The Russian Constitution.
The United States of America
Constitution.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - From the 1994 CIA World Fact Book
For US Census data, visit the US Census Bureau's new WWW server.
Location: North America, between Canada and Mexico
Map references: North America, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area 9,372,610
sq km
land area 9,166,600
sq km
comparative area about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths
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
note includes only the 50 states and
District of Columbia
Land boundaries: total 12,248 km, Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska), Cuba 29 km (US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay), Mexico 3,326 km
Coastline: 19,924 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone 24 nm
depth
continental shelf 200-m depth or to depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone 200 nm
territorial sea 12 nm
International disputes: maritime boundary disputes with Canada (Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca); 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 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 nation; Republic of Marshall Islands claims Wake Island
Climate: mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida and 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
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 20%
permanent crops
0%
meadows and pastures 26%
forest and woodland
29%
other 25%
Irrigated land: 181,020 sq km (1989 est.)
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; sparse water resources
in much of the western part of the country requires careful management; desertification
natural hazards tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquake activity around Pacific
Basin; hurricanes along the Atlantic coast; tornadoes in the midwest; mudslides
in California; forest fires in the west; flooding; permafrost in northern
Alaska is a major impediment to development
international agreements
party to - Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Antarctic Treaty,
Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping,
Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution-Volatile
Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Hazardous
Wastes
Note: world's fourth-largest country (after Russia, Canada, and China)
Population: 260,713,585 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.99% (1994 est.)
Birth rate: 15.2 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate: 8.68 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate: 3.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 8.11 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population
75.9 years
male 72.58 years
female 79.39 years
(1994 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.06 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun
American(s)
adjective American
Ethnic divisions: white 83.4%, black 12.4%, Asian 3.3%, Native American 0.8% (1992)
Religions: Protestant 56%, Roman Catholic 28%, Jewish 2%, other 4%, none 10% (1989)
Languages: English, Spanish (spoken by a sizable minority)
Literacy: age 15 and over having completed
5 or more years of schooling (1991)
total population 97%
male 97%
female 97%
Labor force: 129.525
million (includes armed forces and unemployed); civilian labor force 128.040
million) (1993)
by occupation managerial and professional 27.1%;
technical, sales and administrative support 30.9%; services 13.8%; manufacturing,
mining, transportation, and crafts 25.5%; farming, forestry, and fishing 2.8%
Names:
conventional long form
United States of America
conventional short form United
States
Abbreviation: US or USA
Digraph: US
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 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 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 in political
union 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 Association with the US (effective 21 October 1986)
Independence: 4 July 1776 (from England)
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
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government
President William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January 1993); Vice President
Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993); election last held 3 November 1992
(next to be held 5 November 1996); results - William Jefferson CLINTON (Democratic
Party) 43.2%, George BUSH (Republican Party) 37.7%, Ross PEROT (Independent)
19.0%, other 0.1%
cabinet Cabinet; appointed by the president
with Senate approval
Legislative branch: bicameral Congress
Senate elections last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held 8 November
1994); results - Democratic Party 53%, Republican Party 47%, other NEGL%;
seats - (100 total) Democratic Party 57, Republican Party 43
House of Representatives
elections last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held 8 November 1994);
results - Democratic Party 52%, Republican Party 46%, other 2%; seats - (435
total) Democratic Party 258, Republican Party 176, Independent 1
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Republican Party, Haley BARBOUR, national committee chairman; Jeanie AUSTIN, co-chairman; Democratic Party, David C. WILHELM, national committee chairman; several other groups or parties of minor political significance
Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), ANZUS, APEC, AsDB, Australian Group, 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, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, PCA, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNOSOM, UNRWA, UN Security Council, UNTAC, UN Trusteeship Council, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
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
Overview: The US has the most powerful, diverse, and technologically advanced economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $24,700, the largest among major industrial nations. The economy is market oriented with most decisions made by private individuals and business firms and with government purchases of goods and services made predominantly in the marketplace. 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. In 1991 output fell by 1%, unemployment grew, and signs of recovery proved premature. Growth picked up to 2.6% in 1992 and to 3.0% in 1993. Unemployment, however, declined only gradually, the increase in GDP being mainly attributable to gains in output per worker. Ongoing economic problems for the remainder of the 1990s include inadequate investment in economic infrastructure, rapidly rising medical costs, and sizable budget and trade deficits.
National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $6.379 trillion (1993)
National product real growth rate: 3% (1993)
National product per capita: $24,700 (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (1993)
Unemployment rate: 6% (May 1994)
Budget:
revenues $1.1535 trillion
expenditures
$1.4082 trillion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993 est.)
Exports: $449 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities capital
goods, automobiles, industrial supplies and raw materials, consumer goods,
agricultural products
partners Western Europe 24.3%, Canada 22.1%,
Japan 10.5% (1993 est.)
Imports: $582 billion (c.i.f.,
1993 est.)
commodities crude oil and refined petroleum products,
machinery, automobiles, consumer goods, industrial raw materials, food and
beverages
partners Canada, 19.3%, Western Europe 18.1%, Japan
18.1% (1993 est.)
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate 4.6% (1993); accounts for 23% of GDP (1991)
Electricity:
capacity 780,000,000 kW
production
3.23 trillion kWh
consumption per capita 12,690 kWh (1992)
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
Agriculture: accounts for 2% of GDP 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 4.4 million metric tons (1990)
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), $115.7
billion
Currency: 1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
British pounds (£) per
US$ - 0.6699 (January 1994), 0.6033 (1993), 0.5664 (1992), 0.5652 (1991),
0.5603 (1990), 0.6099 (1989)
Canadian dollars (Can$) per US$ -
1.3174 (January 1994), 1.2901 (1993), 1.2087 (1992), 1.1457 (1991), 1.1668
(1990), 1.1840 (1989)
French francs (F) per US$ - 5.9205 (January
1994), 5.6632 (1993), 5.2938 (1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453 (1990), 6.3801
(1989)
Italian lire (Lit) per US$ - 1,700.2 (January 1994), 1,573.7
(1993), 1,232.4 (1992), 1,240.6 (1991), 1,198.1 (1990), 1.372.1 (1989)
Japanese yen (¥) per US$ - 111.51 (January 1994), 111.20 (1993), 126.65
(1992), 134.71 (1991), 144.79 (1990), 137.96 (1989)
German deutsche marks
(DM) per US$ - 1.7431 (January 1994), 1.6533 (1993), 1.5617 (1992), 1.6595
(1991), 1.6157 (1990), 1.8800 (1989)
Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September
Railroads: 240,000 km of mainline routes, all standard 1.435 meter track, no government ownership (1989)
Highways:
total 6,243,163
km
paved 3,633,520 km (including 84,865 km of expressways)
unpaved 2,609,643 km (1990)
Inland waterways: 41,009 km of navigable inland channels, exclusive of the Great Lakes (est.)
Pipelines: petroleum 276,000 km; natural gas 331,000 km (1991)
Ports: Anchorage, Baltimore, Beaumont, Boston, Charleston, Chicago, 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: 385
ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 12,567,000 GRT/19,511,000 DWT, bulk 23,
cargo 36, intermodal 128, liquefied gas 13, passenger-cargo 3, tanker 169,
tanker tug-barge 13
note in addition, there are 219 government-owned
vessels
Airports:
total 14,177
usable
12,417
with permanent-surface runways 4,820
with runways over 3,659 m
63
with runways 2,440-3,659 m 325
with runways 1,220-2,439 m
2,524
Telecommunications: 126,000,000 telephone access lines; 7,557,000 cellular phone subscribers; broadcast stations - 4,987 AM, 4,932 FM, 1,092 TV; about 9,000 TV cable systems; 530,000,000 radio sets and 193,000,000 TV sets in use; 16 satellites and 24 ocean cable systems in use; satellite ground stations - 45 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 16 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT (1990)
Branches: Department of the Army, Department of the Navy (including Marine Corps), Department of the Air Force
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $315.5 billion, 5.3% of GDP (1992)