The United States of America
The United States of America is a country in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, 5 unincorporated territories and 326 Native American reservations. It is the world's fourth-largest country, and has land borders with Canada to the north and Mexico to the south, and maritime borders with the Bahamas, Cuba, and Russia. The capital city is Washington D.C. and the most populous city is New York City.
The modern United States emerged from 13 colonies established by the British on the east coast. Disputes over taxation and political representation led to the American Revolutionary War, which established independence from the United Kingdom. In the 18th century, the U.S. began expanding, frequently displacing or killing Native Americans. By 1848, the U.S. spanned North America.
The United States is a founding member of the United Nations, World Bank, IMF, and NATO. It is a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council. The U.S. ranks high in international measures of economic freedom, quality of life, education, and human rights, and has low levels of perceived corruption. However, the country has received criticism concerning inequality related to race, wealth and income, the use of capital punishment, high incarceration rates, and lack of universal health care.
The United States accounts for approximately a quarter of global GDP, and is the world's largest economy. Although its population is only 4.2% of the world's total, it holds 29.4% of the total wealth in the world, the largest share held by any country.
In God We Trust
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Capital
Alternative Names
U.S.A
Demonym
American
Government System
Democracy, Presidential
Power Structure
Confederation
Economic System
Market economy
Subsidiary Organizations
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Related Ethnicities