Revision 31529138 of "United States" on enwiki

:''For alternative meanings, see the disambiguation page for'' [[US (disambiguation)|US]], [[USA (disambiguation)|USA]], [[United States (disambiguation)|United States]], ''or'' [[American]].

The '''United States of America''' is a [[federalism|federal]] [[democratic]] [[republic]] situated primarily in central [[North America]]. It comprises 50 [[U.S. state|states]] and one [[federal district]], and has several [[United States territory|territories]]. It is also referred to, with varying formality, as the '''''United States''''', the '''''U.S.''''', the '''''U.S.A.''''', the '''''States''''', or simply and most commonly, '''''America'''''.<!--
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{{Infobox Country |
native_name = United States of America |
common_name = the United States |
image_flag = Flag of the United States.svg |
image_coat = Great Seal of the US.png|20px |
national_motto = <br>''[[E pluribus unum]]'' (1789 to present)<br>([[Latin]]: "Out of Many, One")<br>''[[In God We Trust]]'' (1956 to present) |
image_map = LocationUSA.png |
national_anthem = ''[[The Star-Spangled Banner]]'' |
official_languages = [[Languages in the United States|None at federal level]];<br> [[American English]] de facto |
capital = [[Washington, D.C.]] |latd=38|latm=53|latNS=N|longd=77|longm=02|longEW=W|
government_type = [[Federal republic]]|
leader_titles = &nbsp;• [[President of the United States|President]]<br>&nbsp;• [[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]] |
leader_names = [[George W. Bush]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]]) <br>[[Dick Cheney]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]]) |
largest_city = [[New York City]] |
area = 3,718,711 square miles 9,631,418  Estimated Continental Length 2600 Miles.| 
area_rank = 3rd|
area_magnitude = 1 E12|
percent_water = 4.87% |
<!-- population estimate from census bureau website http://www.census.gov/population/www/popclockus.html -->
population_estimate = 297,700,000|
population_estimate_year = 2005 |
population_estimate_rank = 3rd|
population_census = 281,421,906 |
population_census_year = 2000 |
population_density = 32 |
population_density_rank = 140th |
GDP_PPP_year = 2005 |
GDP_PPP = $12,589,600 million |
GDP_PPP_rank = 1st |
GDP_PPP_per_capita = $42,367 |
GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 3rd |
HDI_year=2003|
HDI=0.944|
HDI_rank=10th|
HDI_category=<font color="#009900">high</font>|
sovereignty_type = [[American Revolutionary War|Independence]] |
established_events = &nbsp;• Declared<br>&nbsp;• Recognized

[[United States Constitution|'''Constitution''']]<br>&nbsp;• Completed<br>&nbsp;• Ratified<br>&nbsp;• Effective|
established_dates = From [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]]<br> [[July 4]], [[1776]]<br>[[September 3]], [[1783]]

<br>[[September 17]], [[1787]]<br>[[May 23]], [[1788]]<br>[[March 4]], [[1789]]|
currency = [[United States dollar|Dollar]] ($) |
currency_code = USD |
country_code = USA |
time_zone = |
utc_offset = -5 to -10 |
time_zone_DST = |
utc_offset_DST = -4 to -10 |
cctld = [[.us]] [[.gov]] [[.edu]] [[.mil]] [[.um]] |
calling_code = 1 |
HDI = 0.944 |
HDI_rank = 10th |
footnotes=|
}}

The official founding date of the United States is [[July 4]], [[1776]], when the Second [[Continental Congress]]—representing thirteen [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]] [[13 colonies|colonies]]—adopted the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]]. However, the structure of the government was profoundly changed in 1788, when the states replaced the [[Articles of Confederation]] with the [[United States Constitution]].  The date on which each of the fifty states adopted the Constitution is typically regarded as the date that state "entered the Union" (became part of the United States). Since the mid-20th century, following [[World War II]], the United States has emerged as a dominant [[Geopolitics|global]] influence in [[economic]], [[political]], [[military]], [[scientific]], [[technological]], and [[cultural]] affairs.

==Geography and climate==
{{main|Geography of the United States}}

The United States shares land borders with [[Canada]] (to the north) and [[Mexico]] (to the south), and [[Territorial waters|territorial water]] boundaries with Canada, [[Russia]], the [[Bahamas]], and numerous smaller nations.  It is otherwise bounded by the [[Pacific Ocean]] and the [[Bering Sea]], in the west; the [[Arctic Ocean]], in the northernmost areas; and the [[Atlantic Ocean]], the [[Gulf of Mexico]], and the [[Caribbean Sea]], in the eastern and southeastern areas.  

Forty-eight of the states are in the single region between Canada and Mexico; this group is referred to, with varying precision and formality, as the ''continental'' or ''contiguous'' ''United States'', sometimes abbreviated ''CONUS'', and as the ''[[Lower 48]]''.  [[Alaska]], which is not included in the term ''contiguous United States'', is at the northwestern end of [[North America]], separated from the Lower 48 by Canada.  The state of [[Hawaii]] is an [[archipelago]] in the [[Pacific Ocean]]. The capital city, [[Washington, District of Columbia]] is a federal district located on land donated by the state of [[Maryland]].  ([[Virginia]] also donated land, but it was returned in 1847.)  The United States also has [[Political divisions of the United States#Territories of the United States|overseas territories]] with varying levels of independence and organization.

When inland water is included in the total area, only [[Russia]] and Canada are larger than the United States; if inland water is excluded, [[China]] ranks third and the U.S. ranks fourth.  The United States' total area is 3,718,711 [[square_mile|square miles]] (9,631,418 [[square kilometre|km²]]), of which land makes up 3,537,438 square miles (9,161,923 km²) and water makes up 181,273 square miles (469,495 km²).

The United States' landscape is one of the most varied among those of the world's nations: among its many features are temperate forestland and rolling hills, on the east coast; [[mangrove]], in [[Florida]]; the [[Great Plains]], in the center of the country; the [[Mississippi River|Mississippi]]–[[Missouri River|Missouri]] river system; the [[Great Lakes]], four of the five of which are shared with Canada; the [[Rocky Mountains]], west of the Great Plains; deserts and temperate coastal zones, west of the Rocky Mountains; and [[temperate rain forest]]s, in the Pacific northwest.  [[Alaska]]'s [[tundra]], and the [[volcano|volcanic]], [[tropical]] islands of [[Hawaii]] add to the geographic diversity.
[[Image:Grand_Canyon_from_Moran_Point.jpeg|thumb|left|361px|The dramatic landscape of the American West: Grand Canyon from Moran Point]]
The climate varies along with the landscape, from tropical in [[Hawaii]] and southern [[Florida]] to [[tundra]] in [[Alaska]] and atop some of the highest mountains. Most of the North and East experience a temperate continental climate, with warm summers and cold winters. Most of the South experiences a subtropical humid climate with mild winters and long, hot, humid summers. Rainfall decreases markedly from the humid forests of the Eastern Great Plains to the semi-arid shortgrass prairies on the high plains abutting the [[Rocky Mountains]]. Arid [[desert]]s, including the [[Mojave desert|Mojave]], extend through the lowlands and valleys of the southwest, from westernmost Texas to California and northward throughout much of [[Nevada]]. Some parts of [[California]] have a [[Mediterranean climate]]. Rainforests line the windward mountains of the Pacific Northwest from [[Oregon]] to [[Alaska]].

==History==
{{main|History of the United States|Military history of the United States|Timeline of United States history|List of U.S. military history events}}
American history started with the [[migration]] of people from [[Asia]] across the [[Bering land bridge]] approximately 12,000 years ago following large animals that they hunted into the Americas. These [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] left evidence of their presence in [[petroglyph]]s, [[burial mound]]s, and other [[artifact]]s. It is estimated that 2-9 million people lived in the territory now occupied by the U.S. before European contact, and the subsequent introduction of foreign diseases such as [[small pox]] that greatly diminished the native populations. Some advanced societies were the [[Anasazi]] of the southwest, who inhabited [[Chaco Canyon]], and the Woodland Indians, who built [[Cahokia]], located near present-day St Louis, a city with a population of 40,000 at its peak in AD 1200. 

[[Viking]]s first visited North America around 1000, but did not settle permanently. Following the discovery voyages of [[Christopher Columbus]] around 1492, other Europeans began to explore and settle there.

During the 1500s and 1600s, the Spanish settled parts of the present-day [[Southwestern United States|Southwest]] and [[Florida]], founding [[St. Augustine, Florida|St. Augustine]], Florida in 1565 and [[Santa Fe]] (in what is now New Mexico) in 1607. The first successful English settlement was at [[Jamestown, Virginia]], also in 1607. Within the next two decades, several Dutch settlements, including [[New Amsterdam]] (the predecessor to [[New York City]]), were established in what are now the states of [[New York]] and [[New Jersey]]. In 1637, [[Swedish colonization of the Americas|Sweden established a colony]] at [[Fort Christina]] (in what is now Delaware), but lost the settlement to the Dutch in 1655.

This was followed by extensive British settlement of the east coast. The British colonists remained relatively undisturbed by their home country until after the [[French and Indian War]], when France ceded [[Canada]] and the [[Great Lakes]] region to Britain. Britain then imposed taxes on the 13 colonies, widely regarded by the colonists as unfair because they were denied representation in the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|British Parliament]]. Tensions between Britain and the colonists increased, and the thirteen colonies eventually rebelled against British rule.

[[Image:George-Washington.jpg|thumb|150px|right|First [[President of the United States]] under the [[United States Constitution|Constitution]], [[George Washington|George Washington (1789-1797)]].]]
In 1776, the 13 colonies split from Great Britain and formed the United States, the world's first constitutional and democratic [[federal republic]], after their [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]] of that year, and the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] (1775 to 1783). The original political structure was a [[confederation]] in 1777, ratified in 1781 as the [[Articles of Confederation]]. After long [[Federalist papers|debate]], this was supplanted by the [[United States Constitution|Constitution]] in 1789, forming a more centralized [[federalism|federal]] government. Prior to all these was the [[Albany Congress]] in 1754, in which a union was first seriously proposed.

From early colonial times, there was a shortage of labor, which encouraged [[unfree labor]], particularly [[indentured servitude]] and [[slavery]]. In the mid-19th century, a major division occurred in the United States over the issue of [[states' rights]] and the expansion of slavery. The northern states had become opposed to slavery, while the southern states saw it as necessary for the continued success of southern [[agriculture]] and wanted it expanded to the territories. Several federal laws were passed in an attempt to settle the dispute, including the [[Missouri Compromise]] and the [[Compromise of 1850]]. The dispute reached a crisis in 1861, when seven southern states seceded[[Confederate States of America#International Diplomacy and Legal Status|<small><sup>1</sup></small>]] from the Union and formed the [[Confederate States of America]], leading to the [[American Civil War|Civil War]]. Soon after the war began, four more southern states seceded. During the war, [[Abraham Lincoln]] issued the [[Emancipation Proclamation]], mandating the freedom of all slaves in states in rebellion, though full emancipation did not take place until after the end of the war in 1865, the dissolution of the Confederacy, and the [[Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Thirteenth Amendment]] took effect. The Civil War effectively ended the question of a state's right to secede, and is widely accepted as a major turning point after which the federal government became more powerful than state governments.

[[Image:Westward the Course of Empire.jpg|right|thumb|300px|American westward expansion is idealized in [[Emanuel Leutze]]'s famous painting ''Westward the Course of Empire Takes its Way'' ([[1861]]). The title of the painting, from a 1726 poem by [[George Berkeley|Bishop Berkeley]], was a phrase often quoted in the era of [[Manifest Destiny]], expressing a widely held belief that civilization had steadily moved westward throughout history. [http://americanart.si.edu/t2go/1lw/1931.6.1.html (more)] ]]

During the 19th century, many new [[U.S. state|state]]s were added to the original 13 as the nation expanded across the continent. [[Manifest Destiny]] was a philosophy that encouraged westward expansion in the United States. As the population of the Eastern states grew and as a steady increase of immigrants entered the country, settlers moved steadily westward across North America. In the process, the U.S. displaced most American Indian nations. This displacement of American Indians continues to be a matter of contention in the U.S. with many tribes attempting to assert their original claims to various lands. In some areas American Indian populations were reduced by foreign diseases contracted through contact with European settlers, and US settlers acquired those emptied lands. In other instances American Indians were removed from their traditional lands by force. Though some would say the U.S. was not a colonial power until the [[Spanish-American War]] when it acquired [[Puerto Rico]], [[Guam]] and the [[Philippines]], the dominion exercised over land in North America the United States claimed is essentially colonial. The Philippines became independent in 1946.

{{see2|United States territorial acquisitions|U.S. colonization outside North America}}

During this period, the nation also became an [[industrialisation|industrial power]]. This continued into the 20th century, which has been termed "the [[American Century]]" because of the nation's overriding influence on the world. The US became a center for innovation and technological development; major technologies that America either developed or was greatly involved in improving include the [[telephone]], [[television]], [[computer]], the [[Internet]], [[nuclear weapon]]s, [[nuclear power]], [[air travel|aviation]], and [[space travel|aeronautics]].

In addition to the Civil War, another major traumatic experience for the nation was the [[Great Depression]] (1929 to 1939). The nation has also taken part in several major foreign wars, including [[World War I]] and [[World War II]] (in both of which the US later joined the [[Allies]]). During the [[Cold War]], the US was a major player in the [[Korean War]] and [[Vietnam War]], and, along with the [[Soviet Union]], was considered one of the world's two "[[superpower]]s". With the [[collapse of the Soviet Union]], the US emerged as the world's leading economic and military power. Beginning in the 1990s, the United States became very involved in [[police action]]s and [[peacekeeping]], including actions in [[Kosovo]], [[Haiti]], [[Somalia]] and [[Liberia]], and the first [[Gulf War|Persian Gulf War]] driving [[Iraq]] out of [[Kuwait]]. After [[September 11, 2001 attacks|attacks]] on the [[World Trade Center]] and [[the Pentagon]] on [[September 11]], [[2001]], the United States and other allied nations declared themselves involved in what has come to be called the "[[War on Terrorism]]," which has included military action in [[U.S. invasion of Afghanistan|Afghanistan]].  The United States is also currently at war in [[Iraq War|Iraq]].

==Government==
{{main|Federal government of the United States|Politics of the United States|Law of the United States}}

[[Image:Constitution.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The [[Constitution of the United States|Constitution]] is the supreme [[law]] of the United States.]]

===Republic and suffrage===
The United States is an example of a [[constitution]]al [[republic]], with a government composed of and operating through a set of limited powers imposed by its design and enumerated in the [[United States Constitution]]. Specifically, the nation operates as a [[presidential democracy]]. There are three levels of government: federal, state, and local. Officials of each of these levels are either elected by eligible voters via [[Secret ballot|secret ballot]] or appointed by other elected officials.  Almost all electoral offices are decided in "[[first-past-the-post]]" elections, where a specific candidate who earns at least a [[plurality]] of the vote is elected to office, rather than a party being elected to a seat to which it may appoint an official. Americans enjoy almost [[universal suffrage]] from the age of 18 regardless of race, sex, or wealth. There are some limits, however: [[felony disenfranchisement|felons]] are disenfranchised and in some states former felons are likewise.  Furthermore, the national representation of territories and the federal district of [[Washington, D.C.|Washington, DC]] in [[United States Congress|Congress]] is [[District_of_Columbia_voting_rights|limited]]: residents of the District of Columbia are subject to federal laws and federal taxes but their only Congressional representative is a [[Delegate (United States Congress)|non-voting delegate]].

===Federal government===
The [[federal government of the United States|federal government]] is comprised of the [[legislature|Legislative]] Branch (led by [[Congress of the United States|Congress]]), the [[Executive (government)|Executive]] Branch (led by the [[President of the United States|President]]), and the [[Judiciary|Judicial]] Branch (led by the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]]). These three branches were designed to apply [[checks and balances]] on each other. The Constitution limits the powers of the federal government to defense, foreign affairs, the issuing and management of currency, the management of trade and relations between the states, and the protection of [[human rights]]. In addition to these explicitly stated powers, the federal government—with the assistance of the Supreme Court—has gradually extended these powers into such areas as [[welfare]] and education, on the basis of the "[[Necessary-and-proper clause|necessary and proper]]" clause of the Constitution. 

====Legislative Branch====
[[Image:Uscongress.gif|right|100px]]
The [[Congress of the United States]] is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is [[bicameralism|bicameral]], comprising the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] and the [[United States Senate|Senate]]. The House of Representatives consists of 435 members, each of whom represents a [[congressional district]] and serves for a two-year term. House seats are [[United States Congressional apportionment|apportioned]] among the [[U.S. state|states]] by [[population]]; in contrast, each state has two Senators, regardless of population. There are a total of 100 senators, who serve six-year terms.  The powers of Congress are limited to those enumerated in the Constitution; all other powers are reserved to the states and the [[We the people|people]]. The Constitution also includes the [[necessary-and-proper clause]], which grants Congress the power to "make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers."

====Executive Branch====
[[Image:USPresidentialSeal.jpg|right|100px]]
At the top level of the executive branch is the [[President of the United States]]. The President and [[Vice President of the United States|Vice-President]] are elected as 'running mates' for four-year terms by the [[U.S. Electoral College|Electoral College]], for which each state, as well as the [[District of Columbia]], is allocated a number of seats based on its representation (or ostensible representation, in the case of D. C.) in both houses of Congress (see [[U.S. Electoral College]]). The relationship between the President and the Congress reflects that between the English monarchy and parliament at the time of the framing of the [[United States Constitution]]. [[US Congress|Congress]] can legislate to constrain the President's executive power, even with respect to his or her command of the armed forces; however, this power is used only very rarely—a notable example was the constraint placed on President [[Richard Nixon]]'s strategy of bombing [[Cambodia]] during the [[Vietnam War]]. The President cannot directly propose legislation, and must rely on supporters in Congress to promote his or her legislative agenda. The President's signature is required to turn congressional bills into law; in this respect, the President has the power—only occasionally used—to veto congressional legislation. Congress can override a presidential veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both houses. The ultimate power of Congress over the President is that of [[impeachment]] or removal of the elected President through a House vote, a Senate trial, and a Senate vote. The threat of using this power has had major political ramifications in the cases of Presidents [[Andrew Johnson]], [[Richard Nixon]], and [[Bill Clinton]].

The President makes around 2,000 executive appointments, including members of the [[United States Cabinet|Cabinet]] and ambassadors, which must be approved by the Senate; the President can also issue [[executive order]]s and [[pardon]]s, and has other Constitutional duties, among them the requirement to give a [[State of the Union]] address to Congress once a year. Although the President's constitutional role may appear to be constrained, in practice, the office carries enormous prestige that typically eclipses the power of Congress: the Presidency has justifiably been referred to as 'the most powerful office in the world'. The [[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]] is first in the [[United States presidential line of succession|line of succession]], and is the [[President of the Senate]] ''ex officio'', with the ability to cast a tie-breaking vote. The members of the President's [[United States Cabinet|Cabinet]] are responsible for administering the various departments of state, including the [[United States Department of Defense|Department of Defense]], the [[United States Department of Justice|Justice Department]], and the [[United States Department of State|State Department]]. These departments and department heads have considerable regulatory and political power, and it is they who are responsible for executing federal laws and regulations.  [[George W. Bush]] is the 43rd President, currently serving his second term.

====Judicial Branch====
[[Image:Seal of the United States Supreme Court.png|right|100px]]

The highest court is the [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]], which consists of nine justices. The court deals with federal and constitutional matters, and can declare legislation made at any level of the government as [[Judicial review|unconstitutional]], nullifying the law and creating [[precedent]] for future law and decisions. Below the Supreme Court are the [[United States courts of appeals|courts of appeals]], and below them in turn are the [[United States district court|district courts]], which are the general trial courts for federal law.
Separate from, but not entirely independent of, this federal court system are the individual court systems of each state, each dealing with its own laws and having its own judicial rules and procedures.  A case may be appealed from a state court to a federal court only if there is a [[Federal question jurisdiction|federal question]]; the [[State supreme court|supreme court of each state]] is the final authority on the interpretation of that state's laws and constitution.

===State and local governments===
[[Image:Map of USA with county outlines.png|thumb|250px|United States|United States of America, showing [[U.S. state|state]]s, divided into [[Counties of the United States|counties]]. Note that Alaska and Hawaii are shown at different scales, and that the [[Aleutian Islands]] and the [[uninhabited island|uninhabited]] [[Northwestern Hawaiian Islands]] are omitted from this map.]] 
The state governments have the greatest influence over people's daily lives. Each state has its own written constitution and has different laws. There are sometimes great differences in law and procedure between the different states, concerning issues such as property, crime, health, and education. The highest elected official of each state is the Governor. Each state also has an elected legislature ([[Bicameralism|bicameral]] in every state except [[Nebraska]]), whose members represent the different parts of the state. Of note is the [[New Hampshire]] legislature, which is the third-largest legislative body in the English-speaking world, and has one representative for every 3,000 people. Each state maintains its own judiciary, with the lowest level typically being county courts, and culminating in each [[state supreme court]], though sometimes named differently. In some states, supreme and lower court justices are elected by the people; in others, they are appointed, as they are in the federal system.

The institutions that are responsible for local government are typically town, city, or county boards, making laws that affect their particular area. These laws concern issues such as traffic, the sale of alcohol, and keeping animals. The highest elected official of a town or city is usually the [[mayor]]. In [[New England]], towns operate [[direct democracy|directly democratically]], and in some states, such as Rhode Island and Connecticut, [[Counties of the United States|counties]] have little or no power, existing only as geographic distinctions. In other areas, county governments have more power, such as to collect taxes and maintain [[law enforcement]] agencies.

===Political divisions===
{{main|Political divisions of the United States}}
With the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]], the [[thirteen colonies]] proclaimed themselves to be [[nation states]] modeled after the European states of the time. Although considered as sovereigns initially, under the [[Articles of Confederation]] of 1781 they entered into a "Perpetual Union" and created a fully sovereign federal state, delegating certain powers to the national Congress, including the right to engage in diplomatic relations and to levy war, while each retaining their individual sovereignty, freedom and independence. But the national government proved too ineffective, so the administrative structure of the government was vastly reorganized with the United States Constitution of 1789. Under this new union, the continued status of the individual states as sovereign [[nation states]] fell into dispute in 1861, as several states attempted to secede from the union; in response, then-President Abraham Lincoln claimed that such secession was illegal, and the result was the [[American Civil War]]. Since the Union victory in 1865, the independent status of the individual states has not been broached again by any state, and the status of each state within the union has been deemed by mainstream officials and academics to be settled as being subordinate to the union as a whole.

In subsequent years, the number of states grew steadily due to western expansion, the purchase of lands by the national government from other nation states, and the subdivision of existing states, resulting in the current total of 50. The states are generally divided into smaller administrative regions, including [[Counties of the United States|counties]], [[List of cities of the United States|cities]] and [[township (United States)|township]]s.

The United States&ndash;Canadian border is the longest undefended political boundary in the world. The U.S. is divided into three distinct sections:

* the "[[continental United States]]," also known as "the Lower 48" and more accurately termed the conterminous, coterminous or contiguous United States
* [[Alaska]], which is physically connected only to [[Canada]]
* the [[archipelago]] of Hawaii, in the central [[Pacific Ocean]].

The United States also holds several other territories, districts, and possessions, notably the [[federal district]] of the [[District of Columbia]], which is the nation's capital, and several overseas [[insular area]]s, the most significant of which are [[American Samoa]], [[Guam]], the [[Northern Mariana Islands]], [[Puerto Rico]],  and the [[United States Virgin Islands]]. The [[Palmyra Atoll]] is the United States' only [[incorporated territory]]; it is [[Unorganized territory|unorganized]] and uninhabited.

The [[United States Navy]] has held a base at a portion of [[Guantanamo Bay]], [[Cuba]], since [[1898]].  The United States government possesses a lease to this land, which only mutual agreement or United States abandonment of the area can terminate.  The present Cuban government of [[Fidel Castro]] disputes this arrangement, claiming Cuba was not truly [[sovereignty|sovereign]] at the time of the signing.  The United States argues this point moot because Cuba apparently ratified the lease post-revolution, and with full sovereignty, when it cashed one rent check in accordance with the disputed treaty.

====[[Political divisions of the United States|Political divisions]] of the United States====
{{United States 2}}

===Foreign relations and military===
[[Image:Statue-of-liberty_tysto.jpg|70px|left|thumb|The [[Statue of Liberty]]]]
{{main|Foreign relations of the United States|Military of the United States}}

The immense military and economic strength of the United States has made its foreign relations an especially important topic in international politics.  Although notable for their indifference toward foriegn opinions,  Americans have begun to show increasing concern over the United States's reputation throughout the world.  Reactions towards United States foreign policy by other nationalities are often strong, ranging from admiration to fierce criticism.  Many Americans also criticize United States foreign policy.

The United States presently occupies 702 military bases worldwide in 132 different countries.  The United States is currently involved in a [[Iraq War|War in Iraq]], a [[U.S. Invasion of Afghanistan|War]] in Afghanistan, and a controversial [[2004 Haiti Rebellion|intervention in Haiti]].  They have also embarked upon a [[War on Terrorism]].

Three of the nation's four military branches are administered by the [[Department of Defense]]: the [[United States Army|Army]], the [[United States Navy|Navy]] (including the [[United States Marine Corps|Marine Corps]]), and the [[United States Air Force|Air Force]]. The [[United States Coast Guard|Coast Guard]] falls under the jurisdiction of the [[Department of Homeland Security]] in [[Peace|peacetime]], but is placed under the [[Department of the Navy]] in time of [[war]].

The combined United States armed forces consist of 1.4 million [[active duty]] [[personnel]], along with several hundred thousand each in the [[Reserve component|Reserves]] and the [[United States National Guard|National Guard]]. Military [[conscription]] ended in 1973. The United States [[Armed forces]] are considered to be the most powerful [[military]] (of any sort) on [[Earth]] and their [[Power projection|force projection]] capabilities are unrivaled by any other [[nation]].

The 2005 defense budget amounted to $401.7 billion, which is an increase of 4% over 2004 and of 35% since 2001. Over 50% of that number is spent in research & development.

For comparison, the USA is estimated to spend more on its military than the [[List of countries by size of Armed Forces|next twelve largest national military expenditures combined]].

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<!-- Some information on the evolution of the military? Characteristics of US military strategy, e.g., heavy reliance on air power? -->

==Largest cities==
{{seemain|List of cities in the United States}}
{|align=right
|[[image:Panorama_clip3.jpg|thumb|right|245px|New York City, New York]]
|-
|[[Image:DowntownLosAngeles.jpg|thumb|right|245px|Los Angeles, California]]
|-
|[[Image:Chicagoskyline2005.jpg|245px|thumb|right|Chicago, Illinois]]
|-
|}
The United States has dozens of major cities, including 11 of the 55 [[global cities]] of all types &mdash; with three "alpha" global cities: [[New York City]], [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]], and [[Chicago, Illinois|Chicago]]. 
The figures expressed below are for populations within city limits. A different ranking is evident when considering [[List_of_United_States_metropolitan_statistical_areas_by_population|U.S. metro area populations]], although the top three would be unchanged.
Note that some cities not listed (such as [[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta]], [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]], [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]], [[Miami, Florida|Miami]], [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]], [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans]], [[Seattle, Washington|Seattle]], and [[Washington, D.C.|Washington, D.C.]]) are still considered important on the basis of other factors and issues, including culture, economics, heritage, and politics.
The twenty largest cities, based on the [[United States Census Bureau]]'s 2004 estimates, are as follows:
  
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right; margin-left:60px" 
|- 
! # !! align=center |City !! Population !! Region
|-
| 1. ||align=left | [[New York City|New York City, New York]] || 8,104,079 || [[Northeastern United States|Northeast]]
|-       
| 2. ||align=left | [[Los Angeles, California]] || 3,845,541 || [[Pacific States|Pacific]]-[[Western United States|West]]
|-
| 3. ||align=left | [[Chicago, Illinois]] || 2,862,244 || [[Great Lakes]]
|-
| 4. ||align=left | [[Houston, Texas]] || 2,012,626 || [[South Central United States|South-Central]]
|-
| 5. ||align=left | [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]] || 1,470,151 || [[Northeastern United States|Northeast]]
|-
| 6. ||align=left | [[Phoenix, Arizona]] || 1,418,041 || [[Southwestern United States|Southwest]]
|-
| 7. ||align=left | [[San Diego, California]] || 1,263,756 || [[Pacific States|Pacific]]-[[Western United States|West]]
|-
| 8. ||align=left | [[San Antonio, Texas]] || 1,236,249 || [[South Central United States|South-Central]]
|-
| 9. ||align=left | [[Dallas, Texas]] || 1,210,393 || [[South Central United States|South-Central]]
|-
|10. ||align=left | [[San Jose, California|San Jos&#233;, California]] || 904,522 || [[Pacific States|Pacific]]-[[Western United States|West]]
|-
|11. ||align=left | [[Detroit, Michigan]] || 900,198 || [[Great Lakes]]
|-
|12. ||align=left | [[Indianapolis, Indiana]] || 784,242 || [[Midwest]]
|-
|13. ||align=left | [[Jacksonville, Florida]] || 777,704 || [[Southeastern United States|Southeast]]
|-
|14. ||align=left | [[San Francisco, California]] || 744,230 || [[Pacific States|Pacific]]-[[Western United States|West]]
|-
|15. ||align=left | [[Columbus, Ohio]] || 730,008 || [[Midwest]]
|-
|16. ||align=left | [[Austin, Texas]] || 681,804 || [[South Central United States|South-Central]]
|-
|17. ||align=left | [[Memphis, Tennessee]] || 671,929 || [[Southern United States|South]]
|-
|18. ||align=left | [[Baltimore, Maryland]] || 636,251 || [[Mid-Atlantic States|Mid-Atlantic]]
|-
|19. ||align=left | [[Fort Worth, Texas]] || 603,337 || [[South Central United States|South-Central]]
|-
|20. ||align=left |  [[Charlotte, North Carolina]] || 594,359 || [[South Atlantic States|South-Atlantic]]
|}
<br clear=left>

==Economy==
{{main|Economy of the United States}}
The United States has the largest single-country economy in the world, with a [[per capita|per-capita]] [[gross domestic product]] of $40,100.  In this market-oriented economy, private individuals and business firms make most of the decisions, and the federal and state governments buy needed goods and services predominantly in the private marketplace.
[[Image:US_%241_obverse.jpg|left|thumb|220px|The [[United States dollar|U.S. dollar]] is the national currency.]]
The largest industry of the U.S. is now [[Tertiary sector of industry|service]], which employs roughly three quarters of the U.S. work force.  The United States has many [[natural resources]], including oil and gas, metals, and such minerals as [[gold]], [[soda ash]], and [[zinc]].  In [[agriculture]], the U.S. is a top producer of, among other crops, [[maize|corn]], [[soy beans]], and [[wheat]]; the United States is a net exporter of food.  The U.S. [[manufacturing]] sector produces [[Good (economics)|goods]] such as, [[automobile|cars]], [[airplanes]], [[steel]], and [[electronics]], among many others.

Economic activity varies greatly from one part of the country to another, with many industries being largely dependent on a certain city or region; [[New York City]] is the center of the American [[finance|financial]], [[publishing]], [[broadcasting]], and [[advertising]] industries; [[Silicon Valley]] is the country&#8217;s primary location for [[high technology|high-technology]] companies, while [[Los Angeles]] is the most important center for [[film]] production.  The [[Midwest]] is known for its reliance on manufacturing and heavy industry, with [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]], serving as the center of the American [[automotive industry]]; the [[Great Plains]] are known as the "breadbasket" of America for their tremendous agricultural output; the intermountain region serves as a mining hub and natural gas resource; the Pacific Northwest for fish and timber, while [[Texas]] is largely associated with the [[oil]] industry; the [[Southeast]] is a major hub for both [[medical research]] and the [[textiles]] industry.

Several countries continue to link their [[currency]] to the [[United States dollar|dollar]] or even use it as a currency (such as [[Ecuador]]), although this practice has subsided since the collapse of the [[Bretton Woods system]].  Many markets are also quoted in dollars, such as those of oil and gold.  The dollar is also the predominant reserve currency in the world, and more than half of global reserves are in dollars.

The largest trading partner of the United States is [[Canada]] (19%), followed by [[People's Republic of China|China]] (12%), [[Mexico]] (11%), and [[Japan]] (8%).  More than 50% of total trade is with these four countries.

In 2003, the United States was [[World Tourism Rankings|ranked]] as the third most visited [[Tourism|tourist]] destination in the world; its 40,400,000 visitors ranked behind [[France]]'s 75,000,000 and [[Spain]]'s 52,500,000.

Labor unions have existed since the 19th century, and grew large and powerful from the 1930s to the 1950s. See [[Labor history of the United States]].  Since 1970 they have shrunk in the private sector and now cover fewer than 8% of the workers.  However union membership has grown rapidly in the public sector, especially among teachers, nurses, police, postal workers, and municipal clerks. There have been few strikes in recent years.

The United States' imports exceed exports by 80%, leading to an annual trade deficit of $700,000,000,000, or 6% of gross domestic product.  It is the largest debtor nation in the world, with total gross foreign debt of over $13,000,000,000,000 ([[2005]] estimate); and it absorbs more than 50% of global savings annually.

Since the [[1980s]], the U.S. has increased the use of [[neoliberal]] economic policies that reduce [[government intervention]] and reduce the size of the [[welfare state]], backing away from the more interventionist [[Keynsian]] economic policies that had been in favor since the [[Great Depression]].  As a result, the United States provides fewer government-delivered [[social welfare]] services than most industrialized nations, choosing instead to keep its tax burden lower and relying more heavily on the [[free market]] and private [[Charitable_trust|charities]].

Sixteen states and the District of Columbia have minimum wages higher than the national level ($5.15 per-hour), including the highest, Washington State at $7.35. Twenty-six states are the same as the federal level; two--Ohio and Kansas--are below; and six do not have state laws. 

America's wealth is relatively highly concentrated. The average [[CEO|C.E.O.]] earns 500 times the typical amount a worker grosses, this is up from 25 times in the late 1970s. In terms of wealth the top 1% of Americans own 40% of all assets and 50.1% of the country's income goes to the top twenty percent of households. Average wages for the majority of employees have been largely stagnating since the 1970s. 

America's [[Poverty in the United States|poverty]] [[Poverty line in the United States|line]], defined for a family of four as an income of less than $19,157, is at 12.7% of the general population. Approximately one out of every five children in the United States grows up below the official poverty line. Among racial groups; African Americans have the lowest median income while Asians had the highest. Regionally, the southern states had the lowest median incomes while the West Coast and New England had the highest. The current Federal Reserve Chairman [[Alan Greenspan]] remarked that the U.S.’s growing income inequality since the 1970s is, "not the type of thing which a democratic society - a capitalist democratic society - can really accept without addressing."[http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0614/p01s03-usec.html?s=itm] However, Greenspan also noted, "...you can look at the system and say it's got a lot of problems to it, and sure it does. It always has.  But you can't get around the fact that this is the most extraordinarily successful economy in history."

{{seealso|List of United States companies}}

==Transportation==
[[Image:La city hwys.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Stack [[interchange]] in [[Los Angeles]] ]]
{{clearright}}
{| align="right"
|-
|[[Image:Interstate95.png|100px]]&nbsp;[[Image:US66.svg|100px|US 66]]
|}
{{main|Transportation in the United States}}

Because the United States is a relatively young nation, much of the development of U.S. cities has taken place since the invention of the [[automobile]].  To link its vast territory, the United States built a network of high-capacity, high-speed [[highway]]s, of which the most important element is the [[Interstate Highway]] system.  
These highways were commissioned in the [[1950s]] by President [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] and modeled after the [[Germany|German]] [[Autobahn]].  There is also a [[First Transcontinental Railroad|transcontinental rail system]], which is used for moving freight across the lower forty-eight states.  Passenger rail service is provided by [[Amtrak]], which serves forty-six of the lower forty-eight states.

Many cities have extensive [[mass transit|mass-transit]] systems. The largest of them, [[New York City]] operates one of the world's most heavily used [[subway]] systems.  The [[regional rail]] and bus networks that extend into [[Long Island]], [[New Jersey]], [[Upstate New York]], and [[Connecticut]] are among the most heavily used in the world.

[[Air travel]] is the preferred means of travel for long distances.  In terms of passengers, seventeen of the world's thirty busiest [[airports]] in [[2004]] were in the U.S., including the world's busiest, [[Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport]]. In terms of cargo, in the same year, twelve of the world's thirty busiest airports were in the U.S., including the world's busiest, [[Memphis International Airport]].  There are several major [[seaport|seaports]] in the United States; the three busiest are the [[Port of Los Angeles]], [[California]]; the [[Port of Long Beach]], [[California]]; and the [[Port_Authority_of_New_York_and_New_Jersey|Port of New York and New Jersey]].  Others include [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], [[Texas]]; [[Charleston, South Carolina|Charleston]], [[South Carolina]]; [[Savannah, Georgia|Savannah]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]; [[Miami, Florida|Miami]], [[Florida]]; [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]], [[Oregon]]; [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]], [[California]]; [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]], [[Massachusetts]]; [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]]; and [[Seattle, Washington|Seattle]], [[Washington]]; plus, outside the contiguous forty-eight states, [[Anchorage, Alaska|Anchorage]], [[Alaska]], and [[Honolulu, Hawaii|Honolulu]], [[Hawaii]].
<br style="clear:both;" />

==Society==

===Demographics===
<!--[[Image:USA 2000 population density.png|thumb|Population density by county]]]]-->[[Image:2k_night.jpg|thumb|2000 Population Distribution Map]]
{{main|Demographics of the United States}}

The [[mean center of U.S. population|mean center of the U.S. population]] continues to drift farther west and south. The fastest growing region is the western United States followed by the southern portion. According to [[Census 2000]], the states that saw the greatest increases from 1990 were: Nevada (66.3%), Arizona (40%), Colorado (30.6%), Utah (29.6%), Idaho (28.5%), Georgia (26.4%), Florida (23.5%), Texas (22.8%), North Carolina (21.4%), and Washington (21.1%). [http://www.census.gov/population/cen2000/phc-t2/tab03.pdf]

Major demographic trends include the mass immigration of Hispanics from [[Latin America]] into the American [[Southwest]]; home to 21,207,659 of the country's 35,305,818 Latinos (their numbers increased 57.9% nationally in the 1990s). The [[West Coast]] has been the residence of choice for immigrating Asians, particularly from [[China]].  The West Coast is now home to approximately 5,000,000 of the nation's 10,000,000 citizens with Asian ancestry (illustrating a rise of 52.4% during the 1990s). 

====Ethnicity and race====

:''Main article: [[Racial demographics of the United States]]''

The United States is a very racially [[diversity|diverse]] country. According to the 2000 census, it has 31 ethnic groups with at least one million members each, and numerous others represented in smaller amounts.

The majority of Americans descend from [[white]] [[Europe|European]] immigrants who arrived at the establishment of the first colonies (most after [[Reconstruction]]). This majority--69.1% in 2000--decreases each year, and is expected to become a [[plurality]] within a few decades. The most frequently stated European ancestries are [[German peoples|German]] (15.2%), [[Irish people|Irish]] (10.8%), [[English people|English]] (8.7%), [[Italian people|Italian]] (5.6%) and [[Scandinavian]] (3.7%). Many immigrants also hail from [[Slavs|Slavic]] countries such as [[Poland]] and [[Russia]]. Other significant immigrant populations came from eastern and southern Europe and French Canada.

[[Image:Census-2000-Data-Top-US-Ancestries.jpg|right|thumb|Top ancestries in 2000.]]
[[Hispanics in the United States|Hispanics]] from [[Mexico]] and [[South America|South]] and [[Central America]] are the largest minority group in the country, comprising 12.5% of the population (2000 census). People of Mexican descent made up 7.3% of the population in the 2000 census, and this proportion is expected to increase significantly in the coming decades.

About 12.3% (2000 census) of the American people are [[African American]]s ([[Blacks]]). [[African Americans]] are spread throughout the country, but their presence is largest in the [[Southern United States|South]]. 

[[Asian Americans]]--including [[Native Hawaiians]] and [[Pacific Islanders]]--are a third significant minority (3.7% of the population in 2000). Most Asian Americans are concentrated on the [[West Coast of the United States|West Coast]] and [[Hawaii]]. The largest groups are immigrants or descendants of emigrants from the [[Philippines]], [[China]], [[India]], [[Vietnam]], [[South Korea]], and [[Japan]].

[[Indigenous peoples in the United States]], such as [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian]]s and [[Inuit]], make up 0.9% of the population (2000 census). About 35% live on [[Indian reservations]].


{{seealso|Immigration to the United States}}

====Religion====
{{main|Religion in the United States|Demographics of the United States#Religious Affiliation}}
Polls estimate that just under 80 percent of Americans are [[Christian]]s of various denominations. The other 20 percent comprises other religions such as [[Hinduism in the United States|Hinduism]], [[Judaism]], [[Islam]], and [[Buddhism in the United States|Buddhism]], other various faiths, and those without a specific religion.

The United States is noteworthy among developed nations for its relatively high level of religiosity. According to a 2004 [[Gallup poll]], about 44% of Americans attend a religious service at least once a week. However, this rate is not uniform across the country; attendance is more common in the [[Bible Belt]]—composed largely of [[Southern U.S.|Southern]] and [[Midwest|Midwestern]] states—than in the [[Northeastern United States|Northeast]] and [[West Coast of the United States|West Coast]]. In the Southern states, Baptists are the largest group, followed by Methodists; Roman Catholics are dominant in the Northeast and in large parts of the Midwest due to their being settled by descendants of Catholic immigrants from Europe (such as Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Poland) or other parts of North America (mainly Quebec and Puerto Rico). The rest of the country for the most part has a complex mixture of various Christian groups.

===Education===
[[Image:RotundaII.jpg|204px|right|thumb|America's 19 [[World Heritage Site|World Heritage Sites]] include [[Thomas Jefferson]]'s home at [[Monticello]] and the [[University of Virginia]] (library building shown above, and designed by Jefferson), the only collegiate campus on the list. Both sites are located in [[Charlottesville, Virginia]].]]
{{main|Education in the United States}}

In the United States, education is a state, not federal, responsibility, and the laws and standards vary considerably.  However, the federal government, through the [[United States Department of Education|Department of Education]], is involved with funding of some programs and exerts some influence through its ability to control funding.  In most states, all students must attend mandatory schooling starting with [[kindergarten]], which children normally enter at age 5, and following through 12th grade, which is normally completed at age 18 (although in some states, students are permitted to drop out upon the age of 16 with the permission of their parents/guardians). Parents may educate their own children at home (with varying degrees of state oversight), send their children to a [[public school]], which is funded with tax money, or to a [[private school]], where parents must pay [[tuition]]. Public schools are highly decentralized with funding and curriculum decisions taking place mostly at the local level through [[school boards]].

After high school, students may choose to continue their schooling at a [[public university|public]]/[[state university]] or a [[private university]]. Public universities receive funding from the federal and state government but students still pay tuition, which can vary depending on the university, state, and whether the student is a resident of the state or not. Tuition at private universities tends to be much higher than at public universities. It is not uncommon for students to join the workforce or the military before attending college; both the military and many private employers may subsidize post-secondary education.

American [[college]]s and universities range from highly competitive schools, both private (such as [[Harvard University]] and [[Princeton University]]) and public (such as the [[University of California, Berkeley]] and the [[University of Virginia]]), to hundreds of high-quality local [[community college]]s with open admission policies. There is also a subgroup of sociology/anthropology popular in American colleges and universities today called ''[[American studies]]''.

{{see|List of colleges and universities in the United States}}

===Language===
{{main|Languages in the United States}}

The United States does not have an [[official language]] at the federal level; nevertheless, [[American English]] is the first and/or only language of the overwhelming majority of the population and serves as the ''[[de facto]]'' official language: [[English language|English]] is the language used for legislation, regulations, executive orders, treaties, federal court rulings, and all other official pronouncements.

Twenty-seven individual states have adopted English as their official language, and three of those—[[Hawaii]], [[Louisiana]], and [[New Mexico]]—have also adopted a second official language ([[Hawaiian language|Hawaiian]], [[French language|French]] and [[Spanish language|Spanish]], respectively). Spanish follows English as the second-most spoken language in the United States, primarily due to the influence of recent [[Latin America]]n immigrants, and it is a primary spoken language in some areas of the [[U.S. Southwestern states|Southwest]]. [[Puerto Rico]]'s first language is Spanish, and while it is a US [[Commonwealth (U.S. insular area)|commonwealth]] and not a state, its citizens have similar rights and their migration has a significant linguistic impact on [[New York State]] and other areas.

The primary signed language is [[American Sign Language]] (ASL).

As of 2004, the United States was the home of approximately 336 languages (spoken or signed), of which 176 are indigenous to U.S. territory.

===Culture===
[[Image:Elvisstamp.jpg|frame|right|[[Elvis Presley]], an American singer and star who had a large impact on music and youth culture in the world.]]
{{main|Culture of the United States}}

U.S. popular culture has a significant influence on the rest of the world, especially the [[Western world]]. [[Music of the United States|U.S. music]] is heard all over the world, and it is the sire of such forms as [[blues]] and [[jazz]] and had a primary hand in the shaping of modern [[rock and roll]] and [[popular music]] culture. Many great [[European classical music|Western classical music]]ians and ensembles find their home in the U.S. [[New York City]] is a hub for international [[opera]]tic and [[instrumental]] music as well as the world-famed [[Broadway]] plays and musicals, [[Seattle, Washington|Seattle]] is a world leader in the [[grunge]] and [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]] music industries, and [[Nashville]] is the capital of [[country music]]. Another export of the last 20 years is [[hip hop music]], which is growing in influence and branching into the fashion, food and drink and movie industries. New York, Seattle, and [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]] are worldwide leaders in [[graphic design]] and New York and [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] compete with major European cities in the fashion industry. 

[[Cinema of the United States|U.S. movies]] (primarily embodied in [[Hollywood, Los Angeles, California|Hollywood]]) and [[Television of the United States|television]] shows can be seen almost anywhere except the most [[totalitarian]] places. This is in stark contrast to the early days of the republic, when the country was viewed by Europeans as an agricultural backwater with little to offer the culturally advanced world centers of Asia and Europe.
[[Image:Motherhood and apple pie.jpg|250px|thumb|left|[[Apple pie]] shown alongside other U.S. cultural icons]]
Nearing the mid-point of its third century of nationhood, the U.S. plays host to the gamut of human intellectual and artistic endeavor in nearly every major city, offering classical and popular music; historical, scientific and art research centers and museums; dance performances, musicals and plays; outdoor art projects and internationally significant architecture. This development is a result of both contributions by private philanthropists and government funding.

American holidays are variously national and local. Many holidays recognize events or people of importance to the nation's history; as such, they represent significant cultural observance. 

{{seealso3|Arts and entertainment in the United States|Media of the United States|Holidays of the United States}}

===Sports===
[[Image:College_Football_CSU_AF.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[American football|Football]] is the most popular [[spectator sport]] in the United States.]]

The [[major league|major]] team [[sport]]s in America are home-grown. [[American football]], [[baseball]] (often called "The National Pastime"), [[auto racing]] (especially [[NASCAR]]), and [[basketball]], are the top four main sports in America. [[Ice hockey]] is also popular in the U.S., especially in Minnesota and the [[Northeastern United States|Northeast]].  [[football (soccer)|Soccer]] does not have a particularly large following in the U.S. (in contrast to its extreme popularity in most other countries), but nevertheless, the U.S. did host the [[Football World Cup|World Cup]] in [[1994]]. Soccer continues to grow in the U.S., and is currently one of the most played sports amongst youth. The majority of the world's highest paid athletes play team sports in America [http://www.forbes.com/2004/06/23/04athletesland.html].

The United States also hosts large followings of traditional European sporting events. [[Horse racing]] is popular in the United States as a gambling event, and the United States hosts several world renowned horse racing events, including the [[Kentucky Derby]]. Also, [[sailboat racing]] frequently attracts national attention, especially during the [[America's Cup]]. Other European sports such as [[polo]] have minor leagues.

[[Image:NASCAR_practice.jpg|thumb|right|250px|NEXTEL Cup drivers practice for the 2004 [[Daytona 500]].]]

The United States hosts some of the premier events in other sports such as [[golf]] (including three of the four [[Major Championships|major championships]]), and [[tennis]] (the [[U.S. Open (tennis)|U.S. Open]]). The most popular form of [[auto racing]] is [[NASCAR]]. [[Formula One]], while dominant in the rest of the world, has only made limited inroads into the U.S. market. The only Formula One event currently in the U.S. is the [[United States Grand Prix]]. However, the visually similar [[Indy 500]] is the nation's most famous racing event, and both the U.S. Grand Prix and the Indy 500 currently take place at the [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway]].

In the 20th century, the United States became the center of the two most popular Western [[combat sport|combat sports]] - [[boxing]] and [[wrestling]]. Boxing is popular as both a [[spectator sport]] and a gambling event. The United States has produced many famous boxers who have become public figures in their own right, such as [[Muhammad Ali]] and [[Mike Tyson]]. Boxing remains a violent but respected sport in the American consciousness. By contrast, the United States has contributed immensely to the popularity of the mostly theatrical [[professional wrestling]]. Professional wrestling is widely popular in America, but is considered mainly a form of scripted entertainment rather than a true sport. Other combat sports based on [[Asia|Asian]] martial arts, such as [[karate]] competitions, maintain large national leagues and hold frequent competitions.

The United States is also credited in creating the three popular board-based recreational sports - [[surfboarding]], [[skateboarding]] and [[snowboarding]]. While first practiced by native [[Hawaiians]], Americans were almost solely responsible for creating surfboarding's worldwide popularity. Skateboarding and snowboarding are completely modern American inventions, and all three have given rise to national competitions and a large dedicated subculture. Snowboarding is the only one of the three to become Olympic event, beginning with the [[Winter Olympics]] in [[1998]].

Eight [[Olympic Games|Olympic Games]] have been hosted in the U.S., more than in any other nation. The United States generally fares very well in the Olympics, especially the [[Summer Olympic Games|Summer Olympics]]: in 2004, the U.S. topped the [[2004 Summer Olympics medal count|medals table]] with a record 103 medals (35 gold, 39 silver and 29 bronze). For details see [[United States at the Olympics]].

During times of extreme popularity teams have been (unofficially) crowned "America's team." The [[New York Yankees]], The [[Chicago Bulls]], and the [[Dallas Cowboys]] are examples of teams that have reached this status.

American [[college sports]] are nearly as popular as professional sports, particularly [[college football]] and [[college basketball]]. American colleges often support wide-ranging sports programs, including [[track and field]] and more eclectic sports such as [[water polo]], as well as the more popular sports such as football and baseball.

==Related topics==
{{main|List of United States-related topics}}

{{US_topics}}

==International rankings==

* [[A.T. Kearney]]/[[Foreign Policy|Foreign Policy Magazine]]: [http://www.atkearney.com/main.taf?p=5,4,1,116 Globalization Index 2005], ranked 4 out of 62 countries
* [[IMD International]]: [http://www01.imd.ch/wcy/ World Competitiveness Yearbook 2005], ranked 1 out of 60 economies (countries and regions)
* [[Reporters without borders]]: [http://www.rsf.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=554 Fourth annual worldwide press freedom index (2005)], ranked 44 (American territory) & 137 (in Iraq) out of 167 countries
* [[Save the Children]]: [http://www.savethechildren.org/mothers/report_2005/ State of the World's Mothers 2005], ranked 11 out of 110 countries
* [[The Wall Street Journal]]: [http://www.heritage.org/research/features/index/ 2005] [[Index of Economic Freedom]], ranked 12 out of 155 countries
* [[The Economist]]: [http://www.economist.com/theworldin/international/displayStory.cfm?story_id=3372495&d=2005 The World in 2005 - Worldwide quality-of-life index, 2005], ranked 13 out of 111 countries
* [[Transparency International]]: [http://www.transparency.org/pressreleases_archive/2004/2004.10.20.cpi.en.html Corruption Perceptions Index 2004], ranked 17 out of 146 countries (tied with Belgium and Ireland)
* [[United Nations Development Programme]]: [http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/2005/ Human Development Index 2005], ranked 10 out of 177 countries
* [[World Economic Forum]]: [http://www.weforum.org/site/homepublic.nsf/Content/Global+Competitiveness+Programme%5CGlobal+Competitiveness+Report Global Competitiveness Report 2004-2005 - Growth Competitiveness Index Ranking], ranked 2 out of 104 countries

==Notes==

# {{anb|America}} ''America'' may describe the United States or the [[Americas]]&mdash;[[North America|North]], [[Central America|Central]], and [[South America]].  The latter usage is more common in [[Latin American]] countries, where the [[Spanish language|Spanish]] and [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] word ''América'' refers to the pair of continents.  ''United States'' is a less ambiguous term and less likely to cause offense.  ''[[Use of the word American|American]]'' as a noun to describe a citizen or national of the United States, and as an adjective meaning "of the United States," has no straightforward unambiguous synonym in [[English language|English]].  Many [[Use of the word American|other words for ''American'']] have been proposed, but none has been widely accepted.

==External links==

{{portal}}
{{sisterlinks|United States}}

===United States government===
*[http://www.whitehouse.gov White House] - Official site of the U.S. President
*[http://www.senate.gov Senate] - Official site of the United States Senate
*[http://www.house.gov House] - Official site of the United States House of Representatives
*[http://www.dmv.org Department of Motor Vehicles] - Links to DMV/motor vehicles information for all of the United States
*[http://www.supremecourtus.gov Supreme Court] - Official site of the Supreme Court of the United States
*[http://www.unitedstates.org United States] - Links to official United States sites
*[http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/us.html CIA World Factbook Entry for United States]
*[http://www.firstgov.gov Official website of the United States government] - Gateway to governmental sites
*[http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/factover/homepage.htm Portrait of the USA] - Published by the United States Information Agency, September 1997.
*[http://nationalatlas.gov/ The National Atlas of the United States.]
*[http://www.theusaonline.com United States]
*[http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/ U.S. Census Housing and Economic Statistics] Updated regularly by U.S. Bureau of the Census.
*[http://www.census.gov/population/www/popclockus.html U.S. Census POPClock Projection of current U.S. population]
*[http://vlib.iue.it/history/USA/ WWW-VL: United States History Index]

===Other===
*[http://www.nationalcenter.org/HistoricalDocuments.html Historical Documents]
*[http://www.teacheroz.com/states.htm Info links for each state]
*[http://www.religioustolerance.org/nat_mott.htm National Motto: History and Constitutionality]
*[http://www.travel-directory.org/Destinations/North_America/United_States/index.html Reference: U.S. specific web resources sorted by state]
*[http://www.mediatico.com/en U.S. Newspapers by State]

===Further reading===
* Johnson, Paul M. ''A History of the American People'', Perennial, 1999. ISBN 0060930349</br> 
* [[Howard Zinn|Zinn, Howard]]. ''[[A People's History of the United States]]'', Perennial, 2003. ISBN 0060528370
{{U.S. regions}}

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[[zh-min-nan:Bí-kok]]
[[be:Злучаныя Штаты Амэрыкі]]
[[bn:যুক্তরাষ্ট্র]]
[[bs:Sjedinjene Američke Države]]
[[br:Stadoù-Unanet Amerika]]
[[ca:Estats Units]]
[[cv:Америкăри Пĕрлешӳллĕ Штатсем]]
[[chr:ᎠᎺᎢ]]
[[cs:Spojené státy americké]]
[[cy:Unol Daleithiau America]]
[[da:USA]]
[[de:USA]]
[[et:Ameerika Ühendriigid]]
[[el:Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες]]
[[es:Estados Unidos]]
[[eo:Usono]]
[[fa:ایالات متحده‌ امریکا]]
[[fr:États-Unis d’Amérique]]
[[fy:Feriene Steaten fan Amearika]]
[[ga:Stáit Aontaithe Mheiriceá]]
[[gd:Na Stàitean Aonaichte]]
[[gl:Estados Unidos de América - United States of America]]
[[ko:미국]]
[[ht:Etazini]]
[[hi:संयुक्त राज्य अमेरिका]]
[[hr:Sjedinjene Američke Države]]
[[io:Usa]]
[[ilo:Estados Unidos iti America]]
[[id:Amerika Serikat]]
[[ia:Statos Unite de America]]
[[iu:ᐊᒥᐊᓕᑲ]]
[[is:Bandaríkin]]
[[it:Stati Uniti d'America]]
[[he:ארצות הברית]]
[[ks:संयुक्त राज्‍य अमेरिका]]
[[kw:Statys Unys]]
[[ku:Dewletên Yekbûyî yên Emerîkayê]]
[[la:Uniti Status Americae]]
[[lv:Amerikas Savienotās Valstis]]
[[lb:Vereenegt Staate vun Amerika]]
[[lt:JAV]]
[[li:Vereinegde State van Amerika]]
[[hu:Amerikai Egyesült Államok]]
[[mt:Stati Uniti]]
[[mr:अमेरिकेची संयुक्त संस्थाने]]
[[ms:Amerika Syarikat]]
[[nah:Altepetl Osehsepanoaseh Amerikak]]
[[nv:Wááshindoon bikéyah ałhidadiidzooígíí]]
[[nl:Verenigde Staten van Amerika]]
[[nds:USA]]
[[ja:アメリカ合衆国]]
[[no:Amerikas forente stater]]
[[nn:USA]]
[[oc:Estats Units]]
[[os:Америкæйы Иугонд Штаттæ]]
[[pl:Stany Zjednoczone]]
[[pt:Estados Unidos da América]]
[[ro:Statele Unite ale Americii]]
[[rm:Stadis Unids da l'America]]
[[ru:Соединённые Штаты Америки]]
[[se:Amerihká ovttastuvvan stáhtat]]
[[sa:संयुक्त राज्‍य अमेरिका]]
[[sco:Unitit States]]
[[sh:Sjedinjene Američke Države]]
[[scn:Stati Uniti]]
[[simple:United States]]
[[sk:Spojené štáty americké]]
[[sl:Združene države Amerike]]
[[sr:Сједињене Америчке Државе]]
[[fi:Yhdysvallat]]
[[sv:USA]]
[[ta:ஐக்கிய அமெரிக்க குடியரசு]]
[[tl:Estados Unidos]]
[[th:สหรัฐอเมริกา]]
[[vi:Hoa Kỳ]]
[[tpi:Yunaitet Stet]]
[[tr:Amerika Birleşik Devletleri]]
[[uk:Сполучені Штати Америки]]
[[ur:امریکہ]]
[[yi:פֿאַראײניקטע שטאַטן פֿון אַמעריקע]]
[[za:Meijgoz]]
[[zh:美国]]
'''