
                                INFO VIEW                    

      
                                                                   
@SLIDE TITLE =                        United States of America                    |STATES.SLD
                                                                   
     
     
      
 

   Geography
    
 
     Total area: 9,372,610 km2; land area: 9,166,600 km2; includes only
     the 50 states and District of Colombia

     Comparative area: about four-tenths the size of USSR; about
     one-third the size of Africa; about one-half the size of South America
     (or slightly larger than Brazil); slightly smaller than China; about
     two and one-half times the size of Western Europe

     Land boundaries: 12,248 km total; Canada 8,893 km (including
     2,477 km with Alaska), Mexico 3,326 km, Cuba (US naval base at
     Guantanamo) 29 km

     Coastline: 19,924 km

     Maritime claims:
     Contiguous zone: 12 nm;
     Continental shelf: not specified;
     Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
     Territorial sea: 12 nm

     Disputes: maritime boundary disputes with Canada; US Naval Base at
     Guantanamo is leased from Cuba and only mutual agreement or US
     abandonment of the area can terminate the lease; Haiti claims Navassa
     the right to do so) and does not recognize the claims of any other
     nation; Marshall Islands claims Wake Island

     Climate: mostly temperate, but varies from tropical (Hawaii) to
     arctic (Alaska); arid to semiarid in west with occasional warm, dry
     chinook wind

     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

     Natural resources: coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates,
     uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten,
     zinc, crude oil, natural gas, timber

     Land use: arable land 20%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and
     pastures 26%; forest and woodland 29%; other 25%; includes irrigated 2%

     Environment: pollution control measures improving air and water
     quality; acid rain; agricultural fertilizer and pesticide pollution;
     management of sparse natural water resources in west; desertification;
     continuous permafrost in northern Alaska is a major impediment to
     development

     Note: world's fourth-largest country (after USSR, Canada, and
     China)

   People
   
 
     Population: 252,502,000 (July 1991), growth rate 0.8% (1991)

     Birth rate: 15 births/1,000 population (1991)

     Death rate: 9 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

     Net migration rate: 2 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

     Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

     Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 79 years female (1991)

     Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1991)

     Nationality: noun--American(s); adjective--American

     Ethnic divisions: white 85%, black 12%, other 3% (1985)

     Religion: Protestant 61% (Baptist 21%, Methodist 12%, Lutheran 8%,
     Presbyterian 4%, Episcopalian 3%, other Protestant 13%), Roman Catholic
     25%, Jewish 2%, other 5%, none 7%

     Language: predominantly English; sizable Spanish-speaking minority

     Literacy: 97% (male 97%, female 97%) age 15 and over having
     completed 5 or more years of schooling (1980)

     Labor force: 126,424,000 (includes armed forces and unemployed);
     civilian labor force 124,787,000 (1990)

     Organized labor: 16,729,000 members; 16.1% of total wage and
     salary employment which was 103,905,000 (1990)

   Government
   
 
     Long-form name: United States of America; abbreviated US or USA

     Type: 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
     Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

     Independence: 4 July 1776 (from England)
 
     Constitution: 17 September 1787, effective 4 June 1789

     Dependent areas: American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland
     Navassa Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palmyra Atoll, Puerto Rico,
     Virgin Islands, Wake Island.
     Since 18 July 1947, the US has administered the Trust Territory of the
     Pacific Islands, but recently entered into a new political relationship
     with three of the four political units.  The Northern Mariana Islands is
     a Commonwealth associated with the US (effective 3 November 1986).  Palau
     concluded a Compact of Free Association with the US that was approved by
     the US Congress but to date the Compact process has not been completed in
     Palau, which continues to be administered by the US as the Trust
     Territory of the Pacific Islands.  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

     Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of
     legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

     National holiday: Independence Day, 4 July (1776)

     Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet

     Legislative branch: bicameral Congress consists of an upper house
     or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives

     Judicial branch: Supreme Court

     Leaders:
     Chief of State and Head of Government--President George BUSH
     20 January 1989)

     Political parties and leaders:
     Republican Party, Clayton YEUTTER, national committee chairman; Jeanie
     AUSTIN, co-chairman;
     Democratic Party, Ronald H. BROWN, national committee chairman;
     several other groups or parties of minor political significance

     Suffrage: universal at age 18

     Elections:
     President--last held 8 November 1988
     (next to be held 3 November 1992);
     results--George BUSH (Republican Party) 53.37%,
     Michael DUKAKIS (Democratic Party) 45.67%, other 0.96%;
     Senate--last held 6 November 1990
     (next to be held 3 November 1992);
     results--Democratic Party 51%, Republican Party 47%, other 2%;
     seats--(100 total) Democratic Party 56, Republican Party 44;
     House of Representatives--last held 6 November 1990
     (next to be held 3 November 1992);
     results--Democratic Party 52%, Republican Party 44%, other 4%;
     seats--(435 total) Democratic Party 267, Republican Party 167,
     Socialist 1

     Communists: Communist Party (claimed 15,000-20,000 members), Gus
     HALL, general secretary; Socialist Workers Party (claimed 1,800 members),
     Jack BARNES, national secretary

     Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), ANZUS, APEC, AsDB, BIS,
     CCC, COCOM, CP, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, FAO, ESCAP, G-2, G-5, G-7, G-8,
     G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO,
     IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS,
     NATO, NEA, OAS, OECD, PCA, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UN
     Security Council, UN Trusteeship Council, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO,
     WMO, WTO

     Diplomatic representation: US Representative to the UN,
     Ambassador Thomas R. PICKERING; Mission at 799 United Nations Plaza,
     New York, NY 10017; telephone (212) 415-4444 (afternoon hours)

     Flag: thirteen 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; known as Old Glory; the design and
     colors have been the basis for a number of other flags including Chile,
     Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico

   Economy
   
 
     Overview: The US has the most powerful, diverse, and
     technologically advanced economy in the world, with a per capita GNP
     of $21,800, the largest among major industrial nations. In 1989 the
     economy enjoyed its seventh successive year of substantial growth, the
     longest in peacetime history. The expansion featured moderation in
     wage and consumer price increases and a steady reduction in
     unemployment to 5.2% of the labor force. In 1990, however, growth
     slowed to 1% because of a combination of factors, such as the
     worldwide increase in interest rates, Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in
     August, the subsequent spurt in oil prices, and a general decline
     in business and consumer confidence. Ongoing problems for the
     1990s include inadequate investment in education and other economic
     infrastructure, rapidly rising medical costs, and sizable budget and
     trade deficits.

     GNP: $5,465 billion, per capita $21,800; real growth rate 1.0%
     (1990)

     Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.4% (1990)

     Unemployment rate: 5.5% (1990)

     Budget: revenues $1,106 billion; expenditures $1,272 billion,
     including capital expenditures of $NA (FY90 est.)

     Exports: $393.9 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
     commodities--capital goods, automobiles, industrial supplies and
     raw materials, consumer goods, agricultural products;
     partners--Western Europe 27.3%, Canada 22.1%, Japan 12.1% (1989)

     Imports: $516.2 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
     commodities--crude and partly refined petroleum, machinery,
     automobiles, consumer goods, industrial raw materials, food and
     beverages;
     partners--Western Europe 21.5%, Japan 19.7%, Canada 18.8% (1989)

     External debt: $581 billion (December 1989)

     Industrial production: growth rate 1.0% (1990)

     Electricity: 776,550,000 kW capacity; 3,020,000 million kWh
     produced, 12,080 kWh per capita (1990)

     Industries: leading industrial power in the world, highly
     diversified; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace,
     telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer
     goods, fishing, lumber, mining

     Agriculture: accounts for 2% of GNP and 2.8% of labor force;
     favorable climate and soils support a wide variety of crops and livestock
     production; world's second-largest producer and number-one exporter of
     grain; surplus food producer; fish catch of 5.0 million metric tons
     (1988)

     Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for domestic
     consumption with 1987 production estimated at 3,500 metric tons
     or about 25% of the available marijuana; ongoing eradication program
     aimed at small plots and greenhouses has not reduced production

     Economic aid: donor--commitments, including ODA and OOF, (FY80-89),
     $115.7 billion

     Currency: United States dollar (plural--dollars);
     1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents

     Exchange rates: British pounds (5) per US$--0.5171 (January
     1991), 0.5603 (1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817
     (1986), 0.7714 (1985);
     Canadian dollars (Can$) per US$--1.1559 (January 1991), 1.1668
     (1990), 1.1840 (1989), 1.2307 (1988), 1.3260 (1987), 1.3895 (1986),
     1.3655 (1985);
     French francs (F) per US$--5.1307 (January 1991), 5.4453 (1990),
     6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261 (1986), 8.9852
     (1985);
     Italian lire (Lit) per US$--1,134.4 (January 1991), 1,198.1 (1990),
     1.372.1 (1989), 1,301.6 (1988), 1,296.1 (1987), 1,490.8 (1986), 1,909.4
     (1985);
     Japanese yen (3) per US$--133.88 (January 1991), 144.79 (1990),
     137.96 (1989), 128.15 (1988), 144.64 (1987), 168.52 (1986), 238.54
     (1985);
     German deutsche marks (DM) per US$--1.5100 (January 1991), 1.6157
     (1990), 1.8800 (1989), 1.7562 (1988), 1.7974 (1987), 2.1715 (1986),
     2.9440 (1985)

     Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September

   Communications
   
 
     Railroads: 270,312 km

     Highways: 6,365,590 km, including 88,641 km expressways

     Inland waterways: 41,009 km of navigable inland channels, exclusive
     of the Great Lakes (est.)

     Pipelines: 275,800 km petroleum, 305,300 km natural gas (1985)

     Ports: Anchorage, Baltimore, Beaumont, Boston, Charleston,
     Cleveland, Duluth, Freeport, Galveston, Hampton Roads, Honolulu, Houston,
     Jacksonville, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Mobile, New Orleans,
     New York, Philadelphia, Portland (Oregon), Richmond (California), San
     Francisco, Savannah, Seattle, Tampa, Wilmington

     Merchant marine: 404 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling NA
     GRT/NA DWT); includes 3 passenger-cargo, 44 cargo, 23 bulk,
     180 tanker, 13 tanker tug-barge, 11 liquefied gas, 130
     intermodal; in addition there are 231 government-owned vessels

     Civil air: 3,297 commercial multiengine transport aircraft,
     including 2,989 jet, 231 turboprop, 77 piston (1985)

     Airports: 14,177 total, 12,417 usable; 4,820 with permanent
     surface-runways; 63 with runways over 3,659 m; 325 with runways
     2,440-3,659 m; 2,524 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

     Telecommunications: 182,558,000 telephones; stations--4,892 AM,
     5,200 FM (including 3,915 commercial and 1,285 public broadcasting),
     7,296 TV (including 796 commercial, 300 public broadcasting, and 6,200
     commercial cable); 495,000,000 radio receivers (1982); 150,000,000 TV
     sets (1982); satellite communications ground stations--45 Atlantic Ocean
     INTELSAT and 16 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT

   Defense Forces
   
 
     Branches: Department of the Army, Department of the Navy (including
     Marine Corps), Department of the Air Force

     Manpower availability: males 15-49, 66,458,000; NA fit for military
     service

     Defense expenditures: $312.9 billion, 5.7% of GNP (1990)

