General background: 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.
Area comparative: 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.
Climate:
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.
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 .
Population: 280,562,489 (July 2002 est.)
Ethnic groups: 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.)
Religions: Protestant 56%, Roman Catholic
28%, Jewish 2%, other 4%, none 10% (1989)
Language: English, Spanish (spoken by a sizable
minority)
Government type: Federal republic; strong
democratic tradition
Capital: Washington, DC
Legal system: Based on English common law;
judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations.
Economic overview: 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 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.
Communication/Telephone system: A very large,
technologically advanced, multipurpose communications
system.
Places of interest: From the Niagara Falls,
to the Florida Keys, to The Grand Canyon, to Hollywood.
The United States has it all.
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