United States vacations
British Airways November SaleUnited States - General Country Information
Introduction
Geography
Travel Weather
People
Government
Economy
Communications
Military
Transnational Issues
Travel Weather
Travel Weather:
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New York - any time is great to visit, but the winter gets a bit cold, so the summer months are usually the most popular ones among most tourists. Spring time is probably more recommended. West Coast - the West Coast is always a good for traveling. It's pleasant year round preferred weather between mid-September to mid-October, along with all of May and early June. Cooling down from November to February, there can be snow in the North and some rain in the South. |
Introduction
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General Information:
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The capital of United States is Washington, DC.
Major cities of United States are: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Dallas, Detroit, Durham, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Worth/Dallas, Hartford, Honolulu, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, Nashville, New York, Newark, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, Tampa, Washington, Washington DC, Windsor Locks. |
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 |
| Coordinates: | 38 00 N, 97 00 W |
| Area: | total: 9,631,418 sq km
land: 9,161,923 sq km water: 469,495 sq km note: includes only the 50 states and District of Columbia |
| Area 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; about two and a half times the size of Western Europe |
| 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 29 km |
| Coastline: | 19,924 km |
| Maritime Claims: | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: not specified |
| 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: 19.13%
permanent crops: 0.22% other: 80.65% (2001) |
| Irrigated Land: | 214,000 sq km (1998 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; 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, 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 |
| 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 |
People
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Population:
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293,027,571 (July 2004 est.) |
| Age Structure: | total: 36 years
male: 34.7 years female: 37.4 years (2004 est.) |
| Population Growth Rate: | 0.92% (2004 est.) |
| Birth Rate: | 14.13 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death Rate: | 8.34 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Migration Rate: | 3.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Sex Ratio: | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Infant Mortality Rate: | total: 6.63 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 7.31 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
| Expectancy Birth: | total population: 77.43 years
male: 74.63 years female: 80.36 years (2004 est.) |
| Fertility Rate: | 2.07 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| HIV Adult Prevalence Rate: | 0.6% (2003 est.) |
| People Living HIV: | 950,000 (2003 est.) |
| HIV Deaths: | 14,000 (2003 est.) |
| Nationality: | noun: American(s)
adjective: American |
| 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.) |
| Religions: | Protestant 52%, Roman Catholic 24%, Mormon 2%, Jewish 1%, Muslim 1%, other 10%, none 10% (2002 est.) |
| 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% (1999 est.) |
Gouvernment
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Country Name:
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conventional long form: United States of America
conventional short form: United States abbreviation: US or USA |
| Government Type: | Constitution-based 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 |
| Independence: | 4 July 1776 (from Great Britain) |
| National Holiday: | Independence Day, 4 July (1776) |
| Constitution: | 17 September 1787, effective 4 March 1789 |
| Legal System: | federal court system based on English common law; each state has its own unique legal system, of which all but one (Louisiana's) is 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); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President George W. BUSH (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 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008) election results: George W. BUSH reelected president; percent of popular vote - George W. BUSH (Republican Party) 50.9%, John KERRY (Democratic Party) 48.1%, other 1.0% |
| Legislative Branch: | bicameral Congress consists of the 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 the House of Representatives (435 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2006); House of Representatives - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2006) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Republican Party 55, Democratic Party 44, independent 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Republican Party 231, Democratic Party 200, undecided 4 |
| Judicial Branch: | Supreme Court (its nine justices are appointed for life on condition of good behavior by the president with confirmation by the Senate); United States Courts of Appeal; United States District Courts; State and County Courts |
| Political Parties Leaders: | Democratic Party [Terence McAULIFFE]; Green Party [leader NA]; Libertarian Party [Steve DASBACH]; Republican Party [Edward GILLESPIE] |
| International Organization Participation: | AfDB, ANZUS, APEC, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CP, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, G-5, G-7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMOVIC, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC |
| 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; the design and colors have been the basis for a number of other flags, including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico |
Economy
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Economy Overview:
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The US has the largest and most technologically powerful economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $37,800. 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 considerably 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 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; 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%. The year 2001 saw the end of boom psychology and performance, with output increasing only 0.3% and unemployment and business failures rising substantially. The response to the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 showed the remarkable resilience of the economy. Moderate recovery took place in 2002 with the GDP growth rate rising to 2.4%. A major short-term problem in first half 2002 was a sharp decline in the stock market, fueled in part by the exposure of dubious accounting practices in some major corporations. The war in March/April 2003 between a US-led coalition and Iraq shifted resources to the military. In 2003, growth in output and productivity and the recovery of the stock market to above 10,000 for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were promising signs. Unemployment stayed at the 6% level, however, and began to decline only at the end of the year. 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. |
| GDP: | purchasing power parity - $10.99 trillion (2003 est.) |
| GDP Growth Rate: | 3.1% (2003 est.) |
| GDP Capital: | purchasing power parity - $37,800 (2003 est.) |
| GDP Composition: | agriculture: 1.4%
industry: 26.2% services: 72.5% (2003 est.) |
| Investment: | 15.2% of GDP (2003) |
| Population Below Poverty Line: | 12% (2003 est.) |
| Household Income: | lowest 10%: 1.8%
highest 10%: 30.5% (1997) |
| Gini Index: | 45 (1997) |
| Inflation Rate: | 2.3% (2003) |
| Labor Force: | 147.4 million (includes unemployed) (2003) |
| Labor Force Occupation: | managerial, professional, and technical 34.9%, sales and office 25.5%, manufacturing, extraction, transportation, and crafts 22.7%, other services 16.3%, farming, forestry, and fishing 0.7%
note: figures exclude the unemployed (2004) |
| Unemployment Rate: | 6% (2003) |
| Budget: | revenues: $1.782 trillion
expenditures: $2.156 trillion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003) |
| Public Debt: | 62.4% of GDP (2003) |
| Agriculture Products: | wheat, corn, other grains, fruits, vegetables, cotton; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; forest products; fish |
| 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 |
| Industry Production Growth Rate: | 0.3% (2003 est.) |
| Electricity Production: | 3.719 trillion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity Consumption: | 3.602 trillion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity Exports: | 18.17 billion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity Imports: | 38.48 billion kWh (2001) |
| Oil Production: | 8.054 million bbl/day (2001 est.) |
| Oil Consumption: | 19.65 million bbl/day (2001 est.) |
| Oil Exports: | NA (2001) |
| Oil Imports: | NA (2001) |
| Oil Proved Reserves: | 22.45 billion bbl (1 January 2002) |
| Natural Gas Production: | 548.1 billion cu m (2001 est.) |
| Natural Gas Consumption: | 640.9 billion cu m (2001 est.) |
| Natural Gas Exports: | 11.16 billion cu m (2001 est.) |
| Natural Gas Imports: | 114.1 billion cu m (2001 est.) |
| Natural Gas Proved Reserves: | 5.195 trillion cu m (1 January 2002) |
| Current Account Balance: | $-541.8 billion (2003) |
| Exports: | $714.5 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
| Exports Commodities: | capital goods, automobiles, industrial supplies and raw materials, consumer goods, agricultural products |
| Exports Partners: | Canada 23.4%, Mexico 13.5%, Japan 7.2%, UK 4.7%, Germany 4% (2003) |
| Imports: | $1.26 trillion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
| Imports Commodities: | crude oil and refined petroleum products, machinery, automobiles, consumer goods, industrial raw materials, food and beverages |
| Imports Partners: | Canada 17.4%, China 12.5%, Mexico 10.7%, Japan 9.3%, Germany 5.3% (2003) |
| Reserves: | $85.94 billion (2003) |
| Debt External: | $1.4 trillion (2001 est.) |
| Currency: | US dollar (USD) |
| Currency Code: | USD |
| Exchange Rates: | British pounds per US dollar - 0.6139 (2003), 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), Canadian dollars per US dollar - 1.4045 (2003), 1.5693 (2002), 1.5488 (2001), 1.4851 (2000), 1.4857 (1999), Japanese yen per US dollar - 116.08 (2003), 125.39 (2002), 121.53 (2001), 107.77 (2000), 113.91 (1999), euros per US dollar - 0.8866 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.08540 (2000), 0.93863 (1999) |
| Fiscal Year: | 1 October - 30 September |
Communications
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Telephones Lines Use:
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181,599,900 (2003) |
| Mobile Cellular: | 158.722 million (2003) |
| 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; 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 Stations: | AM 4,762, FM 5,542, shortwave 18 (1998) |
| Television 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) |
| Internet Code: | .us |
| Internet Hosts: | 115,311,958 (2002) |
| Internet Users: | 159 million (2002) |
Military
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Military Branches:
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Army, Navy and Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard (Coast Guard administered in peacetime by the Department of Homeland Security, but in wartime reports to the Department of the Navy) |
| Military Age Obligation: | 18 years of age (2004 est.) |
| Military Availability: | males age 15-49: 73,597,731 (2004 est.) |
| Fit Military Service: | NA (2004 est.) |
| Reaching Military Age Annually: | males: 2,124,164 (2004 est.) |
| Military Expenditures Dollar Figure: | $370.7 billion (FY04 est.) (March 2003) |
| Military Expenditures Percent GDP: | 3.3% (FY03 est.) (February 2004) |
Transnational Issues
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Disputes International:
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Prolonged drought, population growth, and outmoded practices and infrastructure in the border region has strained water-sharing arrangements with Mexico; undocumented nationals from Mexico and Central America continue to enter the United States illegally; 1990 Maritime Boundary Agreement in the Bering Sea still awaits Russian Duma ratification; managed maritime boundary disputes with Canada at Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and around the disputed Machias Seal Island and North Rock; The Bahamas have not been able to agree on a maritime boundary; 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 US-administered 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 state; 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 |
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