Wayzata World Factbook 1995/World Factbook - 1995 Edition - Wayzata Technology (1995).iso/mac/text/Build/CIATXTpc/UNITED_S.TXT

Text File | 1994-11-29 | 17KB | 453 lines

                               United States




                                 Geography


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)


                                  People


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%


                                Government


Names:
conventional long form:
     United States of America
conventional short form:
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


                                  Economy


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:
     (Y) 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


                              Communications


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)


                              Defense Forces


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)