Country Guide • United States of America

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The United States is located on the North American Continent and is the fourth largest country in the world. The national territory consists of three separated territories. (1.) The continental 48 states, (2.) Alaska and (3.) Hawaii. The USA shares borders with Canada to the north and Mexico to the south and has coasts on the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. The State of Alaska, in the northwest corner of the continent, is separated from the rest of the country by Canada, and Hawaii lies in the central Pacific Ocean.

Official NameThe United States of America
Area9,372,608km² (3,618,784mile²)
Population290,342,554
ContinentNorth America
Population per mile²79.6
Capital CityWashington, DC
ReligionsProtestant 56%, Roman Catholic 28%, Jewish 2%, other 4%, none 10%
LanguageEnglish, Spanish (spoken by a sizable minority)
GovernmentConstitution-based federal republic
CurrencyUs Dollar
GDP$10.4 trillion
GDP per Head$37,600
Natural ResourcesCoal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber
Land UseArable Land 19.32%
AgricultureWheat, other grains, corn, fruits, vegetables, cotton; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; forest products; fish
IndustryPetroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, lumber, mining
TourismThe USA attracts 45 million visitors per year. The country is so vast that generally anything you can imagine to do can be done. Summer, Winter, Spring or Falls, you will find enough to occupy yourself
Natural HazardsTsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquake activity around Pacific Basin; hurricanes along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts; tornadoes in the midwest and southeast; mud slides in California; forest fires in the west; flooding; permafrost in northern Alaska, a major impediment to development
Health RisksNone
ClimateThe United States has a varied climate due to its sheer size with conditions characteristic of temperate deserts to arctic. In general, the eastern seaboard has a continental climate due to the masses of air moving principally from west to east, except for Florida where the winters are the warmest in Continental USA and summers are hot. Central USA has a continental climate with extreme variations in temperature. Winters are usually cold with frequent blizzards while summers are hot and subject to tornadoes with conditions semiarid to the west and humid to the east. Coastal California has a warm Mediterranean climate while the Pacific North west Coast has a maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters. Average temperature ranges in Washington DC are from -3 to 6°C in January to 20 to 31°C in July
TimeGMT/UTC- The USA is divided into six time zones:
Eastern Standard Time: GMT - 5 (GMT - 4 from first Sunday in April to last Sunday in October)
Central Standard Time: GMT - 6 (GMT - 5 from first Sunday in April to last Sunday in October)
Mountain Standard Time: GMT - 7 (GMT - 6 from first Sunday in April to last Sunday in October)
Pacific Standard Time: GMT - 8 (GMT - 7 from first Sunday in April to last Sunday in October)
Alaska: GMT-9 (GMT - 8 from first Sunday in April to last Sunday in October)
Hawaii: GMT-10.
National DaysJuly 4 - Independence Day
VisasThe US operates a Visa Waiver Programme (VWP), available to most British Citizen passport holders. Also citzens from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland travelling on business, pleasure or transit from where they normally reside and who intend to stay in the US for less than 90 days, if they have an onward ticket. Canadians need only proof of citizenship. All other visitors to the US require a visa
British EmbassyEmbassy Details

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