Match 250 DB Rec# - 7,702 Dataset-WOFACT
Title :United States
Text :
United States
Geography
Location:
North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific
Ocean, between Canada and Mexico
Map references:
North America
Area:
total area:
9,372,610 sq km
land area:
9,166,600 sq km
comparative area:
about 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 smaller than China; about two and one-half times the size of
Western Europe
note:
includes only the 50 states and District of Columbia
Land boundaries:
total 12,248 km, Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska), Cuba 29
km (US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay), Mexico 3,326 km
Coastline:
19,924 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
12 nm
continental shelf:
not specified
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
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; Republic of Marshall Islands
claims Wake Island
Climate:
mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida and 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
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:
20%
permanent crops:
0%
Geography
meadows and pastures:
26%
forest and woodland:
29%
other:
25%
Irrigated land:
181,020 sq km (1989 est.)
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
natural hazards:
tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquake activity around Pacific Basin;
hurricanes along the Atlantic coast; tornadoes in the midwest; mudslides in
California; forest fires in the west; flooding; permafrost in northern
Alaska is a major impediment to development
international agreements:
party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Antarctic Treaty,
Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine
Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection,
Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not
ratified - Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental
Protocol, Biodiversity, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Tropical Timber
94
Note:
world's fourth-largest country (after Russia, Canada, and China)
People
Population:
263,814,032 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
22% (female 28,391,451; male 29,845,630)
15-64 years:
65% (female 86,454,415; male 85,474,002)
65 years and over:
13% (female 19,949,978; male 13,698,559) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.02% (1995 est.)
Birth rate:
15.25 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate:
8.38 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate:
3.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
7.88 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
75.99 years
male:
72.8 years
female:
79.7 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.08 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
American(s)
adjective:
American
Ethnic divisions:
white 83.4%, black 12.4%, Asian 3.3%, Native American 0.8% (1992)
Religions:
Protestant 56%, Roman Catholic 28%, Jewish 2%, other 4%, none 10% (1989)
Languages:
English, Spanish (spoken by a sizable minority)
Literacy:
age 15 and over has completed five or more years of schooling (1979)
total population:
97%
male:
97%
female:
97%
Labor force:
131.056 million (includes unemployed) (1994)
by occupation:
managerial and professional 27.5%, technical, sales and administrative
support 30.3%, services 13.7%, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and
crafts 25.5%, farming, forestry, and fishing 2.9%
Government
Names:
conventional long form:
United States of America
conventional short form:
United States
Abbreviation:
US or USA
Digraph:
US
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 has 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 England)
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 and head of government:
President William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January 1993); Vice President
Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993); election last held 3 November 1992
(next to be held 5 November 1996); results - William Jefferson CLINTON
(Democratic Party) 43.2%, George BUSH (Republican Party) 37.7%, Ross PEROT
(Independent) 19.0%, other 0.1%
cabinet:
Cabinet; appointed by the president with Senate approval
Legislative branch:
bicameral Congress
Government
Senate:
elections last held 8 November 1994 (next to be held 5 November 1996);
results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (100 total) Republican Party
54, Democratic Party 46
House of Representatives:
elections last held 8 November 1994 (next to be held 5 November 1996);
results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (435 total) Republican Party
231, Democratic Party 203, independent 1
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
Republican Party, Haley BARBOUR, national committee chairman; Jeanie AUSTIN,
co-chairman; Democratic Party, David C. WILHELM, national committee
chairman; several other groups or parties of minor political significance
Member of:
AfDB, AG (observer), ANZUS, APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CP, EBRD,
ECE, ECLAC, ESCAP, FAO, G- 2, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NATO,
NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNHCR,
UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNITAR, UNMIH, UNOMOZ, UNPROFOR, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Flag:
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
Economy
Overview:
The US has the most powerful, diverse, and technologically advanced economy
in the world, with a per capita GDP of $25,850, the largest among major
industrial nations. The economy is market oriented with most decisions made
by private individuals and business firms and with government purchases of
goods and services made predominantly in the marketplace. In 1989 the
economy enjoyed its seventh successive year of substantial growth, the
longest in peacetime history. The expansion featured moderation in wage and
consumer price increases and a steady reduction in unemployment to 5.2% of
the labor force. In 1990, however, growth slowed to 1% because of a
combination of factors, such as the worldwide increase in interest rates,
Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in August, the subsequent spurt in oil prices, and
a general decline in business and consumer confidence. In 1991 output fell
by 0.6%, unemployment grew, and signs of recovery proved premature. Growth
picked up to 2.3% in 1992 and to 3.1% in 1993. Unemployment, however,
declined only gradually, the increase in GDP being mainly attributable to
gains in output per worker. The year 1994 witnessed a solid 4% gain in real
output, a low inflation rate of 2.6%, and a drop in unemployment below 6%.
The capture of both houses of Congress by the Republicans in the elections
of 8 November 1994 means substantial changes are likely in US economic
policy, including changes in the ways the US will address its major economic
problems in 1995-96. These problems include inadequate investment in
economic infrastructure, rapidly rising medical costs of an aging
population, and sizable budget and trade deficits.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power parity - $6.7384 trillion (1994)
National product real growth rate:
4.1% (1994)
National product per capita:
$25,850 (1994)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.6% (1994)
Unemployment rate:
5.5% (March 1995)
Budget:
revenues:
$1.258 trillion
expenditures:
$1.461 trillion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1994)
Exports:
$513 billion (f.o.b., 1994)
commodities:
capital goods, automobiles, industrial supplies and raw materials, consumer
goods, agricultural products
partners:
Western Europe 24.3%, Canada 22.1%, Japan 10.5% (1993)
Imports:
$664 billion (c.i.f., 1994)
commodities:
crude oil and refined petroleum products, machinery, automobiles, consumer
goods, industrial raw materials, food and beverages
partners:
Canada, 19.3%, Western Europe 18.1%, Japan 18.1% (1993)
External debt:
$NA
Industrial production:
growth rate 5.4% (1994 est.)
Economy
Electricity:
capacity:
695,120,000 kW
production:
3.1 trillion kWh
consumption per capita:
11,236 kWh (1993)
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
Agriculture:
accounts for 2% of GDP and 2.9% of labor force; favorable climate and soils
support a wide variety of crops and livestock production; world's second
largest producer and number one exporter of grain; surplus food producer;
fish catch of 4.4 million metric tons (1990)
Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of cannabis for domestic consumption with 1987 production
estimated at 3,500 metric tons or about 25% of the available marijuana;
ongoing eradication program aimed at small plots and greenhouses has not
reduced production
Economic aid:
donor:
commitments, including ODA and OOF, (FY80-89), $115.7 billion
Currency:
1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
British pounds:
(#) per US$ - 0.6350 (January 1995), 0.6529 (1994), 0.6033 (1993), 0.5664
(1992), 0.5652 (1991), 0.5603 (1990)
Canadian dollars:
(Can$) per US$ - 1.4129 (January 1995), 1.3656 (1994), 1.2901 (1993), 1.2087
(1992), 1.1457 (1991), 1.1668 (1990)
French francs:
(F) per US$ - 5.2943 (January 1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938
(1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453 (1990)
Italian lire:
(Lit) per US$ - 1,609.5 (January 1995), 1,612.4 (1994), 1,573.7 (1993),
1,232.4 (1992), 1,240.6 (1991), 1,198.1 (1990)
Japanese yen:
(Y) per US$ - 99.75 (January 1995), 102.21 (1994), 111.20 (1993), 126.65
(1992), 134.71 (1991), 144.79 (1990)
German deutsche marks:
(DM) per US$ - 1.5313 (January 1995), 1.6228 (1994), 1.6533 (1993), 1.5617
(1992), 1.6595 (1991), 1.6157 (1990)
Fiscal year:
1 October - 30 September
Transportation
Railroads:
total:
240,000 km mainline routes (nongovernment owned)
standard gauge:
240,000 km 1.435-m gauge (1989)
Highways:
total:
6,243,163 km
paved:
3,633,520 km (including 84,865 km of expressways)
unpaved:
2,609,643 km (1990)
Inland waterways:
41,009 km of navigable inland channels, exclusive of the Great Lakes (est.)
Pipelines:
petroleum 276,000 km; natural gas 331,000 km (1991)
Ports:
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:
354 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 11,462,000 GRT/16,477,000 DWT
ships by type:
bulk 22, cargo 28, chemical tanker 16, intermodal 130, liquefied gas tanker
13, passenger-cargo 2, tanker 130, tanker tug-barge 13
note:
in addition, there are 189 government-owned vessels
Airports:
total:
15,032
with paved runways over 3,047 m:
181
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m:
208
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m:
1,242
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m:
2,489
with paved runways under 914 m:
8,994
with unpaved runways over 3,047 m:
1
with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m:
7
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m:
180
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m:
1,730
Communications
Telephone system:
126,000,000 telephones; 7,557,000 cellular telephones
local:
NA
intercity:
large system of fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and
domestic satellites
international:
16 satellites and 24 ocean cable systems in use; 61 INTELSAT (45 Atlantic
Ocean and 16 Pacific Ocean) earth stations (1990)
Radio:
broadcast stations:
AM 4,987, FM 4,932, shortwave 0
radios:
530 million
Television:
broadcast stations:
1,092 (about 9,000 cable TV systems)
televisions:
193 million
Defense Forces
Branches:
Department of the Army, Department of the Navy (includes Marine Corps),
Department of the Air Force
Defense expenditures:
$284.4 billion, 4.2% of GDP (1994 est.)
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The World Factbook 1995,
SuDoc No: PREX 3.15:995
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