Merlin L.K Watson

Political Science

Fact Page

United States

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.

   Geography    United States

North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico

38 00 N, 97 00 W

North America

total: 9,629,091 sq km

land: 9,158,960 sq km

water: 470,131 sq km

note: includes only the 50 states and District of Columbia

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

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 thus remains part of Cuba; the base boundary is 29 km

19,924 km

contiguous zone: 24 NM

continental shelf: not specified

exclusive economic zone: 200 NM

territorial sea: 12 NM

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

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

lowest point: Death Valley -86 m

highest point: Mount McKinley 6,194 m

coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber

arable land: 19%

other: 81% (1998 est.)

permanent crops: NEGL%

214,000 sq km (1998 est.)

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

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

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, Nuclear Test Ban, 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

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    United States

280,562,489 (July 2002 est.)

0-14 years: 21% (male 30,116,782; female 28,765,183)

15-64 years: 66.4% (male 92,391,120; female 93,986,468)

65 years and over: 12.6% (male 14,748,522; female 20,554,414) (2002 est.)

0.89% (2002 est.)

14.1 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

8.7 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

3.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female

total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

6.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

total population: 77.4 years

male: 74.5 years

female: 80.2 years (2002 est.)

2.07 children born/woman (2002 est.)

noun: American(s)

adjective: American

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 (especially of Cuban, Mexican, or Puerto Rican origin) living in the US who may be of any race or ethnic group (white, black, Asian, etc.)

Protestant 56%, Roman Catholic 28%, Jewish 2%, other 4%, none 10% (1989)

English, Spanish (spoken by a sizable minority)

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

male: 97%

female: 97% (1979 est.)

total population: 97%

note: data for the US are based on projections that do not take into consideration the results of the 2000 census

   Government    United States

conventional long form: United States of America

conventional short form: United States

abbreviation: US or USA

federal republic; strong democratic tradition

Washington, DC

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

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 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)

4 July 1776 (from Great Britain)

Independence Day, 4 July (1776)

17 September 1787, effective 4 March 1789

based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

18 years of age; universal

chief of state: President George W. BUSH (since 20 January 2001) and Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (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) and Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (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 7 November 2000 (next to be held 2 November 2004)

election results: George W. BUSH elected president; percent of popular vote - George W. BUSH (Republican Party) 48%, Albert A. GORE, Jr. (Democratic Party) 48%, Ralph NADER (Green Party) 3%, other 1%

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)

election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Democratic Party 50, Republican Party 49, independent 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Republican Party 221, Democratic Party 211, independent 2, vacant 1

elections: Senate - last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held 4 November 2002); House of Representatives - last held 7 November 2000 (next to be held 4 November 2002)

Supreme Court (its nine justices are appointed for life by the president with confirmation by the Senate); United States Courts of Appeal; United States District Courts; State and County Courts

   Economy    United States

The US has the largest and most technologically powerful economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $36,300. 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, lay off surplus workers, and develop new products. At the same http://www.whitehouse.gov/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, although 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 witnessed the end of the boom psychology and performance, with output increasing only 0.3% and unemployment and business failures rising substantially. The response to the terrorist attacks of September 11 showed the remarkable resilience of the economy. Moderate recovery is expected in 2002, with the GDP growth rate rising to 2.5% or more. 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. Long-term problems include inadequate investment in economic infrastructure, rapidly rising medical and pension costs of an aging population, sizable trade deficits, and stagnation of family income in the lower economic groups.

purchasing power parity - $10.082 trillion (2001 est.)

0.3% (2001 est.)

purchasing power parity - $36,300 (2001 est.)

agriculture: 2%

industry: 18%

services: 80% (2001 est.)

12.7% (2001 est.)

lowest 10%: 1.8%

highest 10%: 30.5% (1997)

40.8 (1997)

2.8% (2001)

141.8 million (includes unemployed) (2001)

managerial and professional 31%, technical, sales and administrative support 28.9%, services 13.6%, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and crafts 24.1%, farming, forestry, and fishing 2.4% (2001)

note: figures exclude the unemployed

5% (2001)

revenues: $1.828 trillion

expenditures: $1.703 trillion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999)

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

-3.7% (2001 est.)

3,799.944 billion kWh (2000)

fossil fuel: 70.76%

hydro: 7.19%

other: 2.21% (2000)

nuclear: 19.84%

3.613 trillion kWh (2000)

14.829 billion kWh (2000)

48.879 billion kWh (2000)

wheat, other grains, corn, fruits, vegetables, cotton; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; forest products; fish

$723 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)

capital goods, automobiles, industrial supplies and raw materials, consumer goods, agricultural products

Canada 22.4%, Mexico 13.9%, Japan 7.9%, UK 5.6%, Germany 4.1%, France, Netherlands (2001)

$1.148 trillion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)

crude oil and refined petroleum products, machinery, automobiles, consumer goods, industrial raw materials, food and beverages

Canada 19%, Mexico 11.5%, Japan 11.1%, China 8.9%, Germany 5.2%, UK, Taiwan (2001)

$862 billion (1995 est.)

ODA, $6.9 billion (1997)

US dollar (USD)

USD

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   Military    United States

Department of the Army, Department of the Navy (includes Marine Corps), Department of the Air Force

note: the Coast Guard is normally subordinate to the Department of Transportation, but in wartime reports to the Department of the Navy

18 years of age (2002 est.)

males age 15-49: 70,819,436 (2001 est.)

NA (2002 est.)

males: 2,053,179 (2002 est.)

$276.7 billion (FY99 est.)

3.2% (FY99 est.)

The Executive Office of the President

Below are some of the offices included in the Executive Office of the President.

Council of Economic Advisers

Council on Environmental Quality

Domestic Policy Council

National Economic Council

National Security Council

Office of Administration

Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives

Office of Management and Budget

Office of National AIDS Policy

Office of National Drug Control Policy

Office of Science & Technology Policy

President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board

Office of the United States Trade Representative

White House Military Office

The power of the executive branch is vested in the President, who also serves as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. The President appoints the Cabinet and oversees the various agencies and departments of the federal government.

In order for a person to become President, he or she must be a natural-born citizen of the United States, be at least 35 years of age, and have resided in the United States for at least 14 years. Once elected, the President serves a term of four years and may be re-elected only once.