2024 Edition Primary

Background

Thirteen of 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 as the nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions. Two of the most traumatic experiences in the nation's history were the Civil War (1861-65), in which a northern Union of states defeated a secessionist Confederacy of 11 southern slave states, and the Great Depression of the 1930s, an economic downturn during which about a quarter of the labor force lost its jobs. Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and II and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the US remains the world's most powerful nation state. Since the end of World War II, the economy has achieved relatively steady growth, low unemployment, and rapid advances in technology.

Area

land

9,147,593 sq km

note

note: includes only the 50 states and District of Columbia, no overseas territories

total

9,833,517 sq km

water

685,924 sq km

Area - comparative

about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the size of Africa; about half the size of South America (or slightly larger than Brazil); slightly larger than China; more than twice the size of the European Union

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

note

note: many consider Denali, the highest peak in the US, to be the world’s coldest mountain because of its combination of high elevation and its subarctic location at 63 degrees north latitude; permanent snow and ice cover over 75 percent of the mountain, and enormous glaciers, up to 45 miles long and 3,700 feet thick, spider out from its base in every direction; it is home to some of the world’s coldest and most violent weather, where winds of over 150 miles per hour and temperatures of -93˚F have been recorded.  

Coastline

19,924 km

Elevation

highest point

Denali 6,190 m (Mount McKinley) (highest point in North America)

lowest point

Death Valley (lowest point in North America) -86 m

mean elevation

760 m

note

note: Denali is one of the most striking features on the entire planet; at 20,310 feet, it is the crowning peak of the Alaska Range and the highest mountain on North America; it towers three and one-half vertical miles above its base, making it a mile taller from base to summit than Mt. Everest; Denali's base sits at about 2,000 feet above sea level and rises over three and one-half miles to its 20,310 foot summit; Everest begins on a 14,000-foot high plain, then summits at 29,028 feet.note: the peak of Mauna Kea (4,207 m above sea level) on the island of Hawaii rises about 10,200 m above the Pacific Ocean floor; by this measurement, it is the world's tallest mountain - higher than Mount Everest (8,850 m), which is recognized as the tallest mountain above sea level

Geographic coordinates

38 00 N, 97 00 W

Geography - note

note 1: world's third-largest country by size (after Russia and Canada) and by population (after China and India); Denali (Mt. McKinley) is the highest point (6,190 m) in North America and Death Valley the lowest point (-86 m) on the continent note 2: the western coast of the United States and southern coast of Alaska lie along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean; up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Fire note 3: the Aleutian Islands are a chain of volcanic islands that divide the Bering Sea (north) from the main Pacific Ocean (south); they extend about 1,800 km westward from the Alaskan Peninsula; the archipelago consists of 14 larger islands, 55 smaller islands, and hundreds of islets; there are 41 active volcanoes on the islands, which together form a large northern section of the Ring of Firenote 4: Mammoth Cave, in west-central Kentucky, is the world's longest known cave system with more than 650 km (405 miles) of surveyed passageways, which is nearly twice as long as the second-longest cave system, the Sac Actun underwater cave in Mexico -- the world's longest underwater cave system (see "Geography - note" under Mexico)note 5: Kazumura Cave on the island of Hawaii is the world's longest and deepest lava tube cave; it has been surveyed at 66 km (41 mi) long and 1,102 m (3,614 ft) deep note 6: Bracken Cave outside of San Antonio, Texas is the world's largest bat cave; it is the summer home to the largest colony of bats in the world; an estimated 20 million Mexican free-tailed bats roost in the cave from March to October making it the world's largest known concentration of mammalsnote 7: three food crops are generally acknowledged to be native to areas of what is now the United States: cranberries, pecans, and sunflowers

Irrigated land

234,782 sq km (2017)

Land boundaries

border countries

Canada 8,891 km (including 2,475 km with Alaska); Mexico 3,111 km

note

note: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is leased by the US and is part of Cuba; the base boundary is 28.5 km

total

12,002 km

Land use

agricultural land

44.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 16.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 27.4% (2018 est.)

forest

33.3% (2018 est.)

other

22.2% (2018 est.)

Location

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

Major aquifers

Northern Great Plains Aquifer, Cambrian-Ordovician Aquifer System, Californian Central Valley Aquifer System, Ogallala Aquifer (High Plains), Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains Aquifer

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s)

Michigan – 57,750 sq km; Superior* – 53,348 sq km; Huron* – 23,597 sq km; Erie* – 12,890 sq km; Ontario* – 9,220 sq km; Lake of the Woods – 4,350 sq km; Iliamna – 2,590 sq km; Okeechobee – 1,810 sq km; Belcharof – 1,190 sq km; Red – 1,170 sq km; Saint Clair – 1,113 sq km; Champlain – 1,100 sq kmnote - Great Lakes* area shown as US waters

salt water lake(s)

Great Salt – 4,360 sq km; Pontchartrain – 1,620 sq km;  Selawik – 1,400 sq km; Salton Sea – 950 sq km

Major rivers (by length in km)

Missouri - 3,768 km; Mississippi - 3,544 km; Yukon river mouth (shared with Canada [s]) - 3,190 km; Saint Lawrence (shared with Canada) - 3,058 km; Rio Grande river source ( mouth shared with Mexico) - 3,057 km; Colorado river source (shared with Mexico [m]) - 2,333 km; Arkansas - 2,348 km; Columbia river mouth (shared with Canada [s]) - 2,250 km; Red - 2,188 km; Ohio - 2,102 km; Snake - 1,670 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Gulf of Mexico) Mississippi* (3,202,185 sq km); Rio Grande (607,965 sq km); (Gulf of Saint Lawrence) Saint Lawrence* (1,049,636 sq km total, US only 505,000 sq km)Pacific Ocean drainage: Yukon* (847,620 sq km, US only 23,820 sq km); Colorado (703,148 sq km); Columbia* (657,501 sq km, US only 554,501 sq km)note - watersheds shared with Canada shown with *

Map references

North America

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

not specified

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

tsunamis; volcanoes; 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 volcanism: volcanic activity in the Hawaiian Islands, Western Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and in the Northern Mariana Islands; both Mauna Loa (4,170 m) in Hawaii and Mount Rainier (4,392 m) in Washington have been deemed Decade Volcanoes by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to their explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Pavlof (2,519 m) is the most active volcano in Alaska's Aleutian Arc and poses a significant threat to air travel since the area constitutes a major flight path between North America and East Asia; St. Helens (2,549 m), famous for the devastating 1980 eruption, remains active today; numerous other historically active volcanoes exist, mostly concentrated in the Aleutian arc and Hawaii; they include: in Alaska: Aniakchak, Augustine, Chiginagak, Fourpeaked, Iliamna, Katmai, Kupreanof, Martin, Novarupta, Redoubt, Spurr, Wrangell, Trident, Ugashik-Peulik, Ukinrek Maars, Veniaminof; in Hawaii: Haleakala, Kilauea, Loihi; in the Northern Mariana Islands: Anatahan; and in the Pacific Northwest: Mount Baker, Mount Hood; see note 2 under "Geography - note"

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

note

note: the US has the world's largest coal reserves with 491 billion short tons accounting for 27% of the world's total

Population distribution

large urban clusters are spread throughout the eastern half of the US (particularly the Great Lakes area, northeast, east, and southeast) and the western tier states; mountainous areas, principally the Rocky Mountains and Appalachian chain, deserts in the southwest, the dense boreal forests in the extreme north, and the central prarie states are less densely populated; Alaska's population is concentrated along its southern coast - with particular emphasis on the city of Anchorage - and Hawaii's is centered on the island of Oahu

Terrain

vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaii

Age structure

0-14 years

18.1% (male 31,618,532/female 30,254,223)

15-64 years

63.4% (male 108,553,822/female 108,182,491)

65 years and over

18.5% (2024 est.) (male 28,426,426/female 34,927,914)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

3.97 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

3.29 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

8.93 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

1.67 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

12.2 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

0.4% (2017/18)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

73.9% (2017/19)

Current health expenditure

18.8% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

51.9% (2023 est.)

Death rate

8.5 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

25.6

potential support ratio

3.9 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

53.7

youth dependency ratio

28

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 99.7% of population

improved: total

total: 99.9% of population

improved: urban

urban: 99.9% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0.3% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0.1% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.1% of population

Education expenditures

6.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

note

note: a separate listing for Hispanic is not included because the US Census Bureau considers Hispanic to mean persons of Spanish/Hispanic/Latino origin including those of Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Dominican Republic, Spanish, and Central or South American origin living in the US who may be of any race or ethnic group (White, Black, Asian, etc.); an estimated 18.7% of the total US population is Hispanic as of 2020

Gross reproduction rate

0.9 (2024 est.)

Hospital bed density

2.9 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

4.7 deaths/1,000 live births

male

5.4 deaths/1,000 live births

total

5.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Languages

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

note

note: data represent the language spoken at home; the US has no official national language, but English has acquired official status in 32 of the 50 states; Hawaiian is an official language in the state of Hawaii, and 20 indigenous languages are official in Alaska

Life expectancy at birth

female

83.1 years

male

78.7 years

total population

80.9 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female

NA

male

NA

total population

NA

Major urban areas - population

18.937 million New York-Newark, 12.534 million Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, 8.937 million Chicago, 6.707 million Houston, 6.574 million Dallas-Fort Worth, 5.490 million WASHINGTON, D.C. (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

21 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

40 years

male

37.8 years

total

38.9 years (2022 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

27 years (2019 est.)

Nationality

adjective

American

noun

American(s)

Net migration rate

3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

36.2% (2016)

Physician density

2.61 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Population

female

173,364,628 (2024 est.)

male

168,598,780

total

341,963,408

Population distribution

large urban clusters are spread throughout the eastern half of the US (particularly the Great Lakes area, northeast, east, and southeast) and the western tier states; mountainous areas, principally the Rocky Mountains and Appalachian chain, deserts in the southwest, the dense boreal forests in the extreme north, and the central prarie states are less densely populated; Alaska's population is concentrated along its southern coast - with particular emphasis on the city of Anchorage - and Hawaii's is centered on the island of Oahu

Population growth rate

0.67% (2024 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.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 98.9% of population

improved: total

total: 99.7% of population

improved: urban

urban: 99.8% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 11.1% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0.3% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.2% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

17 years (2020)

male

16 years

total

16 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.81 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.97 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

female

17.5% (2020 est.)

male

28.4% (2020 est.)

total

23% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.84 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.96% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

83.3% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

50 states and 1 district*; Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia*, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November

etymology

named after George WASHINGTON (1732-1799), the first president of the United States

geographic coordinates

38 53 N, 77 02 W

name

Washington, DC

time difference

UTC-5 (during Standard Time)

time zone note

the 50 United States cover six time zones

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

yes

citizenship by descent only

yes

dual citizenship recognized

no, but the US government acknowledges such situtations exist; US citizens are not encouraged to seek dual citizenship since it limits protection by the US

residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

Constitution

amendments

proposed as a "joint resolution" by Congress, which requires a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate or by a constitutional convention called for by at least two thirds of the state legislatures; passage requires ratification by three fourths of the state legislatures or passage in state-held constitutional conventions as specified by Congress; the US president has no role in the constitutional amendment process; amended many times, last in 1992

history

previous 1781 (Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union); latest drafted July - September 1787, submitted to the Congress of the Confederation 20 September 1787, submitted for states' ratification 28 September 1787, ratification completed by nine of the 13 states 21 June 1788, effective 4 March 1789

Country name

abbreviation

US or USA

conventional long form

United States of America

conventional short form

United States

etymology

the name America is derived from that of Amerigo VESPUCCI (1454-1512) - Italian explorer, navigator, and cartographer - using the Latin form of his name, Americus, feminized to America

Dependent areas

American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palmyra Atoll, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Wake Island (14)

note

note: from 18 July 1947 until 1 October 1994, the US administered the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands; it entered into a political relationship with all four political entities: the Northern Mariana Islands is a commonwealth in political union with the US (effective 3 November 1986); the Republic of the Marshall Islands signed a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 21 October 1986); the Federated States of Micronesia signed a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 3 November 1986); Palau concluded a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 1 October 1994)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president, approved by the Senate

chief of state

President Joseph R. BIDEN, Jr. (since 20 January 2021)

election results

2020: Joseph R. BIDEN, Jr. elected president; electoral vote - Joseph R. BIDEN, Jr. (Democratic Party) 306, Donald J. TRUMP (Republican Party) 232; percent of direct popular vote - Joseph R. BIDEN Jr. 51.3%, Donald J. TRUMP 46.9%, other 1.8%2016: Donald J. TRUMP elected president; electoral vote - Donald J. TRUMP (Republican Party) 304, Hillary D. CLINTON (Democratic Party) 227, other 7; percent of direct popular vote - Hillary D. CLINTON 48.2%, Donald J. TRUMP 46.1%, other 5.7%

elections/appointments

president and vice president indirectly elected on the same ballot by the Electoral College of 'electors' chosen from each state; president and vice president serve a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 3 November 2020 (next to be held on 5 November 2024)

head of government

President Joseph R. BIDEN, Jr. (since 20 January 2021)

note

note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

Flag description

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

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

Government type

constitutional federal republic

Independence

4 July 1776 (declared independence from Great Britain); 3 September 1783 (recognized by Great Britain)

International law organization participation

withdrew acceptance of compulsory ICJ jurisdiction in 2005; withdrew acceptance of ICCt jurisdiction in 2002

International organization participation

ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), ANZUS, APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CD, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CICA (observer), CP, EAPC, EAS, EBRD, EITI (implementing country), FAO, FATF, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAFTA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), Quad, SAARC (observer), SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UN Security Council (permanent), UNTSO, UPU, USMCA, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

US Supreme Court (consists of 9 justices - the chief justice and 8 associate justices)

judge selection and term of office

president nominates and, with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoints Supreme Court justices; justices serve for life

note

note: the US court system consists of the federal court system and the state court systems; although each court system is responsible for hearing certain types of cases, neither is completely independent of the other, and the systems often interact

subordinate courts

Courts of Appeal (includes the US Court of Appeal for the Federal District and 12 regional appeals courts); 94 federal district courts in 50 states and territories

Legal system

common law system based on English common law at the federal level; state legal systems based on common law, except Louisiana, where state law is based on Napoleonic civil code; judicial review of legislative acts

Legislative branch

description

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)

election results

Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 51, Republican Party 49; composition - men 75, women 25, percentage women 25%House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Republican Party 222, Democratic Party 213; composition - men 305, women 126, percentage women 29.2%; total US Congress percentage women 28.4%

elections

Senate - last held on 8 November 2022 (next to be held on 5 November 2024)House of Representatives - last held on 8 November 2022 (next to be held on 5 November 2024)

note

note: in addition to the regular members of the House of Representatives there are 6 non-voting delegates elected from the District of Columbia and the US territories of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands; these are single seat constituencies directly elected by simple majority vote to serve a 2-year term (except for the resident commissioner of Puerto Rico who serves a 4-year term); the delegate can vote when serving on a committee and when the House meets as the Committee of the Whole House, but not when legislation is submitted for a “full floor” House vote; election of delegates last held on 8 November 2022 (next to be held on 3 November 2024)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Francis Scott KEY/John Stafford SMITH

name

"The Star-Spangled Banner"

note

note: adopted 1931; during the War of 1812, after witnessing the successful American defense of Fort McHenry in Baltimore following British naval bombardment, Francis Scott KEY wrote the lyrics to what would become the national anthem; the lyrics were set to the tune of "The Anacreontic Song"; only the first verse is sung

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Yellowstone National Park (n); Grand Canyon National Park (n); Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site (c); Independence Hall (c); Statue of Liberty (c); Yosemite National Park (n); Papahānaumokuākea (m); Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point (c); The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright (c); Mesa Verde National Park (c); Mammoth Cave National Park (n); Monticello (c); Olympic National Park (n)

total World Heritage Sites

25 (12 cultural, 12 natural, 1 mixed); note - includes one site in Puerto Rico

National holiday

Independence Day, 4 July (1776)

National symbol(s)

bald eagle; national colors: red, white, blue

Political parties

Democratic PartyGreen PartyLibertarian PartyRepublican Party

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

maize, soybeans, milk, wheat, sugarcane, sugar beets, chicken, potatoes, beef, pork (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

1.8% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

on food

6.7% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$6.306 trillion (2022 est.)

note

note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

revenues

$5.038 trillion (2022 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

AAA (1994)

Moody's rating

Aaa (1949)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

AA+ (2011)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2021

-$831.453 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$971.594 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$818.822 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

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

Exchange rates

British pounds per US dollar: 0.805 (2023 est.), 0.811 (2022 est.), 0.727 (2021 est.), 0.780 (2020 est.), 0.783 (2019 est.)Canadian dollars per US dollar: 1.35 (2023 est.), 1.302 (2022 est.), 1.254 (2021 est.), 1.341 (2020 est.), 1.327 (2019 est.)Chinese yuan per US dollar: 7.084 (2023 est.), 6.737 (2022 est.), 6.449 (2021 est.), 6.901 (2020 est.), 6.908 (2019 est.)euros per US dollar: 0.925 (2023 est.), 0.950 (2022 est.), 0.845 (2021 est.), 0.876 (2020 est.), 0.893 (2019 est.)Japanese yen per US dollar: 140.49 (2023 est.), 131.50 (2022 est.), 109.75 (2021 est.), 106.78 (2020 est.), 109.01 (2019 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 Panamanote 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

Exports

Exports 2021

$2.567 trillion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$3.018 trillion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$3.052 trillion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

refined petroleum, crude petroleum, natural gas, cars, integrated circuits (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

Canada 16%, Mexico 15%, China 8%, Japan 4%, UK 4% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

11.6% (2022 est.)

government consumption

13.9% (2022 est.)

household consumption

68% (2022 est.)

imports of goods and services

-15.4% (2022 est.)

investment in fixed capital

21.3% (2022 est.)

investment in inventories

0.6% (2022 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

0.9% (2021 est.)

industry

17.7% (2021 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

76.7% (2021 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$27.361 trillion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2021

39.8 (2021 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

30.1% (2021 est.)

lowest 10%

2.2% (2021 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

Imports 2021

$3.409 trillion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$3.97 trillion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$3.832 trillion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

crude petroleum, cars, broadcasting equipment, garments, computers (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

China 18%, Canada 14%, Mexico 14%, Germany 5%, Japan 4% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

3.25% (2021 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

4.7% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

8% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

4.12% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

170.549 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Public debt

note

note: central government debt as a % of GDP

Public debt 2022

110.39% of GDP (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$23.594 trillion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$24.051 trillion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$24.662 trillion (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

5.8% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

1.94% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

2.54% (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$71,100 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$72,200 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$73,600 (2023 est.)

Remittances

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

0.03% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

0.03% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

0.03% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$716.152 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$706.644 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$773.426 billion (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

12.18% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

5.35% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

3.65% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

3.63% (2023 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

7.1% (2023 est.)

male

8.7% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

7.9% (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

938.649 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from consumed natural gas

1.742 billion metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

2.26 billion metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

4.941 billion metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

consumption

476.044 million metric tons (2022 est.)

exports

80.081 million metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

5.788 million metric tons (2022 est.)

production

548.849 million metric tons (2022 est.)

proven reserves

248.941 billion metric tons (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

4.128 trillion kWh (2022 est.)

exports

15.758 billion kWh (2022 est.)

imports

56.97 billion kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

1.201 billion kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

204.989 billion kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

1.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

59.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

geothermal

0.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

5.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

nuclear

18% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

4.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

wind

10.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

284.575 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

914.301 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

exports

195.497 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

imports

85.635 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

production

1.029 trillion cubic meters (2022 est.)

proven reserves

13.402 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Nuclear energy

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

96.95GW (2023 est.)

Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down

41 (2023)

Number of operational nuclear reactors

94 (2023)

Percent of total electricity production

18.5% (2023 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

38.212 billion barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

20.246 million bbl/day (2023 est.)

total petroleum production

20.879 million bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

37 (2020 est.)

total

121.176 million (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

4 major terrestrial TV networks with affiliate stations throughout the country, plus cable and satellite networks, independent stations, and a limited public broadcasting sector that is largely supported by private grants; overall, thousands of TV stations broadcasting; multiple national radio networks with many affiliate stations; while most stations are commercial, National Public Radio (NPR) has a network of some 900 member stations; satellite radio available; in total, over 15,000 radio stations operating (2018)

Communications - note

note 1: The Library of Congress, Washington DC, USA, claims to be the largest library in the world with more than 167 million items (as of 2018); its collections are universal, not limited by subject, format, or national boundary, and include materials from all parts of the world and in over 450 languages; collections include: books, newspapers, magazines, sheet music, sound and video recordings, photographic images, artwork, architectural drawings, and copyright datanote 2: Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA, hosts one of four dedicated ground antennas that assist in the operation of the Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation system (the others are on Ascension (Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tistan da Cunha), Diego Garcia (British Indian Ocean Territory), and at Kwajalein (Marshall Islands)

Internet country code

.us

Internet users

percent of population

92% (2021 est.)

total

312.8 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line just over 27 per 100 and mobile-cellular is 110 per 100 (2022)

general assessment

the US telecom sector adapted well to the particular demands of the pandemic, which has led to strong growth in the number of mobile, mobile broadband, and fixed broadband subscribers since 2020; the level of growth is expected to taper off from late 2022 as the demand for working and schooling from home subsides; the pandemic also encouraged the Federal government to increase its investment in broadband infrastructure; of particular note was the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of November 2021, which provided $65 billion to a range of programs aimed at delivering broadband to unserved areas, providing fiber-based broadband to upgrade existing service areas, and subsidizing the cost of services to low income households; alongside these fiscal efforts have been the several spectrum auctions undertaken during the last two years, which have greatly assisted the main licensees to improve the reach and quality of their offers based on LTE and 5G; some of this spectrum, auctioned during 2021, was only made available to licensees from February 2022; the widening availability of 5G from the main providers has resulted in a dramatic increase in mobile data traffic; in tandem with the focus on 5G, operators have closed down their GSM and CDMA networks, and have either closed down 3G networks (as AT&T did in January 2022), or plan to in coming months; given the size of the US broadband market, and the growing demand for data on both fixed and mobile networks, there is continuous pressure for operators to invest in fiber networks, and to push connectivity closer to consumers; in recent years the US has seen increased activity from regional players as well as the major telcos and cablecos; although there has been considerable investment in DOCSIS4.0, some of the cablecos are looking to ditch HFC in preference for fiber broadband; the process of migrating from copper (HFC and DSL) to fiber is ongoing, but given the scale of the work involved it will take some years; some operators have investment strategies in place through to 2025, which will see the vast majority of their fixed networks being entirely on fiber; service offerings of up to 2Gb/s are becoming more widely available as the process continues (2024)

international

country code - 1; landing points for the Quintillion Subsea Cable Network, TERRA SW, AU-Aleutian, KKFL, AKORN, Alaska United -West, & -East & -Southeast, North Star, Lynn Canal Fiber, KetchCar 1, PC-1, SCCN, Tat TGN-Pacific & -Atlantic, Jupiter, Hawaiki, NCP, FASTER, HKA, JUS, AAG, BtoBE, Currie, Southern Cross NEXT, SxS, PLCN, Utility EAC-Pacific, SEA-US, Paniolo Cable Network, HICS, HIFN, ASH, Telstra Endeavor, Honotua, AURORA, ARCOS, AMX-1, Americas -I & -II, Columbus IIb & -III, Maya-1, MAC, GTMO-1, BICS, CFX-1, GlobeNet, Monet, SAm-1, Bahamas 2, PCCS, BRUSA, Dunant, MAREA, SAE x1, TAT 14, Apollo, Gemini Bermuda, Havfrue/AEC-2, Seabras-1, WALL-LI, NYNJ-1, FLAG Atalantic-1, Yellow, Atlantic Crossing-1, AE Connect -1, sea2shore, Challenger Bermuda-1, and GTT Atlantic submarine cable systems providing international connectivity to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Pacific, & Atlantic, and Indian Ocean Islands, Central and South America, Caribbean, Canada and US; satellite earth stations - 61 Intelsat (45 Atlantic Ocean and 16 Pacific Ocean), 5 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 4 Inmarsat (Pacific and Atlantic Ocean regions) (2020)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

27 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

91.623 million (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

110 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

372.682 million (2022 est.)

Airports

15,873 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

N

Heliports

7,914 (2024)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 4, container ship 60, general cargo 96, oil tanker 68, other 3,305

note

note - oceangoing self-propelled, cargo-carrying vessels of 1,000 gross tons and above

total

3,533 (2023)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

42,985,300,000 (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

889.022 million (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

7,249

number of registered air carriers

99 (2020)

Pipelines

1,984,321 km natural gas, 240,711 km petroleum products (2013)

Ports

key ports

Baltimore, Boston, Brooklyn, Buffalo, Chester, Cleveland, Detroit, Galveston, Houston, Los Angeles, Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP), Mobile, New Orleans, New York City, Norfolk, Oakland, Philadelphia, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, Tri-City Port

large

21

medium

38

ports with oil terminals

204

small

132

total ports

666 (2024)

very small

475

Railways

standard gauge

293,564.2 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

total

293,564.2 km (2014)

Roadways

paved

4,304,715 km (includes 76,334 km of expressways)

total

6,586,610 km

unpaved

2,281,895 km (2012)

Waterways

41,009 km (2012) (19,312 km used for commerce; Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint Lawrence River of 3,058 km, is shared with Canada)

Military - note

the US military's primary missions are to deter potential enemies, provide for the defense of the US, its Territories, Commonwealths and possessions, and any areas occupied by the US, and to protect US national interests; its responsibilities are worldwide and include providing humanitarian assistance, participating in international military exercises and operations, conducting military diplomacy, and fulfilling the US's alliance and treaty commitments; the US has been a leading member of NATO since the Alliance's formation in 1949; the military has a global presence; the separate services operate jointly under 11 regional- or functionally-based joint service "combatant" commands: Africa Command; Central Command, Cyber Command, European Command, Indo-Pacific Command, Northern Command, Southern Command, Space Command, Special Operations Command, Strategic Command, and Transportation CommandCongress officially created the US military in September 1789; the US Army was established in June 1775 as the Continental Army; after the declaration of independence in July 1776, the Continental Army and the militia in the service of Congress became known collectively as the Army of the United States; when Congress ordered the Continental Army to disband in 1784, it retained a small number of personnel that would form the nucleus of the 1st American Regiment for national service formed later that year; both the US Navy and the US Marines were also established in 1775, but the Navy fell into disuse after the Revolutionary War, and was reestablished by Congress in 1794; the first US military unit devoted exclusively to aviation began operations in 1913 as part of the US Army; the Army Air Corps (AAC) was the US military service dedicated to aerial warfare between 1926 and 1941; the AAC became the US Army Air Forces in 1941 and remained as a combat arm of the Army until the establishment of the US Air Force in 1947 (2024)

Military and security forces

United States Armed Forces (aka US Military): US Army (USA), US Navy (USN; includes US Marine Corps or USMC), US Air Force (USAF), US Space Force (USSF); US Coast Guard (USCG); National Guard (Army National Guard and Air National Guard) (2024)

note

note 1: the US Coast Guard is administered in peacetime by the Department of Homeland Security, but in wartime reports to the Department of the Navynote 2: the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard are reserve components of their services and operate in part under state authority; the US military also maintains reserve forces for each branchnote 3: US law enforcement personnel include those of federal agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice, the 50 states, special jurisdictions, local sheriff’s offices, and municipal, county, regional, and tribal police departmentsnote 4: some US states have "state defense forces" (SDFs), which are military units that operate under the sole authority of state governments; SDFs are authorized by state and federal law and are under the command of the governor of each state; most are organized as ground units, but air and naval units also exist

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 1.31 million active-duty personnel (446,000 Army; 328,000 Navy; 317,000 Air Force; 9,000 Space Force; 167,000 Marine Corps; 40,000 Coast Guard); 330,000 Army National Guard; 105,000 Air National Guard (2024)

Military deployments

the US has more than 200,000 air, ground, and naval personnel deployed overseas on a permanent or a long-term rotational (typically 3-9 months) basis; key areas of deployment include approximately 5,000 in Africa, approximately 100,000 in Europe, approximately 10-15,000 in Southwest Asia, and more than 80,000 in East Asia (2024)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the US military's inventory is comprised almost entirely of domestically produced weapons systems (some assembled with foreign components) along with a smaller mix of imported equipment from a variety of countries such as Germany and the UK; the US defense industry is capable of designing, developing, maintaining, and producing the full spectrum of weapons systems; the US is the world's leading arms exporter (2024)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2020

3.6% of GDP (2020)

Military Expenditures 2021

3.5% of GDP (2021)

Military Expenditures 2022

3.3% of GDP (2022)

Military Expenditures 2023

3.2% of GDP (2023)

Military Expenditures 2024

3.4% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age (17 years of age with parental consent) for voluntary service for men and women; no conscription (currently inactive, but males aged 18-25 must register with Selective Service in case conscription is reinstated in the future); maximum enlistment age 34 (Army), 42 (Air Force/Space Force), 39 (Navy), 28 (Marines), 31 (Coast Guard); 8-year service obligation, including 2-5 years active duty (Army), 2 years active duty (Navy), 4 years active duty (Air Force, Coast Guard, Marines, Space Force) (2024)

note

note 1: the US military has been all-volunteer since 1973, but an act of Congress can reinstate the draft in case of a national emergencynote 2: all military occupations and positions open to women; in 2022, women comprised 17.5% of the total US regular military personnelnote 3: non-citizens living permanently and legally in the US may join as enlisted personnel; they must have permission to work in the US, a high school diploma, and speak, read, and write English fluently; minimum age of 17 with parental consent or 18 without; maximum age 29-39, depending on the service; under the US Nationality Act, honorable service in the military may qualify individuals to obtain expedited citizenship; under the Compact of Free Association, citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands may volunteer; under the Jay Treaty, signed in 1794 between Great Britain and the US, and corresponding legislation, Native Americans/First Nations born in Canada are entitled to freely enter the US and join the US military

Illicit drugs

world's largest consumer of cocaine (shipped from Colombia through Mexico and the Caribbean), Colombian heroin, and Mexican heroin and marijuana; major consumer of ecstasy and Mexican methamphetamine; minor consumer of high-quality Southeast Asian heroin; illicit producer of cannabis, marijuana, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and methamphetamine; money-laundering center

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

the US admitted 25,465 refugees during FY2022, including: 7,810 (Democratic Republic of the Congo), 4,556 (Syria), 2,156 (Burma), 1,669 (Sudan), 1,618 (Afghanistan), 1,610 (Ukraine)

stateless persons

47 (2022)

Space agency/agencies

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA; established 1958); National Reconnaissance Office (NRO; established in 1961 and responsible for designing, building, launching, and maintaining intelligence satellites); US Space Command (USSPACECOM; established in 2019 and responsible for military operations in outer space, specifically all operations over 100 kilometers or 62 miles above mean sea level) (2024)

note

note: USSPACECOM was originally created in 1985 but was deactivated in 2002 and its duties were transferred to US Strategic Command

Space launch site(s)

has 20 commercial, government, and private space ports hosting Federal Aviation Administration-licensed activity spread across 10 states (Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Virginia) (2024)

Space program overview

has a large and comprehensive space program and is one of the world’s top space powers; builds, launches, and operates space launch vehicles (SLVs)/rockets and the full spectrum of spacecraft, including interplanetary probes, manned craft, reusable rockets, satellites, space stations, and space planes; has an astronaut program and a large corps of astronauts; researching and developing a broad range of other space-related capabilities and technologies, such as advanced telecommunications and optics, navigational aids, propulsion, robotics, solar sails, space-based manufacturing, and robotic satellite repair/refueling; has launched orbital or lander probes to the Sun and all planets in the solar system, as well as to asteroids and beyond the solar system; has international missions and projects with dozens of countries and organizations, including such major partners as Canada, Japan, Russia, and South Korea, as well as the European Space Agency (ESA), the EU, and their individual member states; as of December 2024, more than 50 countries had signed onto the US-led Artemis Accords, whose purpose is to establish principles, guidelines, and best practices to enhance the governance of the civil exploration and use of outer space with the intention of advancing the Artemis Program, an international effort to establish a sustainable and robust presence on the Moon and an onward human mission to Mars; the US commercial space industry is one of the world’s largest and most capable and is active across the entire spectrum of US government space programs; the majority of both NASA and US military space launches are conducted by US commercial companies; the US space economy was valued at over $200 billion in 2021 (2024)

note

note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in the Space Programs reference guide

Terrorist group(s)

Hizballah; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)/Qods Force; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); al-Qa'ida; Lashkar-e Tayyiba (LeT)

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

5,006.3 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

685.74 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

7.18 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

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

note

note: many consider Denali, the highest peak in the US, to be the world’s coldest mountain because of its combination of high elevation and its subarctic location at 63 degrees north latitude; permanent snow and ice cover over 75 percent of the mountain, and enormous glaciers, up to 45 miles long and 3,700 feet thick, spider out from its base in every direction; it is home to some of the world’s coldest and most violent weather, where winds of over 150 miles per hour and temperatures of -93˚F have been recorded.  

Environment - current issues

air pollution; large emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels; water pollution from runoff of pesticides and fertilizers; declining natural freshwater resources in much of the western part of the country require careful management; deforestation; mining; desertification; species conservation; invasive species (the Hawaiian Islands are particularly vulnerable)

Environment - international agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping-London Protocol

Land use

agricultural land

44.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 16.8% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 27.4% (2018 est.)

forest

33.3% (2018 est.)

other

22.2% (2018 est.)

Major aquifers

Northern Great Plains Aquifer, Cambrian-Ordovician Aquifer System, Californian Central Valley Aquifer System, Ogallala Aquifer (High Plains), Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains Aquifer

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s)

Michigan – 57,750 sq km; Superior* – 53,348 sq km; Huron* – 23,597 sq km; Erie* – 12,890 sq km; Ontario* – 9,220 sq km; Lake of the Woods – 4,350 sq km; Iliamna – 2,590 sq km; Okeechobee – 1,810 sq km; Belcharof – 1,190 sq km; Red – 1,170 sq km; Saint Clair – 1,113 sq km; Champlain – 1,100 sq kmnote - Great Lakes* area shown as US waters

salt water lake(s)

Great Salt – 4,360 sq km; Pontchartrain – 1,620 sq km;  Selawik – 1,400 sq km; Salton Sea – 950 sq km

Major rivers (by length in km)

Missouri - 3,768 km; Mississippi - 3,544 km; Yukon river mouth (shared with Canada [s]) - 3,190 km; Saint Lawrence (shared with Canada) - 3,058 km; Rio Grande river source ( mouth shared with Mexico) - 3,057 km; Colorado river source (shared with Mexico [m]) - 2,333 km; Arkansas - 2,348 km; Columbia river mouth (shared with Canada [s]) - 2,250 km; Red - 2,188 km; Ohio - 2,102 km; Snake - 1,670 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Gulf of Mexico) Mississippi* (3,202,185 sq km); Rio Grande (607,965 sq km); (Gulf of Saint Lawrence) Saint Lawrence* (1,049,636 sq km total, US only 505,000 sq km)Pacific Ocean drainage: Yukon* (847,620 sq km, US only 23,820 sq km); Colorado (703,148 sq km); Columbia* (657,501 sq km, US only 554,501 sq km)note - watersheds shared with Canada shown with *

Revenue from coal

0.2% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.04% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

3.07 trillion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

176.2 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

209.7 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

58.39 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.96% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

83.3% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

258 million tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

89.268 million tons (2014 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

34.6% (2014 est.)