81.7%, black 12.9%, Asian 4.2%, Amerindian and
Alaska native 1%, native Hawaiian and other Pacific
islander 0.2% (2003 est.)
note: a separate listing for Hispanic is not included
because the US Census Bureau considers Hispanic to mean
a person of Latin American descent (including persons
of Cuban, Mexican, or Puerto Rican origin) living in
the US who may be of any race or ethnic group (white,
black, Asian, etc.)
Religions: Protestant 52%, Roman Catholic 24%, Mormon 2%, Jewish
1%, Muslim 1%, other 10%, none 10% (2002 est.)
Languages: English 82.1%, Spanish 10.7%, other Indo-European 3.8%,
Asian and Pacific island 2.7%, other 0.7% (2000 census)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: United States of America
conventional short form: United States
abbreviation: US or USA
Government Constitution-based federal republic; strong democratic
type: tradition
Capital: name: Washington, DC (capital)
geographic coordinates: 38 53 N, 77 02 W
time difference: UTC-5 (during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in
March; ends first Sunday in November; note - these new
dates become effective in 2007
note: the United States is divided into six time zones
Administrative 50 states and 1 district*; Alabama, Alaska, Arizona,
divisions: 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 American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island,
areas: 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; it entered into a political relationship with
all four political units: the Northern Mariana Islands
is a commonwealth in political union 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); the Federated
States of Micronesia signed a Compact of Free
Association with the US (effective 3 November 1986);
Palau concluded a Compact of Free Association with the
US (effective 1 October 1994)
Independence: 4 July 1776 (from Great Britain)
National Independence Day, 4 July (1776)
holiday:
Constitution: 17 September 1787, effective 4 March 1789
Legal system: federal court system based on English common law; each
state has its own unique legal system, of which all but
one (Louisiana's) is based on English common law;
judicial review of legislative acts
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive chief of state: President George W. BUSH (since 20
branch: January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since
20 January 2001); note - the president is both the
chief of state and head of government
head of government: President George W. BUSH (since 20
January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since
20 January 2001)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with Senate
approval
elections: president and vice president elected on the
same ticket by a college of representatives who are
elected directly from each state; president and vice
president serve four-year terms (eligible for a second
term); election last held 2 November 2004 (next to be
held 4 November 2008)
election results: George W. BUSH reelected president;
percent of popular vote - George W. BUSH (Republican
Party) 50.9%, John KERRY (Democratic Party) 48.1%,
other 1.0%
Legislative bicameral Congress consists of the Senate (100 seats,
branch: one-third are renewed every two years; 2 members are
elected from each state by popular vote to serve
six-year terms) and the House of Representatives (435
seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to
serve two-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 7 November 2006 (next to
be held on November 2008); House of Representatives -
last held 7 November 2006 (next to be held on November
2008)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party -
NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 49, Republican
Party 49, independent 2; House of Representatives -
percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
Democratic Party 232, Republican Party 203
Judicial Supreme Court (nine justices; nominated by the
branch: president and confirmed with the advice and consent of
the Senate; appointed to serve for life); United States
Courts of Appeal; United States District Courts; State
and County Courts
Political Democratic Party [Howard DEAN]; Green Party;
parties and Libertarian Party [Steve DAMERELL]; Republican Party
leaders: [Ken MEHLMAN]
Political NA
pressure
groups and
leaders:
International AfDB, ANZUS, APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN
organization (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC
participation: (observer), CBSS (observer), CE (observer), CERN
(observer), CP, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, G-5, G-7, G- 8, G-10,
IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAFTA, NATO, NEA, NSG,
OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner),
SECI (observer), SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMOVIC, UNOMIG,
UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Flag 13 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom)
description: 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
Economy - The US has the largest and most technologically
overview: powerful economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of
$42,000. In this market-oriented economy, private
individuals and business firms make most of the
decisions, and the federal and state governments buy
needed goods and services predominantly in the private
marketplace. US business firms enjoy greater
flexibility than their counterparts in Western Europe
and Japan in decisions to expand capital plant, to lay
off surplus workers, and to develop new products. At
the same time, they face higher barriers to enter their
rivals' home markets than foreign firms face entering
US markets. US firms are at or near the forefront in
technological advances, especially in computers and in
medical, aerospace, and military equipment; their
advantage has 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 the professional/
technical skills of those at the top and, more and
more, fail to get comparable pay raises, health
insurance coverage, and other benefits. Since 1975,
practically all the gains in household income have gone
to the top 20% of households. The response to the
terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 showed the
remarkable resilience of the economy. The war in
March-April 2003 between a US-led coalition and Iraq,
and the subsequent occupation of Iraq, required major
shifts in national resources to the military. The rise
in GDP in 2004 and 2005 was undergirded by substantial
gains in labor productivity. Hurricane Katrina caused
extensive damage in the Gulf Coast region in August
2005, but had a small impact on overall GDP growth for
the year. Soaring oil prices in 2005 and 2006
threatened inflation and unemployment, yet the economy
continued to grow through mid-2006. Imported oil
accounts for about two-thirds of US consumption.
Long-term problems include inadequate investment in
economic infrastructure, rapidly rising medical and
pension costs of an aging population, sizable trade and
budget deficits, and stagnation of family income in the
lower economic groups.
GDP $12.31 trillion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $12.49 trillion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 3.2% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $41,600 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 1%
composition by industry: 20.4%
sector: services: 78.7% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 149.3 million (includes unemployed) (2005 est.)
Labor force - farming, forestry, and fishing 0.7%, manufacturing,
by occupation: extraction, transportation, and crafts 22.9%,
managerial, professional, and technical 34.7%, sales
and office 25.4%, other services 16.3%
note: figures exclude the unemployed (2005)
Unemployment 5.1% (2005 est.)
rate:
Population 12% (2004 est.)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: 1.8%
income or highest 10%: 30.5% (1997)
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 45 (2004)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 3.2% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 16.7% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $2.119 trillion
expenditures: $2.466 trillion; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Public debt: 64.7% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - wheat, corn, other grains, fruits, vegetables, cotton;
products: beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish; forest
products
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
Industrial 3.2% (2005 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 3.892 trillion kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 71.4%
production by hydro: 5.6%
source: nuclear: 20.7%
other: 2.3% (2001)
Electricity - 3.656 trillion kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 23.97 billion kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 30.39 billion kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 7.61 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
production:
Oil - 20.03 million bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: 1.048 million bbl/day (2004)
Oil - imports: 13.15 million bbl/day (2004)
Oil - proved 22.45 billion bbl (1 January 2002)
reserves:
Natural gas - 539 billion cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 633.6 billion cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Natural gas - 24.19 billion cu m (2004)
exports:
Natural gas - 114.1 billion cu m (2004 est.)
imports:
Natural gas - 5.353 trillion cu m (1 January 2002)
proved
reserves:
Current $-829.1 billion (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $927.5 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - agricultural products (soybeans, fruit, corn) 9.2%,
commodities: industrial supplies (organic chemicals) 26.8%, capital
goods (transistors, aircraft, motor vehicle parts,
computers, telecommunications equipment) 49.0%,
consumer goods (automobiles, medicines) 15.0% (2003)
Exports - Canada 23.4%, Mexico 13.3%, Japan 6.1%, China 4.6%, UK
partners: 4.3% (2005)
Imports: $1.727 trillion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - agricultural products 4.9%, industrial supplies 32.9%
commodities: (crude oil 8.2%), capital goods 30.4% (computers,
telecommunications equipment, motor vehicle parts,
office machines, electric power machinery), consumer
goods 31.8% (automobiles, clothing, medicines,
furniture, toys) (2003)
Imports - Canada 16.9%, China 15%, Mexico 10%, Japan 8.2%,
partners: Germany 5% (2005)
Reserves of $86.94 billion (2004 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $8.837 trillion (30 June 2005 est.)
external:
Economic aid - ODA, $6.9 billion (1997)
donor:
Currency US dollar (USD)
(code):
Currency code: USD
Exchange British pounds per US dollar - 0.5500 (2005), 0.5462
rates: (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001);
Canadian dollars per US dollar - 1.2118 (2005), 1.3010
(2004), 1.4011 (2003), 1.5693 (2002), 1.5488 (2001);
Japanese yen per US dollar - 110.22 (2005), 108.19
(2004), 115.93 (2003), 125.39 (2002), 121.53 (2001);
euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004),
0.8866 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001); Chinese
yuan per US dollar - 8.1943 (2005), 8.2768 (2004),
8.2770 (2003), 8.2770 (2002), 8.2271 (2001)
Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September
Communications
Telephones - 268 million (2003)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 219.4 million (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: a large, technologically advanced,
system: multipurpose communications system
domestic: a large system of fiber-optic cable,
microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and domestic
satellites carries every form of telephone traffic; a
rapidly growing cellular system carries mobile
telephone traffic throughout the country
international: country code - 1; 24 ocean cable systems
in use; satellite earth stations - 61 Intelsat (45
Atlantic Ocean and 16 Pacific Ocean), 5 Intersputnik
(Atlantic Ocean region), and 4 Inmarsat (Pacific and
Atlantic Ocean regions) (2000)
Radio AM 4,789, FM 8,961, shortwave 19 (2006)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 575 million (1997)
Television 2,218 (2006)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 219 million (1997)
Internet .us
country code:
Internet 195,138,696 (2005)
hosts:
Internet 7,000 (2002 est.)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 205,326,680 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 14,858 (2006)
Airports - total: 5,119
with paved over 3,047 m: 189
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 221
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1,426
914 to 1,523 m: 2,337
under 914 m: 946 (2006)
Airports - total: 9,739
with unpaved over 3,047 m: 1
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 157
914 to 1,523 m: 1,728
under 914 m: 7,847 (2006)
Heliports: 149 (2006)
Pipelines: petroleum products 244,620 km; natural gas 548,665 km
(2003)
Railways: total: 226,605 km
standard gauge: 226,605 km 1.435-m gauge (2004)
Roadways: total: 6,407,637 km
paved: 4,164,964 km (including 74,950 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 2,242,673 km (2004)
Waterways: 41,009 km (19,312 km used for commerce)
note: Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the
Saint Lawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with Canada
(2004)
Merchant total: 465 ships (1000 GRT or over) 10,590,325 GRT/
marine: 13,273,133 DWT
by type: barge carrier 7, bulk carrier 67, cargo 91,
chemical tanker 20, container 76, passenger 19,
passenger/cargo 58, petroleum tanker 76, refrigerated
cargo 3, roll on/roll off 27, specialized tanker 1,
vehicle carrier 20
foreign-owned: 51 (Australia 2, Canada 4, Denmark 24,
Germany 2, Greece 1, Malaysia 4, Netherlands 4, Norway
2, Singapore 2, Sweden 5, Taiwan 1)
registered in other countries: 700 (Antigua and Barbuda
7, Australia 3, Bahamas 121, Belize 5, Bermuda 27,
Cambodia 8, Canada 2, Cayman Islands 41, Comoros 2,
Cyprus 7, Greece 1, Honduras 1, Hong Kong 21, Ireland
2, Isle of Man 3, Italy 15, North Korea 3, South Korea
7, Liberia 93, Luxembourg 3, Malta 3, Marshall Islands
143, Netherlands 13, Netherlands Antilles 1, Norway 13,
Panama 94, Peru 1, Philippines 8, Portugal 1, Puerto
Rico 3, Qatar 1, Russia 1, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines 21, Sierra Leone 1, Singapore 7, Spain 7,
Sweden 1, Trinidad and Tobago 1, UK 6, Vanuatu 1,
Wallis and Futuna 1) (2006)
Ports and Corpus Christi, Duluth, Hampton Roads, Houston, Long
terminals: Beach, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York,
Philadelphia, Tampa, Texas City
note: 13 ports north of New Orleans (South Louisiana
Ports) on the Mississippi River handle 290,000,000 tons
of cargo annually
Military
Military Army, Navy and Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast
branches: Guard; note - Coast Guard administered in peacetime by
the Department of Homeland Security, but in wartime
reports to the Department of the Navy
Military 18 years of age; 17 years of age with written parental
service age consent (2006)
and
obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 67,742,879
available for females age 18-49: 67,070,144 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 54,609,050
for military females age 18-49: 54,696,706 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 2,143,873
reaching females age 18-49: 2,036,201 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $518.1 billion (FY04 est.) (2005 est.)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 4.06% (FY03 est.) (2005 est.)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - prolonged drought, population growth, and outmoded
international: practices and infrastructure in the border region
strain water-sharing arrangements with Mexico; the US
has stepped up efforts to stem nationals from Mexico,
Central America, and other parts of the world from
crossing illegally into the US from Mexico; illegal
immigrants from the Caribbean, notably Haiti and the
Dominican Republic, attempt to enter the US through
Florida by sea; 1990 Maritime Boundary Agreement in the
Bering Sea still awaits Russian Duma ratification;
managed maritime boundary disputes with Canada at Dixon
Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and
around the disputed Machias Seal Island and North Rock;
US and Canada seek greater cooperation in monitoring
people and commodities crossing the border; The Bahamas
and US have not been able to agree on a maritime
boundary; 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
US-administered 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 state; Marshall Islands claims Wake Island
Refugees and refugees (country of origin): the US admitted 52,868
internally refugees during FY03/04 including: 13,331 (Somalia),
displaced 6,000 (Laos), 3,482 (Ukraine), 2,959 (Cuba), 1,787
persons: (Iran); note - 32,229 refugees had been admitted as of
30 June 2005
Illicit drugs: world's largest consumer of cocaine, shipped from
Colombia through Mexico and the Caribbean; consumer of
heroin, marijuana, and increasingly methamphetamine
from Mexico; consumer of high-quality Southeast Asian
heroin; illicit producer of cannabis, marijuana,
depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and
methamphetamine; money-laundering center