Country Code
Top-Level-Domain |
 United States Location:
38°53'N, 77°02'W
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states, one federal district, and fourteen territories. The country is situated almost entirely in the western hemisphere: its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie in central North America between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south; the state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent with Canada to its east, and the state of Hawaii is in the mid-Pacific. U.S. territories, or insular areas, are scattered around the Caribbean and Pacific.
United States Geography:
The United States is the world's third or fourth largest nation by total area, before or after the People's Republic of China, depending on how two territories disputed by China and India are counted. Including only land area, the U.S. is third in size behind Russia and China, just ahead of Canada.[9] The continental United States stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and from Canada to Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico. Alaska is the largest state in area. Separated by Canada, it touches the Pacific and Arctic Oceans. Hawaii occupies an archipelago in the Pacific, southwest of North America. The commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the largest and most populous U.S. territory, is in the northeastern Caribbean. Deciduous vegetation and grasslands prevail in the eastern U.S., transitioning to prairies, boreal forests, and the Rocky Mountains in the west, and deserts in the southwest. In the northeast, the coasts of the Great Lakes and Atlantic seaboard host much of the country's population. With a few exceptions such as the territory of Guam and the westernmost portions of Alaska, nearly all of the country lies in the western hemisphere.[10]
Beyond the coastal plain, the rolling hills of the Piedmont end at the Appalachian Mountains. The Rocky Mountains, at the western edge of the Great Plains, extend north to south across the continental U.S., reaching altitudes higher than 14,000 feet (4,270 m) in Colorado.[11] Between the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains, the Interior Plains and Great Plains are relatively flat, fertile farm land. The Mississippi-Missouri River, the world's fourth longest river system, runs mainly north-south through the heart of the country.[12] Active volcanoes are common throughout the Alexander and Aleutian Islands and the entire state of Hawaii is built upon tropical volcanic islands. The supervolcano underlying Yellowstone National Park in the Rockies is the continent's largest volcanic feature.[13]
Climate zones of the continental United StatesDue to the United States' large size and wide range of geographic features, nearly every type of climate is represented. The climate is temperate in most areas, tropical in Hawaii and southern Florida, polar in Alaska, semiarid in the Great Plains west of the 100th meridian, desert in the Southwest, mediterranean in coastal California, and arid in the Great Basin. Extreme weather is not uncommon—the states bordering the Gulf of Mexico are prone to hurricanes and most of the world's tornadoes occur within the continental United States.[14] However, the predominantly temperate climate, infrequent severe drought in the major arable regions, and infrequent severe flooding have helped make the nation a world leader in agriculture.
United States People:
Population
- 2007 estimate 301,892,000[1] (3rd)
- 2000 census 281,421,906
- Density 31 /km2 (172nd)
80 /sq mi
United States Government:
The United States is the world's oldest surviving federation, a representative democracy with a government regulated by a system of checks and balances defined by the United States Constitution. The Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation, which were in effect from 1781 to 1789. However, it is "not a simple representative democracy, but a constitutional republic in which majority rule is tempered by minority rights protected by law."[41] Citizens are usually subject to three levels of government, federal, state, and local; the local government's duties may themselves be split among county, metropolitan, and municipal governments. Officials at all levels are either elected by voters in a secret ballot or appointed by other elected officials. Executive and legislative offices are decided by a plurality vote of citizens by district. Federal and state judicial and cabinet officials are typically nominated by the executive branch and approved by the legislature, although some state judges are elected by popular vote.
Government Federal constitutional republic
- President George W. Bush (R)
- Vice President Dick Cheney (R)
- Speaker of The House Nancy Pelosi (D)
- Chief Justice John Roberts
United States Economy:
The United States has a capitalist mixed economy. Although private organizations constitute the bulk of the economy, government activity accounts for 12.4 percent of the GDP.[66] Most businesses in the U.S. are not corporations but sole proprietorships with no payroll.[67] Both the regulatory burden on its companies and its social safety net are smaller than in most developed nations.[68] The United States GDP of more than $13 trillion constitutes 22 percent of the gross world product.[69] The nation ranks as the third or eighth highest GDP per capita, according to the International Monetary Fund.[70]
The economy is fueled by an abundance in natural resources, well-developed infrastructure, and high productivity. Americans tend to work considerably more hours annually, take less vacation, and produce more per hour than workers in other developed nations.[71][72][70] In 2005, 155 million persons were employed with earnings, of whom 80 percent worked in full-time jobs.[73] The majority, 79 percent, are employed in the service sector.[74] Although income levels in the U.S. are high, income is distributed less equally than in similar developed nations such as Austria or Sweden.[75] The United States is the largest importer of goods and second largest exporter. Canada, China, Mexico, Japan, and Germany are its top five trading partners.
United States More Information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States  |
