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yclopediaFor other uses, see US

(disambiguation), USA (disambiguation),and United States (disambiguation).

United States of America

Flag Great Seal

Motto:

"In God We Trust" (official)[1][2][3]

Other traditional mottos [show]

Anthem: "The Star-Spangled Banner"

MENU

0:00
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_(disambiguation)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_(disambiguation)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_(disambiguation)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_(disambiguation)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Seal_of_the_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_God_We_Trusthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Star-Spangled_Bannerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Great_Seal_of_the_United_States_(obverse).svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_the_United_States.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Star-Spangled_Bannerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_God_We_Trusthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Seal_of_the_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_(disambiguation)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_(disambiguation)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_(disambiguation)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_(disambiguation)


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The contiguous United

Statesplus Alaskaand Hawaii in green

The United States and itsterritories

Capital Washington, D.C.3853N7701W

Largest city New York City4043N7400W

Official

languages

None atfederal level

Recognisedregional languages

List[show]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contiguous_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contiguous_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contiguous_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaskahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_territorieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington,_D.C.http://tools.wmflabs.org/geohack/geohack.php?pagename=United_States&params=38_53_N_77_01_W_type:countryhttp://tools.wmflabs.org/geohack/geohack.php?pagename=United_States&params=38_53_N_77_01_W_type:countryhttp://tools.wmflabs.org/geohack/geohack.php?pagename=United_States&params=38_53_N_77_01_W_type:countryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Cityhttp://tools.wmflabs.org/geohack/geohack.php?pagename=United_States&params=40_43_N_74_00_W_http://tools.wmflabs.org/geohack/geohack.php?pagename=United_States&params=40_43_N_74_00_W_http://tools.wmflabs.org/geohack/geohack.php?pagename=United_States&params=40_43_N_74_00_W_http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_government_of_the_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US_insular_areas.pnghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:USA_orthographic.svghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_government_of_the_United_Stateshttp://tools.wmflabs.org/geohack/geohack.php?pagename=United_States&params=40_43_N_74_00_W_http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Cityhttp://tools.wmflabs.org/geohack/geohack.php?pagename=United_States&params=38_53_N_77_01_W_type:countryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington,_D.C.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_territorieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaskahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contiguous_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contiguous_United_States


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National

language

English[b]

Demonym American

Government Federalpresidentialconstitutional republic

-

President Barack Obama

-

Vice President Joe Biden

-

Speaker of theHouse

John Boehner

-

Chief Justice John Roberts

Legislature Congress

-

Upper house Senate

-

Lower house House of

Representatives

Independencefrom Great Britain

-Declared July 4, 1776
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demonymhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demonymhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americanshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americanshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_the_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_the_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federalismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitutional_republichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obamahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obamahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice_President_(United_States)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice_President_(United_States)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Bidenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speaker_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representativeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speaker_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representativeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speaker_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representativeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Boehnerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Justice_(United_States)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Justice_(United_States)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Robertshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Robertshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_househttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senate_(United_States)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_househttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_househttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Representatives_(United_States)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Representatives_(United_States)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Representatives_(United_States)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Great_Britainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Great_Britainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Representatives_(United_States)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Representatives_(United_States)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_househttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senate_(United_States)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_househttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Robertshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Justice_(United_States)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Boehnerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speaker_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representativeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speaker_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representativeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Bidenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice_President_(United_States)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obamahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitutional_republichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federalismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_the_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americanshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demonymhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_language


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-

Recognized September 3, 1783

-

Constitution June 21, 1788

-

CurrentStatehood

August 21, 1959

Area

-

Total 9,857,306[4]km2(3rd)3,805,927

[4]sq mi

-

Water (%) 2.23

Population

-

2014 estimate 319,309,000[5](3rd)

-

Density 34.2/km2(180th)

88.6/sq mi

GDP(PPP) 2013 estimate-

Total $16.768 trillion[6]

(1st)

-Per capita $53,001[6](9th)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Paris_(1783)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Constitutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii_Admission_Acthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii_Admission_Acthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_the_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_the_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-State_and_other_areas-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_dependencies_by_areahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-State_and_other_areas-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_the_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_the_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-POP-5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_populationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sovereign_states_and_dependent_territories_by_population_densityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_producthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_producthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purchasing_power_parityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-IMF_GDP-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-IMF_GDP-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)_per_capitahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)_per_capitahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-IMF_GDP-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-IMF_GDP-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purchasing_power_parityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_producthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sovereign_states_and_dependent_territories_by_population_densityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_populationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-POP-5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_the_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-State_and_other_areas-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_dependencies_by_areahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-State_and_other_areas-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_the_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii_Admission_Acthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii_Admission_Acthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Constitutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Paris_(1783)


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GDP(nominal) 2013 estimate

-

Total $16.768 trillion[6](1st)

-

Per capita $53,001[6](9th)

Gini(2012) 36.9[7]

medium 39th (2009)HDI(2013) 0.914[8]

very high 5th

CurrencyUnited States dollar($)(USD)

Time zone (UTC5 to 10)

-

Summer (DST) (UTC4 to 10[d])

Drives on the right[e]

Calling code

+1

ISO 3166 code US

Internet TLD .us .gov .mil .edu
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_producthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_producthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-IMF_GDP-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-IMF_GDP-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)_per_capitahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gini_coefficienthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_income_equalityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Development_Indexhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-HDI-8http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Indexhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_dollarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_4217http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coordinated_Universal_Timehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_saving_timehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coordinated_Universal_Timehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#endnote_UTCboxhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#endnote_drivinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_numbers_in_the_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_numbers_in_the_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Numbering_Planhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Numbering_Planhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_3166http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_3166-2:UShttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_3166-2:UShttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Country_code_top-level_domainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Country_code_top-level_domainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.ushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.govhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.milhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.eduhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.eduhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.milhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.govhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.ushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Country_code_top-level_domainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_3166-2:UShttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_3166http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Numbering_Planhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_numbers_in_the_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#endnote_drivinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#endnote_UTCboxhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coordinated_Universal_Timehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_saving_timehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coordinated_Universal_Timehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_4217http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_dollarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Indexhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-HDI-8http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Development_Indexhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_income_equalityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gini_coefficienthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)_per_capitahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-IMF_GDP-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-IMF_GDP-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_domestic_product


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a

.^English is theofficial languageof atleast 28 states; some sources give higher

figures, based on differing definitions of"official".[9]English and Hawaiianareboth official languages in the stateof Hawaii. Frenchis ade factolanguage inthe states ofMaineandLouisiana,whileNew Mexicostate law

grantsSpanisha specialstatus.

[10][11][12][13]Cherokeeis an official

language in theCherokee Nationtribalurisdiction area and in theUnited

Keetoowah Band of Cherokee

Indiansbased in east andnortheast Oklahoma.[14][15][16]

b

.^English is thede factolanguage ofAmerican government and the solelanguage spoken at home by 80 percent ofAmericans aged five and older. 28 states

and five territories have made English anofficial language. Other official languagesincludeHawaiian,Samoan,Chamorro, Carolinian,Spanishand Cherokee.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#ref_engoffboxhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_language_of_the_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-ILW-9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-ILW-9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mainehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisianahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Mexicohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-C.26F-12http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherokee_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherokee_Nationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Keetoowah_Band_of_Cherokee_Indianshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Keetoowah_Band_of_Cherokee_Indianshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Keetoowah_Band_of_Cherokee_Indianshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahomahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-official-14http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-CARLA-16http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#ref_engfactoboxhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_factohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_factohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samoan_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamorro_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolinian_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolinian_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherokee_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherokee_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolinian_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolinian_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamorro_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samoan_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_factohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#ref_engfactoboxhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-CARLA-16http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-official-14http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-official-14http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahomahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Keetoowah_Band_of_Cherokee_Indianshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Keetoowah_Band_of_Cherokee_Indianshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Keetoowah_Band_of_Cherokee_Indianshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherokee_Nationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherokee_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-C.26F-12http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-C.26F-12http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Mexicohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisianahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mainehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#cite_note-ILW-9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_language_of_the_United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States#ref_engoffbox


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c

.^Whether the United States orChinaislarger has beendisputed. The figure given

is from the U.S.Central IntelligenceAgency's The World Factbook. Othersources give smaller figures. Allauthoritative calculations of the country'ssize include only the 50 states and theDistrict of Columbia, not theterritories.

d.^See Time in the United Statesfor detailsabout laws governing time zones in theUnited States.

e

.^ExceptU.S. Virgin Islands.

The United States ofAmerica(USAor U.S.A.), commonlyreferred to as theUnitedStates(USor U.S.), America, andsometimes the States, is a federal

republic

[17][18]

consisting of 50 statesanda federal district. The 48 contiguousstatesand Washington, D.C., are incentral North
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Americabetween Canadaand Mexico.The state ofAlaskais the northwestern

part of North America and the stateof Hawaiiis an archipelagoin the mid-Pacific. The country also has fivepopulated and nineunpopulatedterritoriesin the Pacific andtheCaribbean. At 3.80 million square

miles (9.85 million km2

)[4]

and witharound 318 million people, the UnitedStates is the world's third- or fourth-largest country by total areaand third-largest by population. It is one of theworld's mostethnicallydiverseand multiculturalnations, theproduct of large-scaleimmigration frommanycountries.

[19]The geographyand climate

of the United Statesis also extremely

diverse, and it is home to a wide varietyof wildlife.

Paleo-IndiansmigratedfromEurasiatowhat is now the U.S. mainland around
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15,000 years ago,[20]

with Europeancolonizationbeginning in the 16th

century. The United States emergedfrom13 British colonieslocated alongtheAtlantic seaboard. DisputesbetweenGreat Britainand these coloniesled to theAmerican Revolution. On July4, 1776, as the colonies were fighting

Great Britain in theAmericanRevolutionary War, delegates from the13 colonies unanimously issuedthe Declaration of Independence. Thewar ended in 1783 with the recognition ofindependence of the United Statesfromthe Kingdom of Great Britain, and wasthe first successful war of independenceagainst a Europeancolonialempire.

[21][22]The currentConstitutionwas

adopted on September 17, 1787. The

first ten amendments, collectively namedthe Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791and designed to guarantee
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many fundamental civil rights andfreedoms.

Driven by the doctrine of manifestdestiny, the United States embarked on avigorous expansion across NorthAmerica throughout the 19thcentury.

[23]This involved displacing native

tribes,acquiring new territories, and

graduallyadmitting new states.[23]Duringthe second half of the 19th century,theAmerican Civil Warendedlegal slavery in the country.

[24]By the end

of that century, the United States

extended into the Pacific Ocean,

[25]

andits economy began tosoar.

[26]The SpanishAmerican

Warand World War Iconfirmed thecountry's status as a global militarypower. The United States emerged

from World War IIas aglobalsuperpower, the first country todevelop nuclear weapons, the onlycountry to use them in warfare, and as
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a permanent memberof the UnitedNations Security Council. The end of

the Cold Warand thedissolutionofthe Soviet Unionleft the United States asthe sole superpower.

[27]

The United States is a developedcountryand has the world's largestnational economy.

[6]The economy is

fueled by an abundance of naturalresourcesand high workerproductivity.

[28]While the U.S.

economyis consideredpost-industrial, itcontinues to be one of the world's largest

manufacturers.

[29]

The country accountsfor 37% of global militaryspending,

[30]being the world's foremost

economic andmilitarypower, a prominentpolitical andculturalforce, and a leader inscientific research and technological

innovations.[31]

Contents

[hide]
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1 Etymology

2 History

o

2.1 Native American and Europeancontact

o 2.2 Settlements

o 2.3 Independence and expansion

o 2.4 Civil War and Reconstruction Era

o 2.5 Industrialization

o 2.6 World War I, Great Depression,and World War II

o 2.7 Cold War and civil rights era

o 2.8 Contemporary history

3 Geography, climate, and environment

4 Demographicso 4.1 Population

o 4.2 Language

o 4.3 Religion

o 4.4 Family structure

5 Government and politicso 5.1 Political divisions

o 5.2 Parties and elections

o 5.3 Foreign relations
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o 5.4 Government finance

5.4.1 National debt

6 Military 7 Crime and law enforcement

8 Economy

o 8.1 Income, poverty and wealth

9 Infrastructure

o 9.1 Transportation

o 9.2 Energy

10 Science and technology

11 Education

12 Health

13 Culture

o 13.1 Mass mediao 13.2 Cinema

o 13.3 Music

o 13.4 Literature, philosophy, and thearts

o

13.5 Foodo 13.6 Sports

14 See also

15 Notes
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16 References

17 Bibliography

o

17.1 Website sources 18 External links

Etymology

See also: Names for United Statescitizens

In 1507, the GermancartographerMartinWaldseemllerproduced a world map onwhich he named the lands of the WesternHemisphere "America"after the Italianexplorer and cartographerAmerigoVespucci(Latin:AmericusVespucius).[32]The first documentaryevidence of the phrase "United States ofAmerica" is from a letter dated January 2,1776, written by Stephen Moylan,Esq., George Washington'saide-de-

campand Muster-Master General ofthe Continental Army. Addressed to Lt.Col. Joseph Reed, Moylan expressed hiswish to carry the "full and ample powers
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of the United States of America" to Spainto assist in the revolutionary war effort.

[33]

The first publicly published evidence ofthe phrase "United States of America"was in an anonymously written essayin The Virginia Gazettenewspaper inWilliamsburg, Virginia, on April 6,1776.

[34][35]In June 1776, Thomas

Jefferson included the phrase "UNITEDSTATES OF AMERICA" in all capitalizedletters in the headline of his "originalRough draught" of the Declaration ofIndependence.

[36][37]In the final Fourth of

Julyversion of the Declaration, thepertinent section of the title was changedto read, "The unanimous Declaration ofthe thirteen united States ofAmerica".

[38]In 1777 theArticles of

Confederationannounced, "The Stile of

this Confederacy shall be 'The UnitedStates of America'".

[39]

The short form "United States" is alsostandard. Other common forms include
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the "U.S.", the "U.S.A.", and "America".Colloquial names include the "U.S. of A."

and, internationally, the "States"."Columbia", a name popular in poetryand songs of the late 1700s,

[40]derives

its origin from Christopher Columbus; itappears in the name "District ofColumbia". In non-English languages, the

name is frequently the translation ofeither the "United States" or "UnitedStates of America", and colloquially as"America". In addition, an abbreviation(e.g. USA) is sometimes used.

[41]

The phrase "United States" was originallytreated as plural, a description of acollection of independent statese.g.,"the United States are"including inthe Thirteenth Amendment to the UnitedStates Constitution, ratified in 1865. It

became common to treat it as singular, asingle unite.g., "the United States is"after the end of the Civil War. Thesingular form is now standard; the plural
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form is retained in the idiom "theseUnited States".

[42]The difference has

been described as more significant thanone of usage, but reflecting the differencebetween a collection of states and aunit.

[43]

The standard way to refer to a citizen ofthe United States is as an "American".

"United States", "American" and "U.S."are used to refer to the countryadjectivally ("American values","U.S. forces"). "American" is rarely usedin English to refer to subjects not

connected with the United States.

[44]

History

Main articles: History of the UnitedStatesand Timeline of United Stateshistory
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Native Americans meeting withEuropeans, 1764

Native American and EuropeancontactFurther information: Pre-Columbian

eraandColonial history of the UnitedStates

The first North Americansettlers migratedfromSiberiaby way ofthe Bering land bridgeapproximately

15,000 or more years ago.[20][45][46]

Some,such as the pre-ColumbianMississippianculture, developed advanced agriculture,grand architecture, and state-level
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societies. After European explorers andtraders made the first contacts, thenative

population declineddue to variousreasons, including diseases suchas smallpoxandmeasles,

[47][48]intermarri

age,[49]

andviolence.[50][51][52]

In the early days of colonization manysettlers were subject to shortages of

food, disease and attacks from NativeAmericans. Native Americans were alsooften at war with neighboring tribes andallied with Europeans in their colonialwars.

[53]At the same time however many

natives and settlers came to depend oneach other. Settlers traded for food andanimal pelts, natives for guns,ammunition and other Europeanwares.

[54]Natives taught many settlers

where, when and how to cultivate corn,

beans and squash in the frontier.European missionaries and others felt itwas important to "civilize" the Indians andurged them to concentrate on farming
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and ranching without depending onhunting and gathering.

[55][56]

SettlementsFurther information: Europeancolonization of the Americasand 13colonies

Signing of the Mayflower Compact, 1620

After Columbus'first voyageto the New

Worldin 1492 other explorers andsettlement followed into the Floridas andthe American Southwest.

[57][58]There

were also some French attemptstocolonize the east coast, and later more

successful settlements alongtheMississippi River. Successful Englishsettlement on the eastern coast of NorthAmerica began with the Virginia Colony
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in 1607 at Jamestownandthe Pilgrims'Plymouth Colonyin 1620.

Early experiments in communal livingfailed until the introduction of private farmholdings.

[59]Many settlers

were dissenting Christian groupswhocame seekingreligious freedom. Thecontinent's first elected legislative

assembly, Virginia's House ofBurgessescreated in 1619, andthe Mayflower Compact, signed by thePilgrims before disembarking,established precedents for the pattern ofrepresentative self-government andconstitutionalism that would developthroughout the American colonies.

[60][61]

Most settlers in every colony were smallfarmers, but other industries developed.Cash crops included tobacco, rice and

wheat. Extraction industries grew up infurs, fishing and lumber. Manufacturersproduced rum and ships, and by the latecolonial period Americans were
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producing one-seventh of the world's ironsupply.

[62]Cities eventually dotted the

coast to support local economies andserve as trade hubs. English colonistswere supplemented by waves of Scotch-Irishand other groups. As coastal landgrew more expensive freed indenturedservantspushed further west.

[63]Slave

cultivation of cash crops began with theSpanish in the 1500s, and was adoptedby the English, but life expectancy wasmuch higher in North America because ofless disease and better food andtreatment, so the numbers of slaves grewrapidly.[64][65][66]Colonial society waslargely divided over the religious andmoral implications of slavery andcolonies passed acts for and against thepractice.

[67][68]But by the turn of the 18th

century, African slaves were replacingindentured servants for cash crop labor,especially in southern regions.

[69]
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