| Country Profile 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) 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. Disputes
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Population and Demographics
United States has a population of 303,824,646 (July 2008 est.) .
| Capital | Washington DC |
| Main urban areas | Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle |
| Ethnic groups | white 77.1%, black 12.9%, Asian 4.2%, Amerindian and Alaska native 1.5%, native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander 0.3%, other 4% (2000) note: a separate listing for Hispanic is not included because the US Census Bureau considers Hispanic to mean a person of Latin American descent (including persons of Cuban, Mexican, or Puerto Rican origin) living in the US who may be of any race or ethnic group (white, black, Asian, etc.) |
| Languages spoken | English, Spanish (spoken by a sizeable minority) |
| Population age 0-14: 20.1% (m 31,257,108/f 29,889,645) |  | | |
| 0-14 | 15-64 | 65+ | |
| Gender ratios At birth: 1.05 m/f , 0-14: 1.05 m/f , 15-64: 1 m/f , 65+: 0.73 m/f | |||
Changing Population (Life expectancy, births, deaths and fertility)
The population growth rate for United States is 0.883% (2008 est.) (world growth rate at 2006 is 1.14%). The country also saw migration of 3.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.). The median age of the country is total: 36.7 years male: 35.4 years female: 38.1 years (2008 est.).
Note: on the graphs, world figures are represented by a red bar, figures for United States are illustrated with a green bar.
| Life Expectancy: | Total population: 78.14 years Male: 75.29 years Female: 81.13 years (2008 est.) |  [78.14] [64.77][Male:, m] [63.16, m][, f][66.47, f] |
| Fertility: | 2.1 children born/woman (2008 est.) | [2.1][2.59] |
| Births: | 14.18 births/1,000 population (2008 est.) | [14.18][20.05] |
| Deaths: | 8.27 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.) | [8.27][8.67] |
| Infants: | Total: 6.3 deaths/1,000 live births Male: 6.95 deaths/1,000 live births Female: 5.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.) | [6.3][48.87][6.95, m][50.98, m][5.62, f][46.65, f] |
Country Outline Map
United States is located in North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico, in the timezone GMT -5 to -8 (mainland), -9 (Alaska). The country has boundaries of 12,034 - Canada 8,893 (including 2,477 with Alaska), Mexico 3,141 (km), and a coastline of 19,924 (km). Major urban areas: Washington DC, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle .
Elevations
Lowest point: Death Valley -86 m
Highest point: Mount McKinley 6,194 m
Physical Features
Great Lakes, Rocky Mountains, Appalachian Mountains, Sierra Nevada mountains, Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Lake Superior (82,260 km2), Lake Huron (59,580 km2), Lake Michigan (58,020 km2), Lake Erie (25,710 km2), Mississippi river (6,020 km), Great Basin desert (492,000 km2), Sonoran desert (310,000 km2), Ribbon waterfalls, Niagara Falls, Mt St Helens, Mt Rainier, Lassen Peak volcano, Katmai volcano (Alaska). Hawaiian islands feature Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes and Mauna Kea mountain
Hazards
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
Natural Resources
Land Use
Arable land: 18.01% permanent crops: 0.21% other: 81.78% (2005)
Renewable Water Resources
3,069 cu km (1985)
Fresh Water Withdrawal
total: 477 cu km/yr (13%/46%/41%) per capita: 1,600 cu m/yr (2000)
Environmental 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; limited natural fresh water resources in much of the western part of the country require careful management; desertification
Economic Data
Economy Overview
The US has the largest and most technologically powerful economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $46,000. 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 response to the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 showed the remarkable resilience of the economy.
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. The rise in GDP in 2004-07 was undergirded by substantial gains in labor productivity. 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 in 2005-2007 threatened inflation and unemployment, yet the economy continued to grow through year-end 2007.
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 $847 billion in 2007. Together, these problems caused a marked reduction in the value and status of the dollar worldwide in 2007.
Debt and Aid
Debt: $12.25 trillion (30 June 2007)
Aid Given: ODA, $23.53 billion (2006)
Aid Received: $NA
Labour Force
Number in labour force: 153.1 million (includes unemployed) (2007 est.)
Sectors: farming, forestry, and fishing 0.6%, manufacturing, extraction, transportation, and crafts 22.6%, managerial, professional, and technical 35.5%, sales and office 24.8%, other services 16.5% note: figures exclude the unemployed (2007)
Unemployment: 4.6% (2007 est.)
GDP Facts and Figures
Currency: US dollar (USD)
GDP: $13.84 trillion (2007 est.)
GDP Per Capita: $45,800 (2007 est.)
GDP Real Growth: 2.2% (2007 est.)
GDP Composition: agriculture: 0.9% industry: 20.5% services: 78.5% (2007 est.)
Production Growth Rate: 0.5% (2007 est.)
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
Land use: arable land: 18.01% permanent crops: 0.21% other: 81.78% (2005)
Exports: 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% (2003)
Electricity Consumption: 3.816 trillion kWh (2005)
Natural Gas Consumption: 604 billion cu m (2005 est.)
Oil Consumption: 20.8 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
A selection of key transport and communications information for United States
Number of main telephone lines
172 million (2006)
Mobile (cellular) phones
233 million (2006)
Radio stations
AM 4,789, FM 8,961, shortwave 19 (2006)
Television stations
2,218 (2006)
Internet users
208 million (2006)
Country internet code
.us
Railways
None
Highways
total: 6,407,637 km paved: 4,164,964 km (including 74,950 km of expressways) unpaved: 2,242,673 km (2004)
Waterways
41,009 km (19,312 km used for commerce) note: Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint Lawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with Canada (2004)
Pipelines
petroleum products 244,620 km; natural gas 548,665 km (2003)
Ports and harbours
Corpus Christi, Duluth, Hampton Roads, Houston, Long Beach, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Tampa, Texas City note: 13 ports north of New Orleans (South Louisiana Ports) on the Mississippi River handle 290,000,000 tons of cargo annually
Airports
14,947 (2007)
Heliports
146 (2007)
