United States

Radio broadcast stations

AM 4,987, FM 4,932, shortwave 0

Radios

540.5 million (1992 est.)

Telephone system

domestic: large system of fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and domestic satellites international : 24 ocean cable systems in use; satellite earth stations - 61 Intelsat (45 Atlantic Ocean and 16 Pacific Ocean) (1990 est.), 5 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 4 Inmarsat (Pacific and Atlantic Ocean regions)

Telephones

182.558 million (1987 est.)

Television broadcast stations

1,092 (in addition, there are about 9,000 cable TV systems)

Televisions

215 million (1993 est.)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $1.351 trillion expenditures: $1.514 trillion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995)

Currency

1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents

Debt - external

$862 billion (1995 est.)

Economic aid

donor : ODA, $9.721 billion (1993)

Economy - overview

The US has the most powerful, diverse, and technologically advanced economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $28,600, the largest among major industrial nations. In this market-oriented economy, private individuals and business firms make most of the decisions, and government buys 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 time, they face higher barriers to entry in their rivals' home markets than the barriers to entry of foreign firms in US markets. In all economic sectors, US firms are at or near the forefront in technological advances, especially in computers, and 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 pay raises, health insurance coverage, and other benefits. The years 1994-96 witnessed moderate gains in real output, low inflation rates, and a drop in unemployment below 6%. Long-term problems include inadequate investment in economic infrastructure, rapidly rising medical costs of an aging population, sizable budget and trade deficits, and stagnation of family income in the lower economic groups. The outlook for 1997 is for continued moderate growth, low inflation, and about the same level of unemployment.

Electricity - capacity

702.7 million kW (1995)

Electricity - consumption per capita

11,636 kWh (1994 est.)

Electricity - production

3.5357 trillion kWh (1995)

Exchange rates

British pounds (£) per US$ - 0.6023 (January 1997), 0.6403 (1996), 0.6335 (1995), 0.6529 (1994), 0.6658 (1993), 0.5664 (1992); Canadian dollars (Can$) per US$ - 1.3486 (January 1997), 1.3635 (1996), 1.3724 (1995), 1.3656 (1994), 1.2901 (1993), 1.2087 (1992); French francs (F) per US$ - 5.4169 (January 1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992); Italian lire (Lit) per US$ - 1,568.1 (January 1997), 1,542.9 (1996), 1,628.9 (1995), 1,612.4 (1994), 1,573.7 (1993), 1,232.4 (1992); Japanese yen (¥) per US$ - 118.02 (January 1997), 108.78 (1996), 94.06 (1995), 102.21 (1994), 111.20 (1993), 126.65 (1992); German deutsche marks (DM) per US$ - 1.6043 (January 1997), 1.5048 (1996), 1.4331 (1995), 1.6228 (1994), 1.6533 (1993), 1.5617 (1992)

Exports

total value: $584.7 billion (f.o.b., 1995) commodities : capital goods, automobiles, industrial supplies and raw materials, consumer goods, agricultural products partners: Canada 22%, Western Europe 21%, Japan 11%, Mexico 8% (1995)

Fiscal year

1 October - 30 September

GDP

purchasing power parity - $7.61 trillion (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 2% industry: 23% services: 75% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $28,600 (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2.4% (1996 est.)

Imports

total value: $771 billion (c.i.f., 1995) commodities: crude oil and refined petroleum products, machinery, automobiles, consumer goods, industrial raw materials, food and beverages partners : Canada, 20%, Western Europe 18%, Japan 16.5%, Mexico 8% (1995)

Industrial production growth rate

3.1% (1996)

Industries

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

Inflation rate - consumer price index

3% (1996 est.)

Labor force

total: 133.943 million (includes unemployed) (1996) by occupation: managerial and professional 28.8%, technical, sales and administrative support 29.7%, services 13.6%, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and crafts 25.1%, farming, forestry, and fishing 2.8%

Unemployment rate

5.4% (1996)

Area

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

Area - comparative

about one-half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the size of Africa; about one-half the size of South America (or slightly larger than Brazil); slightly larger than China; about two and one-half times the size of Western Europe

Climate

mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida and 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

Coastline

19,924 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Death Valley -86 m highest point: Mount McKinley 6,194 m

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international agreements

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change, 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-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes

Geographic coordinates

38 00 N, 97 00 W

Geography - note

world's third-largest country (after Russia and Canada)

Irrigated land

207,000 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 12,248 km border countries : Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska), Cuba 29 km (US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay), Mexico 3,326 km note: Guantanamo Naval Base is leased by the US and thus remains part of Cuba

Land use

arable land: 19% permanent crops : 0% permanent pastures: 25% forests and woodland: 30% other: 26% (1993 est.)

Location

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

Map references

North America

Maritime claims

contiguous zone : 12 nm continental shelf: not specified exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards

tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquake activity around Pacific Basin; hurricanes along the Atlantic coast; tornadoes in the midwest; mud slides in California; forest fires in the west; flooding; permafrost in northern Alaska is a major impediment to development

Natural resources

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

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

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

Constitution

17 September 1787, effective 4 March 1789

Country name

conventional long form : United States of America conventional short form: United States abbreviation: US or USA

Data code

US

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 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)

Executive branch

chief of state: President William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January 1993) and Vice President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January 1993) and Vice President Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993); 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 5 November 1996 (next to be held 7 November 2000) election results: William Jefferson CLINTON elected president; percent of popular vote - William Jefferson CLINTON (Democratic Party) 49.2%, Bob DOLE (Republican Party) 40.7%, Ross PEROT (Reform Party) 8.4%, other 1.7%

Flag description

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

Government type

federal republic; strong democratic tradition

Independence

4 July 1776 (from England)

International organization participation

AfDB, AG (observer), ANZUS, APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE (observer), CP, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, ESCAP, FAO, G- 2, G- 5, G- 7, G- 8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OSCE, PCA, SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIH, UNOMIG, UNPREDEP, UNRWA, UNTAES, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Judicial branch

Supreme Court, justices are appointed for life by the president with confirmation by the Senate

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

bicameral Congress consists of 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 House of Representatives (435 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 5 November 1996 (next to be held 2 November 1998); House of Representatives - last held 5 November 1996 (next to be held 2 November 1998) election results : Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Republican Party 55, Democratic Party 45; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Republican Party 227, Democratic Party 205, independent 1, vacant 2

National capital

Washington, DC

National holiday

Independence Day, 4 July (1776)

Political parties and leaders

Republican Party, Jim NICHOLSON, national committee chairman; Democratic Party, Steve GROSSMAN, national committee chairman; several other groups or parties of minor political significance

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Military branches

Department of the Army, Department of the Navy (includes Marine Corps), Department of the Air Force note: the Coast Guard falls under the Department of Transportation, but in wartime reports to the Department of the Navy

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$267.2 billion (1997 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

3.4% (1997 est.)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49 : 69,414,007 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males: NA

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 1,864,580 (1996 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 22% (male 29,837,393; female 28,450,028) 15-64 years: 65% (male 87,170,245; female 88,400,551) 65 years and over : 13% (male 13,975,746; female 20,120,801) (July 1997 est.)

Birth rate

14.6 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate

8.8 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Ethnic groups

white 83.4%, black 12.4%, Asian 3.3%, Amerindian 0.8% (1992)

Infant mortality rate

6.55 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Languages

English, Spanish (spoken by a sizable minority)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 76.04 years male: 72.75 years female : 79.49 years (1997 est.)

Literacy

definition : age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97% male: 97% female: 97% (1979 est.)

Nationality

noun: American(s) adjective: American

Net migration rate

3.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Population

267,954,764 (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate

0.89% (1997 est.)

Religions

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

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years : 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.06 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Disputes - international

maritime boundary disputes with Canada (Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, Machias Seal Island); US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay 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; Republic of Marshall Islands claims Wake Island

Illicit drugs

consumer of cocaine shipped from Colombia through Mexico and the Caribbean; consumer of heroin, marijuana, and increasingly methamphetamines from Mexico; consumer of high-quality Southeast Asian heroin; illicit producer of cannabis, marijuana, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and methamphetamines; drug money-laundering center URUGUAY

Airports

13,396 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 11,677 over 3,047 m: 180 2,438 to 3,047 m: 201 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1,217 914 to 1,523 m: 2,354 under 914 m : 7,725 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 1,719 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m : 152 914 to 1,523 m: 1,559 (1996 est.)

Heliports

103 (1996 est.)

Highways

total : 6,261,154 km paved: 3,759,516 km (including 88,500 km of expressways) unpaved: 2,501,638 km (1995 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 305 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 10,319,000 GRT/14,454,000 DWT ships by type : bulk 15, cargo 22, chemical tanker 16, intermodal 119, liquefied gas tanker 14, passenger-cargo 3, tanker 104, tanker tug-barge 12 note: in addition, there are 193 government-owned vessels (1996 est.)

Pipelines

petroleum products 276,000 km; natural gas 331,000 km (1991)

Ports and harbors

Anchorage, Baltimore, Boston, Charleston, Chicago, Duluth, Hampton Roads, Honolulu, Houston, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Port Canaveral, Portland (Oregon), Prudhoe Bay, San Francisco, Savannah, Seattle, Tampa, Toledo

Railways

total: 240,000 km mainline routes (nongovernment owned) standard gauge: 240,000 km 1.435-m gauge (1989)

Waterways

41,009 km of navigable inland channels, exclusive of the Great Lakes