United States

Coordinates: 40°N 100°W / 40°N 100°W / 40; -100

United States of America
Flag Coat of arms
Motto:  "In God We Trust"[1] Other traditional mottos: "E pluribus unum" (Latin)[2] "Out of many, one" "Annuit cœptis" (Latin)[2] "Providence favors our undertakings" "Novus ordo seclorum" (Latin)[2] "New order of the ages"
Anthem: "The Star-Spangled Banner"[3]
Show globe (states and D.C. only) Show the U.S. and its territories
Capital	Washington, D.C. 38°53′N 77°01′W / 38.883°N 77.017°W / 38.883; -77.017
Largest city	New York City 40°43′N 74°00′W / 40.717°N 74.000°W / 40.717; -74.000
Official languages	None at the federal level[a]
National language	English (de facto)
Ethnic groups (2020)[6][7][8]	By race: 61.6% White 12.4% Black 6.0% Asian 1.1% Native American 0.2% Pacific Islander 10.2% Multiracial 8.5% Others By Hispanic or Latino origin: 18.7% Hispanic or Latino 81.3% Non-Hispanic or Latino
Religion (2021)[9]	63% Christianity —40% Protestantism —21% Catholicism —2% Other Christian 29% No religion 6% Others 2% Unknown
Demonym(s)	American[b][10]
Government	Federal presidential constitutional republic
• President	Joe Biden (D)
• Vice President	Kamala Harris (D)
• House Speaker	Nancy Pelosi (D)
• Chief Justice	John Roberts
Legislature	Congress
• Upper house	Senate
• Lower house	House of Representatives
Independence  from Great Britain
• Declaration	July 4, 1776
• Confederation	March 1, 1781
• Treaty of Paris	September 3, 1783
• Constitution	June 21, 1788
• Last state admitted	August 21, 1959
Area
• Total area	3,796,742 sq mi (9,833,520 km2)[c][11] (3rd)
• Water (%)	4.66[12]
• Land area	3,531,905 sq mi (9,147,590 km2) (4th)
Population
• 2021 estimate	331,893,745[d][13]
• 2020 census	331,449,281[e][14] (3rd)
• Density	87/sq mi (33.6/km2) (185th)
GDP (PPP)	2022 estimate
• Total	$25.35 trillion[15] (2nd)
• Per capita	$76,027[15] (9th)
GDP (nominal)	2022 estimate
• Total	$25.35 trillion[15] (1st)
• Per capita	$76,027[15] (8th)
Gini (2020)	48.5[16] high
HDI (2019)	0.926[17] very high · 17th
Currency	U.S. dollar ($) (USD)
Time zone	UTC−4 to −12, +10, +11
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 to −10
Date format	mm/dd/yyyy
Driving side	right[f]
Calling code	+1
ISO 3166 code	US

The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territories, 326 Indian reservations, and nine minor outlying islands.^[g] At nearly 3.8 million square miles (9.8 million square kilometers), it is the world's fourth-largest country by land area and third-largest by total area. The United States shares land and maritime borders with Canada to the north and Mexico to the south as well as maritime borders with the Bahamas, Cuba, and Russia.^[h] With more than 331 million people, it is the third most populous country in the world. The national capital is Washington, D.C., and the most populous city and financial center is New York City.

Paleo-Indians migrated from Siberia to the North American mainland at least 12,000 years ago, and European colonization began in the 16th century. The United States emerged from the Thirteen British Colonies established along the East Coast. Disputes with Great Britain over taxation and political representation led to the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), which established the nation's independence. In the late 18th century, the U.S. began expanding territory across North America, gradually obtaining new territories, sometimes through war, frequently displacing Native Americans, and admitting new states. The enslavement of African Americans was legal in the southern United States until the second half of the 19th century, when the American Civil War led to its abolition. The Spanish–American War and World War I established the U.S. as a world power, and the aftermath of World War II left the United States and the Soviet Union as the world's two superpowers. During the Cold War, both countries fought in the Korean and Vietnam War but avoided direct armed conflict. The two nations competed in the Space Race, culminating in the 1969 American spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. The Soviet Union's dissolution in 1991 ended the Cold War, leaving the United States as the world's sole superpower. In the post–Cold War era, the United States has engaged in several conflicts in the Middle East.

The United States is a federal presidential constitutional republic with three separate branches of government, including a bicameral legislature. It is a founding member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States, and other international organizations. It is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. The United States is a member of multiple military alliances, including NATO, AUKUS, and unilateral alliances with Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines. Considered a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities, its population has been profoundly shaped by centuries of immigration. The United States is a liberal democracy; it ranks high in international measures of economic freedom, quality of life, education, and human rights; and it has low levels of perceived corruption. Unlike other western democracies, the United States lacks universal health care, retains capital punishment, and has high levels of incarceration and inequality.^[24]

The United States is a highly developed country, and its economy accounts for approximately a quarter of global GDP and is the world's largest by GDP at market exchange rates. By value, the United States is the world's largest importer and second-largest exporter of goods. Although its population is only 4.2% of the world's total, it holds over 30% of the total wealth in the world, the largest share held by any country. Making up more than a third of global military spending, the United States is the foremost military power in the world and a leading political, cultural, and scientific force.^[25]

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