United States
United States
| United States of America | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||
| Motto:
"E pluribus unum" (Latin) (traditional de facto)
"Out of many, one" | ||||||
| Anthem: "The Star-Spangled Banner" | ||||||
 | ||||||
The United States and its territories
| ||||||
| Capital | Washington, D.C. 38°53′N 77°01′W | |||||
| Largest city | New York City 40°43′N 74°00′W | |||||
| Official languages | None at federal level[a] | |||||
| Recognised regional languages | ||||||
| National language | English[b] | |||||
| Demonym | American | |||||
| Government | Federal presidentialconstitutional republic | |||||
| - | President | Barack Obama | ||||
| - | Vice President | Joe Biden | ||||
| - | Speaker of the House | John Boehner | ||||
| - | Chief Justice | John Roberts | ||||
| Legislature | Congress | |||||
| - | Upper house | Senate | ||||
| - | Lower house | House of Representatives | ||||
| Independence from Great Britain | ||||||
| - | Declared | July 4, 1776 | ||||
| - | Recognized | September 3, 1783 | ||||
| - | Constitution | June 21, 1788 | ||||
| - | Current Statehood | August 21, 1959 | ||||
| Area | ||||||
| - | Total | 9,629,091 km2(3rd/4th) 3,717,813 sq mi | ||||
| - | Water (%) | 2.23 | ||||
| Population | ||||||
| - | 2014 estimate | 318,707,000[4] (3rd) | ||||
| - | Density | 34.2/km2 (180th) 88.6/sq mi | ||||
| GDP (PPP) | 2014 estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $17.528 trillion[5] (1st) | ||||
| - | Per capita | $54,980[5] (6th) | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | 2014 estimate | |||||
| - | Total | $17.528 trillion[5] (1st) | ||||
| - | Per capita | $54,980[5] (9th) | ||||
| Gini (2012) | 36.9[6] medium · 39th (2009) | |||||
| HDI (2013) |  0.914[7]very high · 5th | |||||
| Currency | United States dollar($) (USD) | |||||
| Time zone | (UTC−5 to −10) | |||||
| - | Summer (DST) | (UTC−4 to −10[d]) | ||||
| Drives on the | right[e] | |||||
| Calling code | +1 | |||||
| ISO 3166 code | US | |||||
| Internet TLD | .us .gov .mil .edu | |||||
| a. | ^ English is the official language of at least 28 states; some sources give higher figures, based on differing definitions of "official".[8] English and Hawaiian are both official languages in the state of Hawaii. French is a de facto language in the states of Maine and Louisiana, while New Mexico state law grants Spanish a special status.[9][10][11][12] Cherokee is an official language in the Cherokee Nation tribal jurisdiction area and in the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians based in east and northeast Oklahoma.[13][14][15] | |||||
| b. | ^ English is the de facto language of American government and the sole language spoken at home by 80 percent of Americans aged five and older. 28 states and five territories have made English an official language. Other official languages include Hawaiian, Samoan, Chamorro, Carolinian, and Spanish. | |||||
| c. | ^ Whether the United States or China is larger has beendisputed. The figure given is from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency's The World Factbook. Other sources give smaller figures. All authoritative calculations of the country's size include only the 50 states and the District of Columbia, not the territories. | |||||
| d. | ^ See Time in the United States for details about laws governing time zones in the United States. | |||||
| e. | ^ Except U.S. Virgin Islands. | |||||
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The United States of America (USA or U.S.A.), commonly referred to as the United States (US or U.S.), America, and sometimes the States, is a federal republic[16][17] consisting of 50 states and a federal district. The 48 contiguous states andWashington, D.C., are in central North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is the northwestern part of North America and the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. The country also has five populated and nine unpopulatedterritories in the Pacific and the Caribbean. At 3.71 million square miles (9.62 million km2) and with around 318 million people, the United States is the world's 3rd or 4th-largest country by total area and third-largest by population. It is one of the world's mostethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many countries.[18] The geography andclimate of the United States is also extremely diverse, and it is home to a wide variety of wildlife.
Paleo-Indians migrated from Eurasia to what is now the U.S. mainland around 15,000 years ago,[19] with European colonizationbeginning in the 16th century. The United States emerged from 13 British colonies located along the Atlantic seaboard. Disputes between Great Britain and these colonies led to the American Revolution. On July 4, 1776, as the colonies were fighting Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War, delegates from the 13 colonies unanimously issued the Declaration of Independence. The war ended in 1783 with the recognition of independence of the United States from the Kingdom of Great Britain, and was the first successful war of independence against a European colonial empire.[20][21] The current Constitution was adopted on September 17, 1787. The first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and guarantee manyfundamental civil rights and freedoms.
Driven by the doctrine of manifest destiny, the United States embarked on a vigorous expansion across North America throughout the 19th century.[22] This involved displacing native tribes, acquiring new territories, and gradually admitting new states.[22] TheAmerican Civil War ended legal slavery in the country.[23] By the end of the 19th century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean,[24] and its economy began to soar.[25] The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the country's status as a global military power. The United States emerged from World War II as a global superpower, the first country with nuclear weapons, and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Unionleft the United States as the sole superpower.
The United States is a developed country and has the world's largest national economy, with an estimated GDP in 2013 of $16.8 trillion—23% of global nominal GDP and 19% at purchasing-power parity.[5][26] The economy is fueled by an abundance of natural resources and high worker productivity,[27] with per capita GDP being the world's sixth-highest in 2010.[5] While the U.S. economy is considered post-industrial, it continues to be one of the world's largest manufacturers.[28] The U.S. has the highest mean and 4th highest median household income in the OECD as well as the highest gross average wage,[29][30][31] though it has the 4th mostunequal income distribution,[32][33] with roughly 15% of the population living in poverty as defined by the U.S. Census.[34] The country accounts for 37% of global military spending,[35] being the world's foremost economic and military power, a prominent political and cultural force, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovation.[36][37][38][39][40]
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