The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the United States:
United States of America – federal republic located primarily in North America, and the world's third-largest country by both land and total area. It shares land borders with Canada to its north and with Mexico to its south and has maritime borders with the Bahamas, Cuba, Russia, and other nations. With the Soviet Union's collapse and the subsequent end of the Cold War in 1991, the United States emerged as the world's sole superpower.
General reference
edit- Pronunciation: /jʊˌnaɪ.tɪd ˈsteɪts/ ⓘ
- Abbreviations: USA or US
- Common English country name: United States or America
- Languages of the United States: English, Spanish, Hawaiian and Native American languages
- Official English country name: United States of America
- Common endonyms: United States, U.S., U.S.A., America
- Official endonym: United States of America
- Common exonyms: United States; America or The States (chiefly British/Commonwealth); North America (chiefly Latin America)
- Adjectivals: United States, American
- Demonyms: American (among others)
- Etymology
- International rankings of the United States
- ISO country codes: US, USA, 840
- ISO region codes: See ISO 3166-2:US
- Internet country code top-level domain: .us, .com, .org, .net, .gov, .edu
Geography of the United States
edit- The United States is: a megadiverse country
- Location (50 states):
- Northern Hemisphere and Western Hemisphere (except western Aleutian Islands)
- Time zones:
- Eastern Time Zone (UTC−05/UTC−04 during DST)
- Central Time Zone (UTC−06/UTC−05 during DST)
- Mountain Time Zone (UTC−07/UTC−06 during DST)
- Pacific Time Zone (UTC−08/UTC−07 during DST)
- Alaska Time Zone (UTC−09/UTC−08 during DST)
- Hawaii–Aleutian Time Zone (UTC−10/UTC−09 during DST)
- Extreme points of the United States:
- North: Point Barrow, Alaska 71°23′15″N 156°28′52″W / 71.38750°N 156.48111°W
- South: Ka Lae, Island of Hawai'i, Hawai'i (18°54′39″N 155°40′52″W / 18.91083°N 155.68111°W)
- East: Sail Rock, just offshore West Quoddy Head, Maine 44°48′54″N 66°56′52″W / 44.81500°N 66.94778°W
- Physically East: Eastern Semisopochnoi Island, Alaska 51°57′40″N 179°46′29″E / 51.96111°N 179.77472°E
- West: Peaked Island, offshore Cape Wrangell, Attu Island, Alaska 52°55′00″N 172°26′00″E / 52.91667°N 172.43333°E
- Physically West: Western Amatignak Island, Alaska 51°16′06″N 179°09′00″W / 51.26833°N 179.15000°W
- High: Denali, Alaska at 6,194 meters (20,322 ft) 63°4′10″N 151°0′26″W / 63.06944°N 151.00722°W
- Low: Badwater Basin, Death Valley, California at −86 meters (−282 ft) 36°13′58″N 116°46′42″W / 36.23278°N 116.77833°W
- Land boundaries: 12,034 km (7,477 mi)
- Population of the United States: 308,745,538 (2010 census) – 3rd most populous country
- Area of the United States: 9,826,630 km2 (3,794,080 sq mi) – 4th most extensive country
- Atlas of the United States
- Cities of the United States, by population
Environment of the United States
edit- Beaches in the United States
- Climate of the United States
- Environmental issues in the United States
- Ecoregions in the United States
- Geology of the United States
- National parks of the United States
- Protected areas of the United States
- Superfund sites in the United States
- Wildlife of the United States
Geographic features of the United States
editRegions of the United States
editPhysiographic divisions of the United States
editThe geography of the United States varies across their immense area. Within the continental U.S., eight distinct physiographic divisions exist, though each is composed of several smaller physiographic subdivisions.[2] These major divisions are:
- Laurentian Upland – part of the Canadian Shield that extends into the northern United States Great Lakes area.
- Atlantic Plain – the coastal regions of the eastern and southern parts includes the continental shelf, the Atlantic Coast and the Gulf Coast.
- Appalachian Highlands – lying on the eastern side of the United States, it includes the Appalachian Mountains, Adirondacks and New England province.
- Interior Plains – part of the interior continental United States, it includes much of what is called the Great Plains.
- Interior Highlands – also part of the interior continental United States, this division includes the Ozark Plateau.
- Rocky Mountain System – one branch of the Cordilleran system lying far inland in the western states.
- Intermontane Plateaus – also divided into the Columbia Plateau, the Colorado Plateau and the Basin and Range Province, it is a system of plateaus, basins, ranges and gorges between the Rocky and Pacific Mountain Systems. It is the setting for the Grand Canyon, the Great Basin and Death Valley.
- Pacific Mountain System – the coastal mountain ranges and features in the west coast of the United States.
Administrative divisions of the United States
editStates of the United States
editAt the Declaration of Independence, the United States consisted of 13 states, former colonies of the United Kingdom. In the following years, the number of states has grown steadily due to expansion to the west, conquest and purchase of lands by the American government, and division of existing states to the current number of 50 United States:[3]
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Territories of the United States
editIncorporated organized territories
edit- none since 1959
Incorporated unorganized territories
editUnincorporated organized territories
editUnincorporated unorganized territories
edit- Territory of American Samoa, technically unorganized, but self-governing under a constitution last revised in 1967
- Baker Island, uninhabited
- Howland Island, uninhabited
- Jarvis Island, uninhabited
- Johnston Atoll, uninhabited
- Kingman Reef, uninhabited
- Bajo Nuevo Bank, uninhabited (disputed with Colombia)
- Serranilla Bank, uninhabited (disputed with Colombia)
- Midway Islands, no indigenous inhabitants, currently included in the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge
- Navassa Island, uninhabited (claimed by Haiti)
- Wake Atoll consisting of Peale, Wake and Wilkes Islands,[4] no indigenous inhabitants, only contractor personnel (claimed by the Marshall Islands)
Geography of the states and territories
editAK – AL – AR – AZ – CA – CO – CT – DC – DE – FL – GA – HI – IA – ID – IL – IN – KS – KY – LA – MA – MD – ME – MI – MN – MO – MS
MT – NC – ND – NE – NH – NM – NV – NJ – NY – OH – OK – OR – PA – RI – SC – SD – TN – TX – UT – VA – VT – WA – WI – WV – WY
Demography of the United States
editAK – AL – AR – AZ – CA – CO – CT – DC – DE – FL – GA – HI – IA – ID – IL – IN – KS – KY – LA – MA – MD – ME – MI – MN – MO – MS
MT – NC – ND – NE – NH – NM – NV – NJ – NY – OH – OK – OR – PA – RI – SC – SD – TN – TX – UT – VA – VT – WA – WI – WV – WY
Climate of the United States
editHistory of the United States
editPeriod-coverage
editHistory of the states and territories
editAK – AL – AR – AZ – CA – CO – CT – DC – DE – FL – GA – HI – IA – ID – IL – IN – KS – KY – LA – MA – MD – ME – MI – MN – MO – MS
MT – NC – ND – NE – NH – NM – NV – NJ – NY – OH – OK – OR – PA – RI – SC – SD – TN – TX – UT – VA – VT – WA – WI – WV – WY
History of cities
editPresidents of the United States
edit- George Washington: 1789–1797
- John Adams: 1797–1801
- Thomas Jefferson: 1801–1809
- James Madison: 1809–1817
- James Monroe: 1817–1825
- John Quincy Adams: 1825–1829
- Andrew Jackson: 1829–1837
- Martin Van Buren: 1837–1841
- William Henry Harrison: 1841
- John Tyler: 1841–1845
- James K. Polk: 1845–1849
- Zachary Taylor: 1849–1850
- Millard Fillmore: 1850–1853
- Franklin Pierce: 1853–1857
- James Buchanan: 1857–1861
- Abraham Lincoln: 1861–1865
- Andrew Johnson: 1865–1869
- Ulysses S. Grant: 1869–1877
- Rutherford B. Hayes: 1877–1881
- James A. Garfield: 1881
- Chester A. Arthur: 1881–1885
- Grover Cleveland: 1885–1889
- Benjamin Harrison: 1889–1893
- Grover Cleveland: 1893–1897
- William McKinley: 1897–1901
- Theodore Roosevelt: 1901–1909
- William H. Taft: 1909–1913
- Woodrow Wilson: 1913–1921
- Warren G. Harding: 1921–1923
- Calvin Coolidge: 1923–1929
- Herbert Hoover: 1929–1933
- Franklin D. Roosevelt: 1933–1945
- Harry S. Truman: 1945–1953
- Dwight D. Eisenhower: 1953–1961
- John F. Kennedy: 1961–1963
- Lyndon B. Johnson: 1963–1969
- Richard M. Nixon: 1969–1974
- Gerald Ford: 1974–1977
- Jimmy Carter: 1977–1981
- Ronald Reagan: 1981–1989
- George H. W. Bush: 1989–1993
- Bill Clinton: 1993–2001
- George W. Bush: 2001–2009
- Barack Obama: 2009–2017
- Donald Trump: 2017–2021
- Joe Biden: 2021–present
Government and politics in the United States
edit- Form of government: presidential, federal republic
- Capital (political) of the United States: Washington, D.C.
- Flag of the United States
- Political parties in the United States
- Elections in the United States
- Voting rights in the United States
- List of political parties in the United States
- Political divisions of the United States
- Canadian and American politics compared
- Politics of the Southern United States
- Criticism of the United States government
Federal government
editLegislative branch
editExecutive branch
editFederal executive departments
editAll departments are listed by their present-day name and only departments with past or present cabinet-level status are listed. Order of succession applies only to within the cabinet; the vice president has always been first in the line of succession, and the Speaker of the House and the President pro tem of the Senate have at times been included.
Department | Creation | Order of succession |
Modifications since creation | 2007 Budget in billions of dollars |
Employees (2007) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
State | 1789 | 1 | Initially named "Department of Foreign Affairs" | 9.96 | 30,266 |
Treasury | 1789 | 2 | 11.10 | 115,897 | |
Defense | 1947 | 3 | Initially named "National Military Establishment" | 439.30 | 3,000,000 |
Justice | 1870 | 4 | Position of Attorney General created in 1789, but had no department until 1870 | 23.40 | 112,557 |
Interior | 1849 | 5 | 10.70 | 71,436 | |
Agriculture | 1889 | 6 | 77.60 | 109,832 | |
Commerce | 1903 | 7 | Originally named Commerce and Labor; Labor later separated | 6.20 | 36,000 |
Labor | 1913 | 8 | 59.70 | 17,347 | |
Health and Human Services | 1953 | 9 | Originally named Health, Education, and Welfare; Education later separated | 543.20 | 67,000 |
Housing and Urban Development | 1965 | 10 | 46.20 | 10,600 | |
Transportation | 1966 | 11 | 58.00 | 58,622 | |
Energy | 1977 | 12 | 21.50 | 116,100 | |
Education | 1979 | 13 | 62.80 | 4,487 | |
Veterans Affairs | 1989 | 14 | 73.20 | 235,000 | |
Homeland Security | 2002 | 15 | 44.60 | 208,000 | |
Total budget (fiscal year 2007): | 1,523.42 | 4,193,144 |
Commissions
editJudicial branch
editState and territory governments
editAK – AL – AR – AZ – CA – CO – CT – DC – DE – FL – GA – HI – IA – ID – IL – IN – KS – KY – LA – MA – MD – ME – MI – MN – MO – MS
MT – NC – ND – NE – NH – NM – NV – NJ – NY – OH – OK – OR – PA – RI – SC – SD – TN – TX – UT – VA – VT – WA – WI – WV – WY
Politics of the states and territories
editAK – AL – AR – AZ – CA – CO – CT – DC – DE – FL – GA – HI – IA – ID – IL – IN – KS – KY – LA – MA – MD – ME – MI – MN – MO – MS
MT – NC – ND – NE – NH – NM – NV – NJ – NY – OH – OK – OR – PA – RI – SC – SD – TN – TX – UT – VA – VT – WA – WI – WV – WY
Foreign relations
editInternational organization membership
edit- Member state of the Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors
- Member state of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
- Member state of the Organization of American States
- Member state of the United Nations
- Member of the World Health Organization
- Member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement
- World Veterans Federation
Military
editIntelligence organizations
edit- Central Intelligence Agency
- Sixteenth Air Force
- United States Army Military Intelligence
- Defense Intelligence Agency
- Marine Corps Intelligence Activity
- National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
- National Reconnaissance Office
- National Security Agency
- Office of Naval Intelligence
- Coast Guard Intelligence
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Drug Enforcement Administration
- Bureau of Intelligence and Research
- Office of Intelligence and Analysis
- Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence
- Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence
Law of the United States
edit- Adoption in the United States
- Age of candidacy laws in the United States
- Arbitration in the United States
- Assisted suicide in the United States
- Attorneys in the United States
- Bankruptcy in the United States
- Bicycle law in the United States
- Birthright citizenship in the United States
- Blasphemy law in the United States
- Blue laws in the United States
- Campaign finance reform in the United States
- Cannabis in the United States
- Capital punishment in the United States
- Censure in the United States
- Census in the United States
- Censorship in the United States
- Child-related laws
- Constitution of the United States
- Copyright law in the United States
- Crime in the United States
- Human rights in the United States
- Abortion in the United States
- Censorship in the United States
- Civil liberties in the United States
- Freedom of association in the United States
- Freedom of information in the United States
- Freedom of movement under United States law
- Freedom of religion in the United States
- Freedom of speech in the United States
- Freedom of the press in the United States
- Gambling in the United States
- LGBT rights in the United States
- Incarceration in the United States
- Marriage in the United States
- Same-sex unions in the United States
- Domestic partnership in the United States
- Common-law marriage in the United States
- Divorce in the United States
- Same-sex marriage in the United States
- Same-sex marriage law in the United States by state
- Same-sex marriage legislation in the United States
- Same-sex marriage status in the United States by state
- Prisoner rights in the United States
- Pro se legal representation in the United States
- Prostitution in the United States
- Right of foreigners to vote in the United States
- Right to keep and bear arms
- Right to petition in the United States
- Rights and responsibilities of marriages in the United States
- Smoking in the United States
- Law enforcement in the United States
- Local ordinance
- Rent control in the United States
- School anti-bullying legislation in the United States
- Secession in the United States
- Securities regulation in the United States
- Speed limits in the United States
- State law
- Taxation in the United States
- United States Code
- Zoning in the United States
Culture of the United States
editAmerican cuisine
editHistorical cuisine
editCuisine of the regions
editArt in the United States
editFilm
editMusic in the United States
editGenres
editMusic in the states and territories
editAK – AL – AR – AZ – CA – CO – CT – DC – DE – FL – GA – HI – IA – ID – IL – IN – KS – KY – LA – MA – MD – ME – MI – MN – MO – MS
MT – NC – ND – NE – NH – NM – NV – NJ – NY – OH – OK – OR – PA – RI – SC – SD – TN – TX – UT – VA – VT – WA – WI – WV – WY
Radio
editSports in the United States
editList of Major Sports Leagues in the United States
edit- Major League Baseball (MLB)
- National Basketball Association (NBA)
- National Football League (NFL)
- National Hockey League (NHL)
- Major League Soccer (MLS)
Other top-level leagues and series
edit- IndyCar Series
- Legends Tour – for women's golfers age 45 and over
- LPGA Tour (Ladies' Professional Golf Association)
- Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
- Major League Rugby (MLR) – rugby union
- NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing)
- National Lacrosse League (NLL)
- National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
- PGA Tour
- PGA Tour Champions – for men's golfers age 50 and over
- Professional Bull Riders (PBR)
- Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA)
- Sports Car Club of America (SCCA)
- Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Minor and developmental professional leagues and series
edit- American Hockey League (AHL)
- American Indoor Football Association (AIFA)
- American National Rugby League (AMNRL)
- Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL)
- ECHL (formerly East Coast Hockey League)
- Korn Ferry Tour – men's golf
- Minor League Baseball
- National Arena League
- NBA G League
- Professional Inline Hockey Association (PIHA)
- Rugby Super League (RSL)
- Symetra Tour – women's golf
- United Indoor Football (UIF)
- United States Australian Football League (USAFL)
- Xfinity Series – NASCAR
College sports
editSports governing bodies
edit- Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA of America)
- United States of America Cricket Association (USACA)
- United States Golf Association (USGA)
- United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC)
- United States Rowing Association
- United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer)
- United States Tennis Association (USTA)
- USA Basketball
- USA Cycling
- USA Rugby – governs rugby union
- USA Track and Field
- U.S. Ski & Snowboard
Sports by state and territory
editAK – AL – AR – AZ – CA – CO – CT – DC – DE – FL – GA – HI – IA – ID – IL – IN – KS – KY – LA – MA – MD – ME – MI – MN – MO – MS
MT – NC – ND – NE – NH – NM – NV – NJ – NY – OH – OK – OR – PA – RI – SC – SD – TN – TX – UT – VA – VT – WA – WI – WV – WY
Sports Museums in the United States
editEducation in the United States
edit- Early childhood education in the United States
- K-12 education in the United States
- Higher education in the United States
- Language education in the United States
Education in the states and territories
editAK – AL – AR – AZ – CA – CO – CT – DC – DE – FL – GA – HI – IA – ID – IL – IN – KS – KY – LA – MA – MD – ME – MI – MN – MO – MS
MT – NC – ND – NE – NH – NM – NV – NJ – NY – OH – OK – OR – PA – RI – SC – SD – TN – TX – UT – VA – VT – WA – WI – WV – WY
Economy and infrastructure of the United States
editThe United States is the world's largest economy (IMF, 2010). |
- Economic rank, by nominal GDP (2010): 1st
- Economic rank, by GDP (PPP) (2010): 1st
- Currency of the United States: US$
- ISO 4217: USD
- Banking in the United States
- Communications in the United States
- Companies of the United States
- Economic history of the United States
- Energy in the United States
- Electricity sector of the United States
- Energy conservation in the United States
- Energy policy of the United States
- U.S. Lighting Energy Policy
- United States energy independence
- Nuclear energy policy of the United States
- United States Department of Energy
- United States energy law
- United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
- United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce
- United States Wind Energy Policy
- Petroleum in the United States
- Health care in the United States
- Industry trade groups in the United States
- Tourism in the United States
- Transportation in the United States
- Trade policy of the United States
- Wealth in the United States
- Water supply and sanitation in the United States
Economy by state and territory
editAK – AL – AR – AZ – CA – CO – CT – DC – DE – FL – GA – HI – IA – ID – IL – IN – KS – KY – LA – MA – MD – ME – MI – MN – MO - MS
MT – NC – ND – NE – NH – NM – NV – NJ – NY – OH – OK – OR – PA – RI – SC – SD – TN – TX – UT – VA – VT – WA – WI – WV – WY
Health in the United States
edit- Healthcare in the United States
- Lists of hospitals in the United States
- Disability in the United States
- Birth control in the United States
- Obesity in the United States
- List of U.S. states and territories by life expectancy
- List of U.S. states and territories by infant mortality rates
Tourism in the United States
editSee also
editNotes
editReferences
edit- ^ "U.S.-Mexico Border". National Geographic. February 26, 2013. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
- ^ "Physiographic Regions". United States Geological Survey. April 17, 2003. Archived from the original on May 15, 2006. Retrieved January 30, 2008.
- ^ "Arkansas Secretary of State". www.sos.arkansas.gov. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
- ^ DOI Office of Internal Affairs "DOI Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) - WAKE ISLAND". Archived from the original on May 13, 2012. Retrieved May 13, 2012.
External links
edit- United States travel guide from Wikivoyage
- Government
- Official U.S. Government Web Portal Gateway to governmental sites
- White House Official site of the President of the United States
- Senate Official site of the United States Senate
- House Official site of the United States House of Representatives
- Supreme Court Official site of the Supreme Court of the United States
- Library of Congress Official site of the Library of Congress
- Overviews and Data
- Portrait of the United States Overview from the U.S. Information Agency
- United States CIA World Factbook entry
- United States Encyclopædia Britannica entry
- U.S. Census Housing and Economic Statistics Wide-ranging data from the U.S. Census Bureau
- "State Fact Sheets", population, employment, income, and farm data from the U.S. Economic Research Service
- "The 50 States of the U.S.A.", collected informational links for each state
- History
- Historical Documents Collected by the National Center for Public Policy Research
- U.S. National Mottos: History and Constitutionality Analysis by the Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
- USA Collected links to historical data
- Maps
- Wikimedia Atlas of the United States
- National Atlas of the United States Official maps from the U.S. Department of the Interior
- Other
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Official government site