[497], American football is by several measures the most popular spectator sport;[499] the National Football League (NFL) has the highest average attendance of any sports league in the world, and the Super Bowl is watched by tens of millions globally. [503] Geographic Location . Trending. Sign In. [95] With the 1860 election of Republican Abraham Lincoln, conventions in thirteen slave states declared secession and formed the Confederate States of America (the "South" or the "Confederacy"), while the federal government (the "Union") maintained that secession was illegal. United States is the richest country in the world, and it has the biggest wealth gap. [413] The top one percent of income-earners accounted for 52 percent of the income gains from 2009 to 2015, where income is defined as market income excluding government transfers. [64][65] Colonial society was largely divided over the religious and moral implications of slavery, and several colonies passed acts both against and in favor of the practice. [423] As of June 2018[update], 40 million people, roughly 12.7% of the U.S. population, were living in poverty, including 13.3 million children. [403], Accounting for 4.24% of the global population, Americans collectively possess 29.4% of the world's total wealth, the largest percentage of any country. Making up more than a third of global military spending, it is the foremost military power in the world and is a leading political, cultural, and scientific force internationally. It is a federal republic and a representative democracy "in which majority rule is tempered by minority rights protected by law. The home of music festivals galore, including South by Southwest and Austin City Limits, also boasts Luck Reunion, hosted by Willie Nelson, the prototypical Austin outlaw; he’s from Abbott, about a mile north. [96] In order to bring about this secession, military action was initiated by the secessionists, and the Union responded in kind. [459] A work seen as capturing fundamental aspects of the national experience and character—such as Herman Melville's Moby-Dick (1851), Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (1925) and Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird (1960)—may be dubbed the "Great American Novel. If calling from a landline, replace the + sign with 0011 followed by 1 (US country code) and then the US area code and local number. [305][306][k], The United States has operated under a two-party system for most of its history. United States of America has formal diplomatic relation with almost every country present in this whole world. A cross-sectional analysis of the World Health Organization Mortality Database from 2010 showed that United States homicide rates "were 7.0 times higher than in other high-income countries, driven by a gun homicide rate that was 25.2 times higher. Marital Status of the Population 15 Years Old and Over, by Sex, Race and Hispanic Origin: 1950 to Present", "National Vital Statistics Volume 67, Number 1, January 31, 2018", "U.S. has world's highest rate of children living in single-parent households", "States Where English Is the Official Language", "The Constitution of the State of Hawaii, Article XV, Section 4", "Alaska OKs Bill Making Native Languages Official", "South Dakota recognizes official indigenous language", "Foreign Language Enrollments in K–12 Public Schools", "Enrollments in Languages Other Than English in United States Institutions of Higher Education, Fall 2013", "Church Statistics and Religious Affiliations", "American Religious Identification Survey 2001", "Mississippians Go to Church the Most; Vermonters, Least", "Life Expectancy in the United States (2019), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention", "New International Report on Health Care: U.S. With a population of more than 328 million people, it is the third most populous country in the world. Like the states they have a great deal of autonomy, but also like the states, tribes are not allowed to make war, engage in their own foreign relations, or print and issue currency. Additionally, the Trail of Tears in the 1830s exemplified the Indian removal policy that forcibly resettled Indians. Documents such as the Mayflower Compact and the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut established precedents for representative self-government and constitutionalism that would develop throughout the American colonies. By value, the United States is the world's largest importer and the second-largest exporter of goods. Cajuns are the largest French-speaking minority in the USA, and while you may not hear French spoken at the grocery store, it's still present in radio shows, church services and the sing-song lilt of local English accents. Mark Twain and poet Walt Whitman were major figures in the century's second half; Emily Dickinson, virtually unknown during her lifetime, is now recognized as an essential American poet. [171] As of January 21, 2021, the United States has almost 25 million COVID-19 cases and over 340,000 deaths. [265][266] The U.S. health care system far outspends that of any other nation, measured both in per capita spending and as a percentage of GDP. [410] According to the Federal Reserve, the top 1% controlled 38.6% of the country's wealth in 2016. [437], Transport is the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions by the United States, which are the second highest by country, exceeded only by China's. [375][376] The United States is the largest importer of goods and second-largest exporter,[377] though exports per capita are relatively low. [367] In recent years the number of executions and presence of capital punishment statute on whole has trended down nationally, with several states recently abolishing the penalty. ", "What, When, and Where Americans Eat in 2003", "Metallica's 'Black album' is Top-Selling Disc of last 20 years", "Eagles tribute band landing at Kirkland", "Aerosmith will rock Salinas with July concert", "Taylor Swift: Teen idol to 'biggest pop artist in the world, "Britney Spears is the most searched for celebrity of the decade", "Katy Perry: now the world's richest (famous) woman", "BBC—Imagine—Jay-Z: He Came, He Saw, He Conquered", "The enigma of Kanye West—and how the world's biggest pop star ended up being its most reviled, too", "Nigeria surpasses Hollywood as world's second-largest film producer", "John Landis Rails Against Studios: 'They're Not in the Movie Business Anymore, "Book explores Hollywood 'Golden Age' of the 1960s-'70s", "Marilyn Monroe, the eternal shape shifter", "Top 10 Most Popular Sports in America 2017", "Professional Football Widens Its Lead Over Baseball as Nation's Favorite Sport", "Passion for College Football Remains Robust", "Global sports market to hit $141 billion in 2012", "The 10 most fascinating facts about the all-time Winter Olympics medal standings", "With Sochi Olympics approaching, a history of Winter Olympic medals", "As American as Mom, Apple Pie and Football? Secure .gov websites use HTTPS. [34][35][36] The Clovis culture, which appeared around 11,000 BC, is believed to represent the first wave of human settlement of the Americas. However, the Senate refused to approve this and did not ratify the Treaty of Versailles that established the League of Nations. Search. The United States is a federal republic and a representative democracy with three separate branches of government, including a bicameral legislature. [148][149][150] This brought about unipolarity[151] with the U.S. unchallenged as the world's dominant superpower. The president is not elected by direct vote, but by an indirect electoral college system in which the determining votes are apportioned to the states and the District of Columbia. Republicans in the federal government made it their goal to oversee the rebuilding of the South and to ensure the rights of African Americans. The Italian explorer was the first to postulate that the West Indies did not represent Asia's eastern limit but were part of a previously unknown landmass. [434], The civil airline industry is entirely privately owned and has been largely deregulated since 1978, while most major airports are publicly owned. African Americans constitute the nation's largest racial minority and third-largest ancestry group, and are around 13% of the total U.S. [136] A proxy war in Southeast Asia eventually evolved into the Vietnam War (1955–1975), with full American participation.[137]. Who coined 'United States of America'? Other languages spoken at home by one million people or more include Chinese (2.8 million), Tagalog (1.6 million), Vietnamese (1.4 million), French (1.3 million), Korean (1.1 million), and German (1 million). [25], The first documentary evidence of the phrase "United States of America" dates from a January 2, 1776 letter written by Stephen Moylan, Esquire, to George Washington's aide-de-camp Joseph Reed. Major cities often have "alternative weeklies" to complement the mainstream daily papers, such as New York City's The Village Voice or Los Angeles' LA Weekly. [351] At 4.7% of GDP, the rate was the second-highest among the top 15 military spenders, after Saudi Arabia. [49] Successful English settlement of the eastern coast of North America began with the Virginia Colony in 1607 at Jamestown and with the Pilgrims colony at Plymouth in 1620. Article One protects the right to the writ of habeas corpus. Major cities may also support a local business journal, trade papers relating to local industries, and papers for local ethnic and social groups. To the east of the 100th meridian, the climate ranges from humid continental in the north to humid subtropical in the south. The supervolcano underlying Yellowstone National Park in the Rockies is the continent's largest volcanic feature. [22], The first known use of the name "America" dates back to 1507, when it appeared on a world map created by the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller. [341] The total national debt of the United States was $23.201 trillion, or 107% of GDP, in the fourth quarter of 2019. The government is regulated by a system of checks and balances defined by the U.S. Constitution, which serves as the country's supreme legal document. The formal 2020 U.S. Census population will be reported to the president in early 2021. [362], Capital punishment is sanctioned in the United States for certain federal and military crimes, and at the state level in 28 states, though three states have moratoriums on carrying out the penalty imposed by their governors. As of September 30, 2014[update], there are 15,433 licensed full-power radio stations in the U.S. according to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Suicide Rate Highest Among Wealthy Nations | Commonwealth Fund", "Deaths by suicide, drugs and alcohol reached an all-time high last year", STATCAST - Week of September 9, 2019. New stars such as Taylor Swift and Jason Aldean come together on the stage of the Ryman Auditorium, home of the famed Grand Ole Opry, and you can trace the legends of yesterday at the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Johnny Cash Museum. [189], The United States, with its large size and geographic variety, includes most climate types. [136] The Soviet Union's 1957 launch of the first artificial satellite and its 1961 launch of the first crewed spaceflight initiated a "Space Race" in which the United States became the first nation to land a man on the Moon in 1969. The bill and its ultimate effect are still issues of controversy in the United States. [135] American troops fought communist Chinese and North Korean forces in the Korean War of 1950–53. ", "African-American Economic Gains Reversed By Great Recession", "Long Time Coming: Why Health Reform Finally Passed", "Donald Trump is elected president of the United States", "First Case of 2019 Novel Coronavirus in the United States", "Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the U.S.", "Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report – 89", "Biden defeats Trump for White House, Say's time to heal", "Trump Supporters Storm U.S. Capitol, Clash with Police", "State Area Measurements and Internal Point Coordinates—Geography—U.S. [391][392], The United States has been a leader in technological innovation since the late 19th century and scientific research since the mid-20th century. [394] The United States leads the world in scientific research papers and impact factor. In the early 20th century, the automobile companies of Ransom E. Olds and Henry Ford popularized the assembly line. Change your country/region on Xbox One. The United States has the world's largest Christian population. Of those impoverished, 18.5 million live in deep poverty (family income below one-half of the poverty threshold) and over five million live "in 'Third World' conditions". [122] The United States thus left its vast Asian colony, the Philippines, isolated and fighting a losing struggle against Japanese invasion and occupation. Cable television offers hundreds of channels catering to a variety of niches. [345] The Reserves and National Guard brought the total number of troops to 2.3 million. [93] After the Civil War, new transcontinental railways made relocation easier for settlers, expanded internal trade, and increased conflicts with Native Americans. population. Can it Be a Leader in the Climate Fight Again? Straddling the border of Virginia and Tennessee, the city of Bristol was the site of the first country recordings. According to the Bureau's U.S. Population Clock, on December 25, 2020, the U.S. population had a net gain of one person every 23 seconds, or about 3,757 people per day. [257] Obesity-related type 2 diabetes is considered epidemic by health care professionals. George Washington, who had led the Continental Army to victory, was the first president elected under the new constitution. [54] Natives taught many settlers to cultivate corn, beans, and other foodstuffs. [139][140] In 1959 Hawaii became the 50th and last U.S. state added to the country. [165] Barack Obama, the first African-American[166] and multiracial[167] president, was elected in 2008 amid the crisis,[168] and subsequently passed stimulus measures and the Dodd–Frank Act in an attempt to mitigate its negative effects and ensure there would not be a repeat of the crisis. [492] In more recent times, directors such as Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and James Cameron have gained renown for their blockbuster films, often characterized by high production costs and earnings. [380] The country ranks ninth in the world in nominal GDP per capita[381] and sixth in GDP per capita at PPP. [504] Lacrosse and surfing arose from Native American and Native Hawaiian activities that predate Western contact. The documents you need and whether your passport needs to be valid for six months after your travel dates depend on the country you are arriving from and your citizenship or status. Income inequality remains at record highs however, with the top fifth of earners taking home more than half of all overall income. More than 37 million spoke Spanish at home, making it the second most commonly used language in the United States. Postwar Planning, 1943–1945: The Collision of Realist and. [221] In 2008, 273 incorporated municipalities had populations over 100,000, nine cities had more than one million residents, and four cities had over two million (namely New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston). [250] Life expectancy was highest among Asians and Hispanics and lowest among blacks. [510], Well-known newspapers include The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and USA Today. [131][132], After World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union competed for power, influence, and prestige during what became known as the Cold War, driven by an ideological divide between capitalism and communism. [366] No executions took place from 1967 to 1977, owing in part to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking down the practice. [285][286][287] It is the world's oldest surviving federation. Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines were ceded by Spain in the same year, following the Spanish–American War. The United States is a federal union of 50 states. That’s why we offer the Military 1st program in the United States and Canada for active military, veterans and spouses. GDP. [d][180][181], The coastal plain of the Atlantic seaboard gives way further inland to deciduous forests and the rolling hills of the Piedmont. [183], The Rocky Mountains, west of the Great Plains, extend north to south across the country, peaking around 14,000 feet (4,300 m) in Colorado. [412] According to a 2018 study by the OECD, the United States has a larger percentage of low-income workers than almost any other developed nation, largely because of a weak collective bargaining system and lack of government support for at-risk workers. Basketball and ice hockey are the country's next two leading professional team sports, with the top leagues being the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Hockey League (NHL). [44] Anthropologist Henry F. Dobyns believed the populations were much higher, suggesting around 1.1 million along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, 2.2 million people living between Florida and Massachusetts, 5.2 million in the Mississippi Valley and tributaries, and around 700,000 people in the Florida peninsula. [453][454][455] While mainstream culture holds that the United States is a classless society,[456] scholars identify significant differences between the country's social classes, affecting socialization, language, and values. [300] The Supreme Court, led by the chief justice of the United States, has nine members, who serve for life. Southern white Democrats, calling themselves "Redeemers", took control of the South after the end of Reconstruction, beginning the nadir of American race relations. The United States has a "Special Relationship" with the United Kingdom[319] and strong ties with India, Canada,[320] Australia,[321] New Zealand,[322] the Philippines,[323] Japan,[324] South Korea,[325] Israel,[326] and several European Union countries, including France, Italy, Germany, Spain and Poland. They persisted until the Compromise of 1877 when the Republicans agreed to cease protecting the rights of African Americans in the South in order for Democrats to concede the presidential election of 1876. [464] Americans have long been important in the modern artistic medium of photography, with major photographers including Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Steichen, Edward Weston, and Ansel Adams. [389] 74% of full-time American workers get paid sick leave, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, although only 24% of part-time workers get the same benefits. [197], There are 62 national parks and hundreds of other federally managed parks, forests, and wilderness areas. List and ranking of GDP growth, GDP per capita and couuntry share of World's GDP Select a country. [37][38] This was likely the first of three major waves of migration into North America; later waves brought the ancestors of present-day Athabaskans, Aleuts, and Eskimos.[39]. [339], The United States has the largest external debt in the world[340] and the 34th largest government debt as a percentage of GDP in the world as of 2017; however, more recent estimates vary. Despite continuing new arrivals, the rate of natural increase was such that by the 1770s only a small minority of Americans had been born overseas. Doing so will refresh the page and set your content's location as that country. When you arrive in the United States, you must show valid travel documents as part of the entry process. In Puerto Rico, Spanish is more widely spoken than English. [443][446] More recent immigration from Asia and especially Latin America has added to a cultural mix that has been described as both a homogenizing melting pot, and a heterogeneous salad bowl in which immigrants and their descendants retain distinctive cultural characteristics. Following the collapse of détente, he abandoned "containment" and initiated the more aggressive "rollback" strategy towards the Soviet Union. [463] Georgia O'Keeffe, Marsden Hartley, and others experimented with new, individualistic styles. [205][206] The most prominent environmental agency is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), created by presidential order in 1970. The majority of the world's top universities, as listed by various ranking organizations, are in the U.S.[277][278][279] There are also local community colleges with generally more open admission policies, shorter academic programs, and lower tuition. With a food menu as impressive as its lineup of acts, Game 6 Honky Tony has become one of the city’s best-known country venues. [227], English (specifically, American English) is the de facto national language of the United States. [220], About 82% of Americans live in urban areas, including suburbs;[181] about half of those reside in cities with populations over 50,000. Thomas Edison's research laboratory, one of the first of its kind, developed the phonograph, the first long-lasting light bulb, and the first viable movie camera. [353], The country is one of the five recognized nuclear weapons states and one of nine countries to possess nuclear weapons. Nonetheless, the United States remains the only developed nation without a system of universal health care. This article lists the 50 states of the United States.It also lists their populations, … NPR was incorporated in February 1970 under the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967; its television counterpart, PBS, was created by the same legislation. Broadway boasts legendary honky-tonks (Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge), traditional country clubs (Robert’s Western World) and shops selling Western apparel (Boot Barn). The Spanish set up the first settlements in Florida and New Mexico, such as Saint Augustine (often considered the nation's oldest city)[48] and Santa Fe. [495] The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, have been held annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 1929,[496] and the Golden Globe Awards have been held annually since January 1944. American pop stars such as Presley, Michael Jackson and Madonna have become global celebrities,[479] as have contemporary musical artists such as Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Eminem, and Kanye West. [240] In 2014, 5.9% of the U.S. adult population claimed a non-Christian religion. [505] The most watched individual sports are golf and auto racing, particularly NASCAR. [416] The rise in the share of total annual income received by the top one percent, which has more than doubled from nine percent in 1976 to 20 percent in 2011, has significantly affected income inequality,[417] leaving the United States with one of the widest income distributions among OECD nations.