{"id":15541,"date":"2020-07-03T03:00:49","date_gmt":"2020-07-03T07:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mapsofworld.com\/answers\/?p=15541"},"modified":"2024-03-14T09:08:53","modified_gmt":"2024-03-14T13:08:53","slug":"what-are-the-key-facts-of-united-states-of-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mapsofworld.com\/answers\/geography\/what-are-the-key-facts-of-united-states-of-america\/","title":{"rendered":"What are the Key Facts of United States of America?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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\n 4.8\/5 - (13 votes) <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\"US<\/a>
Map of USA<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/colgroup>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Official Name<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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United States of America<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Continent<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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North America<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Capital<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Washington, D.C.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Largest City<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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New York City<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Coordinates<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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38.000000, -97.000000<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Area<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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9,833,520 sq. mi ( 3,796,742 sq. km)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Land Boundaries<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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7,575 mi ( 12,191 km)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Coastline<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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12,380 mi ( 19,920 km)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Currency<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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United States dollar ($) (USD)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Neighboring Countries<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Canada, Mexico. Maritime neighbors- Russia, Cuba, The Bahamas<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Population<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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327,167,434 (2018 est. )<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Official Languages<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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No official language. (English is spoken by majority of the population )<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Major Religion<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Christianity<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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National Day<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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4 July (Independence Day)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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National Anthem<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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“The Star-Spangled Banner”<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Form of Government<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Federal presidential constitutional republic<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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President<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Donald Trump<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Vice President<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Mike Pence<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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GDP per capita (PPP)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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$ 62,641.0 (World Bank, 2018) <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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GDP per capita (nominal)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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$ 62,641.0 (World Bank, 2018)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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HDI<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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0.924 (2017), Rank: 13<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Literacy Rate<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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NA<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Space Agency<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Military Expenditure Ranking<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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1 (SIPRI, 2017)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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No. of Olympic Medals <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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2,827 (as of 2018)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Driving Side <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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right<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Calling Code<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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+1<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Time Zone<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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UTC\u22123.5 to \u22128, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Summer (DST) UTC\u22122.5 to \u22127<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Internet TLD<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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.us<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Where is the United States of America?<\/span><\/h2>\n

The United States of America is located in North America\u2019s western hemisphere. It shares its border in the north with Canada, in the east with the Atlantic Ocean, in the south with Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico, and in the west with the Pacific Ocean. For more informational maps related to USA, check our Thematic Maps<\/a> section.<\/span><\/p>\n

The 49th state of the United States is Alaska, which is separated from the contiguous USA by Canada. It shares its boundary in the north with the Arctic Ocean and the Beaufort Sea, in the east by Canada, in the south by the Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, and the Pacific Ocean, in the west by the Arctic Ocean, Chukchi Sea, Bering Strait, and the Bering Sea.<\/span><\/p>\n

The 50th state of the United States is Hawaii (located in the southwest of North America), which is located in Oceania. It is composed entirely of islands, which occupy most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean. In Polynesia, it is the northernmost island group.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is the Geography of the United States of America?<\/h2>\n

The United States of America (including 50 states as well as the District of Columbia) has a total area of 9,833,517 sq. km (3,796,742 sq. miles), out of which 9,147,593 sq. km (3,531,905 sq. miles) is land area and 685,924 sq. km (264836 sq. miles) is water area.<\/span><\/p>\n

While the total land boundary of the USA is 12,048 km (7,486 miles), the coastline is 19,924 km (12,380 miles). Alaska is the largest state in USA<\/a>, spread across an area of 1,717,856.2 sq km (663,268 sq miles) and Rhode Island<\/a> is the smallest state in USA<\/a>. Hawaii in the central Pacific region has an area of 28,311 sq km (10,931 sq miles).<\/span><\/p>\n

The terrains of the USA include vast plain in the central part, mountains in the western USA, low mountains\/hills in the eastern region, broad river valleys as well as rugged mountains in Alaska, and Hawaii\u2019s rugged and volcanic topography.<\/span><\/p>\n

While the highest point in North America is Mount McKinley\u2019s Denali (6,190 m or 20,308 feet), the lowest point is Death Valley (86 m or 282 feet). The mean elevation is 760 meter or 2493 feet. Mountain ranges in the United States are Alaska Range, Saint Elias Mountains, Wrangell Mountains, Sierra Nevada, Sawatch Range, Cascade Range, and many more.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some of the highest peaks are Denali, Mount Saint Elias, Mount Foraker, Mount Bona, Mount Blackburn, Mount Sanford, and others.<\/span><\/p>\n

The major rivers of the USA are Mississippi River, Ohio River, Rio Grande River, Colorado River, and Hudson River. Thousands of lakes (natural and man-made) are there in the US. Some of the largest ones are Okeechobee, Iliamna, Lake of the Woods, Great Salt Lake, Ontario, Erie, Michigan, Huron, and Superior.<\/span><\/p>\n

As the United States of America is a vast country, the climate varies from one place to the other. In general, the USA\u2019s climate can be categorized as continental. Cold winters and hot summers characterize it. However, the duration of different seasons depends on the latitude as well as the distance from the sea.<\/span><\/p>\n

The west coast\u2019s climate is cold and damp in the northern part. In its southern region, the climate is the Mediterranean. In the case of the Gulf of Mexico\u2019s coast, the winter is mild, and the summer is hot and muggy. In Florida, the climate is tropical. Therefore, the winter is cold, and the summer is cool-to-cold in the mountainous regions. The deserts in Florida have scorching hot summer and mild winter.<\/span><\/p>\n

The United States experiences sudden cold waves in the winter season because of the cold air masses from Canada. This is because of the lack of obstacles between the two countries. When these cold spells take place in the winter, the temperature drops significantly below 0 \u00b0C or 32 \u00b0F. These spells can be intense and prolonged in the inland regions, the north-east, and the highlands.<\/span><\/p>\n

Just like the cold spells, the heat waves during summer can be intense too, especially in the inland regions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While the western part of the US is more arid than the eastern regions, the north-central coast of the Pacific Ocean is predominantly rainy.<\/span><\/p>\n

The western parts of the USA mainly have mountains, plateaus, and desert areas (vast and arid). The central-eastern part of the United States mostly has hills, low mountains, and flat earth. That\u2019s why the climate is rainy and more humid. This area is vast, and that\u2019s why the climatic differences are significantly different. Air masses clash in this part of the US, which makes the climate unstable and any meteorological phenomena (be it tornadoes, blizzards, hail, or storms) can be violent.<\/span><\/p>\n

The air masses that come from Canada are generally dry and cold. However, as they pass over the Great Lakes, they pick up moisture. The air masses from the Gulf of Mexico are characterized as warm and moist. Higher temperature variations can be experienced in the Great Plains. However, in comparison to the East Coast, they are less humid and rainy, especially in the winter season.<\/span><\/p>\n

US National Park<\/h3>\n

The United States is known for the spectacular variety of its natural landscapes, also available in many valleys of the national parks. The captivating scenery and rugged charm of its many natural attractions are best witnessed in the 58 national parks and nature preserves that dot the country. Check this US National Parks Map <\/a>locating all the national parks in the US.<\/p>\n

What is the Economy of the United States of America?<\/span><\/h3>\n

The United States economy is a highly developed mixed economy whose nominal GDP reached US$20.49 trillion in 2018 (World Bank). The nominal GDP increased at a rate of 2.9% in 2018.<\/span><\/p>\n

The United States of America is a highly diversified and world-leading industrial economy, having the second most prodigious industrial output in the world. Its currency is the US Dollar, the most dominant currency in international transactions.<\/span><\/p>\n

The US Dollar is the leading reserve currency of the world, thanks to the system of the petrodollar, its central role in a wide array of international institutions since World War 2, the full faith of the US government in reimbursing its debt, and adequate backing from its military as well as science and technology.<\/span><\/p>\n

The largest trading partners of the United States are China, Canada, Germany, Japan, South Korea, France, UK, Taiwan, and India. Abundant resources (US$45 trillion total estimated value, second highest in the world), high productivity, and well-developed infrastructure help the economy grow. Among the OECD countries, the US citizens have the highest average income (both household and employee).<\/span><\/p>\n

The USA is also the largest oil and natural gas producer in the world. Reports say 1\/5th of the total global manufacturing output takes place in this country. The economy is dominated by the services sector, contributing around 80% to the GDP and employing over 79% of the total labor force of the country. The entire US trade is US$4.92 trillion (2016). Over 134 out of the top 500 companies in the world are headquartered in the USA.<\/span><\/p>\n

It has the largest consumer market in the world. As it tops the Global Competitiveness Report as well as ranks high in the Ease of Doing Business Index (no.8 in 2019), it attracts immigrants from across the globe. It has the highest net immigration rate in the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

The figures of 2018 show that the total exports of the United States are US$1.66 trillion, and the total imports are US$2.54 trillion. After touching a high of 9.63% in 2010, unemployment declined to 3.93% in 2018 (World Bank). Also, only around 1.2% of the population was living below the international poverty line of US$1.90 per day in 2016.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is the Transportation System of the United States of America?<\/span><\/h3>\n

Roadways, airways, railways, and waterways (especially on boats) are the significant means of transportation in the USA. While most of the shorter distance passenger travels take place on the automobile, most of the longer distance ones take place on airways. Railroads, trucks, pipeline, and boats are the preferred modes of cargo travel. Whether it is the perishables or premium express shipments, they are shipped on air.<\/span><\/p>\n

More than 3.9 million miles of highly developed highways make passenger transportation easy. Passenger vehicles (cars, vans, trucks, and motorcycles) dominate road transportation, accounting for 86% of the passenger miles traveled. Airways, railways, and buses handle the remaining 14% of the traveled passenger miles. Almost all of the non-commuter intercity traffic is carried by the airlines. The US has the highest per-capita vehicle ownership rate (865 vehicles per 1,000 Americans) in the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are 13,513 airports in the US (5,054 paved and 8,459 unpaved). 293,564 km (963,136 miles) of standard gauge railways are present in the country. 41,009 km (134, 544 miles) of waterways is current in the USA, out of which 19,312 km (12,000 miles) are used for commerce. However, some waterways such as 3,769 km (2342 miles) of Saint Lawrence Seaway and 3,058 km (1900 miles) of Saint Lawrence River waterways are shared with Canada. The US owns 3,692 merchant marine (including five bulk carriers, 61 container ship, 115 general cargo, 71 oil tanker, and 3,440 others).<\/span><\/p>\n

Haymark and LOOP are the main terminals. Miami, Port Canaveral, Port Everglades, Long Beach, and Seattle are the main cruise departure ports for the passengers. The primary cargo ports of the country are Baton Rouge, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Houston, Hampton Roads, Corpus Christi, Baton Rouge, Texas City, Tampa, Plaquemines (LA), New York, and New Orleans.<\/span><\/p>\n

What International Organizations is the United States of America Part Of?<\/span><\/h3>\n

WTO, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IMF, WHO, ADB (nonregional member), Interpol, AfDB (nonregional member), Paris Club, ANZUS, NATO, APEC, PIF (partner), Arctic Council, NAFTA, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, UN, CD, CP, UNCTAD, EAPC, EAS, EBRD, EITI (implementing country), UNESCO, FAO, FATF, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, UNHCR, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMO, IMSO, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNRWA, UNSC (permanent), UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WIPO, WMO, ZC, CERN (observer), BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CE (observer), CICA (observer), Pacific Alliance (observer), SAARC (observer), SELEC (observer), SICA (observer)<\/span><\/p>\n

Facts About USA<\/h2>\n
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