|
1  Afghanistan  
652,230 43rd 38,346,720 37th 1.7 |
2 Akrotiri
123 223rd 18,195 .676 |
3  Albania 
28,748 3,095,344 .9287 |
4  Algeria 
2,381,740 44,178,884 5.391 |
5 American Samoa
224 45,443 .4929 |
6  Andorra 
468 85,560 .5469 |
7  Angola 
1,246,700 34,795,287 3.582 |
8 Anguilla
91 18,741 .486 |
9  Antarctica
14.2 million 4,877 29,1163 |
10 Antigua & Barbuda
443 100,335.442 |
11  Argentina 
2,780,400 46,245,668 6 |
12  Armenia 
29,743 3,000,756 .99 |
13 Aruba
180 122,320 .147 |
14 Ashmore & Cartier Islands
5 0 0 |
15  Australia 
7,741,220 026,141,369 29.61 |
16  Austria 
83,871 08,913,088 .94 |
17  Azerbaijan 
86,600 10,353,296 .836 |
18  Bahamas 
13,880 355,608 3.9 |
19  Bahrain 
760 1,540,558 .05 |
20 Baker Island
6,959.41 0 0 |
|
21  Bangladesh 
148,460 165,650,475 .09 |
22 Barbados
430 302,674 .14 |
23 Belarus
207,600 9,413,505 2.2 |
24  Belgium 
30,528 11,847,338 .26 |
25 Belize
22,966 412,387 5.6 |
26 Benin
2,123 13,754,688 .015 |
27 Bermuda
54 72,337 .07 |
28  Bhutan 
54 72,337 .07 |
29  Bolivia 
1,098,581 12,054,379 9.1 |
30  Bosnia & Herzegovina
51,197 3,816,459 1.3 |
31  Botswana 
581,730 581,730 2,384,246 |
32 Bouvet Island
49 0 0 |
33  Brazil 
8,515,770 217,240,06 3.9 |
34 British Indian Ocean Territory
60 0 0 |
35 British Virgin Islands
151 38,632 .39 |
36  Brunei 
5,765 478,054 1.2 |
37  Bulgaria 
110,879 6,873,253 1.6 |
38 Burkina Faso
274,200 21,935,389 1.25 |
39  Burma 
676,578 57,526,449 1.18 |
40  Burundi 
27,830 12,696,478 .22 |
|
41 Cabo Verde
4,033 596,707 .68 |
42  Cambodia 
181,035 16,713,015 1 |
43 Cameroon
475,440 29,321,637 1.6 |
44  Canada 
9,984,670 38,232,593 26.11 |
45 Cayman Islands
2640 064,309 .41 |
46  C African Republic 
622,984 5,454,533 11.42 |
47  Chad 
1.284 million 17,963,211 7.1 |
48  Chile 
756,102 18,430,408 4.1 |
49  China 
9,596,960 1,410,539,758 .68 |
50 Christmas Island
135 2,205 6.1 |
51 Clipperton Island
6 0 0 |
52 Cocos (Keeling) Islands
14 596 2.3 |
53  Colombia 
1,138,910 49,059,221 2.3 |
54  Comoros 
2,235 876,437 .25 |
55  Congo, Dem. Rep. 
2,344,858 108,407,721 2.16 |
56  Congo, Republic 
342,000 5,546,307 6.1 |
57 Cook Islands
236 8,128 2.9 |
58 Coral Sea Islands
3 0 0 |
59  Costa Rica 
51,100 5,204,411 .98 |
60 Cote d’Ivoire
322,463 28,713,423 1.1 |
|
61  Croatia 
56,594 4,188,853 1.35 |
62  Cuba
110,860 11,008,112 1 |
63 Curacao
444 152,379 .29 |
64  Cyprus 
9,251 sq km (of which 3,355 sq km are in N Cyprus) 1,295,102 .71 |
65  Czechia 
78,867 10,705,384 .737 |
66 Denmark
43,094 5,920,767 .73 |
67 Dhekelia
131 15,500 on Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri & Dhekelia including 9,700 Cypriots & 5,800 Service & UK-based contract personnel & dependents .845 |
68  Djibouti 
23,200 957,273 2.4 |
69 Dominica
751 74,629 1 |
70  Dominican Republic 
48,670 10,694,700 .455 |
71 Ecuador
283,561 17,289,554 1.64 |
72  Egypt 
1,001,450 107,770,524 .93 |
73 El Salvador
021,041 6,568,745 .32 |
74  Equatorial Guinea 
28,051 1,679,172 1.67 |
75  Eritrea
117,6000 6,209,262 1.9 |
76  Estonia
C45,228 C1,211,524 3.7 |
77 .jpg) Eswatini 
17,364 1,121,761 1.5 |
78  Ethiopia
1,104,300 113,656,596 .9.7 |
79 European Union
4,236,351 450,858,381 .94 |
| 80 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 12,173 3,198 381 |
|
81 Faroe Islands
1,393 52,269 2.67 |
82 Fiji
18,274 943,737 1.9 |
83 Finland
338,145 5,601,547 6 |
84  France 
643,801 68,305,148 .94 |
85 French Polynesia
4,167 299,356 1.39 |
86 French S & Antarctic Lands
55 0 0 |
87 Gabon
267,667 2,340,613 11.44 |
88 Gambia
11,300 2,413,403 .47 |
89 Gaza Strip
36 1,997,328 .0018 |
90  Georgia 
69,700 4,935,518 1.4 |
91  Germany 
357,0220 084,316,622 .42 |
92 Ghana
238,5330 33,107,2750 .72 |
93 Gibraltar
7 29,573 .024 |
94  Greece 
0131,957 010,533,871 1.25 |
95 Greenland
02,166,086 057,792 3,748 |
96  Grenada 
344 113,949 .3 |
97 Guam
544 0169,086 .32 |
98  Guatemala 
0108,889 017,703,190 .62 |
99 Guernsey
78 67,491 .116 |
100 Guinea
0245,857 13,237,8320 1.86 |
|
101 Guinea-Bissau
36,125 2,026,778 1.78 |
102  Guyana 
214,969 789,683 27.22 |
103  Haiti 
27,750 11,334,637 .24 |
104 Heard Is. & McDonald Islands
412 0 0 |
105  compared to USA.jpg) Holy See (Vatican City)
0 1,000 1,000 |
106  Honduras 
112,090 9,459,440 1.18 |
107 Hong Kong
1,108 7,276,588 .015 |
108 Howland Island
6,959.41 0 0 |
109  Hungary 
93,028 9,699,577 .96 |
110  Iceland 
103,000 357,603 28.8 |
111  India
3,287,263 1,389,637,446 .237 |
112  Indonesia 
1,904,569 277,329,163 .69 |
113  Iran
1,648,195 86,758,304 1.9 |
114  Iraq 
438,317 40,462,701 1.08 |
115  Ireland 
70,273 5,275,004 1.3 |
116 Isle of Man
572 091,382 .63 |
117  Israel 
21,9370 8,914,885 .25 |
118  Italy 
301,340 61,095,551 .49 |
119  Jamaica 
10,991 2,818,596 .39 |
120 Jan Mayen
377 0 0 |
|
121  Japan 
377,915 124,214,766 .3 |
122 Jarvis Island
6,959.410 0 0 |
123 Jersey
06,959.41 0 0 |
124 Johnston Atoll
06,959.41 0 0 |
125  Jordan 
89,342 10,998,531 .81 |
126 Kazakhstan
2,724,900 19,398,331 14 |
127  Kenya 
580,367 55,864,655 1.04 |
128 Kingman Reef
6,959.410 0 0 |
129 Kiribati
811 114,189 .71 |
130  North Korea 
120,538 25,955,138 .46 |
131  South Korea 
99,720 51,844,834 .19 |
132  Kosovo 
10,887 1,952,701 .557 |
133  Kuwait 
17,818 3,068,155 .58 |
134 Kyrgyzstan
199,951 6,071,750 3.3 |
135  Laos 
236,800 7,749,595 3.06 |
136  Latvia
64,589 1,842,226 3.5 |
137  Lebanon 
10,400 5,296,814 .2 |
138  Lesotho 
30,355 2,193,970 1.4 |
139  Liberia 
111,369 5,358,483 2.08 |
140  Libya
1,759,540 7,137,931 24.65 |
|
141 Liechtenstein
160 39,711 .4 |
142  Lithuania 
65,300 2,683,546 2.4 |
143 Luxembourg
2,586 650,364 .4 |
144 Macau
28 635,293 .004 |
145  Madagascar 
587,041 28,172,462 .2 |
146  Malawi 
118,484 20,794,353 .57 |
147  Malaysia
329,847 33,871,431 .01 |
148 Maldives 
298 390,164 .08 |
149 Mali
1,240,192 20,741,769 6.1 |
150 Malta 
316 464,186 .07 |
151 Marshall Islands
181 79,906 .23 |
152 Mauritania
1,030,700 4,161,925 24.76 |
153 Mauritius
2,040 1,308,222 .16 |
154  Mexico 
1,964,375 129,150,971 .16 |
155  Micronesia 
7020 0101,009 0 |
156 Midway Islands
6,959.41 0 0 |
157 Moldova
33,851 3,287,326 1 |
158 Monaco
2 031,400 0 |
159 Mongolia
1,564,116 03,227,863 0 |
160 Montenegro
13,812 604,9660 0 |
|
161 Montserrat
102 5,414 1.9 |
162 Morocco
716,550 36,738,229 1.96 |
163 Mozambique
799,380 31,693,239 2.2 |
164  Namibia 
824,292 2,727,409 30.33 |
165 Nauru
21 9,811 .2 |
166 Navassa Island
5 0 0 |
167  Nepal 
147,181 30,666,598 .48 |
168  Netherlands 
41,543 17,400,824 .24 |
169 New Caledonia
18,575 297,160 6.3 |
170  New Zealand 
268,838 5,053,004 5.3 |
171  Nicaragua 
130,370 6,301,880 2.1 |
172  Niger 
1.267 million 24,484,587 5.2 |
173  Nigeria 
923,768 225,082,083 .41 |
174 Niue
260 2,000 .13 |
175 Norfolk Island
36 1,748 2 |
176  North Macedonia
25,713 2,130,936 1.2 |
177 Northern Mariana Islands
464 51,475 .9 |
178  Norway
323,802 5,553,840 5.8 |
179  Oman 
309,500 3,764,348 8.2 |
180  Pakistan 
796,095 242,923,845 .33 |
|
181  Palau 
459 21,695 2.1 |
182 Palmyra Atoll
06,959.41 sq km (emergent land - 22.41 sq km; submerged - 6,937 sq km) 0 0 |
183 Panama
75,420 4,337,768 1.7 |
184 Papua New Guinea
462,840 9,593,498 4.8 |
185 Paracel Islands
8 1,440 .55 |
186 Paraguay
406,752 7,356,409 5.5 |
187 Peru
1,285,216 32,275,736 .04 |
188 Philippines
300,000 114,597,229 .26 |
189 Pitcairn Islands
47 50 94 |
190 Poland
312,685 38,093,101 .82 |
191 Portugal
92,090 10,242,081 .9 |
192 Puerto Rico
9,104 3,098,423 .29 |
193  Qatar 
11,586 2,508,182 .46 |
194  Romania 
238,391 18,519,899 1.3 |
195  Russia
17,098,242 142,021,981 12 |
196  Rwanda 
26,338 13,173,730 .2 |
197 Saint Barthelemy
25 7,103 .35 |
198 Saint Helena, Ascension, & Tristan da Cunha
394 7,925 5 |
199 Saint Kitts & Nevis
261 54,488 .48 |
200 Saint Lucia
616 167,122 .37 |
|
201 Saint Martin
50 32,792 .15 |
202 Saint Pierre & Miquelon
242 5,257 4.6 |
203 St Vincent & Grenadines  389 100,969 .39 |
| 204 Samoa 2,831 206,179 1.4 |
205  San Marino 
37 34,682 .1 |
206 Sao Tome & Principe
964 217,164 .44 |
207  Saudi Arabia
2,149,690 35,354,380 6.08 |
208  Senegal 
196,722 17,923,036 1.1 |
209  Serbia 
77,474 6,739,471 1.1 |
210  Seychelles 
455 97,017 .47 |
211 Sierra Leone
71,740 8,692,606 .83 |
212  Singapore 
719 5,921,231 .01 |
213 Sint Maarten
5 32,792 .02 |
214  Slovakia 
49,035 5,431,252 .9 |
215  Slovenia 
20,273 2,101,208 .96 |
216 Solomon Islands
28,896 702,694 4.1 |
217  Somalia 
637,657 12,386,248 5.1 |
218  South Africa 
1,219,090 57,516,665 2.1 |
219 S Georgia & S Sandwich Islands
3,903 0 0 |
220  South Sudan
644,329 11,544,905 5.6 |
|
221  Spain 
505,370 47,163,418 1.07 |
222 Spratly Islands
5 0 0 |
223  Sri Lanka 
65,610 23,187,516 58th .28 |
224  Sudan
1,861,484 47,958,856 3.9 |
225  Suriname 
163,820 632,638 25.9 |
226 Svalbard
062,045 2,9260 229th 05 |
227  Sweden
450,295 10,483,647 89th 4.3 |
228  Switzerland 
41,277 8,508,698 101st .49 |
229  Syria 
187,437 21,563,800 60th .87 |
230 Taiwan
35,980 23,580,712 .15 |
231 Tajikistan 
144,100 96th 9,119,347 97th 1.6 |
232 Tanzania
947,300 63,852,892 23rd 1.5 |
233 Thailand
513,120 69,648,117 20th .74 |
234  Timor-Leste
14,874 1,445,006 156th 1 |
235 Togo
56,785 126th 8,492,333 102nd .67 |
236 Tokelau
12 1,647 233rd .73 |
237  Tonga 
747 189th 105,517 191st .7 |
238  Trinidad & Tobago 
5,128 173rd 1,405,646 157th .36 |
239  Tunisia 
163,610 93rd 11,896,972 80th 1.4 |
240  Turkey (Turkiye)
783,562 38th 83,047,706 19th .94 |
|
241  Turkmenistan 
488,100 55th 5,636,011 115th 8.7 |
242 Turks & Caicos Islands
948 185th 58,286 205th 1.6 |
243  Tuvalu 
26 237th 11,544 221st 2.05 |
244  Uganda 
241,038 81st 46,205,893 33rd .52 |
245  Ukraine 
603,550 48th 43,528,136 35th 1.4 |
246  United Arab Emirates
83,600 115th 9,915,803 92nd .84 |
247  United Kingdom 
243,610 80th 67,791,400 22nd .36 |
248  United States 
9,833,517 4th 337,341,954 3rd 2.9 |
| 249 US Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges 6,959.41 0 0 |
250  Uruguay
176,215 91st 3,407,213 132nd 5.2 |
251  Uzbekistan 
447,400 59th 31,104,937 47th 1.4 |
| 252 Vanuatu 012,189 162nd12,189 162nd 308,043 179th 4 |
253  Venezuela 
912,050 34th 29,789,730 50th 3.06 |
254  Vietnam 
331,210 67th 103,808,319 16th .32 |
255 Virgin Islands
1,910 181st 105,413 192nd 1.8 |
256 Wake Island
7 245th 0 0 |
257 Wallis & Futuna
142 220th 15,891 220th .9 |
258 West Bank
5,860 171st 3,000,021 139th .2 |
259 World
510.072 million 7,905,336,896 6.5 |
260  Yemen 
527,968 52nd 30,984,689 48th 1.7 |
261  Zambia
752,618 40th 19,642,123 63rd 3.8 |
262  Zimbabwe 
390,757 62nd 15,121,004 73rd 2.6 |
|
|
|
1 Introduction 4
1 Background Britain's American colonies broke with mother country in 1776 & were recognized as new nation of United States of America following Treaty of Paris in 1783.
During 19th & 20th centuries, 37 new states were added to original 13 as nation expanded across N American continent & acquired a number of overseas possessions.
two most traumatic experiences in nation's history were Civil War (1861-65), in which a northern Union of states defeated a secessionist Confederacy of 11 southern slave states, & Great Depression of 1930s, an economic downturn during which about a quarter of labor force lost its jobs.
Buoyed by victories in World Wars I & II & end of Cold War in 1991, US remains world's most powerful nation state. Since end of World War II, economy has achieved relatively steady growth, low unemployment & inflation, & rapid advances in technology. |
| 2 Tip |
| 3 Visit Definitions & Notes page to view a description of each topic. |
| 4 Definitions & Notes |
|
|
2 Geography 21
| 1 Location North America, bordering both N Atlantic Ocean & N Pacific Ocean, between Canada & Mexico |
2 Geographic coordinates
38 00 N, 97 00 W |
| 3 Map references North America |
4 Area
| 1 Total 9,833,5170 4th 0 0 |
| 2 Land 09,147,593 0 0 |
| 3 Water 685,9240 0 0 |
| Note: includes only 50 states & District of Columbia, no overseas territories |
|
| 5 Area - comparative .5 Russia; 3/10 Africa; .5 S America (or slightly larger than Brazil); slightly larger than China; >2X European Union |
6 Land boundaries
| 1 Total 12,002 |
2 Border countries 2
1 Canada 8,891
2,475 with Alaska |
| 2 Mexico 3,111 |
| 3 Note US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is leased by US & is part of Cuba; base boundary is 28.5 km |
|
|
| 7 Coastline 19,924 |
8 Maritime claims
| 1 Territorial sea 12 nm |
| 2 Contiguous zone 24 nm |
| 3 Exclusive economic zone 200 nm |
| 4 Continental shelf not specified |
|
9 Climate mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii & Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in great plains west of Mississippi River, & arid in Great Basin of southwest; low winter temperatures in northwest are ameliorated occasionally in January & February by warm chinook winds from eastern slopes of Rocky Mountains
| Note: many consider Denali, highest peak in US, to be world’s coldest mountain because of its combination of high elevation & its subarctic location at 63 degrees N latitude; permanent snow & ice cover over 75 percent of mountain, & enormous glaciers, up to 45 miles long & 3,700 feet thick, spider out from its base in every direction; it is home to some of world’s coldest & most violent weather, where winds of over 150 miles per hour & temperatures of -93˚F have been recorded. |
|
| 10 Terrain vast central plain, mountains in west, hills & low mountains in east; rugged mountains & broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaii |
11 Elevation
| 1 Highest point Denali (Mount McKinley) (highest point in N America) 6,190 |
| 2 Lowest point: Death Valley (lowest point in N America) 0-86 m |
| 3 Mean elevation 760 |
| 4 Note: Denali is one of most striking features on entire planet; at 20,310 feet, it is crowning peak of Alaska Range & highest mountain on N America; it towers three & one-half vertical miles above its base, making it a mile taller from base to summit than Mt. Everest; Denali's base sits at about 2,000 feet above sea level & rises over three & one-half miles to its 20,310 foot summit; Everest begins on a 14,000-foot high plain, then summits at 29,028 feet. |
| 5 Note: peak of Mauna Kea (4,207 m above sea level) on island of Hawaii rises about 10,200 m above Pacific Ocean floor; by this measurement, it is world's tallest mountain - higher than Mount Everest (8,850 m), which is recognized as tallest mountain above sea level |
|
12 Natural resources coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, rare earth elements, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber, arable land;
| Note 1: the US has world's largest coal reserves with 491 billion short tons accounting for 27% of world's total |
| Note 2: US is reliant on foreign imports for 100% of its needs for following strategic resources: Arsenic, Cesium, Fluorspar, Gallium, Graphite, Indium, Manganese, Niobium, Rare Earths, Rubidium, Scandium, Tantalum, Yttrium; see Appendix H: Strategic Materials for further details |
|
13 Land use
1 agricultural land2018A 044.5% 0 0
| 1 Arable land 2018 0 0 016.8% |
| 2 permanent crops 0 0 0.3% |
| 3 permanent pasture 0 0 027.4% |
|
| 2 forest 33.3% |
| 3 other 22.2% |
|
| 14 Irrigated land 2017 234,782 |
15 Major lakes
1 fresh 12
| 1 Michigan 57,7500 |
| 2 Superior* 53,348 |
| 3 Huron* 23,597 |
| 4 Erie* 12,890 |
| 5 Ontario* 9,220 |
| 6 Lake of Woods 4,350 |
| 7 Iliamna 2,5900 |
| 8 Okeechobee 1,810 |
| 9 Belcharof 1,1900 |
| 10 Red 1,1700 |
| 11 Saint Clairh 1,1130 |
| 12 Champlain 1,1000 |
|
2 salt 12
| 1 Great Salt 4,360 |
| 2 Pontchartrain 1,620 |
| 3 Selawik 1,4000 |
| 4 Salton Sea 950 |
|
|
16 Major rivers (by length in km)
| 1 Missouri 3,768 |
| 2 Mississippi 3,544 |
| 3 Yukon river mouth (shared with Canada [s]) 3,190 |
| 4 Saint Lawrence (shared with Canada) 3,058 |
| 5 Rio Grande 3,057 |
| 6 Colorado 2,333 |
| 7 Arkansas 2,348 |
| 8 Columbia 2,250 |
| 9 Red 02,188 0 0 |
| 10 Ohio 02,102 0 0 |
| 11 Snake 1,670 |
|
17 Major watersheds
1 Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Gulf of Mexico) Mississippi* 3,202,185
| 1 Rio Grande 607,965 |
| 2 Saint Lawrence* 1,049,636 sq km total, US only 505,0000 |
|
2 Pacific 4
1 Ocean drainage: Yukon*
847,620, US 23,820 |
| 2 Colorado 703,148 |
| 3 Columbia* 657,5010 US 554,501 |
| 4 Note - watersheds shared with Canada shown with * |
|
|
| 18 Major aquifers Northern Great Plains Aquifer, Cambrian-Ordovician Aquifer System, Californian Central Valley Aquifer System, Ogallala Aquifer (High Plains), Atlantic & Gulf Coastal Plains Aquifer |
| 19 Population distribution large urban clusters are spread throughout eastern half of US (particularly Great Lakes area, northeast, east, & southeast) & western tier states; mountainous areas, principally Rocky Mountains & Appalachian chain, deserts in southwest, dense boreal forests in extreme north, & central prarie states are less densely populated; Alaska's population is concentrated along its southern coast - with particular emphasis on city of Anchorage - & Hawaii's is centered on island of Oahu
|
20 Natural hazards tsunamis; volcanoes; earthquake activity around Pacific Basin; hurricanes along Atlantic & Gulf of Mexico coasts; tornadoes in Midwest & Southeast; mud slides in California; forest fires in west; flooding; permafrost in northern Alaska, a major impediment to development
| volcanism: volcanic activity in Hawaiian Islands, Western Alaska, Pacific Northwest, & in Northern Mariana Islands; both Mauna Loa (4,170 m) in Hawaii & Mount Rainier (4,392 m) in Washington have been deemed Decade Volcanoes by International Association of Volcanology & Chemistry of Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to their explosive history & close proximity to human populations; Pavlof (2,519 m) is most active volcano in Alaska's Aleutian Arc & poses a significant threat to air travel since area constitutes a major flight path between N America & East Asia; St. Helens (2,549 m), famous for devastating 1980 eruption, remains active today; numerous other historically active volcanoes exist, mostly concentrated in Aleutian arc & Hawaii; they include: in Alaska: Aniakchak, Augustine, Chiginagak, Fourpeaked, Iliamna, Katmai, Kupreanof, Martin, Novarupta, Redoubt, Spurr, Wrangell, Trident, Ugashik-Peulik, Ukinrek Maars, Veniaminof; in Hawaii: Haleakala, Kilauea, Loihi; in Northern Mariana Islands: Anatahan; & in Pacific Northwest: Mount Baker, Mount Hood; see Note 2 under "Geography - Note" |
|
21 Geography - Note
| 1 world's third-largest country by size (after Russia & Canada) & by population (after China & India); Denali (Mt. McKinley) is highest point (6,190 m) in N America & Death Valley lowest point (-86 m) on continent |
| 2 western coast of United States & southern coast of Alaska lie along Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes & earthquake epicenters bordering Pacific Ocean; up to 90% of world's earthquakes & some 75% of world's volcanoes occur within Ring of Fire |
| 3 Aleutian Islands are a chain of volcanic islands that divide Bering Sea (north) from main Pacific Ocean (south); they extend about 1,800 km westward from Alaskan Peninsula; archipelago consists of 14 larger islands, 55 smaller islands, & hundreds of islets; there are 41 active volcanoes on islands, which together form a large northern section of Ring of Fire |
| 4 Mammoth Cave, in west-central Kentucky, is world's longest known cave system with more than 650 km (405 miles) of surveyed passageways, which is nearly twice as long as second-longest cave system, Sac Actun underwater cave in Mexico - world's longest underwater cave system (see "Geography - Note" under Mexico) |
| 5 Kazumura Cave on island of Hawaii is world's longest & deepest lava tube cave; it has been surveyed at 66 km (41 mi) long & 1,102 m (3,614 ft) deep |
| 6 Bracken Cave outside of San Antonio, Texas is world's largest bat cave; it is summer home to largest colony of bats in world; an estimated 20 million Mexican free-tailed bats roost in cave from March to October making it world's largest known concentration of mammals |
| 7 US is reliant on foreign imports for 100% of its needs for following strategic resources - Arsenic, Cesium, Fluorspar, Gallium, Graphite, Indium, Manganese, Niobium, Rare Earths, Rubidium, Scandium, Tantalum, Yttrium; see Appendix H: Strategic Materials for further details |
| 8 Three food crops are generally acknowledged to be native to areas of what is now United States: cranberries, pecans, & sunflowers |
|
|
|
3 People & Society 38
1 Population 337,341,954 2022 3rd
| Note: the US Census Bureau's 2020 census results show US population as 331,449,281 as of 1 April 2020 |
|
2 Nationality
| 1 noun American |
| 2 adjective American |
|
3 Ethnic groups
| 1 White 61.6% |
| 2 Black or African American 12.4% |
| 3 Asian 6% |
| 4 Amerindian & Alaska native 1.1% |
| 5 Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander .2% |
| 6 other 8.4% |
| 7 two or more races 10.2% 2020 |
| 8 Note: a separate listing for Hispanic is not included because US Census Bureau considers Hispanic to mean persons of Spanish/Hispanic/Latino origin including those of Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Dominican Republic, Spanish, & Central or South American origin living in US who may be of any race or ethnic group (White, Black, Asian, etc.); an estimated 18.7% of total US population is Hispanic as of 2020 |
|
4 Languages
| 1 English only 78.2% |
| 2 Spanish 13.4% |
| 3 Chinese 1.1% |
| 4 Other 7.3% 20170 |
| 5 Note: data represent language spoken at home; US has no official national language, but English has acquired official status in 32 of 50 states; Hawaiian is an official language in state of Hawaii, & 20 indigenous languages are official in Alaska |
|
5 Religions 2014
| 1 Protestant 46.5% |
| 2 Roman Catholic 20.8% |
| 3 Jewish 1.9% |
| 4 Church of Jesus Christ 1.6% |
| 5 other Christian .9% |
| 6 Muslim .9% |
| 7 Jehovah's Witness .8% |
| 8 Buddhist .7% |
| 9 Hinduf .7% |
| 10 other 1.8% |
| 11 unaffiliated 22.8% |
| 12 don't know/refused .6% |
|
6 Age structure2020
1 0-14 years 18.46%
Male 31,374,555
Female 30,034,371 |
2 15-24 years 12.91%
Male 21,931,368
Female 21,006,463 |
3 25-54 years 38.92%
Male 64,893,670
Female 64,564,565 |
4 55-64 years 12.86%
Male 20,690,736
Female 22,091,8080 |
5 65 years & over 16.85%
Male 25,014,147
Female 31,037,4190 |
|
7 Dependency ratios 2021
| 1 Total dependency ratio 53.7 |
| 2 Youth dependency ratio 28 |
| 3 Elderly dependency ratio 25.6 |
| 4 Potential support ratioA 3.9 |
|
8 Median age 61st 2020
| 1 Total 38.5 |
| 2 Male 37.2 |
| 3 Female 39.8 |
|
9 Population growth rate 130th
.69% 2022 |
10 Birth rate 151st
12.28/1,000 population 2022 |
| 11 Death rate 78th 8.38/1,000 2022 |
12 Net migration rate 39th
3.02/1,000 2022 |
| 13 Population distribution large urban clusters are spread throughout eastern half of US (particularly Great Lakes area, northeast, east, & southeast) & western tier states; mountainous areas, principally Rocky Mountains & Appalachian chain, deserts in southwest, dense boreal forests in extreme north, & central prarie states are less densely populated; Alaska's population is concentrated along its southern coast - with particular emphasis on city of Anchorage - & Hawaii's is centered on island of Oahu |
| 14 Urbanization
|
15 Major urban areas - population 2023
| 1 New York-NewarkA 18.937 |
| 2 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana 12.534 |
| 3 Chicago 8.937 |
| 4 Houston 6.707 |
| 5 Dallas-Fort Worth 6.574 |
| 6 WASHINGTON, D.C. 5.49 |
|
16 Sex ratio male(s)/female 2022
| 1 Birth 1.05 |
| 2 0-14 1.04 |
| 3 15-24 1.040 |
| 4 25-54 1.01 |
| 5 55-64 .94 |
| 6 65 .69 |
| 7 Total 0.97 |
|
17 Mother's mean age at first birth
27 2019 |
18 Maternal mortality ratio 129th
19 deaths/100,000 live births 2017 |
19 Infant mortality rate/1,000 174th
| 1 Total 5.17 |
| 2 Male 5.55 |
| 3 Female 4.77 |
|
20 Life expectancy at birth 46th 2022
| 1 Total 80.59 |
| 7 Male 78.36 |
| 8 Female 82.79 |
|
21 Total fertility rate 137th
1.84 children born/woman 2022 |
| 22 Gross reproduction rate .9 2022 |
23 Contraceptive prevalence rate
73.9% 2017/19 |
24 Drinking water source 2020
1 Improved
| 1 Urban 99.9% |
| 2 Rural 99.7% |
| 3 Total 99.9% |
|
2 Unimproved
| 1 Urban .1% |
| 2 Rural .3% |
| 3 Total .1% |
|
|
25 Current health expenditure
16.8% of GDP 2019 |
| 26 Physicians density 2.61 physicians/1,000 population 2018 |
| 27 Hospital bed density 2.9 beds/1,000 population 2017 |
28 Sanitation facility access
1 Improved
| 1 Urban 99.8% |
| 2 Rural 98.9% |
| 3 Total 99.7% |
|
2 Unimproved
| 1 Urban .2% |
| 2 Rural 11.1% |
| 3 Total .3% |
|
|
| 29 HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate NA |
| 30 Obesity - adult prevalence rate 12th 36.2% 2016 |
31 Liters of pure alcohol Alcohol consumption per capita 35th
| 1 Total 8.93 2019 |
| 2 Beer 3.97 2019 |
| 3 Wine 1.67 2019 |
| 4 Spirits 3.29 2019 |
| 5 Other alcohols 2019 |
|
32 Tobacco use 66th
| 1 Total 23% 2020 |
| 2 Male 28.4% 2020 |
| 3 Female 17.5% 2020 |
|
33 Currently married women
15-49 52.1% 2022 |
| 34 Children under age of 5 years underweight 130th .4% 2017/18 |
35 Education expenditures
40th 6.1% of GDP 2020 |
36 Literacy
| 1 Total NA |
| 2 Male NA |
| 3 Female NA |
|
37 School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) 2020
| 1 Total 16 |
| 2 Male 16 |
| 3 Female 17 |
|
38 Youth unemployment rate
15-24 2021
| 1 Total 9.7% |
| 2 Male 10.5% |
| 3 Female 8.9% |
|
|
|
4 Environment 2
1 Country name
1 Conventional long form
United States of America |
2 Conventional short form
United States |
| 3 Abbreviation: US or USA |
| 4 Etymology: the name America is derived from that of Amerigo VESPUCCI (1454-1512) - Italian explorer, navigator, & cartographer - using Latin form of his name, Americus, feminized to America |
|
2 Capital
| 1 Name: Washington, DC |
2 Geographic coordinates
38 53 N, 77 02 W |
| 3 Time difference: UTC-5 (during Standard Time) |
| 4 Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November |
| 5 Time zone Note: the 50 United States cover six time zones |
| 6 Etymology: named after George WASHINGTON 1732-1799, first president of United States |
|
| 1 Environment - current issues air pollution; large emitter of carbon dioxide from burning of fossil fuels; water pollution from runoff of pesticides & fertilizers; declining natural freshwater resources in much of western part of country require careful management; deforestation; mining; desertification; species conservation; invasive species (the Hawaiian Islands are particularly vulnerable) |
2 Environment - international agreements
1 Party to 21
| 1 Air Pollution |
| 2 Air Pollution-Heavy Metals |
| 3 Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol |
| 4 Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides |
| 5 Antarctic-Environmental Protection |
| 6 Antarctic-Marine Living Resources |
| 7 Antarctic Seals |
| 8 Antarctic Treaty |
| 9 Climate Change |
| 10 Climate Change-Paris Agreement |
| 11 Desertification |
| 12 Endangered Species |
| 13 Environmental Modification |
| 14 Marine Dumping-London Convention |
| 15 Marine Life Conservation |
| 16 Nuclear Test Ban |
| 17 Ozone Layer Protection |
| 18 Ship Pollution |
| 19 Tropical Timber 2006 |
| 20 Wetlands |
| 21 Whaling |
|
2 signed, but not ratified 7
| 1 Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants |
| 2 Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds |
| 3 Biodiversity |
| 4 Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
| 5 Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban |
| 6 Hazardous Wastes |
| 7 Marine Dumping-London Protocol |
|
|
3 Air pollutants
1 Particulate matter emissions
7.4 micrograms per cubic meter 2016 |
2 Carbon dioxide emissions
5,006.3 megatons 2016 |
3 Methane emissions
685.74 megatons 2020 |
|
4 Climate mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii & Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in great plains west of Mississippi River, & arid in Great Basin of southwest; low winter temperatures in northwest are ameliorated occasionally in January & February by warm chinook winds from eastern slopes of Rocky Mountains
| Note: many consider Denali, highest peak in US, to be world’s coldest mountain because of its combination of high elevation & its subarctic location at 63 degrees N latitude; permanent snow & ice cover over 75 percent of mountain, & enormous glaciers, up to 45 miles long & 3,700 feet thick, spider out from its base in every direction; it is home to some of world’s coldest & most violent weather, where winds of over 150 miles per hour & temperatures of -93˚F have been recorded. |
|
5 Land use
1 Agricultural land 44.5% 2018
| 1 Arable land 16.8% 2018 |
| 2 Permanent crops .3%0 2018 |
| 3 Permanent pasture 27.4% 2018 |
|
| 2 Forest 33.3% 2018 |
| 3 Other 22.2% 2018 |
|
| 6 Urbanization
|
7 Revenue from forest resources
forest revenues: .04% of GDP 2018 |
8 Revenue from coal
coal revenues: .2% of GDP 2018 |
9 Waste & recycling / million tons
2014
| 1 Municipal solid waste generated annually 2580 2015 |
| 2 Municipal solid waste recycled annually 89.268 |
| 3 Percent of municipal solid waste recycled 34.6% |
|
10 Major lakes
1 Fresh 13
| 1 Michigan 57,750 |
| 2 Superior* 53,348 |
| 3 Huron* 23,597 |
| 4 Erie* 012,890 |
| 5 Ontario* 9,220 |
| 6 Lake of Woods 4,3500 |
| 7 IliamnaI 2,590 |
| 8 Okeechobee 1,810 |
| 9 Belcharoff 1,190 |
| 10 Red 1,170 |
| 11 Saint Clair 1,113 |
| 12 Champlain 1,100 |
| 13 Great Lakes* area shown as US waters |
|
2 Salt 0 0 0
| 1 Great Salt 4,360 |
| 2 Pontchartrain 1,620 |
| 3 Selawik 1,400 |
| 4 Salton Sea 950 |
|
|
11 Major rivers
| 1 Missouri 3,768 |
| 2 Mississippi 3,544 |
| 3 Yukon river mouth shared with Canada 3,190 |
| 4 Saint Lawrence shared with Canada 3,058 |
| 5 Rio Grande river source mouth shared with Mexico 3,057 |
| 6 Colorado river source shared with Mexico 2,333 |
| 7 Arkansas 2,348 |
| 8 Columbia river mouth shared with Canada 2,250 |
| 9 Red 2,188 |
| 10 Ohio 2,102 |
| 11 Snakeh 1,670 |
| 12 Note after country name indicates river source; after country name indicates river mouth |
|
12 Major watersheds
1 Atlantic 3
| 1 (Gulf of Mexico) Mississippi* 3,202,185 |
| 2 Rio Grande 607,965 |
3 Gulf of Saint Lawrence) Saint Lawrence*
1,049,636 total, US only 505,000 |
|
2 Pacific 3
1 Yukon*
847,620 sq km, US only 23,820 |
| 2 Colorado 703,148 |
| 3 Columbia* 657,501 sq km, US only 554,501 |
| 4 Note watersheds shared with Canada shown with * |
|
|
13 Major aquifers
| 1 Northern Great Plains |
| 2 Cambrian-Ordovician |
| 3 Californian Central Valley |
| 4 Ogallala Aquifer (High Plains) |
| 5 Atlantic & Gulf Coastal Plains |
|
14 Total water withdrawal
billion cubic meters 2017
| 1 Municipal 58.39 |
| 2 Industrial 209.7 |
| 3 Agricultural 176.2 |
|
| 15 Total renewable water resources 3.069 trillion cubic meters 2017 |
|
|
5 Government 19
| 1 Government type constitutional federal republic |
2 Administrative divisions
50 states & 1 district*
| 1 Alabama |
| 2 Alaska |
| 3 Arizona |
| 4 Arkansas |
| 5 California |
| 6 Colorado |
| 7 Connecticut |
| 8 Delaware |
| 9 District of Columbia* |
| 10 Florida |
| 11 Georgia |
| 12 Hawaii |
| 13 Idaho |
| 14 Illinois |
| 15 Indiana |
| 16 Iowa |
| 17 Kansas |
| 18 Kentucky |
| 19 Louisiana |
| 20 Maine |
| 21 Maryland |
| 22 Massachusetts |
| 23 Michigan |
| 24 Minnesota |
| 25 Mississippi |
|
| 26 Missouri |
| 27 Montana |
| 28 Nebraska |
| 29 Nevada |
| 30 Hampshire |
| 31 New Jersey |
| 32 New Mexico |
| 33 New York |
| 34 N Carolina |
| 35 N Dakota |
| 36 Ohio |
| 37 Oklahoma |
| 38 Oregon |
| 39 Pennsylvania |
| 40 Rhode Island |
| 41 South Carolina |
| 42 South Dakota |
| 43 Tennessee |
| 44 Texas |
| 45 Utah |
| 46 Vermont |
| 47 Virginia |
| 48 Washington |
| 49 West Virginia |
| 50 Wisconsin |
| 51 Wyoming |
|
|
3 Dependent areas
| 1 American Samoa |
| 2 Baker Island |
| 3 Guam |
| 4 Howland Island |
| 5 Jarvis Island |
| 6 Johnston Atoll |
| 7 Kingman Reef |
| 8 Midway Islands |
| 9 Navassa Island |
| 10 Northern Mariana Islands |
| 11 Palmyra Atoll |
| 12 Puerto Rico |
| 13 Virgin Islands |
| 14 Wake Island |
| 15 Note: from 18 July 1947 until 1 October 1994, US administered Trust Territory of Pacific Islands; it entered into a political relationship with all four political entities: Northern Mariana Islands is a commonwealth in political union with US (effective 3 November 1986); Republic of Marshall Islands signed a Compact of Free Association with US (effective 21 October 1986); Federated States of Micronesia signed a Compact of Free Association with US (effective 3 November 1986); Palau concluded a Compact of Free Association with US (effective 1 October 1994) |
|
| 4 Independence 4 July 1776 (declared independence from Great Britain); 3 September 1783 (recognized by Great Britain) |
5 National holiday
Independence Day, 4 July 1776 |
6 Constitution
| 1 History: previous 1781 (Articles of Confederation & Perpetual Union); latest drafted July - September 1787, submitted to Congress of Confederation 20 September 1787, submitted for states' ratification 28 September 1787, ratification completed by nine of 13 states 21 June 1788, effective 4 March 1789 |
| 2 Amendments: proposed as a "joint resolution" by Congress, which requires a two-thirds majority vote in both House of Representatives & Senate or by a constitutional convention called for by at least two thirds of state legislatures; passage requires ratification by three fourths of state legislatures or passage in state-held constitutional conventions as specified by Congress; US president has no role in constitutional amendment process; amended many times, last in 1992 |
|
| 7 Legal system common law system based on English common law at federal level; state legal systems based on common law, except Louisiana, where state law is based on Napoleonic civil code; judicial review of legislative acts |
| 8 International law organization participation withdrew acceptance of compulsory ICJ jurisdiction in 2005; withdrew acceptance of ICCt jurisdiction in 2002 |
9 Citizenship
| 1 Citizenship by birth: yes |
| 2 Citizenship by descent only: yes |
| 3 Dual citizenship recognized: no, but US government acknowledges such situtations exist; US citizens are not encouraged to seek dual citizenship since it limits protection by USA |
| 4 Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years |
|
| 10 Suffrage 18 years of age; universal |
11 Executive branch
| 1 Chief of state: President Joseph R. BIDEN, Jr. (since 20 January 2021); Vice President Kamala D. HARRIS (since 20 January 2021); Note - president is both chief of state & head of government |
| 2 Head of government: President Joseph R. BIDEN, Jr. (since 20 January 2021); Vice President Kamala D. HARRIS (since 20 January 2021) |
| 3 Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by president, approved by Senate |
| 4 Elections/appointments: president & vice president indirectly elected on same ballot by Electoral College of 'electors' chosen from each state; president & vice president serve a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 3 November 2020 (next to be held on 5 November 2024) |
5 Election results:
| 1 2020: Joseph R. BIDEN, Jr. elected president; electoral vote - Joseph R. BIDEN, Jr. (Democratic Party) 306, Donald J. TRUMP (Republican Party) 232; percent of direct popular vote - Joseph R. BIDEN Jr. 51.3%, Donald J. TRUMP 46.9%, other 1.8% |
| 2 2016: Donald J. TRUMP elected president; electoral vote - Donald J. TRUMP (Republican Party) 304, Hillary D. CLINTON (Democratic Party) 227, other 7; percent of direct popular vote - Hillary D. CLINTON 48.2%, Donald J. TRUMP 46.1%, other 5.7% |
|
|
12 Legislative branch
1 Description: bicameral Congress
| 1 Senate (100 seats; 2 members directly elected in each of 50 state constituencies by simple majority vote except in Georgia & Louisiana which require an absolute majority vote with a second round if needed; members serve 6-year terms with one-third of membership renewed every 2 years) |
| 2 House of Representatives (435 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote except in Georgia which requires an absolute majority vote with a second round if needed; members serve 2-year terms) |
|
2 elections:
| 1 Senate - last held on 8 November 2022 (next to be held on 3 November 2024) |
| 2 House of Representatives - last held on 8 November 2022 (next to be held on 3 November 2024) |
|
3 Election results:
1 Senate -
percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - Democratic Party 51, Republican Party 49;
composition - men 75, women 25, percent of women 25% |
2 House of Representatives -
percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - Republican Party 222, Democratic Party 213;
composition - men 307, women 128, percent of women 29.4%;
Note - total US Congress percent of women 28.6% |
|
| 4 Note: in addition to regular members of House of Representatives there are 6 non-voting delegates elected from District of Columbia & US territories of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, & Virgin Islands; these are single seat constituencies directly elected by simple majority vote to serve a 2-year term (except for resident commissioner of Puerto Rico who serves a 4-year term); delegate can vote when serving on a committee & when House meets as Committee of Whole House, but not when legislation is submitted for a “full floor” House vote; election of delegates last held on 8 November 2022 (next to be held on 3 November 2024) |
|
13 Judicial branch
| 1 Highest court(s): US Supreme Court (consists of 9 justices - chief justice & 8 associate justices) |
| 2 Judge selection & term of office: president nominates and, with advice & consent of Senate, appoints Supreme Court justices; justices serve for life |
| 3 Subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal (includes US Court of Appeal for Federal District & 12 regional appeals courts); 94 federal district courts in 50 states & territories |
| 4 Note: US court system consists of federal court system & state court systems; although each court system is responsible for hearing certain types of cases, neither is completely independent of other, & systems often interact |
|
14 Political parties & leaders Democratic Party [Jaime HARRISON]
Green Party [collective leadership]
Libertarian Party [Angela McARDLE]
Republican Party [Ronna Romney MCDANIEL] |
15 International organization participation 92
| 1 ADB (nonregional member) |
| 2 AfDB (nonregional member) |
| 3 ANZUS |
| 4 APEC |
| 5 Arctic Council |
| 6 ARF |
| 7 ASEAN (dialogue partner) |
| 8 Australia Group |
| 9 BIS |
| 10 BSEC (observer) |
| 11 CBSS (observer) |
| 12 CD |
| 13 CE (observer) |
| 14 CERN (observer) |
| 15 CICA (observer) |
| 16 CP |
| 17 EAPC |
| 18 EAS |
| 19 EBRD |
| 20 EITI (implementing country) |
| 21 FAO |
| 22 FATF |
| 23 G-5 |
| 24 G-7 |
| 25 G-8 |
| 26 G-10 |
| 27 G-20 |
| 28 IADB |
| 29 IAEA |
| 30 IBRD |
| 31 OICA |
| 32 ICC (national committees) |
| 33 ICRM |
| 34 IDA |
| 35 IEA |
| 36 IFAD |
| 37 IFC |
| 38 IFRCS |
| 39 IGAD (partners) |
| 40 IHO |
| 41 ILO |
| 42 IMF |
| 43 IMO |
| 44 IMSO |
| 45 Interpol |
| 46 IOC |
| 47 IOM |
| 48 ISO |
| 49 OITS |
| 50 ITU |
|
| 51 ITUC (NGOs) |
| 52 MIGA |
| 53 MINUSMA |
| 54 MINUSTAH |
| 55 OMONUSC |
| 56 NAFTA |
| 57 NATO |
| 58 NEA |
| 59 NSG |
| 60 ASO |
| 61 ECDO |
| 62 OPCW |
| 63 HOSCE |
| 64 Pacific Alliance (observer) |
| 65 Paris Club |
| 66 PCA |
| 67 PIF (partner)I |
| 68 Quad |
| 69 SAARC (observer) |
| 70 SELEC (observer) |
| 71 SICA (observer) |
| 72 SPC |
| 73 UN |
| 74 UNCTAD |
| 75 UNESCO |
| 76 UNHCR |
| 77 UNHRC |
| 78 UNITAR |
| 79 UNMIL |
| 80 UNMISS |
| 81 UNRWA |
| 82 UN Security Council (permanent) |
| 83 UNTSO |
| 84 UPU |
| 85 USMCA |
| 86 Wassenaar Arrangement |
| 87 OWC |
| 88 WHO |
| 89 WIPO |
| 90 OWM |
| 91 OWT |
| 92 ZC |
|
|
16 Flag description 13 equal horizontal stripes of red (top & bottom) alternating with white; there is a blue rectangle in upper hoist-side corner bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top & bottom) alternating with rows of five stars; 50 stars represent 50 states, 13 stripes represent 13 original colonies; blue stands for loyalty, devotion, truth, justice, & friendship, red symbolizes courage, zeal, & fervency, while white deNotes purity & rectitude of conduct; commonly referred to by its nickname of Old Glory
| Note: design & colors have been basis for a number of other flags, including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, & Puerto Rico |
|
| 17 National symbol(s) bald eagle; national colors: red, white, blue |
18 National anthem
| 1 Name: "The Star-Spangled Banner" |
| 2 Lyrics/music: Francis Scott KEY/John Stafford SMITHA |
| 3 Note: adopted 1931; during War of 1812, after witnessing successful American defense of Fort McHenry in Baltimore following British naval bombardment, Francis Scott KEY wrote lyrics to what would become national anthem; lyrics were set to tune of "The Anacreontic Song"; only first verse is sung |
|
19 National heritage
1 World Heritage Sites 24
| 1 11 cultural |
| 2 12 natural |
| 3 1 mixed |
| 4 Note - includes one site in Puerto Rico |
|
| 2 Selected World Heritage Site locales
|
|
|
|
6 Economy 34
1 Economic overview
| 1 US has most technologically powerful economy in world, with a per capita GDP of $59,500. US firms are at or near forefront in technological advances, especially in computers, pharmaceuticals, & medical, aerospace, & military equipment; however, their advantage has narrowed since end of World War II. Based on a comparison of GDP measured at purchasing power parity conversion rates, US economy in 2014, having stood as largest in world for more than a century, slipped into second place behind China, which has more than tripled US growth rate for each year of past four decades. |
| 2 In US, private individuals & business firms make most of decisions, & federal & state governments buy needed goods & services predominantly in private marketplace. US business firms enjoy greater flexibility than their counterparts in Western Europe & Japan in decisions to expand capital plant, to lay off surplus workers, & to develop new products. At same time, businesses face higher barriers to enter their rivals' home markets than foreign firms face entering US markets. |
| 3 Long-term problems for US include stagnation of wages for lower-income families, inadequate investment in deteriorating infrastructure, rapidly rising medical & pension costs of an aging population, energy shortages, & sizable current account & budget deficits. |
| 4 onrush of technology has been a driving factor in gradual development of a "two-tier" labor market in which those at bottom lack education & professional/technical skills of those at top and, more & more, fail to get comparable pay raises, health insurance coverage, & other benefits. But globalization of trade, & especially rise of low-wage producers such as China, has put additional downward pressure on wages & upward pressure on return to capital. Since 1975, practically all gains in household income have gone to top 20% of households. Since 1996, dividends & capital gains have grown faster than wages or any other category of after-tax income. |
| 5 Imported oil accounts for more than 50% of US consumption & oil has a major impact on overall health of economy. Crude oil prices doubled between 2001 & 2006, year home prices peaked; higher gasoline prices ate into consumers' budgets & many individuals fell behind in their mortgage payments. Oil prices climbed another 50% between 2006 & 2008, & bank foreclosures more than doubled in same period. Besides dampening housing market, soaring oil prices caused a drop in value of dollar & a deterioration in US merchandise trade deficit, which peaked at $840 billion in 2008. Because US economy is energy-intensive, falling oil prices since 2013 have alleviated many of problems earlier increases had created. |
| 6 sub-prime mortgage crisis, falling home prices, investment bank failures, tight credit, & global economic downturn pushed US into a recession by mid-2008. GDP contracted until third quarter of 2009, deepest & longest downturn since Great Depression. To help stabilize financial markets, US Congress established a $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program in October 2008. government used some of these funds to purchase equity in US banks & industrial corporations, much of which had been returned to government by early 2011. In January 2009, Congress passed & former President Barack OBAMA signed a bill providing an additional $787 billion fiscal stimulus to be used over 10 years - two-thirds on additional spending & one-third on tax cuts - to create jobs & to help economy recover. In 2010 & 2011, federal budget deficit reached nearly 9% of GDP. In 2012, Federal Government reduced growth of spending & deficit shrank to 7.6% of GDP. US revenues from taxes & other sources are lower, as a percentage of GDP, than those of most other countries. |
| 7 Wars in Iraq & Afghanistan required major shifts in national resources from civilian to military purposes & contributed to growth of budget deficit & public debt. Through FY 2018, direct costs of wars will have totaled more than $1.9 trillion, according to US Government figures. |
| 8 In March 2010, former President OBAMA signed into law Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act (ACA), a health insurance reform that was designed to extend coverage to an additional 32 million Americans by 2016, through private health insurance for general population & Medicaid for impoverished. Total spending on healthcare - public plus private - rose from 9.0% of GDP in 1980 to 17.9% in 2010. |
| 9 In July 2010, former president signed DODD-FRANK Wall Street Reform & Consumer Protection Act, a law designed to promote financial stability by protecting consumers from financial abuses, ending taxpayer bailouts of financial firms, dealing with troubled banks that are "too big to fail," & improving accountability & transparency in financial system - in particular, by requiring certain financial derivatives to be traded in markets that are subject to government regulation & oversight. |
| 10 Federal Reserve Board (Fed) announced plans in December 2012 to purchase $85 billion per month of mortgage-backed & Treasury securities in an effort to hold down long-term interest rates, & to keep short-term rates near zero until unemployment dropped below 6.5% or inflation rose above 2.5%. Fed ended its purchases during summer of 2014, after unemployment rate dropped to 6.2%, inflation stood at 1.7%, & public debt fell below 74% of GDP. In December 2015, Fed raised its target for benchmark federal funds rate by 0.25%, first increase since recession began. With continued low growth, Fed opted to raise rates several times since then, & in December 2017, target rate stood at 1.5%. |
| 11 In December 2017, Congress passed & former President Donald TRUMP signed Tax Cuts & Jobs Act, which, among its various provisions, reduces corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%; lowers individual tax rate for those with highest incomes from 39.6% to 37%, & by lesser percentages for those at lower income levels; changes many deductions & credits used to calculate taxable income; & eliminates in 2019 penalty imposed on taxpayers who do not obtain minimum amount of health insurance required under ACA. new taxes took effect on 1 January 2018; tax cut for corporations are permanent, but those for individuals are scheduled to expire after 2025. Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) under Congressional Budget Office estimates that new law will reduce tax revenues & increase federal deficit by about $1.45 trillion over 2018-2027 period. This amount would decline if economic growth were to exceed JCT’s estimate. |
|
2 Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2nd
| 1 $19,846,720,000,0000 2020 |
| 2 $20,563,590,000,0000 2019 |
| 3 $20,128,580,000,0000 2018 |
| 4 Note: data are in 2017 dollars |
|
3 Real GDP growth rate 129th
| 2.16% 2019 |
3% 2018 |
2.33% 2017 |
|
4 Real GDP per capita 17th
| 1 $60,2000 2020 |
| 2 $62,6000 2019 |
| 3 $61,6000 2018 |
| 4 Note: data are in 2017 dollars |
|
| 5 GDP (official exchange rate)$21,433,228,000,000 2019 |
6 Inflation rate (consumer prices) 103rd
| 1.8% 2019 |
2.4% 2018 |
2.1% 2017 |
|
7 Credit ratings
| 1 Fitch rating AAA (1994) |
| 2 Moody's rating Aaa 1949 |
3 Standard & Poors rating
AA+0 2011 |
| 4 Note: The year refers to year in which current credit rating was first obtained. |
|
8 GDP - composition, by sector of origin
| 1 AgricultureA .9% 2017 |
| 2 IndustryA 19.1% 2017 |
| 3 ServicesA 80% 2017 |
|
9 GDP - composition, by end use
1 Household consumption
68.4% 2017 |
2 Government consumption
17.3% 2017 |
3 Investment in fixed capital
17.2% 2017 |
4 Investment in inventories
.1% 2017 |
5 Exports of goods & services
12.1% 2017 |
6 Imports of goods & services
-15% 2017 |
|
| 10 Agricultural products maize, milk, soybeans, wheat, sugar cane, sugar beet, poultry, potatoes, cotton, pork |
| 11 Industries highly diversified, world leading, high-technology innovator, second-largest industrial output in world; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, lumber, mining |
| 12 Industrial production growth rate 122nd 2.3% 2017 |
| 13 Labor force 3rd 146.128 million 2020 Note: includes unemployed |
14 Labor force - by occupation
| 1 Agriculture .7% 2009 |
| 2 Industry 20.3% 2009 |
| 3 Services 37.3% 2009 |
| 4 Industry & services 24.2% 2009 |
| 5 Manufacturing 17.6% 2009 |
6 Farming, forestry, & fishing
.7% 2009 |
7 Manufacturing, extraction, transportation, & crafts
20.3% 2009 |
| 8 Managerial, professional, & technical 37.3% 2009 |
| 9 Sales & office 24.2% 2009 |
| 10 Other services 17.6% 2009 |
| 11 Note: figures exclude unemployed |
|
| 15 Unemployment rate 57th
|
16 Youth unemployment rate
15-24 133rd
| 1 Total 9.7% |
| 2 Male 10.5% |
| 3 Female 8.9% 2021 |
|
| 17 Population below poverty line 15.1% 2010 |
| 18 Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 54th
|
19 Household income or consumption by percentage share
| 1 Lowest 10% 2% |
| 2 Highest 10% 30% 2007 |
|
20 Budget
| 1 Revenues: 3.315 trillion 2017 |
| 2 Expenditures: 3.981 trillion 2017 |
| 3 Note: revenues exclude social contributions of approximately $1.0 trillion; expenditures exclude social benefits of approximately $2.3 trillion |
|
| 21 Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) 145th -3.4% (of GDP) 2017 |
22 Public debt 36th
| 1 78.8% of GDP 2017 |
| 2 81.2% of GDP 2016 |
| 3 Note: data cover only what United States Treasury deNotes as "Debt Held by Public," which includes all debt instruments issued by Treasury that are owned by non-US Government entities; data include Treasury debt held by foreign entities; data exclude debt issued by individual US states, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of Treasury borrowings from surpluses in trusts for Federal Social Security, Federal Employees, Hospital & Supplemental Medical Insurance (Medicare), Disability & Unemployment, & several other smaller trusts; if data for intragovernment debt were added, "gross debt" would increase by about one-third of GDPA 0 0 0 |
|
23 Taxes & other revenues 172nd 17% of GDP 2017
| Note: excludes contributions for social security & other programs; if social contributions were added, taxes & other revenues would amount to approximately 22% of GDP |
|
24 Fiscal year
1 October - 30 September |
25 Current account balance 206th
| 1 $480.225 billion 2019 |
| 2 $449.694 billion 2018 |
|
26 Exports 2nd
1 $2,127,250,000,000 2020
Note: data are in current year dollars |
2 $2,528,270,000,000 2019
Note: data are in current year dollars |
3 $2,539,380,000,000 2018
Note: data are in current year dollars |
|
27 Exports - partners 2019
| Canada 17% |
Mexico 16% |
| China 7% |
Japan 5% |
|
| 28 Exports - commodities refined petroleum, crude petroleum, cars & vehicle parts, integrated circuits, aircraft 2019 |
29 Imports 1st
1 $2,808,960,000,000 2020
Note: data are in current year dollars |
2 $3,105,130,000,000 2019
Note: data are in current year dollars |
3 $3,119,320,000,000 2018
Note: data are in current year dollars |
|
30 Imports - partners 2019
| China 18% |
Mexico 15% |
| Canada 13% |
Japan 6% |
| Germany 5% |
|
| 31 Imports - commodities cars, crude petroleum, computers, broadcasting equipment, packaged medicines 2019 |
32 Reserves of foreign exchange & gold 21st
| 1 $123.3 billion 31 December 2017 |
| 2 $117.6 billion 31 December 2015 |
|
33 Debt - external
| 1 $20,275,951,000,000 2019 |
| 2 $19,452,478,000,000 2018 |
| 3 Note: approximately 4/5ths of US external debt is denominated in US dollars; foreign lenders have been willing to hold US dollar denominated debt instruments because they view dollar as world's reserve currency |
|
Exchange rates
1 British pounds per US dollar: .7836 2017
.738 2016
.738 2015
607 2014
.6391 2013
|
2 Canadian dollars per US dollar:
1.308 2017
1.3256 2016
1.3256 2015
1.2788 2014
1.0298 2013
|
3 Chinese yuan per US dollar:
1, 6.7588 2017
6.6445 2016
6.2275 2015
6.1434 2014
6.1958 2013
|
4 euros per US dollar:
.885 2017
.903 2016
.9214 2015
.885 2014
.7634 2013 |
5 Japanese yen per US dollar:
111.10 2017
108.76 2016
108.76 2015
121.02 2014
97.44 2013 |
6 Notes
| 1 Following countries & territories use US dollar officially as their legal tender: British Virgin Islands, Ecuador, El Salvador, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Timor Leste, Turks & Caicos, & islands of Caribbean Netherlands (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, & Saba) |
2 Following countries & territories use US dollar as official legal tender alongside local currency: Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Costa Rica, & Panama
|
| 3 Following countries & territories widely accept US dollar as a dominant currency but have yet to declare it as legal tender: Bermuda, Burma, Cambodia, Cayman Islands, Honduras, Nicaragua, & Somalia |
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7 Energy 11
| 1 Electricity access electrification - total population: 100% 2020 |
2 Electricity
| 1 Installed generating capacity 1,143,266,000 kW0 2020 |
| 2 Consumption 3,897,886,551,000 kWh 2020 |
| 3 Exports 14,134,679,000 kWh 2020 |
| 4 Imports 61,448,863,000 kWh 2020 |
5 Transmission/distribution losses
198,085,480,000 kWh 2020 |
|
3 Electricity generation sources
| 1 Fossil fuels 59.9% of total installed capacity 2020 |
| 2 Nuclear 019.5% of total installed capacity 2020 |
| 3 Solar 3.2% of total installed capacity0 2020 |
| 4 Wind 8.3% of total installed capacity 2020 |
| 5 Hydroelectricity 7% of total installed capacity 2020 |
| 6 Tide & wave 0% of total installed capacity 2020 |
| 7 Geothermal .4% of total installed capacity 2020 |
| 8 Biomass & waste 1.7% of total installed capacity0 2020 |
|
4 Coal
| 1 Production 495.13 million metric tons 2020 |
| 2 Consumption 441.968 million metric tons 2020 |
| 3 Exports 63.276 million metric tons 2020 |
| 4 Imports 4.808 million metric tons 2020 |
| 5 Proven reserves 228.662 billion metric tons 2019 |
|
5 Petroleum
1 Total production
17,924,200 bbl/day 2021 |
| 2 Refined petroleum consumption 20,542,900 bbl/day0 2019 |
| 3 Crude oil & lease condensate exportsA 2,048,100 bbl/day 2018 |
| 4 Crude oil & lease condensate imports 7,768,500 bbl/day 2018 |
| 5 Crude oil estimated reserves 47.107 billion barrels 2020 |
|
| 6 Refined petroleum products - production 1st 20.3 million bbl/day 2017 |
| 7 Refined petroleum products - exports 1st 5.218 million bbl/day 2017 |
| 8 Refined petroleum products - imports 2nd 2.175 million bbl/day 2017 |
9 Natural gas
| 1 Production 967,144,362,000 2021 |
2 Consumption
857,542,658,000 2021 |
| 3 ExportsA 188,401,779,000 2021 |
| 4 ImportsA 79,512,470,000 2021 |
| 5 Proven reservesA 13,178,780,000,000 2020 |
|
10 Carbon dioxide emissions 2nd5,144,361,000 metric tonnes of CO2 2019
| 1 From coal & metallurgical coke 1,077,520,0000 2019 |
| 2 Petroleum & other liquids 2,382,833,0000 2019 |
| 3 Consumed natural gas 1,684,008,000 2019 |
|
11 Energy consumption per capita 11th
304.414 million Btu/person 2019 |
|
11 Terrorism 1
1 Terrorist groups
| 1 Hizballah; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq & ash-Sham (ISIS); al-Qa'ida; Lashkar-e Tayyiba (LeT) |
| 2 Note: details about history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, & sources of support of group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T |
|
|
12 Transnational Issues 3
1 Disputes - international
| 1 US-Antarctica: US has made no territorial claim in Antarctica (but has reserved right to do so) & does not recognize claims of any other states |
| 2 US-Bahamas: Bahamas & US have not been able to agree on a maritime boundary; two countries have met several times to define their maritime boundary |
| 3 US-Canada: Canada & United States dispute how to divide Beaufort Sea & status of Northwest Passage but continue to work cooperatively to survey Arctic continental shelf; because of dispute over Machias Seal Island & adjoining N Rock, terminus of land boundary beyond Canada's Grand Manon Island & US state of Maine is not defined |
| 4 US-Canada-Mexico: US has intensified domestic security measures & is collaborating closely with its neighbors, Canada & Mexico, to monitor & control legal & illegal personnel, transport, & commodities across international borders |
| 5 US-Cuba: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased from Cuba & only mutual agreement or US abandonment of area can terminate lease |
| 6 US-Haiti: Haiti claims US-administered Navassa Island; dispute dates to 1857, when US claimed Navassa Island under 1856 Guano Act; Haiti claims it has had ownership over Navassa Island continuously since its 1801 constitution laid claim to “adjacent lands” |
| 7 US-Marshall Islands: in May 2016, Marshall Islands filed a declaration of authority with UN over Wake Island, which is currently a US territory, reaffirming that it considers Wake Island part of its territory; control over Wake Island would drastically increase Marshall Islands’ exclusive economic zone; US State Department is assembling a group of experts from both countries to discuss maritime boundary |
| 8 US-Russia: 1990 Maritime Boundary Agreement in Bering Sea still awaits Russian Duma ratification |
| 9 US-Tokelau: Tokelau included American Samoa's Swains Island among islands listed in its 2006 draft constitution; Swains Island has been administered by American Samoa since 1925; 1980 Treaty of Tokehega delineates maritime boundary between American Samoa & Tokelau; while not specifically mentioning Swains Island, treaty Notes in its preamble that New Zealand does not claim as part of Tokelau any island administered as part of American Samoa |
|
2 Refugees & internally displaced persons
| 1 Refugees (country of origin): the US admitted 11,411 refugees during FY2021 including: 4,891 (Democratic Republic of Congo), 1,246 (Syria), 872 (Afghanistan), 803 (Ukraine), 772 (Burma), 513 (Sudan) |
| 2 Stateless persons: 47 J 2021 |
|
| 3 Illicit drugs world's largest consumer of cocaine (mostly from Colombia through Mexico & Caribbean), Mexican heroin & marijuana; major consumer of MDMA (ecstasy) & Mexican methamphetamine; major consumer of fentanyl & other synthetic opioids sourced from Mexico & China, often mixed with other drugs; illicit producer of cannabis, marijuana, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, & methamphetamine; money-laundering center |
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8 Communications 8
1 Telephones - fixed lines 2nd
| 1 Total subscriptions 101.526 million 2020 |
| 2 Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants 31 2020 |
|
2 Telephones - mobile cellular 3rd
1 Total subscription
442.457 million 2019 |
| 2 Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants 134.46 2019 |
|
3 Telecommunication systems
1 General assessment: the US telecom sector adapted well to particular demands of pandemic, which has led to strong growth in number of mobile, mobile broadband, & fixed broadband subscribers since 2020; level of growth is expected to taper off from late 2022 as demand for working & schooling from home subsides; pandemic also encouraged Federal government to increase its investment in broadband infrastructure; of particular Note was Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act of November 2021, which provided $65 billion to a range of programs aimed at delivering broadband to unserved areas, providing fiber-based broadband to upgrade existing service areas, & subsidizing cost of services to low income households; alongside these fiscal efforts have been several spectrum auctions undertaken during last two years, which have greatly assisted main licensees to improve reach & quality of their offers based on LTE & 5G; some of this spectrum, auctioned during 2021, was only made available to licensees from February 2022; widening availability of 5G from main providers has resulted in a dramatic increase in mobile data traffic; in tandem with focus on 5G, operators have closed down their GSM & CDMA networks, & have either closed down 3G networks (as AT&T did in January 2022), or plan to in coming months; given size of US broadband market, & growing demand for data on both fixed & mobile networks, there is continuous pressure for operators to invest in fiber networks, & to push connectivity closer to consumers; in recent years US has seen increased activity from regional players as well as major telcos & cablecos; although there has been considerable investment in DOCSIS4.0, some of cablecos are looking to ditch HFC in preference for fiber broadband; process of migrating from copper (HFC & DSL) to fiber is ongoing, but given scale of work involved it will take some years; some operators have investment strategies in place through to 2025, which will see vast majority of their fixed networks being entirely on fiber; service offerings of up to 2Gb/s are becoming more widely available as process continues 2022
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| 2 Domestic: a large system of fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, & domestic satellites carries every form of telephone traffic; a rapidly growing cellular system carries mobile telephone traffic throughout country; fixed-line just over 31 per 100 & mobile-cellular over 134 per 100 (2020)0 0 0 |
| 3 International: country code - 1; landing points for Quintillion Subsea Cable Network, TERRA SW, AU-Aleutian, KKFL, AKORN, Alaska United -West, & -East & -Southeast, N Star, Lynn Canal Fiber, KetchCar 1, PC-1, SCCN, Tat TGN-Pacific & -Atlantic, Jupiter, Hawaiki, NCP, FASTER, HKA, JUS, AAG, BtoBE, Currie, Southern Cross NEXT, SxS, PLCN, Utility EAC-Pacific, SEA-US, Paniolo Cable Network, HICS, HIFN, ASH, Telstra Endeavor, Honotua, AURORA, ARCOS, AMX-1, Americas -I & -II, Columbus IIb & -III, Maya-1, MAC, GTMO-1, BICS, CFX-1, GlobeNet, Monet, SAm-1, Bahamas 2, PCCS, BRUSA, Dunant, MAREA, SAE x1, TAT 14, Apollo, Gemini Bermuda, Havfrue/AEC-2, Seabras-1, WALL-LI, NYNJ-1, FLAG Atalantic-1, Yellow, Atlantic Crossing-1, AE Connect -1, sea2shore, Challenger Bermuda-1, and GTT Atlantic submarine cable systems providing international connectivity to Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Pacific, & Atlantic, & Indian Ocean Islands, Central & South America, Caribbean, Canada and US; satellite earth stations - 61 Intelsat (45 Atlantic Ocean & 16 Pacific Ocean), 5 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), & 4 Inmarsat (Pacific & Atlantic Ocean regions) (20 |
| 4 Note: COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production & supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to surge in demand for capacity & bandwidth; crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work & school from home is still evident, & spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools & increased servicesA 0 0 0 |
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| 4 Broadcast media 4 major terrestrial TV networks with affiliate stations throughout country, plus cable & satellite networks, independent stations, & a limited public broadcasting sector that is largely supported by private grants; overall, thousands of TV stations broadcasting; multiple national radio networks with many affiliate stations; while most stations are commercial, National Public Radio (NPR) has a network of some 900 member stations; satellite radio available; in total, over 15,000 radio stations operating (2018) |
| 5 Internet country code .us
|
6 Internet users 3rd
| 1 Total 301,665,983 2020 |
| 2 Percent of population 91% 2020 |
|
7 Broadband - fixed subscriptions 2nd
| 1 Total 121.176 million 2020 |
| 2 Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants 37 2020 |
|
8 Communications - Note
| 1 Library of Congress, Washington DC, USA, claims to be largest library in world with more than 167 million items (as of 2018); its collections are universal, not limited by subject, format, or national boundary, & include materials from all parts of world & in over 450 languages; collections include: books, newspapers, magazines, sheet music, sound & video recordings, photographic images, artwork, architectural drawings, & copyright data |
| 2 Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA, hosts one of four dedicated ground antennas that assist in operation of Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation system (the others are on Ascension (Saint Helena, Ascension, & Tistan da Cunha), Diego Garcia (British Indian Ocean Territory), & at Kwajalein (Marshall Islands) |
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9 Transportation 13
1 National air transport system
| 1 Number of registered air carriers 99 2020 |
| 2 Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriersA 7,249 |
3 Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers
889.022 million 2018 |
4 Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers
42,985,300,000 2018 |
|
| 2 Civil aircraft registration country code prefix N |
| 3 Airports 1st 13,513 2021 |
4 Airports - with paved runways
| 1 Total 5,054 |
| 2 Over 3,047 m 189 |
| 3 2,438 to 3,047 m 235 |
| 4 1,524 to 2,437 m 1,478 |
| 5 914 to 1,523 m 2,249 |
| 6 Under 914 m 903 2021 |
|
5 Airports - with unpaved runways
| 1 Total 8,459 |
| 2 Over 3,047 m 1 |
| 3 2,438 to 3,047 m 6 |
| 4 1,524 to 2,437 m 140 |
| 5 914 to 1,523 m 1,552 |
| 6 Under 914 mA 6,760 2021 |
|
| 6 Heliports 5,287 (2021) |
| 7 Pipelines 1,984,321 km natural gas, 240,711 km petroleum products 2013 |
8 Railways 1st
| 1 Total 293,564.2 2014 |
2 Standard gauge
293,564.2 2014 1.435-m gauge |
|
9 Roadways 1st
| 1 Total 6,586,610 02012 0 |
| 2 Paved 4,304,715 (includes 76,334 km of expressways) 2012 0 |
| 3 Unpaved 2,281,895 2012 0 |
|
| 10 Waterways 5th 41,009 km (2012) (19,312 km used for commerce; Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including Saint Lawrence River of 3,058 km, is shared with Canada) |
11 Merchant marine 7th
| 1 Total 3,6270 0 0 |
2 By type 2021
| 1 Bulk carrier 4 |
| 2 Container ship 60b |
| 3 General cargo 103 |
| 4 Oil tanker 69 |
| 5 Other 3,3910 0 0 |
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|
12 Ports & terminals
1 Major seaport 3
| 1 Atlantic: Charleston, Hampton Roads, New York/New Jersey, Savannah |
| 2 Pacific: Long Beach, Los Angeles, Oakland, Seattle/Tacoma |
| 3 Gulf of Mexico: Houston |
|
| 2 Oil terminal LOOP terminal, Haymark terminal |
3 Container port(s) (TEUs) 9
| 1 Charleston 2,436,185 |
| 2 Hampton Roads 2,937,962 |
| 3 Houston 2,987,291 |
| 4 Long Beach 7,632,032 |
| 5 Los Angeles 9,337,632 |
| 6 New York/New Jersey 7,471,131 |
| 7 Oakland 2,500,431 |
| 8 Savannah 4,599,177 |
| 9 Seattle/Tacomaf 3,775,303 2019 |
|
4 LNG terminal(s) (export) 7
| 1 Calcasieu Pass LA |
| 2 Cameron LA |
| 3 Corpus Christi TX |
| 4 Cove Point MD |
| 5 Elba Island GA |
| 6 Freeport TX |
| 7 Sabine Pass LA |
| Note - two additional export facilities are under construction & expected to begin commercial operations in 2023-2024 |
|
5 LNG terminal(s) (import) 11
| 1 Cove Point MD |
| 2 Elba Island GA |
| 3 Everett MA |
| 4 Freeport TX |
| 5 Golden Pass TX |
| 6 AHackberry LA |
| 7 Lake Charles LA |
| 8 Neptune (offshore) |
| 9 Northeast Gateway (offshore) |
| 10 Pascagoula MS |
| 11 Sabine Pass TX |
|
6 River port 3
| 1 Baton Rouge |
| 2 Plaquemines |
| 3 New Orleans (Mississippi River) |
|
7 Cargo ports I 0 0 0
| 1 Baton Rouge |
| 2 Corpus Christi |
| 3 Hampton Roads |
| 4 Houston |
| 5 Long Beach |
| 6 Los Angeles |
| 7 New Orleans |
| 8 New York |
| 9 Plaquemines (LA) |
| 10 Tampa |
| 11 Texas City |
|
8 cruise departure ports (passengers) 5
| 1 Miami |
| 2 Port Everglades |
| 3 Port Canaveral |
| 4 Seattle |
| 5 Long Beach |
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13 Transportation
| 1 1 PC 1 or 2 class heavy icebreaker |
| 2 2 PC 3 or 4 class medium icebreakers |
| 3 2 PC 5 or 6 class light icebreakers |
| 4 heavy & medium icebreakers carry out various polar missions including opening passage for annual resupply of McMurdo Station in Antarctica |
Note - PC indicates a Polar Class vessel:
| 1 PC 1 - year-round operation in all polar waters (ice thickness >3 m) |
| 2 PC 2 - year-round operation in moderate multi-year ice conditions (ice thickness up to 3 m) |
| 3 PC 3 - year-round operation in second-year ice which may include multi-year ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 2.5 m) |
| 4 PC 4 - year-round operation in thick first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 120 cm) |
| 5 PC 5 - year-round operation in medium first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 70-120 cm) |
| 6 PC 6 - summer/autumn operation in medium first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 30-70 cm) |
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10 Military & Security 7
1 Military & security forces
1 United States Armed Forces (aka US Military) 2022
| 1 US Army (USA) |
| 2 US Navy (USN; includes US Marine Corps or USMC) |
| 3 US Air Force (USAF) |
| 4 US Space Force (USSF) |
| 5 US Coast Guard (USCG) |
| 6 National Guard (Army National Guard & Air National Guard) |
|
| 2 Note 1: the US Coast Guard is administered in peacetime by Department of Homeland Security, but in wartime reports to Department of Navy |
| 3 Note 2: Army National Guard & Air National Guard are reserve components of their services & operate in part under state authority; US military also maintains reserve forces for each branch (US Army Reserve, US Navy Reserve, US Air Force Reserve, & US Coast Guard Reserve) |
|
2 Military expenditures % of GDP 25th
| 1 3.5% 2022 |
| 2 3.6% 2021 |
| 3 3.7% 2020 |
| 4 03.4% 2019 $730 billion |
| 5 3.3% 2018 $685 billion |
|
3 Military & security service personnel strengths
1 active duty 1.39 million 2022
| 1 Army 475,000 |
| 2 Navy 345,000 |
| 3 Air Force (includes about 8,000 Space Force) 335,000 |
| 4 Marine Corps 180,000 |
| 5 Coast Guard 40,000 |
| 6 Army National Guard 335,000 |
| 7 Air National Guard 105,000 |
|
|
| 4 Military equipment inventories & acquisitions US military's inventory is comprised almost entirely of domestically-produced weapons systems (some assembled with foreign components) along with a smaller mix of imported equipment from a variety of Western countries; since 2010, Germany & UK have been leading suppliers of military hardware; US defense industry is capable of designing, developing, maintaining, & producing full spectrum of weapons systems; US is world's leading arms exporter (2021) |
5 Military service age & obligation
| 1 18 years of age (17 years of age with parental consent) for voluntary service for men & women; no conscription (currently inactive, but males aged 18-25 must register with Selective Service in case conscription is reinstated in future); maximum enlistment age 34 (Army), 39 (Air Force), 39 (Navy), 28 (Marines), 31 (Coast Guard); 8-year service obligation, including 2-5 years active duty (Army), 2 years active duty (Navy), 4 years active duty (Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard); all military occupations & positions open to women (2022)A 0 0 0 |
| 2 Note: in 2020, women comprised 17.2 % of total US military (16.9% of enlisted; 18.9% officers; highest was Air Force with women comprising 21.1% of its total personnel); a small number of American women were involved in combat during Revolutionary (1775-1783), Mexican (1846-1848), & Civil (1861-1865) Wars, but they had to disguise themselves as men & enlist under aliases; first official US military organization for women was US Army Nurse Corps, established in 1901; during World War I, US Navy & Marine Corps allowed women to enlist; nearly 350,000 women served in US military during World War II; 1991 Gulf War was first war where women served with men in integrated units within a war zone; in 2015, women were allowed to serve in direct combat roles 0 0 0 |
| 3 Note 2: non-citizens living permanently & legally in US may join as enlisted personnel; must have permission to work in US, a high school diploma, & speak, read, & write English fluently; minimum age of 17 with parental consent or 18 without; maximum age 29-39, depending on service; under US Nationality Act, honorable service in military may qualify individuals to obtain expedited citizenship; under Compact of Free Association, citizens of Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau, & Republic of Marshall Islands may volunteer; under Jay Treaty, signed in 1794 between Great Britain & US, & corresponding legislation, Native Americans/First Nations born in Canada are entitled to freely enter US & join US militaryA 0 0 0 |
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6 Military deployments
| 1 5,000 Africa (mostly in Djibouti, with approximately 700-1,000 in other countries of East Africa & about 700 in West Africa); 1,700 Australia; 250 Diego Garcia; 150 Canada; 650 Cuba (Guatanamo Bay); 290 Egypt (MFO); approximately 100,000 Europe (Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Turkey, UK); 150 Greenland; 6,200 Guam; 370 Honduras; 56,000 Japan; approximately 15,000 Middle East (Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates); 125 Philippines; 28,000 South Korea; 200 Singapore; 100 Thailand (2022) |
| 2 Note: US military rotational policies affect deployment numbers; US deploys ground & air units to select countries for 6-12 month rotational assignments on a continuous basis; in South Korea, for example, US continuously rotates combat brigades (approximately 3,000 personnel) for 9 months at a time; contingencies also affect US troop deployments; in 2019-2020, US deployed more than 15,000 additional military personnel to Middle East for an extended period of time & in 2022, it sent more than 30,000 reinforcements to Europe in response to Russian invasion of Ukraine; in addition, some overseas US naval bases, such as headquarters of US Naval Forces Central Command (USNAVCENT) in Manama, Bahrain, are frequented by crews of US ships on 6-9 month deployments; a US carrier strike group with an air wing & supporting ships typically includes over 6,000 personnelA 0 0 0 |
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7 Military
| 1 Member of NATO & was one of original 12 countries to sign N Atlantic Treaty (also known as Washington Treaty) in 1949 |
2 US military has 11 regional- or functionally-based joint service "combatant" commands:
| 1 Africa Command |
| 2 Central Command |
| 3 Cyber Command |
| 4 European Command |
| 5 Indo-Pacific Command |
| 6 Northern Command |
| 7 Southern Command |
| 8 Space Command |
| 9 Special Operations Command |
| 10 Strategic Command |
| 11 Transportation Command |
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| 3 Congress officially created US military in September 1789; US Army was established in June 1775 as Continental Army; after declaration of independence in July 1776, Continental Army & militia in service of Congress became known collectively as Army of United States; when Congress ordered Continental Army to disband in 1784, it retained a small number of personnel that would form nucleus of 1st American Regiment for national service formed later that year; both US Navy & US Marines were also established in 1775, but Navy fell into disuse after Revolutionary War, & was reestablished by Congress in 1794; first US military unit devoted exclusively to aviation began operations in 1913 as part of US Army; Army Air Corps (AAC) was US military service dedicated to aerial warfare between 1926 & 1941; AAC became US Army Air Forces in 1941 & remained as a combat arm of Army until establishment of US Air Force in 1947 |
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