United States
:''For other uses, see
United States (disambiguation) and
US (disambiguation).''
The
United States of America, also referred to as the
United States,
U.S.A.,
U.S.,
US,
America¹, or
the States, or by
Islamic fundamentalists even as the
Great Satan, is a
federal republic of fifty
states, mostly in central
North America. The U.S. has three land borders, two with
Canada and one with
Mexico and is otherwise bounded by the
Pacific Ocean, the
Bering Sea, the
Arctic Ocean and the
Atlantic Ocean. Of the 50 states, however, there are two,
Alaska and
Hawaii, which are neither contiguous with the other forty-eight nor with each other, and the U.S. has also a collection of districts, territories, and possessions around the world. Each of the fifty states has a high level of local autonomy according to the system of
federalism. A United States citizen is usually identified as an
American¹.
The United States traces its national origin to the declaration by thirteen
British colonies in 1776 that they were free and independent states and they were recognized as such by the
Treaty of Paris (1783). Since the mid-
20th century, it has surpassed all other
nations in contemporary economic, political,
military, and cultural influence.
The U.S. was founded under a tradition of government with the consent of the governed 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.
History
Main article: History of the United States
Following the
European colonization of the Americas,
thirteen colonies split from Britain and formed the United States, one of the world's first modern
representative democracies, after their Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the
Revolutionary War (1775–1783). 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 in 1789, forming a more centralized
federal government.
During the
19th century, many new
states were added to the original thirteen as the nation expanded across the
North American continent, destroying many Indian nations in a decades long military campaign, and through coercion, military prowess and diplomatic leverage, it acquired a number of overseas possessions; during this period the nation became an
industrial power. The two major traumatic experiences for the nation were the
Civil War (1861-1865) and the
Great Depression (1929-1939), and it has taken part in several major wars, from the
War of 1812 against Britain, to being allied with Britain during
World War I and
World War II, and taking part in the
Korean and
Vietnam Wars. After the end of the second World War and the later collapse of the
Soviet Union, the United States emerged as the world's leading economic and military
superpower.
See also: Military history of the United States, Timeline of United States history
Politics
Main article: Politics of the United States
The United States of America consists of fifty 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 District of Columbia falls under the jurisdiction of the
US Congress, and has limited
home rule.
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 [[United States Capitol in Washington, DC, home of the
U.S. Congress, the
legislative branch of the government of United States.]]
The federal government itself consists of three branches: the executive branch (headed by the
President), the legislative branch (the
U.S. Congress), and the judicial branch (headed by the
Supreme Court). The President is elected to a four-year term by the
Electoral College, which is chosen through popular votes in the fifty states and the District of Columbia. The various legislators are chosen by popular vote 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. Justices of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President with the consent of the Senate for an unlimited term. This tripartite model of government is generally duplicated at the state level. Local governments take various forms.
The federal and state governments are 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, and often deal with different concerns. 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" like 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 the federal, state, and local levels, although the parties' organization, platform, and ideologies are not necessarily uniform across all levels of government.
Both major parties draw some support from across the diverse socio-economic classes that compose the United States' multi-ethnic society. Business interests provide the bulk of financial support to both parties, generally favoring the Republican party. The Republicans generally receive more funding and support from business groups, religious Christians, and rural Americans, while the Democratic party receives more support from labor unions and minority ethnic groups. Because federal elections in the United States are among the most expensive in the world, access to funds is vital in the political system. Thus corporations, unions, and other organized groups that provide funds and political support to parties and politicians play a very large role in determining political agendas and government decision-making.
The immense military, economic, and cultural dominance 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 article: Political divisions of the United States
With the Declaration of Independence, the
thirteen colonies transformed themselves into nation states modeled after the European states of the time. In the following years, the number of states within the U.S. grew steadily due to western expansion, the conquest and purchase of lands by the national government, and the subdivision of existing states, resulting in the current total of fifty. The states are generally divided into smaller administrative regions, including
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,
Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands. The United States has held a Naval Base at an occupied portion of Guantanamo Bay,
Cuba since 1898. The U.S. government claims a lease to this land, which only mutual agreement or United States abandonment of the area can terminate. The Cuban government disputes this arrangement, claiming Cuba was not truly
sovereign at the time of the signing.
The United States has made no territorial claim in
Antarctica but has reserved the right to do so.
Geography
Main article: Geography of the United States
As the world's third largest country (by total area), the United States landscape varies greatly: temperate forestland on the East coast,
mangrove in
Florida, the
Great Plains in the center of the country, the
Mississippi-
Missouri river system, the
Great Lakes which are shared with
Canada,
Rocky Mountains west of the plains, deserts and temperate coastal zones west of the Rocky Mountains and temperate rainforests in the Pacific Northwest. The
volcanic islands of
Hawaii and
Alaska add to the geographic and climatic diversity.
The climate varies along with the landscape, from tropical in
Hawaii and southern
Florida to
tundra in
Alaska and atop some of the highest mountains (even in Hawaii). Most of the North and East experience a temperate continental climate, with warm summers and cold winters. Most of the American South experiences a subtropical humid climate with mild winters and long, hot, humid summers. Rainfall decreases markedly from the humid forests of the Eastern Great Plains to the semiarid shortgrass praries on the High Plains abutting the Rocky Mountains. Arid deserts, including the Mojave, extend through the lowlands and valleys of the American Southwest from westernmost Texas to California and northward throughout much of
Nevada. Some parts of the American West, including
San Francisco, California, have a
Mediterranean climate. Rain forests line the windward mountains of the Pacific Northwest from Oregon to Alaska.
The political geography is notable as well, with the Canadian border being the longest undefended border in the world, and with the country being divided into three distinct sections: The
continental United States, also known as the lower 48;
Alaska, which is physically connected only to Canada, and the
archipelago of Hawaii in the central
Pacific Ocean.
Economy
The [[United States dollar, the nation's currency.]]
Main article: Economy of the United States
The economy of the United States is organized primarily on a
capitalist model, with some
government regulation in many industries. There are also some
social welfare programs like
Social Security, unemployment benefits, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families ("
welfare"), the
Earned Income Tax Credit,
Medicare, and
Medicaid. Such departures from a pure
free-market economy have generally increased since the late
1800s, but are less pronounced in the United States than in other industrialized countries.
Several countries have linked their
currency to the
dollar (such as the People's Republic of China), or even use it as a currency (such as
Ecuador), although this practice has subsided in recent years.
The country has rich
mineral resources, with extensive
gold,
oil,
coal, and
uranium deposits. Successful
farm industries rank the country among the top producers of, among others,
corn,
wheat,
sugar, and
tobacco. The U.S.
manufacturing sector produces, among other things,
cars, airplanes, and
electronics. The biggest industry is now
service; 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.
In 2002, the United States was
ranked as the third most visited
tourist destination in the world. Its 41.9 million visits trailed only
France (77 million) and
Spain (51.7 million).
See also: List of United States companies
Transportation
Main article: Transportation in the United States
To link its vast territories, the United States has built a network of roads, of which the most important aspect is the
Interstate highway system. Americans are renowned for their "car-crazy" lifestyle and the
sprawling car-oriented design of their cities. The United States also has a
transcontinental railroad system which is used for moving freight across the lower 48 states.
Air travel is often preferred for destinations over 300 miles away.
Demographics
2000 [[population density]]
Main article: Demographics of the United States
Ethnicity and race
Americans, in part due to categories decided by the U.S. government, generally describe themselves as being either multi-ethnic or one of five ethnic groups:
White, sometimes called
European-American or
Caucasian;
African American, also called
Black;
Hispanic, also called
Latino;
Asian-American, frequently specified as
Chinese-American,
Korean-American, etc.; and
Native American, also called
American Indian.
These groups leave a
great deal of room for ambiguity, as, for example, Middle Easterners are made to choose between Europe and Asia, neither of which do they belong to; the category Asian is popularly identified with
East Asia, rather than
Southwest Asia; Pacific Islander/Hawaiian natives, technically Native Americans, may be assigned to Asian-American because of their geographic origins in
Oceania; the term
African-American is associated with centuries-long residents, and does not make distinctions between them and, say, recent Afro-Caribbean immigrants from
Jamaica or refugees from
Somalia. Furthermore, the categories disregard the multi-ethnic heritage of many Americans.
The majority of the 290 million people currently living in the United States descend from
European immigrants who 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 (15.2 percent),
Ireland (10.8 percent),
England (8.7 percent),
Italy (5.6 percent), and
Poland (3.2 percent) with many immigrants also coming from
Scandinavian or Slavic countries. Other significant immigrant populations came from eastern and southern Europe and French Canada; few immigrants came directly from
France. These numbers, however, are inaccurate as many citizens listed themselves as "American" on the census (7.2 percent). A
county by county map of plurality ethnic groups reveals that the areas with the largest "American" ancestry populations are historically British-American areas.
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 percent of the population in 2002. This has brought increasing use of the
Spanish language in the United States.
About 12.9 percent (2000 census) of the American people are
African Americans, many of whom are descendants of the
enslaved Africans brought to the U.S. between the
1620s and 1807. There has been in recent years a large influx of African immigrants to the United States due to the instability in political and economic opportunities in various nations in Africa.
A third significant minority is the
Asian American population (4.2 percent), most of whom are concentrated on the
West Coast.
The aboriginal population of
Native Americans, such as American Indians and
Inuit, make up about 1.5 percent of the population.
According to the 2000 census, America has 31 ethnic groups with at least one million people.
See also: Immigration to the United States
Religion
Percentage of population claimed by religious groups
Main Article: Religion in the United States
As of 2004, the distribution for major religions in the United States was as follows: Protestant (54 percent),
Roman Catholic (25 percent), "none" (10 percent), Eastern Orthodox (3 percent), Mormon (2 percent),
Muslim (2 percent) (See
Islam in the United States),
Jewish (2 percent), and between 0.3 and 0.5 percent each for Buddhist, Hindu and
Unitarian Universalist. An additional 0.3 to 0.5 percent, each, are professed agnostics and atheists. The largest single religious denomination in the United States is the
Roman Catholic Church, followed by the
Southern Baptist Convention and the Mormons.
The United States, as a developed nation, is noteworthy for its high level of Christian religious devotion. However, the percentage of Americans calling themselves Christian has declined somewhat in recent years from 86.2 percent in 1990 to 76.5 percent in 2001.
Class
In terms of relative wealth, most U.S. residents enjoy a standard of personal economic wealth that is far greater than that known in most of the world. For example, 51 percent of all households have access to a
computer and 67.9 percent of U.S. households owned their dwellings in 2002. However, there is also a considerable amount of
poverty in the United States with 12.1% of the population living below the poverty level.
The
social structure of the United States is somewhat stratified, with a significant class of very wealthy individuals, which are often alleged to hold disproportionate cultural and political influence. However,
social mobility is a well-known concept in America, considered part of the "
American dream", in that even someone born into a poor family can rise to join the upper classes. How often this actually occurs is a matter of debate. The nation's
Gini coefficient of 40.8 percent (measuring income inequalities) is the third highest of all developed nations (after
South Africa and
Mexico).
See also: Richest places in the United States and Poorest places in the United States
Culture
Main article: Culture of the United States
[[Elvis Presley, an American singer and star who had a large impact on music and youth culture in the world.]]
U.S. culture has a large influence on the rest of the world, especially the
Western world. This influence is sometimes criticized as
cultural imperialism.
U.S. music is heard all over the world, and it is the sire of such forms as
blues and
jazz and had a primary hand in the shaping of modern
rock and roll and
popular music culture. Many great Western classical musicians and forums find their home in the U.S.
New York City is a hub for international
operatic and
instrumental music as well as the world-famed
Broadway plays and musicals. New York and San Francisco are world-wide leaders in
graphic design and New York and Los Angeles compete with major European cities in the fashion industry.
U.S. movies (primarily embodied in Hollywood) and television shows can be seen almost anywhere. This is in stark contrast to the early days of the republic, when the country was viewed by Europeans as an agricultural backwater with little to offer the culturally "advanced" world centers of Asia and Europe. Nearing the mid-point of its third century of nationhood, the U.S. plays host to the gamut of human intellectual and artistic endeavor in nearly every major city, offering 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.
Several forms of
electronic music originated from the United States. This includes House from Chicago,
Techno music from Detroit, and Garage from
New York.
The United States is also a great center of higher education, boasting more than 4,000
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.
See also: Arts and entertainment in the United States, Languages in the United States, Education in the United States
Social issues
Main articles: Social issues in the United States, Human rights in the United States, Anti-American sentiment, Health care in the United States
The
United States Constitution makes provision for the rights of
freedom of speech, the right to keep and bear arms,
freedom of religion,
trial by jury, and protection from "
cruel and unusual punishment." The United States accepts many
immigrants and has laws against racial and other forms of
discrimination and other protections for minority groups.
Nevertheless, the United States has at times been criticized for
violations of human rights, including racial discrimination in trials and sentences, police abuses, excessive and unwarranted incarceration, and the imposition of the death penalty ². In 2001,
Human Rights Watch issued a report stating that United States had "made little progress in embracing international human rights standards at home."
http://www.hrw.org/wr2k1/usa/
As of 2004, the United States has possibly the world's largest prison population at over 2 million inmates; note, however, that
China in particular is suspected of not releasing accurate figures, or of failing to document some prisoners. The
International Centre for Prison Studies places the United States' per-capita incarceration rate first in the world, 620% higher than the neighboring country of
Canada. Roughly 1 American in 15 will spend time in prison during his or her lifetime
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/crimoff.htm. Some would argue that high incarceration rates reduce criminal offenses, as the crime rate in the United States has been declining for years. However, many other countries with lower and/or declining crime rates have a significantly less proportion of their citizens in prison, and some would rebut that such a simple relationship is unlikely.
A disproportionate number of US inmates are
black and are significantly over-represented when compared to the national population
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0903755.html. The discrepancy is a 285%
The United States is one of the largest industrialized nations in the world without a nationalized
healthcare system. At present, as many as 40 million Americans are not covered by
health insurance although many of these are not citizens.
The United States'
suicide rate exceeds its
homicide rate, but is still lower than most other industrialized nations.
Routine infant
male circumcision is legal and widely practiced, which has attracted some controversy over recent years.
A number of American-based corporations, perhaps most visibly McDonald's,
Coca-Cola, and Disney, have spread to many other countries, some of which have displayed resentment at the spread of American culture. McDonald's particularly has been the subject of protest and even acts of vandalism.
Despite being only 5% of the world's population, the United States consumes 25% of the world's power.
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/ene_ele_con In terms of per capita usage, the U.S. ranks ninth.
Partly because of the United States' status as one of the world's most powerful nations, the
English language has also spread worldwide. The concern that English is rapidly displacing other languages is widespread. Likewise, speakers of other
dialects of English (for example in
Britain and
Australia) feel that their language is becoming "
Americanized."
Federal holidays
Main article: Holidays of the United States
style="background:#efefef;"| - | January 1
|
New Year's Day
|
Beginning of year, marks traditional end of "holiday season"
|
| January, third Monday
|
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
|
Honors late Dr. King, Civil Rights leader
|
| February, third Monday
|
Presidents' Day
|
Honors former U.S. Presidents, especially Washington and Lincoln
|
| May, last Monday
|
Memorial Day
|
Honors servicemen and women who died in service, marks traditional beginning of summer
|
| July 4
|
Independence Day
|
Celebrates Declaration of Independence, usually called the Fourth of July
|
| September, first Monday
|
Labor Day
|
Celebrates achievements of workers, marks traditional end of summer. This holiday is held instead of the traditional worldwide Labor Day, May 1, which actually began in the U.S.
|
| October, second Monday
|
Columbus Day
|
Honors Christopher Columbus, traditional discoverer of the Americas
|
| November 11
|
Veterans' Day
|
Honors those who have served in the military. Also marks the end of WWI in 1918. (Prieviously known as Armistice Day.)Traditional observation of a moment of silence at 11 a.m. in remembrance of military servicemembers
|
| November, fourth Thursday
|
Thanksgiving
|
Day of thanks that marks the traditional beginning of the "holiday season"
|
| December 25
|
Christmas
|
Celebrates the nativity of Jesus, also celebrated as secular winter holiday
|
Main article: List of United States-related topics
International rankings
Notes
¹ In the English-speaking world, America has become synonymous with the nation of the United States while American refers to United States (U.S.) citizens; this is a standard usage in not only the U.S. itself, but also much of Europe and Australasia. The term Americas, on the other hand, includes the North and South American continents as a collective unit. In Spanish-speaking countries, particularly in Central and South America, the word América is used not to denote the U.S. but what English-speakers would term the Americas. Thus, some people of the Americas find it off-putting for the U.S. to be referred to as America and inhabitants of the U.S. as Americans. In some quarters, the accuracy and political correctness of such nomenclature is debated.
²The death penalty is only carried out in some U.S. states and it is in itself a controversial issue within the U.S. See: Human rights in the United States
External links
United States government
Other
af:Verenigde State
ang:Geánlǽht Underrícu American
ar:ولايات متحدة امريكية
ast:Estaos Uníos
bg:Съединени американски щати
bs:Sjedinjene Američke Države ca:Estats Units
chr:ᎠᎺᎢ cs:Spojené státy americké cy:Unol Daleithiau America da:USA de:USA et:Ameerika Ühendriigid
el:Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες
es:Estados Unidos eo:Usono
fa:ایالات متحده آمریکا
fr:États-Unis d'Amérique fy:Feriene Steaten fan Amearika ga:Stáit Aontaithe Mheiriceá gd:Na Stàitean Aonaichte gl:Estados Unidos ko:미국
hi:संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिका
hr:Sjedinjene Američke Države
io:Usa id:Amerika Serikat ia:Statos Unite de America is:Bandaríkin it:Stati Uniti d'America
he:ארצות הברית
la:Civitates Americae Unitae lt:JAV hu:Amerikai Egyesült Államok
ms:Amerika Syarikat minnan:Bí-kok
nv:Wááshindoon bikéyah ałhidadiidzooígíí
nl:Verenigde Staten van Amerika
ja:アメリカ合衆国
nah:Altepetl Osehsepanoaseh Amerikako
nn:USA no:Amerikas forente stater nds:USA
pl:Stany Zjednoczone pt:Estados Unidos da América
ro:Statele Unite ale Americii ru:Соединённые Штаты Америки
simple:United States of America sk:Spojené štáty americké sl:Združene države Amerike
sr:Сједињене Америчке Државе
fi:Yhdysvallat sv:USA
th:สหรัฐอเมริกา
vi:Hoa Kỳ tokipona:ma Mewika
tr:Amerika Birleşik Devletleri
ur:امریکہ
uk:Сполучені Штати Америки
zh:美国
Category:North American countries
Category:Republics