Exploring the United States: Unveiling Key Facts and Insights

13 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; blue stands for loyalty, devotion, truth, justice, and friendship, red symbolizes courage, zeal, and fervency, while white denotes purity and rectitude of conduct; commonly referred to by its nickname of Old Glory

note: the design and colors have been the basis for a number of other flags, including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico.

United States map showing the United States – including Alaska and Hawaii – within northern North America. Most major US cities are indicated.

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

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.

Geography:

Area

• total: 9,833,517 sq km

• land: 9,147,593 sq km

• water: 685,924 sq km

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

Natural resources:

coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, rare earth elements, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber, arable land;

People and Society

Population: 339,665,118 (2023 est.)

Ethnic groups: White 61.6%, Black or African American 12.4%, Asian 6%, Amerindian and Alaska native 1.1%, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0.2%, other 8.4%, two or more races 10.2% (2020 est.)

Languages: English only 78.2%, Spanish 13.4%, Chinese 1.1%, other 7.3% (2017 est.)

Religions: Protestant 46.5%, Roman Catholic 20.8%, Jewish 1.9%, Church of Jesus Christ 1.6%, other Christian 0.9%, Muslim 0.9%, Jehovah's Witness 0.8%, Buddhist 0.7%, Hindu 0.7%, other 1.8%, unaffiliated 22.8%, don't know/refused 0.6% (2014 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.68% (2023 est.)

Government

Government type: constitutional federal republic

Capital: Washington, DC

Executive branch

• chief of state: President Joseph R. BIDEN, Jr. (since 20 January 2021); Vice President Kamala D. HARRIS (since 20 January 2021); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government.

• head of government: President Joseph R. BIDEN, Jr. (since 20 January 2021); Vice President Kamala D. HARRIS (since 20 January 2021)

Legislative branch

bicameral Congress consists of:

• Senate (100 seats; 2 members directly elected in each of the 50 state constituencies by simple majority vote except in Georgia and Louisiana which require an absolute majority vote with a second round if needed; members serve 6-year terms with one-third of membership renewed every 2 years)

• House of Representatives (435 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote except in Georgia which requires an absolute majority vote with a second round if needed; members serve 2-year terms)

Economy

Economic overview

high-income, diversified North American economy; NATO leader; largest importer and second-largest exporter; home to leading financial exchanges; high and growing public debt; rising socioeconomic inequalities; historically low interest rates; hit by COVID-19.

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

• $21.132 trillion (2021 est.)

• $19.946 trillion (2020 est.)

• $20.513 trillion (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita

• $63,700 (2021 est.)

• $60,200 (2020 est.)

• $62,500 (2019 est.)

Agricultural products

maize, milk, soybeans, wheat, sugar cane, sugar beet, poultry, potatoes, cotton, pork

Industries

highly diversified, world leading, high-technology innovator, second-largest industrial output in the world; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, lumber, mining

Exports

• $2.557 trillion (2021 est.)

• $2.159 trillion (2020 est.)

• $2.546 trillion (2019 est.)

Exports - partners

Canada 16%, Mexico 15%, China 9%, Japan 4%, South Korea 4% (2021)

Exports - commodities

refined petroleum, natural gas, crude petroleum, cars and vehicle parts, integrated circuits, aircraft, vaccines and cultures (2021)

Imports

• $3.402 trillion (2021 est.)

• $2.813 trillion (2020 est.)

• $3.106 trillion (2019 est.)

Imports - partners

China 19%, Mexico 13%, Canada 13%, Germany 5%, Japan 5% (2021)

Imports - commodities

cars, crude petroleum, computers, broadcasting equipment, packaged medicines (2021)

Exchange rates:

• British pounds per US dollar: 0.7836 (2017 est.), 0.738 (2016 est.), 0.738 (2015 est.), 0.607 (2014 est), 0.6391 (2013 est.)

• Canadian dollars per US dollar: 1, 1.308 (2017 est.), 1.3256 (2016 est.), 1.3256 (2015 est.), 1.2788 (2014 est.), 1.0298 (2013 est.)

• Chinese yuan per US dollar: 1, 6.7588 (2017 est.), 6.6445 (2016 est.), 6.2275 (2015 est.), 6.1434 (2014 est.), 6.1958 (2013 est.)

• euros per US dollar: 0.885 (2017 est.), 0.903 (2016 est.), 0.9214(2015 est.), 0.885 (2014 est.), 0.7634 (2013 est.)

• Japanese yen per US dollar: 111.10 (2017 est.), 108.76 (2016 est.), 108.76 (2015 est.), 121.02 (2014 est.), 97.44 (2013 est.)

note 1: the following countries and territories use the US dollar officially as their legal tender: British Virgin Islands, Ecuador, El Salvador, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Timor Leste, Turks and Caicos, and islands of the Caribbean Netherlands (Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba)

note 2: the following countries and territories use the US dollar as official legal tender alongside local currency: Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Costa Rica, and Panama

note 3: the following countries and territories widely accept the US dollar as a dominant currency but have yet to declare it as legal tender: Bermuda, Burma, Cambodia, Cayman Islands, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Somalia

Exchange rates:

• 1 (2021 est.)

• 1 (2020 est.)

• 1 (2019 est.)

• 1 (2018 est.)

• 1 (2017 est.)

LGBTQIA+ Travelers

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) travelers can face unique challenges when traveling abroad. Laws and attitudes in some countries may affect safety and ease of travel. Legal protections vary from country to country. Many countries do not legally recognize same-sex marriage. Approximately seventy countries consider consensual same-sex sexual relations a crime, sometimes carrying severe punishment.

Telephone Code: 1

Local Emergency Phone: 911

Vaccinations

The CDC and WHO recommend the following vaccinations for United States: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rabies, meningitis, polio, measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis), chickenpox, shingles, pneumonia, COVID-19, and influenza.

Currency (Code): Dollar (USD)

Electricity/Voltage/Plug Type(s): 120 V / 60 Hz / plug types(s): A, B

Time Difference

UTC-5 (during Standard Time); daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November; note: the 50 United States cover six time zones

Potable Water: Yes

International Driving Permit: Suggested for non-US citizens.Suggested

Road Driving Side: Right

Tourist Destinations

Grand Canyon; Niagara Falls; Statue of Liberty; Washington, DC (includes White House, National Mall); Yellowstone National Park; Yosemite National Park; Denali National Park; Times Square; Golden Gate Bridge; Mesa Verde; Disney World/Land in Florida/California; Hawaii (includes Oahu, Maui, and island of Hawaii); Utah’s national parks; Las Vegas

Major Sports: American Football, baseball, basketball, ice hockey, soccer, tennis

Cultural Practices

Being on time is important. Americans can be very direct and honest, even though it may seem rude to people from another culture. Americans wait their turn in lines.

Tipping Guidelines: At restaurants, tip 15-20% of the bill, based on quality of service. For bartenders, tip $1 per drink. Tip taxi drivers 10-15% of the fare. Tip housekeeping $2-3 per night; tip room service $1-2 per delivery; tip bellhops $1-2 per bag; $2-5 for valet; $1-2 for doormen if they hail a taxi.

Souvenirs

Regional food items such as sauces, preserves, and candy, t-shirts, Disney merchandise, American flag, statue of Liberty model, and local specialties.Religious artifacts, jewelry, olive wood carvings, olive oil and Dead Sea mineral beauty products, antiquities replicas including Roman coins, olive oil and kosher foods

Traditional Cuisine

Highlights of American cuisine include milkshakes, barbecue, and a wide range of fried foods. Many quintessential American dishes are unique takes on food originally from other culinary traditions, including pizza, hot dogs, and Tex-Mex.