United States of America
(U.S.A.), also referred to as the United States (U.S.), America¹, or the States, is a federal_republic in North_America and the Pacific_Ocean (the islands of Hawaii, and the Aleutians). It extends from the Atlantic coast in the east to the Pacific_Ocean in the west. It shares land borders with Canada in the north and Mexico in the south, shares a marine border with Russia in the west, and has a collection of districts, territories, and possessions around the world including Puerto_Rico, Midway_Atoll, and Guam. The country has fifty states, which have a level of local autonomy according to the system of federalism. A United States citizen is usually identified as an ''American''¹. The United States traces its national origin to the declaration by 13 British colonies in 1776 that they were free and independent states. Before the British, and in terms of territory, the Dutch, Spanish and French had a stronger foothold on the New_Continent where Native_Americans (formerly called American Indians or Indians) had lived for thousands of years. Since the mid-20th_century it has surpassed all other nations in terms of economic, political, military and cultural influence. The country was founded under a tradition of having the rule come from the people under the representative_democracy model. This model of government (presidential-congressional) has since been adopted by many other countries, mostly in Central_America and South_America. {| border=0 style="margin: 0 0 1em 1em" border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" align="right" width="350px" |- | {| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" align="right" |+United States of America |- | style="background:#efefef;" align="center" colspan=2 | {| border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" |- | align="center" width="130px" | || align="center" width="130px" | |- .html">U.S. Flag) .html">U.S. Great Seal) |} |- | colspan="2" style="border-bottom:3px solid gray;" align="center" | National '' ('' |- | align=center colspan=2 | |- .html">.html">None at federal level,some states specifyEnglish; ''de_facto''Spanish widely spoken insome areas (+/-10% total) |- .html">| Washington,_DC |- .html">New York City |- .html">President || George_W._Bush |- .html">.html">Ranked 3rd 9,629,091 km² 2.198% |- .html">Density.html">Population density.html">Ranked 3rd290,342,55431/km² |- .html">.html">Revolutionary War July_4, 1776 September_3, 1783 |- .html">GDP (base PPP) - Total (2002) - GDP/head .html">Ranked 1st(countries)Ranked 2nd(economies) 10.40 trillion $ 37,600 $ |- .html">.html">US dollar ($) |- .html">| UTC -5 to UTC -11 |- .html">| "The_Star-Spangled_Banner" |- .html">Internet TLD || .US .UM .EDU .GOV .MIL |- .html">Calling code || 1 |} |}History
''Main articles: History_of_the_United_States, Military_history_of_the_United_States, Timeline_of_United_States_history'' Following the European_colonization_of_the_Americas, the United States became one of the world's first modern representative democracies after its break with Great Britain, with a Declaration of Independence in 1776. The original political structure was a confederation in 1777, ratified in 1781 as the Articles_of_Confederation. After long debate, this was supplanted by the Constitution of a more centralized federal government in 1789. During the 19th_century, many new states were added to the original thirteen as the nation expanded across the North_American continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions. Two major traumatic experiences for the nation were the Civil War (1861-1865) and the Great_Depression (1929-1939). Following the end of World_War_II and then the collapse of the Soviet_Union, the United States has become the world's most powerful country.Politics
''Main article: Politics_of_the_United_States'' The United States of America consists of 50 states with limited autonomy in which federal_law takes precedence over state_law. In general, matters that lie entirely within state borders are the exclusive concern of state governments. These include internal communications; regulations relating to property, industry, business, and public utilities; the state criminal_code; and working conditions within the state. The various state constitutions differ in some details but generally follow a pattern similar to that of the federal constitution, including a statement of the rights of the people and a plan for organizing the government. On such matters as the operation of businesses, banks, public utilities and charitable institutions, state constitutions are often more detailed and explicit than the federal constitution. In recent years, the federal government has assumed broader responsibility in such matters as health, education, welfare, transportation, housing and urban development. The federal government itself consists of three branches: the executive_branch (headed by the President), the legislative_branch (the Congress), and the judicial_branch (headed by the Supreme Court). The President is elected to a four-year term by the Electoral College. The various legislators are in turn chosen primarily by the popular votes in the 50 states. Members of Congress are elected for terms of two years in the House of Representatives and six years in the Senate). This tripartite system is duplicated, with variations, (such as elected governors instead of a president) at the state level. (''See'' Classic_Definition_of_Republic.) The federal and state government is dominated by two political parties, the Republicans and the Democrats. The dominant political culture in the United States is, as a whole, somewhat to the right of the dominant political culture in European democracies. Given their complex support bases it is difficult to specifically categorize the two major parties' appeal. Within the United States political culture, the Republican Party is described as center-right and the Democratic Party is described as center-left. Minor party and independent candidates are very occasionally elected, usually to local or state office, but the United States political system has historically supported "catch all parties" rather than coalition governments. The ideology and policies of the sitting President of the United States commonly play a large role in determining the direction of his political party, as well as the platform of the opposition. Political parties in the United States do not have formal "leaders" unlike many other countries, although there are complex hierarchies within the political parties that form various executive committees. Party ideology remains very individually-driven, with a diverse spectrum of moderates, centrists, and radicals within each party. The two parties exist on both the state and federal level, although the parties' organization, platform, and ideologies are not necessarily uniform across all levels of government. Both major parties draw some support from all the diverse socio-economic classes which compose the mature multi-ethnic capitalist society which makes up the United States. Along with business interests, which provide support to both parties, the major funding and support to the Republican Party comes from morality and Christian groups, while labor unions and minority ethnic groups provide major support to the Democrats. Because elections in the United States are among the most expensive in the world access to funds is vital in the political system due to the financial costs of mounting political campaigns. Thus, through lobbying, corporations, unions, and other organized groups that provide funds and political support to parties and politicians can play a large role in determining the political agendas and government decision-making. The immense cultural, economic, and military influence of the United States has made foreign relations an especially important topic in its politics, with considerable concern about the image of the United States throughout the world.Political divisions
''Main articles: Political_divisions_of_the_United_States, States of the United States'' At the time of the Declaration_of_Independence, the United States consisted of 13 states. In the following years, this number has grown steadily due to expansion to the west, conquest and purchase of lands by the U.S. government, and division of existing states to the current number of 50. The states are divided into smaller administrative regions: counties, cities and townships. The United States also holds several other territories, districts and possessions, notably the federal_district of the District_of_Columbia, which is the nation's capital, and several overseas insular_areas, the most significant of which are Puerto_Rico, American_Samoa, Guam and the United_States_Virgin_Islands. The United States Naval Base at Guantanamo_Bay is leased from Cuba and only mutual agreement or United States abandonment of the area can terminate the lease. The United States has made no territorial claim in Antarctica but has reserved the right to do so. The United States is currently occupying Iraq; the responsibility of this occupation is shared with the United_Kingdom and a nominal delegation of other nations. Under the laws_of_war, a nation is not an occupying power until the war is declared to be over—thus, the United States is not ''technically'' an occupying power in Iraq, although it currently has control over that nation's people, politics and economy.Geography
''Main article: Geography_of_the_United_States'' As the world's third largest nation (total area), the United States landscape varies greatly: temperate forestland on the East coast, mangrove forests in Florida, the Great_Plains in the center of the country, the Mississippi-Missouri river system, the Rocky_Mountains west of the plains, deserts and temperate coastal zones west of the Rocky_Mountains and temperate rainforests in the Pacific Northwest. The arctic regions of Alaska and the volcanic islands of Hawaii only increase the geographic and climatic diversity. The climate varies along with the landscape, from sub-tropical in Florida to tundra in Alaska. Large parts of the country have a continental climate, with warm summers and cold winters. Some parts of the United States, particularly parts of California, have a Mediterranean_climate. There are also points that extend far in one direction in the United States, just like any other country. Each point extends farther than any other area of land in the United States in a certain direction. (See Extreme_Points_of_the_United_States for more information).Economy
''Main article: Economy_of_the_United_States'' Economists describe the Economy_of_the_United_States as a "mixed economy". It is organized primarily on a capitalist model (entrepreneurship is encouraged, and most enterprises are privately owned), although it also incorporates some aspects of the socialist system, including food inspection, product safety regulation, and social_security. It is marked by steady growth, low unemployment and inflation, a large trade deficit, and rapid advances in technology; its economy can be regarded as the most important in the world. Several countries have coupled their currency with the dollar, or even use it as a currency, and the U.S. stock_markets are globally seen as an indicator of world economy. The country has rich mineral resources, with extensive gold, oil, coal and uranium deposits. Agriculture brings the country among the top producers of, among others, corn (maize), wheat, sugar and tobacco. U.S. industry produces cars, airplanes and electronics. The biggest sector is however service industries; about three-quarters of U.S. residents are employed in that sector. The largest trading partner of the United States is its northern neighbor, Canada. Other major partners are Mexico, the European_Union and the industrialized nations in Asia, such as Japan, India and South_Korea. Trade with China is also significant. :''See also: List of U.S. companies''Demographics
''Main articles: Demographics_of_the_United_States, Immigration_to_the_United_States'' Most of the 290 million people currently living in the United States descend from European immigrants that have arrived since the establishment of the first colonies. Major components of the European segment of the United States population are descended from immigrants from Germany, England, Scotland, Ireland and Italy with many immigrants also from Scandinavian countries and the Slavs and other populations of eastern and southern Europe and French Canada; few immigrants came directly from France. Likewise, while there were few immigrants directly from Spain, Hispanics from Mexico and South and Central America are considered the largest minority group in the country, comprising 13.4% of the population (38.6 million people) in 2002. This has brought increasing use of the Spanish_language in the United States (see Languages_in_the_United_States). About 12% (2000 census) of the people are African_Americans who largely descend from the African slaves that were brought to America. A third significant minority is the Asian_American population (3.6%), who are most concentrated on the West Coast. The native population of Native_Americans, such as American_Indians and Inuit make up less than 1% of the population. The level of Christian religious devotion in the United States is showing a gradual decline, from 86.2% calling themselves Christian in 24.5%, none 13.2%, was 53% Christian, 2.3% Jewish and 0.1% Muslim, others lower. The social_structure_of_the_United_States is highly stratified, with a large proportion of the wealth of the country controlled by a small fraction of the population which exerts disproportionate cultural and political influence. (Its Gini_coefficient of 40.8 % is the highest of all developed nations.) However, in terms of relative wealth, most U.S. residents enjoy a standard of personal economic wealth that is far greater than that known in the majority of the world. For example, 51% of all households have access to a computer and 41% had access to the Internet in 2000, a figure which had grown to 75% in 2004. Furthermore, 67.9% of United States households owned their dwellings in 2002.Culture
''Main articles: Culture_of_the_United_States, Arts_and_entertainment_in_the_United_States, Education_in_the_United_States'' U.S. culture has a large influence on the rest of the world, especially the Western_world. U.S. music is heard all over the world, and U.S. movies and television shows can be seen almost anywhere. This is in stark contrast to the early days of the republic, when the country was generally seen as an agricultural backwater with little to offer the culturally advanced world centers of Asia and Europe. Nearing the end of its third century, nearly every major city in the U.S. offers classical and popular music; historical, scientific and art research centers and museums; dance performances, musicals and plays; outdoor art projects and internationally significant architecture. This development is a result of both contributions by private philanthropists and government funding. The United States is also a great center of higher education, boasting more than 1,500 universities, colleges, and other institutions of higher learning, the top tier of which may be considered to be among the most prestigious and advanced in the world.Legal holidays
''Main article: Holidays_of_the_United_States'' {| border="1" align="center" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" |- ! style="background:#efefef;" | Date !! style="background:#efefef;" | Name !! style="background:#efefef;" | Remarks |- .html">.html">| beginning of year, marks "traditional" end of "holiday season" |- .html">.html">| honors late Dr. King, Civil_Rights leader |- .html">.html">.html">Washington and Lincoln |- .html">.html">| honors service men and women who died in service, marks traditional beginning of summer |- .html">.html">.html">Declaration of Independence, usually called "The Fourth of July" |- .html">.html">| celebrate achievements of workers, marks traditional end of summer |- .html">.html">| honors Christopher_Columbus, traditional discoverer of the Americas |- .html">.html">| traditional observation of a moment of silence at 11 AM remembering those who fought for peace |- .html">.html">| give thanks for autumn harvest, marks traditional beginning of "holiday season" |- .html">.html">| celebrates the nativity of Jesus_Christ, also celebrated as secular winter holiday |}Related Topics
''Main article: List_of_United_States-related_topics'' {| width="100%" !align="center" colspan="2".html">Topics in the United States |-align-"center" !align="left" valign="top".html">History .html">Timeline (Colonial Era, American_Revolution, Westward Expansion, Civil War, World_War_1, Great_Depression, World_War_2, Cold_War, Vietnam_War, Civil Rights), Foreign relations, Military, Demographic and Postal history |-align-"center" !align="left" valign="top".html">Politics .html">Law (Constitution and Bill of Rights, Declaration_of_Independence), Political parties (Democrats & Republicans), Elections (Electoral_College), Political scandals, Political divisions |-align-"center" !align="left" valign="top".html">Government .html">Military (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force) |-align-"center" !align="left" valign="top".html">Geography .html"> Appalachian Mtns..html">Appalachian Mountains.html">Rocky Mtns., Great_Plains, Midwest, The South, Mississippi_River, New_England, Mid-Atlantic; Mountains, Valleys, Islands, Rivers; States, Cities, Counties, Regions |-align-"center" !align="left".html">Economy .html">Dollar, Wall_Street, Standard of living, Companies, Poverty, Class_in_the_United_States,_circa_2004 |-align-"center" !align="left".html">Demographics .html">Languages.html">Languages in the United States.html">Social structure, Standard of living, Religion |-align-"center" !align="left" valign="top".html">Arts & Culture .html">Music (Hippies, blues, jazz, rock_and_roll, hip_hop, gospel, country), Film & TV (Hollywood), Literature (Poetry, Transcendentalism, Harlem_Renaissance, Beat_Generation), Visual arts (Abstract_expressionism), Cuisine, Holidays, Folklore, Dance, Architecture; Education, Languages, Media |-align-"center" !align="left" valign="top"|Other .html">Communications.html">Communications in the United States.html">Transportation (Highways and Interstates, Railroads), Uncle_Sam, Flag, American_Dream, Media, Education, Tourism, Social issues (Immigration, Affirmative_action, Racial_profiling, Human rights, War_on_Drugs, Pornography, Gay marriage, Prisons, Capital punishment), American_Exceptionalism, Anti-Americanism, American_Folklore, American_English |}Notes
¹ The use of the words ''America'' to mean the ''United States of America'' and ''American'' to mean ''a United States citizen'' are regarded by many people in the rest of The_Americas as inaccurate and even offensive, but among English speakers it is normal and accepted.External links
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