|
Home
Missions
Ministries
Bible
Institute & School
Contact
Us
Careers,
Opportunities in Ministry
|
Background:
|
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
to the original 13 as the nation expanded across the North
American continent and acquired a number of overseas
possessions. The two most traumatic experiences in the
nation's history were the Civil War (1861-65) and the Great
Depression of the 1930s. 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. The economy is marked by
steady growth, low unemployment and inflation, and rapid
advances in technology.
|
|
Location:
|
North America,
bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific
Ocean, between Canada and Mexico |
|
Map references:
|
North
America |
|
Area:
|
total:
9,631,418 sq km
land: 9,161,923 sq km
water: 469,495 sq km
note: includes only the 50 states and District of
Columbia |
|
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; about two and a half
times the size of Western Europe |
|
Land boundaries:
|
total:
12,034 km
border countries: Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km
with Alaska), Mexico 3,141 km
note: US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is leased
by the US and is part of Cuba; the base boundary is 29 km |
|
Coastline:
|
19,924 km |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point:
Death Valley -86 m
highest point: Mount McKinley 6,194 m |
|
Natural resources:
|
coal, copper,
lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron,
mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum,
natural gas, timber |
|
Land use:
|
arable land:
19.3%
other: 80.5% (1998 est.)
permanent crops: 0.2% |
|
Irrigated land:
|
214,000 sq km
(1998 est.) |
|
Natural hazards:
|
tsunamis,
volcanoes, and earthquake activity around Pacific Basin;
hurricanes along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts;
tornadoes in the midwest and southeast; mud slides in
California; forest fires in the west; flooding; permafrost in
northern Alaska, a major impediment to development |
|
Environment - current issues:
|
air pollution
resulting in acid rain in both the US and Canada; the US is
the largest single emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning
of fossil fuels; water pollution from runoff of pesticides and
fertilizers; limited natural fresh water resources in much of
the western part of the country require careful management;
desertification |
|
Environment - international agreements:
|
party to:
Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living
Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent
Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Biodiversity, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Hazardous Wastes |
|
Geography - note:
|
world's
third-largest country by size (after Russia and Canada) and by
population (after China and India); Mt. McKinley is highest
point in North America and Death Valley the lowest point on
the continent |
|
Population:
|
293,027,571 (July
2004 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years:
20.8% (male 31,122,974; female 29,713,748)
15-64 years: 66.9% (male 97,756,380; female 98,183,309)
65 years and over: 12.4% (male 15,078,204; female
21,172,956) (2004 est.) |
|
Median age:
|
total: 36
years
male: 34.7 years
female: 37.4 years (2004 est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
0.92% (2004 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
14.13
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
8.34 deaths/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
|
Net migration rate:
|
3.41 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
|
Sex ratio:
|
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total:
6.63 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 7.31 deaths/1,000 live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total
population: 77.43 years
male: 74.63 years
female: 80.36 years (2004 est.) |
|
Total fertility rate:
|
2.07 children
born/woman (2004 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
0.6% (2001 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|
900,000 (2001
est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
|
15,000 (2001
est.) |
|
Nationality:
|
noun:
American(s)
adjective: American |
|
Ethnic groups:
|
white 77.1%,
black 12.9%, Asian 4.2%, Amerindian and Alaska native 1.5%,
native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander 0.3%, other 4%
(2000)
note: a separate listing for Hispanic is not included
because the US Census Bureau considers Hispanic to mean a
person of Latin American descent (including persons of Cuban,
Mexican, or Puerto Rican origin) living in the US who may be
of any race or ethnic group (white, black, Asian, etc.) |
|
Religions:
|
Protestant
56%, Roman Catholic 28%, Jewish 2%, other 4%, none 10% (1989) |
|
Languages:
|
English, Spanish
(spoken by a sizable minority) |
|
Literacy:
|
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 97%
female: 97% (1979 est.) |
|
Country name:
|
conventional
long form: United States of America
conventional short form: United States
abbreviation: US or USA |
|
Government type:
|
Constitution-based
federal republic; strong democratic tradition |
|
Capital:
|
Washington, DC |
|
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 |
|
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
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
units: the Northern Mariana Islands is a commonwealth in
political union with the US (effective 3 November 1986); Palau
concluded a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective
1 October 1994); the Federated States of Micronesia signed a
Compact of Free Association 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) |
|
Independence:
|
4 July 1776 (from
Great Britain) |
|
National holiday:
|
Independence Day,
4 July (1776) |
|
Constitution:
|
17 September
1787, effective 4 March 1789 |
|
Legal system:
|
based on English
common law; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations |
|
Executive branch:
|
chief of
state: President George W. BUSH (since 20 January 2001);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President George W. BUSH (since 20
January 2001) ; note - the president is both the chief of
state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with Senate
approval
elections: president and vice president elected on the
same ticket by a college of representatives who are elected
directly from each state; president and vice president serve
four-year terms; election last held 7 November 2000 (next to
be held 2 November 2004)
election results: George W. BUSH elected president;
percent of popular vote - George W. BUSH (Republican Party)
48%, Albert A. GORE, Jr. (Democratic Party) 48%, Ralph NADER
(Green Party) 3%, other 1% |
|
Legislative branch:
|
bicameral
Congress consists of the Senate (100 seats, one-third are
renewed every two years; two members are elected from each
state by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the House
of Representatives (435 seats; members are directly elected by
popular vote to serve two-year terms)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - Republican Party 51, Democratic Party
48, independent 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote
by party - NA%; seats by party - Republican Party 226,
Democratic Party 204, independent 1, undecided 4
elections: Senate - last held 5 November 2002 (next to
be held 2 November 2004); House of Representatives - last held
5 November 2002 (next to be held 2 November 2004) |
|
Judicial branch:
|
Supreme Court
(its nine justices are appointed for life on condition of good
behavior by the president with confirmation by the Senate);
United States Courts of Appeal; United States District Courts;
State and County Courts |
|
Political parties and leaders:
|
Democratic Party
[Terence McAULIFFE]; Green Party [leader NA]; Libertarian
Party [Steve DASBACH]; Republican Party [Governor Marc RACICOT] |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders:
|
NA |
|
International organization participation:
|
AfDB, ANZUS, APEC,
ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CE
(observer), CERN (observer), CP, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, G-5, G-7, G-
8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MICAH, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA,
NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, UN, UN Security
Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL,
UNMOVIC, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTrO, ZC |
|
Economy - overview:
|
The US has the
largest and most technologically powerful economy in the
world, with a per capita GDP of $37,800. In this
market-oriented economy, private individuals and business
firms make most of the decisions, and the federal and state
governments buy needed goods and services predominantly in the
private marketplace. US business firms enjoy considerably
greater flexibility than their counterparts in Western Europe
and Japan in decisions to expand capital plant, to lay off
surplus workers, and to develop new products. At the same
time, they face higher barriers to entry in their rivals' home
markets than the barriers to entry of foreign firms in US
markets. US firms are at or near the forefront in
technological advances, especially in computers and in
medical, aerospace, and military equipment; their advantage
has narrowed since the end of World War II. The onrush of
technology largely explains the gradual development of a
"two-tier labor market" in which those at the bottom
lack the education and the professional/technical skills of
those at the top and, more and more, fail to get comparable
pay raises, health insurance coverage, and other benefits.
Since 1975, practically all the gains in household income have
gone to the top 20% of households. The years 1994-2000
witnessed solid increases in real output, low inflation rates,
and a drop in unemployment to below 5%. The year 2001 saw the
end of boom psychology and performance, with output increasing
only 0.3% and unemployment and business failures rising
substantially. The response to the terrorist attacks of 11
September 2001 showed the remarkable resilience of the
economy. Moderate recovery took place in 2002 with the GDP
growth rate rising to 2.4%. A major short-term problem in
first half 2002 was a sharp decline in the stock market,
fueled in part by the exposure of dubious accounting practices
in some major corporations. The war in March/April 2003
between a US-led coalition and Iraq shifted resources to the
military. In 2003, growth in output and productivity and the
recovery of the stock market to above 10,000 for the Dow Jones
Industrial Average were promising signs. Unemployment stayed
at the 6% level, however, and began to decline only at the end
of the year. Long-term problems include inadequate investment
in economic infrastructure, rapidly rising medical and pension
costs of an aging population, sizable trade and budget
deficits, and stagnation of family income in the lower
economic groups. |
|
GDP:
|
purchasing power
parity - $10.98 trillion (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
3.1% (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power
parity - $37,800 (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture:
2%
industry: 18%
services: 80% (2002 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
12% (2003 est.) |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
|
lowest 10%:
1.8%
highest 10%: 30.5% (1997) |
|
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
|
40.8 (1997) |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
2.1% (2003) |
|
Labor force:
|
141.8 million
(includes unemployed) (2003) |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
managerial,
professional, and technical 31%, sales and office 28.9%,
services 13.6%, manufacturing, extraction, transportation, and
crafts 24.1%, farming, forestry, and fishing 2.4%
note: figures exclude the unemployed (2001) |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
6.2% (2003) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues:
$1.946 trillion
expenditures: $2.052 trillion, including capital
expenditures of NA (2002 est.) |
|
Industries:
|
leading
industrial power in the world, highly diversified and
technologically advanced; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles,
aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food
processing, consumer goods, lumber, mining |
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
-1% (2003 est.) |
|
Electricity - production:
|
3.719 trillion
kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil fuel:
71.4%
hydro: 5.6%
other: 2.3% (2001)
nuclear: 20.7% |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
3.602 trillion
kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - exports:
|
18.17 billion kWh
(2001) |
|
Electricity - imports:
|
38.48 billion kWh
(2001) |
|
Oil - production:
|
8.054 million
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption:
|
19.65 million
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - production:
|
548.1 billion cu
m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - consumption:
|
640.9 billion cu
m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - exports:
|
11.16 billion cu
m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - imports:
|
114.1 billion cu
m (2001 est.) |
|
Agriculture - products:
|
wheat, corn,
other grains, fruits, vegetables, cotton; beef, pork, poultry,
dairy products; forest products; fish |
|
Exports:
|
$714.5 billion
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
|
Exports - commodities:
|
capital goods,
automobiles, industrial supplies and raw materials, consumer
goods, agricultural products |
|
Exports - partners:
|
Canada 23.2%,
Mexico 14.1%, Japan 7.4%, UK 4.8% (2002) |
|
Imports:
|
$1.26 trillion
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
|
Imports - commodities:
|
crude oil and
refined petroleum products, machinery, automobiles, consumer
goods, industrial raw materials, food and beverages |
|
Imports - partners:
|
Canada 17.8%,
Mexico 11.3%, China 11.1%, Japan 10.4%, Germany 5.3% (2002) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$1.4 trillion
(2001 est.) |
|
Economic aid - donor:
|
ODA, $6.9 billion
(1997) |
|
Currency:
|
US dollar (USD) |
|
Currency code:
|
USD |
|
Exchange rates:
|
British pounds
per US dollar - 0.6139 (2003), 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944 (2001),
0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), Canadian dollars per US dollar -
1.4045 (2003), 1.5693 (2002), 1.5488 (2001), 1.4851 (2000),
1.4857 (1999), Japanese yen per US dollar - 116.08 (2003),
125.39 (2002), 121.53 (2001), 107.77 (2000), 113.91 (1999),
euros per US dollar - 0.8866 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175
(2001), 1.08540 (2000), 0.93863 (1999) |
|
Fiscal year:
|
1 October - 30
September |
|
Telephones - main lines in use:
|
186,232,300
(2002) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular:
|
140,766,800
(2002) |
|
Telephone system:
|
general
assessment: a large, technologically advanced,
multipurpose communications system
domestic: a large system of fiber-optic cable,
microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and domestic satellites
carries every form of telephone traffic; a rapidly growing
cellular system carries mobile telephone traffic throughout
the country
international: country code - 1; 24 ocean cable systems
in use; 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)
(2000) |
|
Radio broadcast stations:
|
AM 4,762, FM
5,542, shortwave 18 (1998) |
|
Television broadcast stations:
|
more than 1,500
(including nearly 1,000 stations affiliated with the five
major networks - NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, and PBS; in addition,
there are about 9,000 cable TV systems) (1997) |
|
Internet country code:
|
.us |
|
Internet hosts:
|
115,311,958
(2002) |
|
Internet users:
|
159 million
(2002) |
|
Railways:
|
total:
194,731 km mainline routes
standard gauge: 194,731 km 1.435-m gauge
note: represents the aggregate length of roadway of all
line-haul railroads including an estimate for class II and III
railroads; excludes 135,185 km of yard tracks, sidings, and
parallel lines (2000) |
|
Highways:
|
total:
6,406,296 km
paved: 4,148,395 km (including 74,898 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 2,257,902 km (2002) |
|
Waterways:
|
41,009 km
note: navigable inland channels, exclusive of the Great
Lakes |
|
Pipelines:
|
petroleum
products 244,620 km; natural gas 548,665 km (2003) |
|
Ports and harbors:
|
Anchorage,
Baltimore, Boston, Charleston, Chicago, Duluth, Hampton Roads,
Honolulu, Houston, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New
York, Philadelphia, Port Canaveral, Portland (Oregon), Prudhoe
Bay, San Francisco, Savannah, Seattle, Tampa, Toledo |
|
Merchant marine:
|
total: 466
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 12,436,658 GRT/14,630,116 DWT
by type: barge carrier 8, bulk 69, cargo 75, chemical
tanker 12, combination bulk 2, combination ore/oil 1,
container 100, multi-functional large load carrier 3,
passenger 12, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 81,
refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 83, short-sea/passenger
3, vehicle carrier 12
foreign-owned: Australia 2, Canada 7, Denmark 17,
Malaysia 1, Netherlands 1, Norway 6, Singapore 3, United
Kingdom 5
registered in other countries: 670 (2003 est.) |
|
Airports:
|
14,807 (2003
est.) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total:
5,128
over 3,047 m: 188
2,438 to 3,047 m: 221
914 to 1,523 m: 2,383
under 914 m: 961 (2003 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1,375 |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways:
|
total:
9,679
under 914 m: 7,796 (2003 est.)
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 1,714
1,524 to 2,437 m: 161 |
|
Heliports:
|
155 (2003 est.) |
|
Military branches:
|
Army, Navy and
Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard (Coast Guard
administered in peacetime by the Department of Homeland
Security, but in wartime reports to the Department of the
Navy) |
|
Military manpower - military age:
|
18 years of age
(2004 est.) |
|
Military manpower - availability:
|
males age
15-49: 73,597,731 (2004 est.) |
|
Military manpower - fit for military service:
|
NA (2004 est.) |
|
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
|
males:
2,124,164 (2004 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
$399 billion
(2001) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
3.9% (2001) |
|
Disputes - international:
|
Prolonged
drought, population growth, and outmoded practices and
infrastructure in the border region has strained water-sharing
arrangements with Mexico; undocumented nationals from Mexico
and Central America continue to enter the United States
illegally; 1990 Maritime Boundary Agreement in the Bering Sea
still awaits Russian Duma ratification; managed maritime
boundary disputes with Canada at Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea,
Strait of Juan de Fuca, and around the disputed Machias Seal
Island and North Rock; The Bahamas have not been able to agree
on a maritime boundary; US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is
leased from Cuba and only mutual agreement or US abandonment
of the area can terminate the lease; Haiti claims
US-administered Navassa Island; US has made no territorial
claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the right to do so) and
does not recognize the claims of any other state; Marshall
Islands claims Wake Island |
|
Illicit drugs:
|
consumer of
cocaine shipped from Colombia through Mexico and the
Caribbean; consumer of heroin, marijuana, and increasingly
methamphetamine from Mexico; consumer of high-quality
Southeast Asian heroin; illicit producer of cannabis,
marijuana, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and
methamphetamine; money-laundering center |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
|