"In God we trust" | |||||||
| Anthem | ""The Star-Spangled Banner"" | ||||||
| Capital | Washington DC | ||||||
| Largest city | New York City | ||||||
| Language | English | ||||||
| Ethnic Groups main |
72.41% White | ||||||
| others | 12.61% Black
9.11% Other/Multiracial 4.75% Asian 1.12% Native | ||||||
| Demonym | American | ||||||
| Government | Federal presidential constitutional republic | ||||||
| Legislature | Congress | ||||||
| President | Donald J. Trump | ||||||
| Area main |
9,857,306 km2 | ||||||
| water (%) | 7.1% | ||||||
| Population | 322,369,319 | ||||||
| Established | 1776 | ||||||
The United States of America, commonly known as the United States, U.S./US, U.S.A./USA, or the States, is a federal republic occupying North America which is composed of a union of 50-states, of which 48 states make up the Contiguous United States (CONUS). The country borders Canada to the north, Mexico, to the south, Russia via Alaska in the northeast, and various islands in the southeast. Only the states of Hawaii and Alaska do not belong to the Continental portion. In addition, the US possess several territories distributed in the Pacific and the Caribbean.
It is the world's sole superpower, having a large economy and a technologically advanced military.
History[]
See also: History of the United States
The American Century[]
Following the Cold War (1947-1991), the United States became the world's sole superpower after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The United States and a coalition of allied nations would then send assistance to Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War and successfully liberate Kuwait from Saddam Hussein's troops. A no-fly zone was established in Iraq throughout the 1990s.
Around 1993-2000, the US under Bill Clinton would try to eradicate Al-Qaeda, an Islamic terrorist organization, after a series of attacks in the World Trade Center (1993), the discovery of the Bojinka plot in the Philippines (1995), the Khobar Towers attack (1996), the US Embassy attacks in Kenya and Tanzania (1998), and the USS Cole bombing (2000). However, the Clinton administration failed to kill Osama bin-Laden, the leader of Al-Qaeda.
Also in 2000 was the closest election between Republican candidate George W. Bush (son of former President George H.W. Bush, served from 1989-1993) and Democrat candidate Al-Gore.
The War on Terror[]
The Twin Towers burning as seen from New York Harbor on the morning of September 11, 2001.
On September 11, 2001, a group of al-Qaeda terrorists hijacks four airliners and crashes two in the Twin Towers in New York City and one in the Pentagon. The fourth one failed to reach its target and crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. This would launch the United States and their allies on a War on Terror, invading the Afghanistan in October 2001 that managed to overthrow the Taliban regime. In 2003, the United States invaded Iraq and toppled Saddam Hussein's regime. US-Friendly democratic regimes would be placed in these invaded nations, however, these new governments would face post-war violence and turmoil as other elements of extremism would continue to grip the region. In 2008, the economy fell not seen since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
Celebration in front of the White House after the death of Osama bin Laden. May 1, 2011.
Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th President on January 20, 2009. Obama promised to jump start the economy, pullout troops from Iraq, and close the Guantanamo Prison Complex in Guantanamo Bay. On May 1, 2011, US Special Forces killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. The same year, NATO intervened on the 2011 Libyan Civil War that managed to oust Mummar Gaddafi. Obama was elected again in the 2012 elections, defeating Republican candidate Mitt Romney.
Highlights of the the United States from 2013-2015 include the unarmed black men, shooting sprees, legalization of gay marriage, and more military intervention against ISIL/ISIS. Controversally, its $500 million program to train moderate Syrian rebels has failed, resulting in the deaths of these rebels and the loss of several US-made equipment to Al-Nursa Front.
The country has increased its military present in the Asia-Pacific region to counter China in its aggressive policies toward its neighbors.
The Trump Administration[]
Donald Trump during his inauguration.
After the election of the 8th November it was elected Donald J. Trump as 45th President of the United States of America defeat the ex-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, with a difference of the 1% in the number but with a number of great electors of 279. This caused several anti-Trump protests in major cities across the United States. On December 3, 2016, Trump directly called the Taiwanese president, causing diplomatic protests from Beijing.
Trump became the president on January 20, 2017. One of his first acts in office was withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), deporting undocumented illegal immigrants, and signing a 90-day travel ban from seven countries in the Islamic world. The latter was met with worldwide condemnation, massive protests, and even federal judges overturning the ban. Thousands of illegal immigrants have now been deported by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Trump is also determined to build a wall across the US-Mexico border in order to stop illegal immigrants coming from Latin America. Since he took office, US-Mexico relations have soured.
Politics[]
Government[]
The United States is a federal constitutional republic with ideals based on liberty and democracy. The President is the head-of-state and the head-of-government. He is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces and is the top diplomat to other nations. He is the head of the executive department. Following the President in the line of succession in the event of an emergency is the Vice President (also the President of the Senate), followed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and so on (see also: Line of Succession).
The Speaker of the House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the House of Representatives, the lower house of the US Congress. Together with the Senate, both comprise the Congress and meet on Capitol Hill.
The Chief Justice is the head of the US Supreme Court, the judiciary department of the US government.
Each state and territory has a governor which controls its own local affairs. Governors of the states can activate their respective National Guard in times of unrest.
States[]
| State | Flag | Abbrevation | Capital | Largest City | Statehood |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 
|
AL | Montogomery | Birmingham | December 14, 1819 |
| Alaska | 
|
AK | Juneau | Anchorage | January 3, 1959 |
| Arizona | 
|
AZ | Phoenix | Phoenix | February 14, 1912 |
| Arkansas | 
|
AR | Little Rock | Little Rock | June 15, 1836 |
| California | 
|
CA | Sacramento | Los Angeles | September 9, 1850 |
| Colorado | 
|
CO | Denver | Denver | August 1, 1876 |
| Connecticut | 
|
CT | Hartford | Bridgeport | January 9, 1788 |
| Delaware | 
|
DE | Dover | Dover | December 7, 1787 |
| Florida | 
|
FL | Tallahassee | Jacksonville | March 3, 1845 |
| Georgia | 
|
GA | Atlanta | Atlanta | January 2, 1788 |
| Hawaii | 
|
HI | Honolulu | Honolulu | August 21, 1959 |
| Idaho | 
|
ID | Boise | Boise | July 3, 1890 |
| Illinois | 
|
IL | Springfield | Chicago | December 3, 1818 |
| Indiana | 
|
IN | Indianapolis | Indianapolis | December 11, 1816 |
| Iowa | 
|
IO | Des Moines | Des Moines | December 28, 1846 |
| Kansas | 
|
KS | Topeka | Wichita | January 29, 1861 |
| Kentucky | 
|
KY | Frankfort | Louisville | June 1, 1792 |
| Louisiana | 
|
LA | Baton Rouge | New Orleans | April 30, 1812 |
| Maine | 
|
ME | Augusta | Portland | March 15, 1820 |
| Maryland | 
|
MD | Annapolis | Baltimore | April 28, 1788 |
| Massachusetts | 
|
MA | Boston | Boston | February 6, 1788 |
| Michigan | 
|
MI | Lansing | Detroit | January 26, 1837 |
| Minnesota | 
|
MN | St. Paul | Minneapolis | May 11, 1858 |
| Mississippi | 
|
MS | Jackson | Jackson | December 10, 1817 |
| Missouri | 
|
MO | Jefferson City | Kansas City | August 10, 1821 |
| Montana | 
|
MT | Helena | Billings | November 8, 1889 |
| Nebraska | 
|
NE | Lincoln | Omaha | March 1, 1867 |
| Nevada | 
|
NV | Carson City | Las Vegas | October 31, 1864 |
| New Hampshire | 
|
NH | Concord | Manchester | June 21, 1788 |
| New Jersey | 
|
NJ | Trenton | Newark | December 18, 1787 |
| New Mexico | 
|
NM | Santa Fe | Albuquerque | January 6, 1912 |
| New York | 
|
NY | Albany | New York City | July 26, 1788 |
| North Carolina | 
|
NC | Raleigh | Charlotte | November 21, 1789 |
| North Dakota | 
|
ND | Bismarck | Fargo | November 2, 1889 |
| Ohio | 
|
OH | Columbus | Columbus | March 1, 1803 |
| Oklahoma | 
|
OK | Oklahoma City | Oklahoma City | November 16, 1907 |
| Oregon | 
|
OR | Salem | Portland | February 14, 1859 |
| Pennsylvania | 
|
PA | Harrisburg | Philadelphia | December 12, 1787 |
| Rhode Island | 
|
RI | Providence | Providence | May 29, 1790 |
| South Carolina | 
|
SC | Columbia | Columbia | May 23, 1788 |
| South Dakota | 
|
SD | Pierre | Sioux Falls | November 2, 1889 |
| Tennessee | 
|
TN | Nashville | Memphis | June 1, 1796 |
| Texas | 
|
TX | Austin | Houston | December 29, 1845 |
| Utah | 
|
UT | Salt Lake City | Salt Lake City | January 4, 1896 |
| Vermont | 
|
VT | Montplier | Burlington | March 4, 1791 |
| Virginia | 
|
VA | Richmond | Virginia Beach | June 25, 1788 |
| Washington | 
|
WA | Olympia | Seattle | November 11, 1889 |
| West Virginia | 
|
WV | Charleston | Charleston | June 20, 1863 |
| Wisconsin | 
|
WI | Madison | Milwaukee | May 29, 1848 |
| Wyoming | 
|
WY | Cheyenne | Cheyenne | July 10, 1890 |
Territories[]
In addition to the 50 states in the Union, the US possesses several territories in the Pacific and the Caribbean.
Inhabited[]
| Name | Flag | Location | Acquisition | Capital | Largest City |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Samoa | 
|
South Pacific | June 7, 1900 | Pago Pago | Pago Pago |
| Guam | 
|
North Pacific, Micronesia | December 23, 1898 | Hagåtña | Dededo |
| Northern Mariana Islands | 
|
North Pacific, Micronesia | 1978 | Capitol Hill
(Saipan) |
Capitol Hill
(Saipan) |
| Puerto Rico | 
|
North Atlantic, Caribbean | 1898 | San Juan | San Juan |
| United States Virgin Islands | 
|
North Atlantic, Caribbean | March 31, 1917 | Charlotte Amalie | Charlotte Amalie |
Uninhabited[]
| Name | Flag (if available) | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Baker Island | No Flag | Pacific Ocean |
| Jarvis Island | No Flag | Pacific Ocean |
| Johnston Atoll | Unofficial Flag | Pacific Ocean |
| Howland Island | No Flag | Pacific Ocean |
| Kingman Reef | No Flag | Pacific Ocean |
| Midway Atoll | Unofficial Flag | Pacific Ocean |
| Navassa Island | Unofficial Flag | Caribbean Sea |
| Palmyra Atoll | No Flag | Pacific Ocean |
| Wake Island | Unofficial Flag | Pacific Ocean |
In addition, the US lays claim on the Seranilla Bank and Bajo de Nuevo, but is disputed with Colombia which falls under their sovereignty.
Foreign Relations[]
The United States has formal diplomatic relations with most nations. This includes all UN member states except for Bhutan, Iran, North Korea and Syria. Additionally, the US has diplomatic relations with the European Union, the Holy See and with Kosovo. The United States federal statutes relating to foreign relations can be found in Title 22 of the United States Code.
The US is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. It is also one the founding members of NATO and a member of the Organization of American States (OAS). The US is a major non-NATO ally (MNNA) of 16 countries. Taiwan, which the US has unofficial relations after recognizing the People's Republic of China, is a de facto MNNA in which Washington is to defend the nation from a hypothetical Chinese attack.
The United States maintains a Compact of Free Association with the Pacific island nations of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands. Under this compact, the US provides these nations with economic and military aid. Along with Canada, citizens coming from these nations can enter the United States without a visa.
Economy[]
Military[]
The United States Armed Forces is the strongest military in the world. It is composed of five branches: Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard. Each 50-state, Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the US Virgin Islands, and the capital, District of Columbia has a National Guard. The National Guard functions as a state militia/reserve force and is activated when there is an emergency within the state, since the regular Army cannot intervene unless in times of emergency. The National Guard can become part of the Army and the Air Force in times of war under the orders of the President.
The US military has 1,301,300 active personnel with 811,000 reserve personnel. It has an inventory of countless tanks, armored vehicles, helicopters, fighter jets, intercontinental bombers, and various ships which includes 11 aircraft carriers, destroyers, frigates, minesweepers, amphibious assault ships, and submarines.
The country is one of the eight nuclear powers, having access to nuclear-capable bombers, submarine-launched missiles, and ICMB-based missiles.
There are various US military bases located in Greenland, Great Britain, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and island nations in Oceania.
Demographics[]
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