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SEARCH THE CBCNATM DIRECTORIES FOR CARIBBEAN BUSINESSES,
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VISIT OUR COUNTRY PAGES FOR BUSINESS, NEWS, EVENTS,
LIVE MUSIC & TV, EDUCATION, CULTURE , & MORE
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United states of
America
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Motto:
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In God We Trust |
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History
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Britain's American colonies broke
with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new
nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of
Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states
were added to the original 13 as the nation expanded across the
North American continent and acquired a number of overseas
possessions. The two most traumatic experiences in the nation's
history were the Civil War (1861-65), in which a northern Union
of states defeated a secessionist Confederacy of 11 southern
slave states, and the Great Depression of the 1930s, an economic
downturn during which about a quarter of the labor force lost
its jobs. Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and II and the end
of the Cold War in 1991, the US remains the world's most
powerful nation state. The economy is marked by steady growth,
low unemployment and inflation, and rapid advances in
technology. |
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Geography |
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Location:
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North America, bordering both the
North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada
and Mexico |
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Geographic coordinates:
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38 00 N, 97 00 W |
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Map references:
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North America |
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Area:
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total: 9,826,675 sq km
country comparison to the world: 3
land: 9,161,966 sq km
water: 664,709 sq km
note: includes only the 50 states and District of Columbia
comparative:
about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the size of
Africa; about half the size of South America (or slightly larger
than Brazil); slightly larger than China; more than twice the
size of the European Union |
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Coastline:
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19,924 km
Land boundaries:
total: 12,034 km
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 |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: not specified |
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Climate:
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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
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Terrain:
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vast central plain, mountains in
west, hills and low mountains in east; rugged mountains and
broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged, volcanic topography in
Hawaii |
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Elevation
Extremes
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lowest point: Death Valley -86 m
highest point: Mount McKinley 6,198 m |
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Natural
Resources:
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coal, copper, lead, molybdenum,
phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel,
potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber
note: the US has the world's largest coal reserves with 491
billion short tons accounting for 27% of the world's total
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Land use:
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arable land: 18.01%
permanent crops: 0.21%
other: 81.78% (2005) |
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Natural hazards:
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tsunamis; volcanoes; earthquake
activity around 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
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Environment - current issues:
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air
pollution resulting in acid rain in both the US and Canada; the
US is the largest single emitter of carbon dioxide from the
burning of fossil fuels; water pollution from runoff of
pesticides and fertilizers; limited natural fresh water
resources in much of the western part of the country require
careful management; desertification |
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Geography
Note: |
world's third-largest country by size (after Russia and 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 |
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People
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Population:
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A307,212,123 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3 |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 20.2% (male
31,639,127/female 30,305,704)
15-64 years: 67% (male 102,665,043/female 103,129,321)
65 years and over: 12.8% (male 16,901,232/female 22,571,696)
(2009 est.) |
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Population growth rate: |
0.977% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 130
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Birth rate: |
13.83 births/1,000 population
(2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 154 |
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Death rate: |
8.38 deaths/1,000 population
(July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99 |
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Net migration rate: |
4.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 25 |
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Sex ratio: |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2009 est.) |
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Nationality: |
noun: American(s)
adjective: American |
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Ethnic groups: |
white 79.96%, black 12.85%, Asian
4.43%, Amerindian and Alaska native 0.97%, native Hawaiian and
other Pacific islander 0.18%, two or more races 1.61% (July 2007
estimate)
note: a separate listing for Hispanic is not included because
the US Census Bureau considers Hispanic to mean persons of
Spanish/Hispanic/Latino origin including those of Mexican,
Cuban, Puerto Rican, Dominican Republic, Spanish, and Central or
South American origin living in the US who may be of any race or
ethnic group (white, black, Asian, etc.); about 15.1% of the
total US population is Hispanic |
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Religions: |
Protestant 51.3%, Roman Catholic
23.9%, Mormon 1.7%, other Christian 1.6%, Jewish 1.7%, Buddhist
0.7%, Muslim 0.6%, other or unspecified 2.5%, unaffiliated
12.1%, none 4% (2007 est.) |
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Languages: |
English 82.1%, Spanish 10.7%,
other Indo-European 3.8%, Asian and Pacific island 2.7%, other
0.7% (2000 census)
note: Hawaiian is an official language in the state of Hawaii
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Government |
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Country name: |
conventional long form: United
States of America
conventional short form: United States
abbreviation: US or USA |
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Government Type: |
Constitution-based federal
republic; strong democratic tradition
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Administrative Divisions: |
50 states and 1 district*;
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado,
Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia*, Florida, Georgia,
Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota,
Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire,
New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota,
Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South
Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont,
Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
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Dependent Areas: |
American Samoa, Baker Island,
Guam, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman
Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Northern Mariana Islands,
Palmyra Atoll, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Wake Island
note: from 18 July 1947 until 1 October 1994, the US
administered the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands; 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)
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Capital: |
name: Washington, DC
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: the 50 United States cover six time zones |
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Independence: |
4 July (1776) (from Great
Britain) |
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National holiday: |
Independence Day, 4 July (1776)
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Constitution: |
17 September 1787, effective 4
March 1789 |
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Legal system: |
federal court system based on
English common law; each state has its own unique legal system,
of which all but one (Louisiana, which is still influenced by
the Napoleonic Code) is based on English common law; judicial
review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction |
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Executive branch: |
chief of state: President Barack
H. OBAMA (since 20 January 2009); Vice President Joseph R. BIDEN
(since 20 January 2009); note - the president is both the chief
of state and head of government
head of government: President Barack H. OBAMA (since 20 January
2009); Vice President Joseph BIDEN (since 20 January 2009)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with Senate approval
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
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 4
November 2008 (next to be held on 6 November 2012)
election results: Barack H. OBAMA elected president; percent of
popular vote - Barack H. OBAMA 52.4%, John MCCAIN 46.3%, other
1.3%; |
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Legislative branch: |
bicameral Congress consists of
the Senate (100 seats, 2 members are elected from each state by
popular vote to serve six-year terms; one-third are elected
every two years) and the House of Representatives (435 seats;
members are directly elected by popular vote to serve two-year
terms)
elections: Senate - last held 4 November 2008 (next to be held
November 2010); House of Representatives - last held 4 November
2008 (next to be held in November 2010)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats
by party - Democratic Party 57, Republican Party 41, independent
2; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - Democratic Party 257, Republican Party 178
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Judicial branch: |
Supreme Court (nine justices;
nominated by the 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 |
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Political parties and leaders: |
Democratic Party [Timothy KAINE];
Green Party; Libertarian Party [William (Bill) REDPATH];
Republican Party [Michael STEELE] |
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International organization participation: |
ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional
member), ANZUS, APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue
partner), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS
(observer), CE (observer), CERN (observer), CICA (observer), CP,
EAPC, EBRD, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO,
ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAFTA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD,
OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer),
SECI (observer), SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNHCR, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTO, ZC |
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Flag description: |
13 equal horizontal stripes of
red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a blue
rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 50 small,
white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal
rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five
stars; the 50 stars represent the 50 states, the 13 stripes
represent the 13 original colonies; known as Old Glory
note: the design and colors have been the basis for a number of
other flags, including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico
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Economy |
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Overview: |
The US has the largest and most
technologically powerful economy in the world, with a per capita
GDP of $46,900. 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 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. 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 between 2005 and the
first half of 2008 threatened inflation and unemployment, as
higher gasoline prices ate into consumers' budgets. 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. The
merchandise trade deficit reached a record $840 billion in 2008
before shrinking to $450 billion in 2009. The global economic
downturn, the sub-prime mortgage crisis, investment bank
failures, falling home prices, and tight credit pushed the
United States into a recession by mid-2008. GDP contracted till
the third quarter of 2009, making this the deepest and longest
downturn since the Great Depression. To help stabilize financial
markets, the US Congress established a $700 billion Troubled
Asset Relief Program (TARP) in October 2008. The government used
some of these funds to purchase equity in US banks and other
industrial corporations. In January 2009 the US Congress passed
and President Barack OBAMA signed a bill providing an additional
$787 billion fiscal stimulus to be used over 10 years -
two-thirds on additional spending and one-third on tax cuts - to
create jobs and to help the economy recover. Approximately
two-thirds of these funds will have been injected into the
economy by the end of 2010. In March 2010, President OBAMA
signed a health insurance reform bill into law that will extend
coverage to an additional 32 million American citizens by 2016,
through private health insurance for the general population and
Medicaid for the impoverished. |
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GDP (purchasing
power parity): |
$14.26 trillion (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2
$14.61 trillion (2008 est.)
$14.56 trillion (2007 est.)
note: data are in 2009 US dollars
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GDP -real growth rate: |
-2.4% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 151
0.4% (2008 est.)
2.1% (2007 est.) |
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GDP per capita (PPP): |
$46,400 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11
$48,100 (2008 est.)
$48,300 (2007 est.)
note: data are in 2009 US dollars |
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GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 1.2%
industry: 21.9%
services: 76.9% (2009 est.) |
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Population below poverty line: |
12% (2004 est.) |
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Labor force: |
154.5 million (includes
unemployed) (2009)
country comparison to the world: 4 |
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Labor force - by occupation: |
farming, forestry, and fishing:
22.6%
manufacturing, extraction, transportation, and crafts: 24.8%
managerial, professional, and technical: 37.3%
sales and office: 24.2%
other services: 17.6%
note: figures exclude the unemployed (2007) |
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Unemployment rate: |
9.4% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109
5.8% (2008 est.) |
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Budget: |
revenues: $1.914 trillion
expenditures: $3.615 trillion (2009 est.) |
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Agriculture: |
wheat, corn, other grains,
fruits, vegetables, cotton; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products;
fish; forest products |
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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 |
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Exports: |
$994.7 billion (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4
$1.277 trillion (2008 est.) |
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Exports - commodities: |
agricultural products (soybeans,
fruit, corn) 9.2%, industrial supplies (organic chemicals)
26.8%, capital goods (transistors, aircraft, motor vehicle
parts, computers, telecommunications equipment) 49.0%, consumer
goods (automobiles, medicines) 15.0% |
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Imports: |
$1.445 trillion (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2
$2.117 trillion (2008 est.) |
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Imports - commodities: |
agricultural products 4.9%,
industrial supplies 32.9% (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) |
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Debt - external: |
$13.45 trillion (30 June 2009)
country comparison to the world: 1
$13.75 trillion (31 December 2008) |
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Exchange rates: |
British pounds per US dollar:
(2009), 0.6494 (2009), 0.5302 (2008), 0.4993 (2007), 0.5418
(2006), 0.5493 (2005)
Canadian dollars per US dollar: 1.1548 (2009), 1.0364 (2008),
1.0724 (2007), 1.1334 (2006), 1.2118 (2005)
Chinese yuan per US dollar: 6.8249 (2009), 6.9385 (2008), 7.61
(2007), 7.97 (2006), 8.1943 (2005)
euros per US dollar: 0.7338 (2009), 0.6827 (2008), 0.7345
(2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005)
Japanese yen per US dollar: 94.5 (2009), 103.58 (2008), 117.99
(2007), 116.18 (2006) 110.22 (2005) |
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Communications |
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Telephones - main lines in use: |
150 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 2 |
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Telephones - mobile cellular: |
270 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 3 |
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Telephone System: |
general assessment: a large,
technologically advanced, 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; multiple ocean cable systems
provide international connectivity; 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) |
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Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 4,789, FM 8,961, shortwave 19
(2006) |
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Television broadcast stations: |
2,218 (2006) |
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Internet country Code: |
.us |
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Internet hosts: |
383 million (2009); note - the US
Internet total host count includes the following top level
domain host addresses: .us, .com, .edu, .gov, .mil, .net, and
.org
country comparison to the world: 1 |
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Internet users: |
231 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 2 |
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Transportation |
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Airports: |
15,095 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 1 |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 5,174
over 3,047 m: 190
2,438 to 3,047 m: 229
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1,477
914 to 1,523 m: 2,309
under 914 m: 969 (2009)
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Airports - with unpaved
runways: |
total: 9,921
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 158
914 to 1,523 m: 1,757
under 914 m: 8,000 (2009) |
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Heliports: |
126 (2009) |
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Roadways: |
total: 6,465,799 km
country comparison to the world: 1
paved: 4,209,835 km (includes 75,040 km of expressways)
unpaved: 2,255,964 km (2007) |
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Railways: |
total: 226,427 km
country comparison to the world: 1
standard gauge: 226,427 km 1.435-m gauge (2007) |
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Waterways: |
41,009 km (19,312 km used for
commerce)
country comparison to the world: 4
note: Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint
Lawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with Canada (2008) |
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Merchant Marine: |
total: 422
country comparison to the world: 24
by type: barge carrier 6, bulk carrier 61, cargo 69, carrier 2,
chemical tanker 22, container 81, passenger 19, passenger/cargo
59, petroleum tanker 53, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off
25, vehicle carrier 22
foreign-owned: 74 (Australia 1, Denmark 31, Germany 5, Japan 7,
Malaysia 2, Netherlands 1, Norway 9, Singapore 12, Sweden 5, UK
1)
registered in other countries: 732 (Antigua and Barbuda 8,
Australia 2, Bahamas 106, Bermuda 23, Cambodia 6, Canada 10,
Cayman Islands 42, Comoros 2, Cyprus 5, Ecuador 1, Greece 8,
Hong Kong 29, Ireland 2, Isle of Man 4, Italy 17, South Korea 7,
Liberia 98, Luxembourg 4, Malta 23, Marshall Islands 123,
Netherlands 14, Netherlands Antilles 1, Norway 8, Panama 126,
Portugal 1, Puerto Rico 3, Russia 1, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines 18, Sierra Leone 1, Singapore 22, Trinidad and Tobago
1, Tuvalu 1, UK 12, Vanuatu 1, unknown 2) (2008) |
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Ports and
Terminals: |
Corpus Christi, Duluth, Hampton
Roads, Houston, Long Beach, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia,
Tampa, Texas City |
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Military: |
United States Armed
Forces: US Army, US Navy (includes Marine Corps), US Air Force,
US Coast Guard; note - Coast Guard administered in peacetime by
the Department of Homeland Security, but in wartime reports to
the Department of the Navy (2009) |
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Main Source of Information: the Central Intelligence Agency
World Factbook |
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Items of Interest |
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Anthem: |
The Star Spangled Banner
Words by : Francis Scott Key
Music by: John Stafford Smith
Oh, say can you see by the
dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thru the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner!
Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out of their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave'
From the terror of flight and the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto:
"In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
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Government
website: |
www.usa.gov |
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