United States

§1. United States Introduction

Background:
  The United States became the world's first modern democracy after its break
  with Great Britain (1776) and the adoption of a constitution (1789). During
  the 19th century, many new states were added to the original 13 as the
  nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a number
  of overseas possessions. The two most traumatic experiences in the nation's
  history were the Civil War (1861-65) and the Great Depression of the 1930s.
  Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and II and the end of the Cold War in
  1991, the US remains the world's most powerful nation-state. The economy is
  marked by steady growth, low unemployment and inflation, and rapid advances
  in technology.

§2. United States Geography

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

Geographic coordinates:
  38 00 N, 97 00 W

Map references:
  North America

Area:
  total: 9,629,091 kmē
  land: 9,158,960 kmē
  water: 470,131 kmē
  note: includes only the 50 states and District of Columbia

Area - comparative:
  about one-half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the size of Africa;
  about one-half the size of South America (or slightly larger than Brazil);
  slightly larger than China; about two and one-half times the size of
  Western Europe

Land boundaries:
  total: 12,248 km border countries: Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with
    Alaska), Cuba 29 km (US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay), Mexico 3,326 km
  note: Guantanamo Naval Base is leased by the US and thus remains part of
    Cuba

Coastline:
  19,924 km

Maritime claims:
  contiguous zone: 24 NM continental shelf: not specified
  exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
  territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate:
  mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska,
  semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the
  Great Basin of the southwest; low winter temperatures in the northwest are
  ameliorated occasionally in January and February by warm chinook winds from
  the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains

Terrain:
  vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in east;
  rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged, volcanic
  topography in Hawaii

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Death Valley -86 m highest point: Mount McKinley 6,194 m

Natural resources:
  coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron,
  mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas,
  timber

Land use:
  arable land: 19%
  permanent crops: 0%
  permanent pastures: 25%
  forests and woodland: 30%
  other: 26% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land:
  207,000 kmē (1993 est.)

Natural hazards:
  tsunamis, volcanoes, and 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

Environment - current issues:
  air pollution resulting in acid rain in both the US and Canada; the US is
  the largest single emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil
  fuels; water pollution from runoff of pesticides and fertilizers; very
  limited natural fresh water resources in much of the western part of the
  country require careful management; desertification

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides,
    Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
    Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change, Desertification,
    Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine
    Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
    Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air
    Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change-Kyoto
    Protocol, Hazardous Wastes

Geography - note:
  world's third-largest country (after Russia and Canada)

§3. United States People

Population:
  278,058,881 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 21.12% (male 30,034,674; female 28,681,253)
  15-64 years: 66.27% (male 91,371,753; female 92,907,199)
  65 years and over: 12.61% (male 14,608,948; female 20,455,054) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate:
  0.9% (2001 est.)

Birth rate:
  14.2 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate:
  8.7 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate:
  3.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  6.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 77.26 years male: 74.37 years
  female: 80.05 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  2.06 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  0.61% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  850,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  20,000 (1999 est.)

Nationality:
  noun: American(s)
  adjective: American

Ethnic groups:
  white 83.5%, black 12.4%, Asian 3.3%, Amerindian 0.8% (1992)
  note: a separate listing for Hispanic is not included because the US Census
    Bureau considers Hispanic to mean a person of Latin American descent
    (especially of Cuban, Mexican, or Puerto Rican origin) living in the US
    who may be of any race or ethnic group (white, black, Asian, etc.)

Religions:
  Protestant 56%, Roman Catholic 28%, Jewish 2%, other 4%, none 10% (1989)

Languages:
  English, Spanish (spoken by a sizable minority)

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 97%
  male: 97%
  female: 97% (1979 est.)

§4. United States Government

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

Government type:
  federal republic; strong democratic tradition

Capital:
  Washington, DC

Administrative divisions:
  50 states and 1 district*; Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California,
  Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia*, Florida, Georgia,
  Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine,
  Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri,
  Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York,
  North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode
  Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont,
  Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Dependent areas:
  American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston
  Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Northern Mariana
  Islands, Palmyra Atoll, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Wake Island
  note: from 18 July 1947 until 1 October 1994, the US administered the Trust
    Territory of the Pacific Islands, but recently entered into a new
    political relationship with all four political units: the Northern
    Mariana Islands is a commonwealth in political union with the US
    (effective 3 November 1986); Palau concluded a Compact of Free
    Association with the US (effective 1 October 1994); the Federated States
    of Micronesia signed a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective
    3 November 1986); the Republic of the Marshall Islands signed a Compact
    of Free Association with the US (effective 21 October 1986)

Independence:
  4 July 1776 (from Great Britain)

National holiday:
  Independence Day, 4 July (1776)

Constitution:
  17 September 1787, effective 4 March 1789

Legal system:
  based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts
  compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President George W. BUSH (since 20 January 2001) and Vice
    President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001); note - the president
    is both the chief of state and head of government
  head of government: President George W. BUSH (since 20 January 2001) and
    Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001); note - the
    president is both the chief of state and head of government
  cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with Senate approval
  elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by a
    college of representatives who are elected directly from each state;
    president and vice president serve four-year terms; election last held 7
    November 2000 (next to be held NA November 2004)
  election results: George W. BUSH elected president; percent of popular vote
    - George W. BUSH (Republican Party) 48%, Albert A. GORE, Jr. (Democratic
    Party) 48%, Ralph NADER (Green Party) 3%, other 1%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Congress consists of Senate (100 seats, one-third are renewed
  every two years; two members are elected from each state by popular vote to
  serve six-year terms) and House of Representatives (435 seats; members are
  directly elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held 4 November
    2002); House of Representatives - last held 7 November 2000 (next to be
    held 4 November 2002)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
    Republican Party 50, Democratic Party 50; House of Representatives -
    percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Republican Party 221,
    Democratic Party 211, independent 2, vacant 1

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court (its nine justices are appointed for life by the president
  with confirmation by the Senate); United States Courts of Appeal; United
  States District Courts; State and County Courts

Political parties and leaders:
  Democratic Party [Terence McAULIFFE, national committee chairman];
  Republican Party [James S. GILMORE III, national committee chairman];
  several other groups or parties of minor political significance

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  NA

International organization participation:
  APEC, ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia
  Group, BIS, CCC, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CP, EAPC, EBRD, ECE,
  ECLAC, ESCAP, FAO, G-5, G-7, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
  ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat,
  Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MIPONUH, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA,
  NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD,
  UNHCR, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTAET, UNTSO,
  UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC

Flag description:
  thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with
  white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 50
  small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of
  six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars; the 50
  stars represent the 50 states, the 13 stripes represent the 13 original
  colonies; known as Old Glory; the design and colors have been the basis for
  a number of other flags, including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto
  Rico

§5. United States Economy

Economy - overview:
  The US has the largest and most technologically powerful economy in the
  world, with a per capita GDP of $36,200. In this market-oriented economy,
  private individuals and business firms make most of the decisions, and
  government buys needed goods and services predominantly in the private
  marketplace. US business firms enjoy considerably greater flexibility than
  their counterparts in Western Europe and Japan in decisions to expand
  capital plant, lay off surplus workers, and develop new products. At the
  same time, they face higher barriers to entry in their rivals' home markets
  than the barriers to entry of foreign firms in US markets. US firms are at
  or near the forefront in technological advances, especially in computers
  and in medical, aerospace, and military equipment, although 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 years 1994-2000 witnessed solid increases in real output,
  low inflation rates, and a drop in unemployment to below 5%. Long-term
  problems include inadequate investment in economic infrastructure, rapidly
  rising medical costs of an aging population, sizable trade deficits, and
  stagnation of family income in the lower economic groups. Growth weakened
  in the fourth quarter of 2000; growth for the year 2001 almost certainly
  will be substantially lower than the strong 5% of 2000. The outlook for
  2001 is further clouded by the continued economic problems of Japan,
  Russia, Indonesia, Brazil, and many other countries.

GDP:
  purchasing power parity - $9.963 trillion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  5% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita:
  purchasing power parity - $36,200 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 2% industry: 18%
  services: 80% (1999)

Population below poverty line:
  12.7% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: 1.8% highest 10%: 30.5% (1997)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  3.4% (2000)

Labor force:
  140.9 million (includes unemployed) (2000)

Labor force - by occupation:
  managerial and professional 30.2%, technical, sales and administrative
  support 29.2%, services 13.5%, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and
  crafts 24.6%, farming, forestry, and fishing 2.5% (2000)
  note: figures exclude the unemployed

Unemployment rate:
  4% (2000)

Budget:
  revenues: $1.828 trillion
  expenditures: $1.703 trillion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999)

Industries:
  leading industrial power in the world, highly diversified and
  technologically advanced; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace,
  telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer
  goods, lumber, mining

Industrial production growth rate:
  5.6% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production:
  3.678 trillion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source:
  fossil fuel: 69.64% hydro: 8.31%
  nuclear: 19.8%
  other: 2.25% (1999)

Electricity - consumption:
  3.45 trillion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports:
  14 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports:
  43 billion kWh (1999)

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

Exports:
  $776 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  capital goods, automobiles, industrial supplies and raw materials, consumer
  goods, agricultural products

Exports - partners:
  Canada 23%, Mexico 14%, Japan 8%, UK 5%, Germany 4%, France, Netherlands
  (2000)

Imports:
  $1.223 trillion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  crude oil and refined petroleum products, machinery, automobiles, consumer
  goods, industrial raw materials, food and beverages

Imports - partners:
  Canada 19%, Japan 11%, Mexico 11%, China 8%, Germany 5%, UK, Taiwan (2000)

Debt - external:
  $862 billion (1995 est.)

Economic aid - donor:
  ODA, $6.9 billion (1997)

Currency:
  US dollar (USD)

Currency code:
  USD

Exchange rates:
  British pounds per US dollar - 0.6764 (January 2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180
  (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997), 0.6403 (1996); Canadian dollars per
  US dollar - 1.5032 (January 2001), 1.4851 (2000), 1.4857 (1999), 1.4835
  (1998), 1.3846 (1997), 1.3635 (1996); French francs per US dollar - 5.65
  (January 1999), 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995),
  5.5520 (1994); Italian lire per US dollar - 1,668.7 (January 1999), 1,763.2
  (1998), 1,703.1 (1997), 1,542.9 (1996), 1,628.9 (1995), 1,612.4 (1994);
  Japanese yen per US dollar - 117.10 (January 2001), 107.77 (2000), 113.91
  (1999), 130.91 (1998), 120.99 (1997), 108.78 (1996); German deutsche marks
  per US dollar - 1.69 (January 1999), 1.9692 (1998), 1.7341 (1997), 1.5048
  (1996), 1.4331 (1995), 1.6228 (1994); euros per US dollar - 1.06594
  (January 2001), 1.08540 (2000), 0.93863 (1999)
  note: financial institutions in France, Italy, and Germany and eight other
    European countries started using the euro on 1 January 1999 with the euro
    replacing the local currency in consenting countries for all transactions
    in 2002

Fiscal year:
  1 October - 30 September

§6. United States Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  194 million (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  69.209 million (1998)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: a very 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: 24 ocean cable systems in use; satellite earth stations - 61
    Intelsat (45 Atlantic Ocean and 16 Pacific Ocean), 5 Intersputnik
    (Atlantic Ocean region), and 4 Inmarsat (Pacific and Atlantic Ocean
    regions) (2000)

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 4,762, FM 5,542, shortwave 18 (1998)

Radios:
  575 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
  more than 1,500 (including nearly 1,000 stations affiliated with the five
  major networks - NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, and PBS; in addition, there are about
  9,000 cable TV systems) (1997)

Televisions:
  219 million (1997)

Internet country code:
  .us

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
  7,800 (2000 est.)

Internet users:
  148 million (2000)

§7. United States Transportation

Railways:
  total: 225,750 km mainline routes
  standard gauge: 225,750 km 1.435-m gauge (1999)

Highways:
  total: 6,370,031 km
  paved: 5,733,028 km (including 74,091 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 637,003 km (1997)

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

Pipelines:
  petroleum products 276,000 km; natural gas 331,000 km (1991)

Ports and harbors:
  Anchorage, Baltimore, Boston, Charleston, Chicago, Duluth, Hampton Roads,
  Honolulu, Houston, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York,
  Philadelphia, Port Canaveral, Portland (Oregon), Prudhoe Bay, San
  Francisco, Savannah, Seattle, Tampa, Toledo

Merchant marine:
  total: 376 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 10,814,622 GRT/14,416,517 DWT
  ships by type: barge carrier 9, bulk 68, cargo 29, chemical tanker 13,
    combination bulk 3, container 80, liquefied gas 1, multi-functional
    large-load carrier 3, passenger 9, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker
    98, roll on/roll off 49, short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 1,
    vehicle carrier 9 (2000 est.)

Airports:
  14,720 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 5,174 over 3,047 m: 182
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 220
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1,331
  914 to 1,523 m: 2,440
  under 914 m: 1,001 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 9,546 over 3,047 m: 3
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 164
  914 to 1,523 m: 1,675
  under 914 m: 7,698 (2000 est.)

Heliports:
  131 (2000 est.)

§8. United States Military

Military branches:
  Department of the Army, Department of the Navy (includes Marine Corps),
  Department of the Air Force
  note: the Coast Guard is normally subordinate to the Department of
    Transportation, but in wartime reports to the Department of the Navy

Military manpower - military age:
  18 years of age

Military manpower - availability:
  males age 15-49: 70,819,436 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
  NA

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
  males: 2,039,414 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $276.7 billion (FY99 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  3.2% (FY99 est.)

§9. United States Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  maritime boundary disputes with Canada (Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea,
  Strait of Juan de Fuca, Machias Seal Island); US Naval Base at Guantanamo
  Bay is leased from Cuba and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the
  area can terminate the lease; Haiti claims Navassa Island; US has made no
  territorial claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the right to do so) and
  does not recognize the claims of any other nation; Marshall Islands claims
  Wake Island

Illicit drugs:
  consumer of cocaine shipped from Colombia through Mexico and the Caribbean;
  consumer of heroin, marijuana, and increasingly methamphetamine from
  Mexico; consumer of high-quality Southeast Asian heroin; illicit producer
  of cannabis, marijuana, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and
  methamphetamine; money-laundering center
