Country Guide • United States of America
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 Name | The United States of America |
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Area | 9,372,608km² (3,618,784mile²) |
Population | 290,342,554 |
Continent | North America |
Population per mile² | 79.6 |
Capital City | Washington, DC |
Religions | Protestant 56%, Roman Catholic 28%, Jewish 2%, other 4%, none 10% |
Language | English, Spanish (spoken by a sizable minority) |
Government | Constitution-based federal republic |
Currency | Us Dollar |
GDP | $10.4 trillion |
GDP per Head | $37,600 |
Natural Resources | Coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber |
Land Use | Arable Land 19.32% |
Agriculture | Wheat, other grains, corn, fruits, vegetables, cotton; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; forest products; fish |
Industry | Petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, lumber, mining |
Tourism | The 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 Hazards | Tsunamis, 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 Risks | None |
Climate | The 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 |
Time | GMT/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 Days | July 4 - Independence Day |
Visas | The 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 Embassy | Embassy Details |
Information Only
The content above is for information purposes only and we have tried to ensure that the information is as accurate as possible. We cannot accept any responsibility for any inconvenience, loss or injury as a result of the information above. You should always check and verify any critical information like visas, health and safety and customs with the relevant authorities before you travel since information can change at any time.