UNITED STATES
GEOGRAPHY
Total area: 9,372,610 km2; land area: 9,166,600 km2; includes only
the 50 states and District of Colombia
Comparative area: about four-tenths the size of USSR; about
one-third 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
Land boundaries: 12,248 km total; Canada 8,893 km (including
2,477 km with Alaska), Mexico 3,326 km, Cuba (US naval base at
Guantanamo) 29 km
Coastline: 19,924 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
Continental shelf: not specified;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: maritime boundary disputes with Canada; US Naval Base at
Guantanamo 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; Marshall Islands claims Wake Island
Climate: mostly temperate, but varies from tropical (Hawaii) to
arctic (Alaska); arid to semiarid in west with occasional warm, dry
chinook wind
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, crude oil, natural gas, timber
Land use: arable land 20%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and
pastures 26%; forest and woodland 29%; other 25%; includes irrigated 2%
Environment: pollution control measures improving air and water
quality; acid rain; agricultural fertilizer and pesticide pollution;
management of sparse natural water resources in west; desertification;
tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquake activity around Pacific Basin;
continuous permafrost in northern Alaska is a major impediment to
development
Note: world's fourth-largest country (after USSR, Canada, and
China)
PEOPLE
Population: 252,502,000 (July 1991), growth rate 0.8% (1991)
Birth rate: 15 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Net migration rate: 2 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 79 years female (1991)
Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1991)
Nationality: noun--American(s); adjective--American
Ethnic divisions: white 85%, black 12%, other 3% (1985)
Religion: Protestant 61% (Baptist 21%, Methodist 12%, Lutheran 8%,
Presbyterian 4%, Episcopalian 3%, other Protestant 13%), Roman Catholic
25%, Jewish 2%, other 5%, none 7%
Language: predominantly English; sizable Spanish-speaking minority
Literacy: 97% (male 97%, female 97%) age 15 and over having
completed 5 or more years of schooling (1980)
Labor force: 126,424,000 (includes armed forces and unemployed);
civilian labor force 124,787,000 (1990)
Organized labor: 16,729,000 members; 16.1% of total wage and
salary employment which was 103,905,000 (1990)
GOVERNMENT
Long-form name: United States of America; abbreviated US or USA
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
Independence: 4 July 1776 (from England)
Constitution: 17 September 1787, effective 4 June 1789
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.
Since 18 July 1947, the US has administered the Trust Territory of the
Pacific Islands, but recently entered into a new political relationship
with three of the four political units. The Northern Mariana Islands is
a Commonwealth associated with the US (effective 3 November 1986). Palau
concluded a Compact of Free Association with the US that was approved by
the US Congress but to date the Compact process has not been completed in
Palau, which continues to be administered by the US as the Trust
Territory of the Pacific Islands. 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).
Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of
legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday: Independence Day, 4 July (1776)
Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral Congress consists of an upper house
or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--President George BUSH
(since 20 January 1989); Vice President Dan QUAYLE (since
20 January 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
Republican Party, Clayton YEUTTER, national committee chairman; Jeanie
AUSTIN, co-chairman;
Democratic Party, Ronald H. BROWN, national committee chairman;
several other groups or parties of minor political significance
Suffrage: universal at age 18
Elections:
President--last held 8 November 1988
(next to be held 3 November 1992);
results--George BUSH (Republican Party) 53.37%,
Michael DUKAKIS (Democratic Party) 45.67%, other 0.96%;
Senate--last held 6 November 1990
(next to be held 3 November 1992);
results--Democratic Party 51%, Republican Party 47%, other 2%;
seats--(100 total) Democratic Party 56, Republican Party 44;
House of Representatives--last held 6 November 1990
(next to be held 3 November 1992);
results--Democratic Party 52%, Republican Party 44%, other 4%;
seats--(435 total) Democratic Party 267, Republican Party 167,
Socialist 1
Communists: Communist Party (claimed 15,000-20,000 members), Gus
HALL, general secretary; Socialist Workers Party (claimed 1,800 members),
Jack BARNES, national secretary
Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), ANZUS, APEC, AsDB, BIS,
CCC, COCOM, CP, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, FAO, ESCAP, G-2, G-5, G-7, G-8,
G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO,
IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS,
NATO, NEA, OAS, OECD, PCA, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UN
Security Council, UN Trusteeship Council, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation: US Representative to the UN,
Ambassador Thomas R. PICKERING; Mission at 799 United Nations Plaza,
New York, NY 10017; telephone (212) 415-4444 (afternoon hours)
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 GNP
of $21,800, the largest among major industrial nations. 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. Ongoing problems for the
1990s include inadequate investment in education and other economic
infrastructure, rapidly rising medical costs, and sizable budget and
trade deficits.
GNP: $5,465 billion, per capita $21,800; real growth rate 1.0%
(1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.4% (1990)
Unemployment rate: 5.5% (1990)
Budget: revenues $1,106 billion; expenditures $1,272 billion,
including capital expenditures of $NA (FY90 est.)
Exports: $393.9 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
commodities--capital goods, automobiles, industrial supplies and
raw materials, consumer goods, agricultural products;
partners--Western Europe 27.3%, Canada 22.1%, Japan 12.1% (1989)
Imports: $516.2 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
commodities--crude and partly refined petroleum, machinery,
automobiles, consumer goods, industrial raw materials, food and
beverages;
partners--Western Europe 21.5%, Japan 19.7%, Canada 18.8% (1989)
External debt: $581 billion (December 1989)
Industrial production: growth rate 1.0% (1990)
Electricity: 776,550,000 kW capacity; 3,020,000 million kWh
produced, 12,080 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries: leading industrial power in the world, highly
diversified; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace,
telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer
goods, fishing, lumber, mining
Agriculture: accounts for 2% of GNP and 2.8% 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 5.0 million metric tons
(1988)
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),
$115.7 billion
Currency: United States dollar (plural--dollars);
1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: British pounds (L) per US$--0.5171 (January
1991), 0.5603 (1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817
(1986), 0.7714 (1985);
Canadian dollars (Can$) per US$--1.1559 (January 1991), 1.1668
(1990), 1.1840 (1989), 1.2307 (1988), 1.3260 (1987), 1.3895 (1986),
1.3655 (1985);
French francs (F) per US$--5.1307 (January 1991), 5.4453 (1990),
6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261 (1986), 8.9852
(1985);
Italian lire (Lit) per US$--1,134.4 (January 1991), 1,198.1 (1990),
1.372.1 (1989), 1,301.6 (1988), 1,296.1 (1987), 1,490.8 (1986), 1,909.4
(1985);
Japanese yen (Y) per US$--133.88 (January 1991), 144.79 (1990),
137.96 (1989), 128.15 (1988), 144.64 (1987), 168.52 (1986), 238.54
(1985);
German deutsche marks (DM) per US$--1.5100 (January 1991), 1.6157
(1990), 1.8800 (1989), 1.7562 (1988), 1.7974 (1987), 2.1715 (1986),
2.9440 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
COMMUNICATIONS
Railroads: 270,312 km
Highways: 6,365,590 km, including 88,641 km expressways
Inland waterways: 41,009 km of navigable inland channels, exclusive
of the Great Lakes (est.)
Pipelines: 275,800 km petroleum, 305,300 km natural gas (1985)
Ports: Anchorage, Baltimore, Beaumont, Boston, Charleston,
Cleveland, Duluth, Freeport, Galveston, Hampton Roads, Honolulu, Houston,
Jacksonville, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Mobile, New Orleans,
New York, Philadelphia, Portland (Oregon), Richmond (California), San
Francisco, Savannah, Seattle, Tampa, Wilmington
Merchant marine: 404 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling NA
GRT/NA DWT); includes 3 passenger-cargo, 44 cargo, 23 bulk,
180 tanker, 13 tanker tug-barge, 11 liquefied gas, 130
intermodal; in addition there are 231 government-owned vessels
Civil air: 3,297 commercial multiengine transport aircraft,
including 2,989 jet, 231 turboprop, 77 piston (1985)
Airports: 14,177 total, 12,417 usable; 4,820 with permanent
surface-runways; 63 with runways over 3,659 m; 325 with runways
2,440-3,659 m; 2,524 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: 182,558,000 telephones; stations--4,892 AM,
5,200 FM (including 3,915 commercial and 1,285 public broadcasting),
7,296 TV (including 796 commercial, 300 public broadcasting, and 6,200
commercial cable); 495,000,000 radio receivers (1982); 150,000,000 TV
sets (1982); satellite communications ground stations--45 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT and 16 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT
DEFENSE FORCES
Branches: Department of the Army, Department of the Navy (including
Marine Corps), Department of the Air Force
Manpower availability: males 15-49, 66,458,000; NA fit for military
service
Defense expenditures: $312.9 billion, 5.7% of GNP (1990)