Difference between revisions of "United States"

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''From the [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=United_States&oldid=134233934 Wikipedia. article], accessed May 29, 2007.''
 
  
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The '''United States of America''' is a [[federation|federal]] [[constitutional republic]] made up of 50 [[U.S. state|states]], one [[Capital districts and territories|federal district]], and [[United States territory|several territories]].  Situated largely in the [[western hemisphere]], its forty-eight [[Continental United States|contiguous states]] and the District of Columbia (coextensive with [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]], the [[capital]])<ref>"[http://www.britannica.com/nations/United%20States United States]". ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]''. 2006. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.</ref> lie in central [[North America]] between the [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific]] and [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] Oceans, [[land borders|bounded on land]] by [[Canada]] to the north and [[Mexico]] to the south; [[Alaska]] is in the northwest of the continent with Canada to its east, and [[Hawaii]] is in the mid-Pacific.<ref>"[http://www.bartleby.com/69/54/U00854.html United States]". ''[http://www.bartleby.com/69/ The Columbia Gazetteer of North America]'', 2000. New York: [[Columbia University Press]].</ref>  [[Insular area]]s are scattered throughout the [[Americas]] and Pacific.
 
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At over 3.7 million [[square miles]] (over 9.6 million [[Square kilometer|km²]]) and with more than 300 million people, the United States is the [[List of countries and outlying territories by area|third or fourth]] largest [[country]] by total area, and third largest by land area and [[List of countries by population|population]].<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/17/300.million.over/index.html "US Population Now 300 Million and Growing"]. CNN. [[17 October]] [[2006]]. ''URL accessed [[December 13]], [[2006]].''</ref>  A [[liberal democracy]], the U.S. is one of the world's most ethnically and socially [[diversity|diverse]] nations.<ref name="Dealing with Diversity">{{cite book | last =Adams | first =J.Q. | authorlink = | coauthors =Pearlie Strother-Adams | year =2001 | title =Dealing with Diversity | publisher =Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company | location =Chicago, IL |id = 0-7872-8145-X}}</ref> American society is the product of large-scale [[immigration to the United States|immigration]] and is home to a complex [[Social class in the United States|social structure]]<ref name="Society in Focus">{{cite book | last = Thompson | first = William | authorlink = | coauthors = Joseph Hickey | year = 2005 | title = Society in Focus
 
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| publisher = Pearson | location = Boston, MA | id = 0-205-41365-X}}</ref> as well as a wide array of [[Culture of the United States#Family arrangements|household arrangements]].<ref name="Marriages, Families & Intimate Relationships">{{cite book | last = Williams | first = Brian | authorlink = | coauthors = Stacey C. Sawyer, Carl M. Wahlstrom | year = 2005 | title = Marriages, Families & Intimate Relationships | publisher = Pearson | location = Boston, MA | id = 0-205-36674-0}}</ref>  Its national [[economy]] is the world's largest, with a 2006 [[Gross Domestic Product]] (GDP) of more than $13 trillion.<ref name="International Monetary Fund, GDP of advanced economies, 2006">{{cite web|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2006/02/data/weorept.aspx?sy=2003&ey=2007&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=193%2C158%2C122%2C542%2C124%2C137%2C156%2C138%2C423%2C196%2C128%2C142%2C172%2C182%2C132%2C576%2C134%2C184%2C174%2C144%2C532%2C146%2C176%2C528%2C178%2C112%2C436%2C111%2C136&s=NGDP_R%2CNGDP_RPCH%2CNGDP%2CNGDPD%2CNGDP_D&grp=0&a=&pr1.x=81&pr1.y=10|title=International Monetary Fund, GDP of advanced economies, 2006|accessdate = 2007-01-24}}</ref>
 
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The nation was founded by [[thirteen colonies]] of [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]] who [[Declaration of Independence|declared their independence]] on [[July 4]], [[1776]]. The current [[United States Constitution]] was adopted on [[September 17]], [[1787]] making 27 [[List of amendments to the United States Constitution|amendments]] afterwards. The country greatly [[Territorial acquisitions of the United States|expanded]] throughout the 19th century, acquiring territory from [[France]], [[Mexico]], [[Spain]], and [[Russia]]. The United States became one of two major [[superpower]]s due to its role in [[World War II]] and its development of [[nuclear weapons]]. After the [[collapse of the Soviet Union]], the United States became the world's sole remaining superpower and it continues to exert dominant [[economic]], [[political]], [[cultural]], and [[military]] influence in the [[western world]] and around the globe.<ref>[http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20040701faessay83406/eliot-a-cohen/history-and-the-hyperpower.html History and the Hyperpower by Eliot A. Cohen]. July/August 2004. [[Council on Foreign Relations]]. ''URL accessed [[July 14]] [[2006]].''</ref>
 
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==Etymology==
 
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Common names and abbreviations of the United States of America include the ''United States'', the ''U.S.'', the ''U.S.A.'', ''the States'' (informal), and ''America'' (colloquially).
 
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The earliest known use of the name ''[[America (disambiguation)|America]]'' is attributed to the [[Germany|German]] cartographer [[Martin Waldseemüller]] who, while working in [[Saint-Dié-des-Vosges]] in 1507, created a globe and a large map showing North and South America.<ref>The Waldseemüller map [http://bell.lib.umn.edu/map/WALD/WALL/indexww.html] labeled North America as "terra incognita" ([http://bell.lib.umn.edu/map/WALD/WALL/north.html closeup]) and South America as "America." ([http://bell.lib.umn.edu/map/WALD/WALL/south.html closeup]) The map does not show the continents to be connected. ([http://bell.lib.umn.edu/map/WALD/WALL/lgwall.html closeup])</ref> According to the Library of Congress "Waldseemüller christened the new lands 'America' in recognition of [[Amerigo Vespucci]]’s understanding that a [[New World|new continent]] had been uncovered as a result of the voyages of Columbus and other explorers in the late [[15th century|fifteenth century]]."<ref name="US Library of Congress, Waldseemüller Map">{{cite web|url=http://www.loc.gov/rr/geogmap/waldexh.html|title=US Library of Congress, Waldseemüller Map|accessdate=2007-03-17}}</ref>  The designation ''the States'' is most often used by citizens of the United States when contrasting their country with other countries, especially when those speakers are abroad, as in the sentence "Things are more expensive here than they are back in the States." ''U.S. of A'' is not especially common in the United States itself, but it is heard frequently in other English-speaking countries.
 
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The [[Americas]] were also known as ''[[Historical Columbia|Columbia]],'' after Columbus, prompting the name ''District of Columbia'' for the land set aside as the U.S. capital. ''Columbia'' remained a popular name for the United States until the early 20th century, when it fell into relative disuse; it is still used poetically, and appears in various names and titles.<ref>[http://www.nasa.gov/columbia/home/index.html Space Shuttle Columbia]. [[NASA]]. ''URL accessed [[December 9]], [[2006]].''</ref><ref>[http://www.reelclassics.com/Studios/Columbia/columbia.htm Columbia Pictures]. Reel Classics. ''URL accessed [[December 9]], [[2006]].''</ref> One female [[National personification|personification]] of the country is called ''Columbia''.<ref>[http://memory.loc.gov/cocoon/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.200000004/default.html Columbia the Gem of the Ocean]. Patriotic Melodies (The [[Library of Congress]]). ''URL accessed [[December 9]], [[2006]].''</ref>
 
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The full name of the country was first used officially in the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]], which was the "unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America" adopted by the "Representatives of the united States of America" on [[July 4]], [[1776]]. On [[November 15]], [[1777]], the [[Second Continental Congress]] adopted the [[Articles of Confederation]], the first of which stated "The Stile of this Confederacy shall be 'The United States of America.'" The name was originally proposed by [[Thomas Paine]].
 
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The most common [[adjectival]] and [[demonym]]ic form for the United States is ''[[American (disambiguation)|American]].'' This term is used to designate U.S. citizens who are abroad, and for cultural characteristics ("American language," "American sports") and is rarely (at least not in [[English language|English]]) used to refer to people not connected to the U.S. The word "American" has been especially controversial in Latin America, where [[Spanish language|Spanish]] and [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] speakers refer to themselves as "americanos" and use the adjective "estadounidense" to describe a person from the United States.<ref>[http://buscon.rae.es/draeI/SrvltObtenerHtml?origen=RAE&LEMA=estadounidense&SUPIND=0&CAREXT=10000&NEDIC=No Definition of "Estadounidense"] from the Real Academia Española Spanish language Dictionary "estadounidense, Natural de los Estados Unidos de América"</ref>
 
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==Geography==
 
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{{main|Geography of the United States}}
 
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[[Image:USA topo en.jpg|thumb|[[Topography|Topographic map]] of the [[Continental United States]]]]
 
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<!--This paragraph is prone to erroneous edits.  See source before editing - different metrics yield different rankings.-->
 
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The United States is the world's third largest country by land area after [[Russia]] and the [[People's Republic of China]] and just ahead of [[Canada]].<ref>[http://education.yahoo.com/reference/factbook/countrycompare/area/3d.html;_ylt=As1XMsN8kgSx746VWazy_s7PecYF] [[28 February]] [[2007]]. Yahoo Education chart based upon the CIA World Factbook. ''URL accessed [[28 February]] [[2007]].''</ref>  By total area, including inland bodies of water, it is either the [[List of countries and outlying territories by total area|world's third or fourth largest nation]], depending on whether one counts two territories governed by China but claimed by [[India]].
 
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The [[Continental United States]] are bounded by the North [[Atlantic Ocean]] to the east, the North [[Pacific Ocean]] to the west, [[Mexico]] and the [[Gulf of Mexico]] to the south, and Canada to the north. [[Alaska]], the largest state in area, is bound by Canada to its east, the Pacific Ocean to its south, the [[Arctic Ocean]] to its north, and the [[Bering Strait]] to the west. The state of [[Hawaii]] occupies an [[archipelago]] in the Pacific Ocean, southwest of the [[North America]]n mainland.  Several [[United States territory|territories]], such as [[Puerto Rico]] and [[Guam]], are largely held for their past or present strategic value to the military.  [[Deciduous]] vegetation and [[grassland]]s prevail in the eastern U.S., transitioning to [[prairies]], [[taiga|boreal]] forests, and the [[Rocky Mountains]] in the west, and [[desert]]s in the southwest. In the northeast, the coasts of the [[Great Lakes]] and [[Atlantic seaboard]] host much of the country's population. Barring exceptions such as Guam and the westernmost portions of Alaska, nearly all of the United States lies in the [[Western Hemisphere]].<ref>http://www.archdioceseofanchorage.org/alaska/index.html</ref>
 
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===Terrain===
 
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[[Image:MtHood TrilliumLake.jpg|right|thumb|[[Mount Hood]], a dormant volcano in the [[Pacific Northwest]].]]
 
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The U.S. has an extremely varied geography. The eastern seaboard has a [[coastal plain]] which is widest in the south and narrows in the north. The coastal plain does not exist north of [[New Jersey]], although there are glacial [[outwash]] plains on [[Long Island]], [[Martha's Vineyard]], and [[Nantucket]]. In the extreme southeast, [[Florida]] is home to the ecologically unique [[Everglades]]. Beyond the coastal plain, the rolling hills of the [[Piedmont (United States)|Piedmont]] region end at the [[Appalachian Mountains]], which rise above 6,000&nbsp;[[foot (unit of length)|feet]] (1,830&nbsp;[[meter|m]]) in [[North Carolina]], [[Tennessee]], and [[New Hampshire]]. From the west slope of the Appalachians, the [[Interior Plains]] of the [[Midwestern United States|Midwest]] are relatively flat and are the location of the [[Great Lakes]] as well as the [[Mississippi River|Mississippi]]-[[Missouri River]], the world's [[List of rivers by length|4th longest river system]].<ref>[http://www.visitbemidji.com/index.html Mississippi River]. 2004. Visit Bemidji- First City on the Mississippi. ''URL accessed [[May 3]] [[2006]].''</ref> West of the Mississippi River, the Interior Plains slope uphill and blend into the vast and often featureless [[Great Plains]].
 
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The [[Rocky Mountains]], at the western edge of the Great Plains, extend north to south across the continental U.S., reaching altitudes higher than 14,000 feet (4,270 m) in [[Colorado]].<ref>Peakbagger.com, [http://www.peakbagger.com/list.aspx?lid=21360 Colorado 14,000-foot Peaks], ''URL accessed [[May 3]] [[2006]].''</ref> Rocky Mountains had a higher level of [[volcano|volcanic]] activity at one time, but [[rift]] volcanism has occurred relatively recently in the Rockies'  [[New Mexico]],<ref>Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program, [http://www.volcano.si.edu/world/region.cfm?rnum=1210 New Mexico volcanoes], ''URL accessed [[August 26]] [[2006]].''</ref> and the range's [[supervolcano]] underlying [[Yellowstone National Park]] is possibly the world's largest volcano.  Far to the north, Alaska has numerous mountain ranges, including [[Mount McKinley]], the highest peak in North America. Numerous volcanoes can be found throughout the [[Alexander Archipelago|Alexander]] and [[Aleutian Islands]] extending south and west of the Alaskan mainland.  The [[Hawaiian Islands]] are [[tropical]], volcanic islands spanning 1,500 miles (2,400 km) and consisting of six larger islands and another dozen smaller ones that are inhabited.
 
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===Climate===
 
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[[Image:Verybroadclimatemap.png|thumb|right|Climate zones of the Continental United States.]]
 
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Due to its large size and wide range of geographic features, the United States contains examples of nearly every global climate. The climate is temperate in most areas, tropical in [[Hawaii]] and southern [[Florida]], polar in [[Alaska]], semiarid in the [[Great Plains]] west of the [[100th meridian west|100th meridian]], desert in the Southwest, Mediterranean in coastal [[California]], and arid in the [[Great Basin]]. Extreme weather is not uncommon, as the states bordering the [[Gulf of Mexico]] are prone to [[hurricane]]s and most of the world's [[tornado]]es occur within the Continental United States.<ref name="Science News 1">{{cite web| url = http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20020511/bob9.asp| title = Tornado Alley, USA| accessdate = 2006-09-20| last = Perkins| first = Sid| date = 2002-05-11| work = [[Science News]]| pages = 296-298}}</ref> That said, infrequent [[Drought|severe drought]] in the major agricultural regions, a general lack of widespread flooding, and a mainly [[Temperate|temperate climate]]
 
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that receives adequate precipitation helped make the nation a world leader in [[agriculture]].
 
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===Environment===
 
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[[Image:Haliaeetus leucocephalus2.jpg|left|thumb|The formerly [[endangered]] [[Bald Eagle]], the [[national bird]].]]
 
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{{main|Environmental movement in the United States|United States environmental law}}
 
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With habitats ranging from [[tropical]] to [[arctic]], the [[flora]] of the U.S. are very diverse. The U.S. has more than 17,000 identified native plant and tree species, including 5,000 just in [[California]] (which is home to the [[Sequoia|tallest]], the [[Sequoiadendron|most massive]], and the [[Bristlecone pine|oldest]] trees in the world).<ref>Morse, Larry E., et al, [http://biology.usgs.gov/s+t/noframe/j085.htm Native Vascular Plants], ''Our Living Resources, U.S. Department of the Interior'', ''URL accessed [[14 June]] [[2006]].''</ref>  More than 400 [[species]] of [[mammal]], 700 species of [[bird]], 500 species of [[reptile]] and [[amphibian]], and 90,000 species of [[insect]] have been documented.<ref>National Biological Service, [http://biology.usgs.gov/s+t/index.htm Our Living Resources], ''URL accessed [[14 June]] [[2006]].''</ref> The flora and fauna include thousands of non-native [[exotic species]] that sometimes adversely affect indigenous [[plant]] and [[animal]] communities.  Many plants and animals are very localized in their distribution, and some are in danger of [[extinction]]. The U.S. passed the [[Endangered Species Act]] in 1973 to protect native plant and animal species and their [[Habitat (ecology)|habitat]]s.
 
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Conservation has a long history in the U.S.; in 1872, the world's first [[National Park]] was established at [[Yellowstone National Park|Yellowstone]]. Another 57 national parks and hundreds of other federally managed parks and forests have since been designated.<ref>National Park Service, [http://www.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=639 National Park Service Announces Addition of Two New Units], ''National Park Service News release'' (28 February 2006), ''URL accessed [[13 June]] [[2006]].''</ref> In some parts of the country, [[wilderness]] areas have been established to ensure long-term protection of pristine habitats. The [[U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]] monitors [[endangered species|endangered]] and [[threatened species]] and has set aside numerous areas for species and habitat preservation. Altogether, the [[Federal government of the United States|U.S. government]] regulates 1,020,779 square miles (2,643,807&nbsp;km²), which is 28.8 percent of the total land area of the U.S.<ref>Republican Study Committee, [http://johnshadegg.house.gov/rsc/Federal%20Land%20Ownership--May%202005.pdf Federal Land and Buildings Ownership], (19 May 2005), ''URL accessed [[13 June]] [[2006]].''</ref> The bulk of this land is protected park and forestland, but some is leased for [[petroleum|oil]] and [[natural gas|gas]] exploration, [[mining]], and cattle ranching. New priorities are reshaping the aims and policies of the nation, however.  For instance, many citizens and foreign nations call upon the nation to take a leading role in fighting [[global warming]],<ref>[http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/environment/july-dec05/climate_7-5.html Online NewsHour: U.S. Faces International Pressure on Climate Change Policy] Accessed May 05, 2007</ref> as the United States is the largest single emitter of [[carbon dioxide]] from the burning of [[fossil fuel]]s as of 2005.<ref>{{cite web | title=United States Country Analysis Brief | url=http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/Usa/Full.html | date=2005 | accessmonthday=December 5 | accessyear=2006| publisher=US Energy Information Administration}}</ref>
 
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==History==
 
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{{main|History of the United States}}
 
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===Native Americans===
 
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{{Main|Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native Americans in the United States}}
 
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Before the [[European colonization of the Americas]], a process that began at the end of the 15th century, the present-day continental U.S. was inhabited exclusively by various [[Native Americans in the United States|indigenous peoples]], including [[Alaska Natives|Alaskan natives]], who [[Models of migration to the New World|migrated from Asia]] over a period that may have begun 35,000 years ago and may have ended as recently as [[9th millennium BC|11,000 years ago]].<ref>[http://www.si.edu/resource/faq/nmnh/origin.htm "Paleoamerican Origins"]. 1999. [[Smithsonian Institution]]. ''Accessed [[2 May]] [[2006]].''</ref> Several indigenous communities developed advanced agriculture, grand architecture, and [[state]] level [[Pre-Columbian]] societies.  However, [[First contact (anthropology)|first contact]] between Native Americans and early Spanish explorers spread [[epidemic]]s that killed a large portion of the indigenous population.<ref>[[1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus]] (ISBN 1-4000-4006-X), [[Charles C. Mann]], Knopf, 2005.</ref> These epidemics combined with violence by European settlers to marginalize the Native American population in the United States.
 
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===European colonization===
 
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{{main|European colonization of the Americas|Thirteen Colonies}}
 
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[[Image:MayflowerHarbor.jpg|left|250px|thumb|''The [[Mayflower]] in Plymouth Harbor,'' painted by William Halsall, 1882. The Mayflower transported [[Pilgrims]] to the New World in 1620.]]
 
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The first confirmed European landing in present-day United States territory was by [[Christopher Columbus]], who visited [[Puerto Rico]] on [[November 19]], [[1493]]. Florida was home to the earliest European colonies on the mainland; of these colonies only [[St. Augustine, Florida|St. Augustine]], which was founded by [[Pedro Menéndez de Avilés]] in 1565, remains.
 
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A hundred or so [[New France|French]] [[fur trade]]rs set up small outposts in the [[Great Lakes]] region, exploring the largest area of the present country.<ref>See area covered by [[:Image:N FR.JPG|Map of New France]]. See also: René Chartrand, ''French Fortresses in North America 1535–1763: Québec, Montréal, Louisbourg and New Orleans'' (Fortress 27); Osprey Publishing, March 20 2005. ISBN 9781841767147</ref> A few thousand Spanish settled in [[New Mexico]] and [[California]], as well as other parts of the [[Southwestern United States]]. The first successful [[Kingdom of England|English]] settlement was at [[Virginia Colony|Jamestown]], [[Virginia]], in 1607, followed in 1620 by the [[Pilgrims]]' landing at [[Plymouth, Massachusetts|Plymouth]], [[Massachusetts]]. In 1609 and 1617, respectively, the [[Netherlands|Dutch]] [[New Amsterdam|settled]] in part of what became [[New York]] and [[New Jersey]]. In 1638, the [[Sweden|Swedes]] founded [[New Sweden]], in part of what became [[Delaware]], New Jersey, and [[Pennsylvania]] after passing through Dutch hands. Throughout the 17th and early 18th centuries, England (and later Great Britain) established new colonies, took over Dutch colonies, and split others. Britain's [[Seven Years War]] spread into the [[French and Indian War]] that won Britain the bulk of [[Canada]].
 
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Several colonies were used as [[penal colony|penal settlements]] from the 1620s until the American Revolution. With the division of the [[Carolinas]] in 1729 and the colonization of [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] in 1732, the [[Thirteen Colonies|13 British colonies]] that became the United States of America in 1776 were established and all had active local and colonial governments with elections open to most free men, with a growing devotion to the ancient [[rights of Englishmen]] and a sense of self government that stimulated support for [[republicanism]].  By the 1770s, the colonies were becoming "Anglicized" (that is, more like England). With high birth rates, low [[Mortality rate|death rates]], and steady immigration, the colonies doubled in population every 25 years. By 1770, they had a population of three million, approximately half as many as that of Britain itself. However, they were given no representation in the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]].
 
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===Independence===
 
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[[Image:Declaration independence.jpg|thumb|''[[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]]''. Artist [[John Trumbull]]]]
 
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{{main|American Revolution|American Revolutionary War}}
 
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Tensions between [[Thirteen Colonies|American colonials]] and the British during the [[American Revolution|revolutionary period]] of the 1760s and 1770s led to open warfare 1775-1781. [[George Washington]] commanded the [[Continental Army]] during the [[American Revolutionary War]] (1775–1783) as the [[Second Continental Congress]] adopted the Declaration of Independence on [[July 4]], [[1776]]. The Congress  created the [[Continental Army]], but was handicapped in its ability to fund it by lack of authority to levy taxes; instead, it over-printed [[Banknote|paper money]] triggering [[hyperinflation]]. During the conflict, some 70,000 [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|loyalist]]s to the British Crown fled the new nation, with some 50,000 [[United Empire Loyalists|United Empire Loyalist]] [[refugee]]s fleeing to [[Nova Scotia]] and the new [[Canada under British Imperial control (1764-1867)|British holdings in Canada]].<ref>http://www.uelac.org/PDF/loyalist.pdf A Short History of the United Empire Loyalists, Ann MacKenzie M.A.</ref>
 
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In 1777, the Congress adopted the [[Articles of Confederation]], uniting the states under a weak federal government, which operated until 1788. After the defeate of Great Britain, dissatisfaction with the weak national government led to a constitutional convention in 1787. By June of 1788, enough states had ratified the [[United States Constitution]] to establish the new government, which took office in 1789. The Constitution, which strengthened the union and the federal government, is still the supreme law of the land.<ref>Yanak, Ted and Cornelison, Pam. ''The Great American History Fact-finder: The Who, What, Where, When, and Why of American History''. Page 114. [[Houghton Mifflin]]; 2nd Updated edition: [[27 August]] [[2004]]. ISBN 0-618-43941-2</ref>
 
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===Westward expansion===
 
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{{main|Manifest Destiny}}
 
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[[Image:U.S. Territorial Acquisitions.png|left|thumb|Territorial acquisitions by date]]
 
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[[Image:US states by date of statehood3.gif|thumb|right|Growth of the United States by date of [[state]]hood and [[ratification]] of the [[United States Constitution|Constitution]].]]
 
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From 1803 to 1848, the size of the new nation nearly tripled as settlers (many embracing the concept of [[Manifest Destiny]] as an inevitable consequence of [[American exceptionalism]]) pushed beyond national boundaries even before the [[Louisiana Purchase]].<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20060518140700/http://eps.berkeley.edu/~brimhall/EPS170AC_LNS170AC/L-20.pdf Manifest Destiny- An interpretation of How the West was Won]. Crossroads of Earth Resources and Society. URL accessed on [[4 May]] [[2006]].</ref> The expansion was tempered somewhat by the stalemate in the [[War of 1812]], but it was subsequently reinvigorated by victory in the [[Mexican-American War]] in 1848, and the prospect of gold during the California Gold Rush (1848-1849).
 
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Between 1830–1880, up to 40 million [[American Bison]], commonly called Buffalo, were slaughtered for skins and meat, and to aid railway expansion. The expansion of the railways reduced transit times for both goods and people, made [[Territorial acquisitions of the United States|westward expansion]] less arduous for the pioneers, and increased conflicts with the Native Americans regarding the land and its uses. The loss of the [[bison]], a primary resource for the [[plains Indians]], added to the pressures on native cultures and individuals for survival.
 
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===Civil War===
 
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[[Image:Battle of Gettysburg, by Currier and Ives.png|thumb|right|''[[Battle of Gettysburg]]'', lithograph by [[Currier & Ives]], c. 1863]]
 
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{{main|American Civil War}}
 
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As new territories were being incorporated, the nation was divided on the issue of [[states' rights]], the role of the federal government, and the expansion of [[History of slavery in the United States|slavery]], which had been legal in all thirteen colonies but was rarer in the north, where it was abolished by 1804. The [[Union (American Civil War)|Northern states]] were opposed to the expansion of slavery whereas the Southern states saw the opposition as an attack on their [[way of life]], since their economy was dependent on slave labor. The failure to resolve these issues led to the [[American Civil War]], following the secession of many [[slave state]]s in the South to form the [[Confederate States of America]] after the [[United States presidential election, 1860|1860 election]] of [[Abraham Lincoln]].<ref>Morrison, Michael A. ''Slavery and the American West: The Eclipse of Manifest Destiny and the Coming of the Civil War''. Page 176. [[University of North Carolina]] Press. ISBN 0-8078-4796-8.</ref> The 1865 Union victory in the Civil War effectively ended slavery and settled the question of whether a state had the right to secede. The event was a major turning point in American history and resulted in an increase in [[federal power]].<ref>De Rosa, Marshall L. ''The Politics of Dissolution: The Quest for a National Identity and the American Civil War''. Page 266. Transaction Publishers: [[1 January]] [[1997]]. ISBN 1-56000-349-9</ref>
 
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===Reconstruction and industrialization===
 
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[[Image:Ellis island 1902.jpg|left|thumb|Immigrants landing at [[Ellis Island]], [[New York City|New York]].]]
 
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{{main|Reconstruction}}
 
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After the Civil War, an unprecedented influx of [[Immigration to the United States|immigrants]] hastened the country's rise to [[Power in international relations|international power]]. These immigrants helped to provide labor for American industry and create diverse communities in [[American Old West|undeveloped areas]] together with high tariff protections, national infrastructure building and national banking regulations. The growing power of the United States enabled it to acquire new territories, including the annexation of [[Puerto Rico]] and the [[Philippines]] after victory in the [[Spanish-American War]],<ref>Spielvogel, Jackson J. ''Western Civilization: Volume II: Since 1500''. Page 708. Wadsworth Publishing: [[10 January]] [[2005]]. ISBN 0-534-64604-2</ref> which marked the debut of the United States as a [[Great power|major world power]].
 
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===World Wars and The Great Depression===
 
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[[Image:Dallas South Dakota 1936.jpg|thumb|right|250px|An abandoned farm in South Dakota during the [[Dust Bowl]], 1936.]]
 
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{{main|World War I|Great Depression|World War II}}
 
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At the outbreak of [[World War I]] in 1914, the United States remained neutral. In 1917, however, the United States joined the [[Triple Entente|Allied Powers]], helping to turn the tide against the [[Central Powers]]. For historical reasons, American sympathies favored the British and French, although many citizens, mostly Irish and German, were opposed to intervention.<ref>Eric Foner and [[John A. Garraty]], ''The Reader's Companion to American History.'' Page 576. [[21 October]] [[1991]]. Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0-395-51372-3.</ref> After the war, the [[United States Senate|Senate]] did not ratify the [[Treaty of Versailles]] because of a fear that it would pull the United States into European affairs. Instead, the country continued to pursue its policy of [[unilateralism]] that bordered at times on [[isolationism]].<ref>McDuffie, Jerome, Piggrem, Gary Wayne, and Woodworth, Steven E. ''U.S. History Super Review''. Page 418. Research & Education Association: [[21 June]] [[2005]]. ISBN 0-7386-0070-9</ref>
 
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During [[Roaring Twenties|most of the 1920s]], the United States enjoyed a period of unbalanced prosperity as farm profits fell while industrial profits grew. A rise in debt and an inflated [[stock market]] culmination in a [[Stock market crash|crash]] in 1929, combined with the [[Dust Bowl]], triggered the [[Great Depression]]. After his election as [[President of the United States|President]] in 1932, [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt]] launched his [[New Deal]] policies increasing [[Public sector|government intervention]] in the economy in response to the Great Depression.
 
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The nation would not fully recover from the economic depression until its industrial mobilisation related to entering [[World War II]].  On [[December 7, 1941]] the United States was driven to join the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]] against the [[Axis Powers]] after a surprise [[attack on Pearl Harbor]] by [[Japan]]. [[World War II]] was the costliest war in economic terms in American history,<ref>[http://www.ddaymuseum.org/education/education_numbers.html World War II By The Numbers]. The National WWII Museum, New Orleans. Last accessed [[October 24]] [[2006]].</ref><ref>[http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0829/p15s01-cogn.html More costly than 'the war to end all wars']. David R. Francis, ''[[Christian Science Monitor]].'' [[August 29, 2005]]. Last accessed [[October 24]] [[2006]].</ref> but it helped to pull the economy out of depression because the required production of military [[material]] provided much-needed jobs, and women entered the workforce in large numbers for the first time.
 
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During this war, the United States became the first [[nuclear power]] following the success of the [[Manhattan Project]]. To bring about a quick end to World War II and forgo a land-invasion of Japan, the United States dropped [[nuclear weapons]] on [[Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki|Hiroshima and Nagasaki]], Japan, in August of 1945. The Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs were the second and third nuclear devices detonated and the only ones ever used in war.  [[Surrender of Japan|Japan surrendered]] soon after, on [[September 2]], [[1945]], ending World War II.<ref>Walker, John F, and Vatter, Harold G ''The Rise of Big Government in the United States.'' Page 63. M.E. Sharpe: [[1997|May 1997]]. ISBN 0-7656-0067-6.</ref>
 
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===Cold War and civil rights===
 
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{{main|Cold War|American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968)}}
 
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After World War II, the United States and the [[Soviet Union]] became [[superpowers]] in an era of ideological rivalry dubbed the [[Cold War]].  Through the [[North Atlantic Treaty Organization]] and the [[Warsaw Pact]], the United States and the Soviet Union, respectively, gained considerable power over military affairs in Europe. The United States officially promoted [[liberal democracy]] and [[capitalism]], while the Soviet Union officially promoted [[communism]] and a centrally [[planned economy]]. Both sides sometimes supported [[dictatorship]]s when politically convenient, leading to [[proxy war]]s, including the [[Korean War]], the tense nuclear showdown of the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]], and the [[Soviet war in Afghanistan]].
 
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The Soviet Union beat the United States to launch the first manned space probe, prompting an effort to raise proficiency in mathematics and science in American schools<ref name="Rudolph">Rudolph, John L. ''Scientists in the Classroom: The Cold War Reconstruction of American Science Education.'' Page 1. Palgrave Macmillan: [[3 May]] [[2002]]. ISBN 0-312-29571-5.</ref> and led to President [[John F. Kennedy]]'s call for the United States to be first to land "a man on the [[moon]]" by the end of the 1960s, which was realized in 1969.<ref name="Rudolph">Rudolph, John L. ''Scientists in the Classroom: The Cold War Reconstruction of American Science Education.'' Page 1. Palgrave Macmillan: [[3 May]] [[2002]]. ISBN 0-312-29571-5.</ref> Meanwhile, America experienced a period of sustained economic expansion. A growing [[American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968)|civil-rights movement]] headed by prominent [[African American]]s such as [[Martin Luther King, Jr.]] fought [[racism]], leading to the abolition of the [[Jim Crow laws]] in the South.<ref>Klarman, Michael J. ''From Jim Crow to Civil Rights: The Supreme Court and the Struggle for Racial Equality.'' Page 552. [[Oxford University Press]], USA: [[4 May]] [[2006]]. ISBN 0-19-531018-7.</ref> Following Kennedy's assassination in 1963, his successors expanded a proxy war in [[Vietnam]] into the unsuccessful [[Vietnam War]]. After withdrawing from Vietnam, President [[Richard Nixon]] became the first President to [[resign]], lest he be removed from office by [[impeachment]] over [[electoral fraud]] allegations during the [[Watergate]] scandal.
 
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When the [[History of the Soviet Union (1985-1991)|Soviet Union collapsed]] and Russian power diminished in the late 1980s and 1990s, the United States continued to intervene in overseas military conflicts.  The leadership role taken by the United States and its allies in the United Nations-sanctioned [[Gulf War]] and the [[Yugoslav wars]] helped to preserve its position as the world's last remaining superpower and to expand NATO.
 
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===War on Terrorism===
 
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{{main|War on Terrorism}}
 
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After the [[September 11, 2001 attacks|terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001]] against the [[World Trade Center]] in [[New York City]] and [[The Pentagon]] near [[Washington, D.C.]] — killing nearly 3,000 individuals — President [[George W. Bush]] focused [[Foreign relations of the United States|American foreign policy]] around a new [[War on Terrorism]] and [[preemptive war]] under the [[Bush doctrine]]. His administration led a [[NATO]] [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|invasion of Afghanistan]] removing the [[Taliban]] government and [[al-Qaeda]] terrorist training camps. As of 2007, a Taliban [[insurgency]] continues to fight a [[guerrilla war]] against the NATO occupation force.
 
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In his 2002 [[State of the Union]] address, President George W. Bush labeled [[North Korea]], [[Iraq]] and [[Iran]] the "[[axis of evil]]," and stated that these countries "constitute a grave threat to the security of the U.S. and its allies."<ref>http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/01/20020129-11.html 2002 Presidential State of the Union</ref> Later that year, the Bush administration pressed for [[regime change]] in [[Iraq]] [[Rationale for the Iraq War|on controversial grounds]]. In 2003, a [[Coalition of the Willing]] [[2003 invasion of Iraq|invaded Iraq]], removing President [[Saddam Hussein]]. Although facing both external<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/12/world/middleeast/12iraq.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin Majority of Iraq Lawmakers Seek Timetable for U.S. Exit - Published: May 12, 2007, [[New York Times]]</ref> and internal<ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117867744969196821.html?mod=googlenews_wsj Democrats Push for Vote
 
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On Revised Iraq War Bill By DAVID ROGERS May 9, 2007; Page A6 [[Wall Street Journal]]</ref> pressure to [[withdrawal (military)|withdraw]], the United States continues [[Post-invasion Iraq, 2003–present|to occupy Iraq]].
 
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==Politics==
 
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<!--Please add new information into relevant articles of the series-->
 
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[[Image:USCapitol.jpg|thumb|250px|right|West Front of the [[United States Capitol]] which houses the [[United States Congress]].]]
 
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{{main|Federal government of the United States|Politics of the United States}}
 
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The United States is the world's oldest surviving [[federation]], a [[representative democracy]] with a government regulated by a system of [[checks and balances]] defined by the [[United States Constitution]].  The 1789 constitution replaced the [[Articles of Confederation]], which was in effect from 1781 &ndash; 1789. However, it is "not a simple representative democracy, but a [[constitutional republic]] in which [[majority rule]] is tempered by [[minority rights]] protected by law."<ref>Scheb, John M. and John M. II. ''An Introduction to the American Legal System''. ISBN 0-7668-2759-3. Delmar Publishers. 2002. p. 6</ref> Citizens are usually subject to three levels of government, at federal, state, and local levels, although most areas are also subject to multiple [[local government]]s, such as county or metropolitan governments in addition to municipal government. Officials at all three levels are either elected by voters in a [[secret ballot]] or appointed by other [[Official|elected officials]]. Executive and legislative offices are decided by a [[plurality voting system|plurality vote]] of citizens in their respective districts. Judicial and [[cabinet]]-level offices are nominated by the Executive branch and approved by the Legislature in the federal government and most states, although some state judges are elected by popular vote.
 
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[[Image:HobanNorthPortico.jpg|thumb|300px|left|The north side of the [[White House]], the home and work place of the President.]]
 
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The federal government comprises three branches, which are designed to [[checks and balances|check and balance]] one another's powers:
 
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* [[legislature|Legislative]]: The [[bicameralism|bicameral]] [[Congress of the United States|Congress]], made up of the [[United States Senate|Senate]] and the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]], which makes [[federal law]], [[declaration of war|declares war]], approves [[treaty|treaties]], has the [[power of the purse]], and has the rarely used power of [[impeachment]], by which it can remove sitting members of the government.
 
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* [[Executive (government)|Executive]]: The [[President of the United States|President]], who appoints, with Senate approval, the [[United States Cabinet|Cabinet]] and other officers, who administers and enforces federal law, can veto bills, and is [[Commander-in-Chief|Commander in Chief]] of the military.
 
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* [[Judiciary]]: The [[Supreme Court of the United States|Supreme Court]] and lower [[United States federal courts|federal court]]s, whose judges are appointed by the President with Senate approval, which interpret laws and can overturn laws they deem [[unconstitutional]].
 
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The [[United States Constitution]] is the supreme legal document in the American system, and serves as a [[social contract]] for the people of the United States, regulating their affairs through government chosen by and populated by the people. All laws and procedures of both state and federal governments are subject to review, and any law ruled by the judicial branch to be in violation of the Constitution is overturned. The Constitution [[Article Five of the United States Constitution|can be amended]] by two methods, both of which require the approval of three-fourths of the states. The Constitution has been amended 27 times, the [[Twenty-seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution|last time]] in 1992.
 
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[[Image:Supreme Court Front Dusk.jpg|thumb|250px|right|The front of the [[United States Supreme Court building]].]]
 
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The Constitution contains a number of amendments, including the [[United States Bill of Rights|Bill of Rights]], which guarantee [[freedom of speech]], [[freedom of religion|religion]], and [[freedom of the press|the press]]; the [[right to a fair trial]]; [[Second Amendment to the United States Constitution|the right to keep and bear arms]]; [[universal suffrage]]; and [[Property|property rights]]. However, the extent to which these rights are protected and universal in practice is heavily debated. The Constitution also guarantees to every State "a [[Republic|Republican Form of Government]]". However, the meaning of that guarantee has been only slightly explicated.<ref>http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/article04/</ref>  The Constitution also defines [[term limit]]s for the President and the size of the Congress. The House of Representatives has 435 members, each representing a [[congressional district]] for a two-year term. House seats are [[United States Congressional apportionment|apportioned]] among the [[U.S. state|states]] according to [[population]] every tenth year. As of the 2000 [[census]], seven states have the minimum of one representative; [[California]], the most populous state, has 53. Each state has two senators, elected [[at-large]] to six-year terms; one third of Senate seats are up for election every second year.
 
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American politics is dominated by the [[Republican Party of the United States|Republican Party]] and the [[Democratic Party of the United States|Democratic Party]]. Members of these two parties hold the overwhelming majority of elected offices across the country at federal, state, and lower levels. Independent or [[third party]] candidates tend to do better in lower-level elections, although there are currently two independent members of the Senate. Within American [[political culture]] the Republican Party is considered "center-right" or [[Conservatism|conservative]] and the Democratic Party is considered "center-left" or [[liberal]]. The size of both parties allows for considerable divergence of views within both parties.  Since 2001, the President has been [[George W. Bush]], a Republican. Following the [[United States general elections, 2006|2006 mid-term elections]], the Democratic Party holds a majority of seats in both the House and Senate for the first time since 1994.<ref>Secretary of the Senate. United States Senate Art & History: [http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/history/one_item_and_teasers/partydiv.htm Party Division in the United States Senate, 1789—Present]. Retrieved [[21 June]] [[2006]].</ref>
 
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==Foreign relations==
 
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[[Image:Bush and Blair at Camp David.jpg|thumb|[[President of the United States|President]] [[George W. Bush]] (right) with the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]] [[Tony Blair]].]]
 
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{{main|Foreign relations of the United States}}
 
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The United States has vast economic, political, and military influence on a global scale, which makes its foreign policy a subject of great interest and discussion around the world. Almost all countries have [[List of Washington, D.C. embassies|embassies]] in Washington, D.C., and many host [[Consul (representative)|consulates]] around the country.  Likewise, nearly all nations host [[American diplomatic missions]]. However, [[Cuba]], [[Iran]], [[North Korea]], [[Bhutan]], and [[Sudan]] do not have formal [[Diplomacy|diplomatic relations]] with the United States.<ref>[http://www.usdoj.gov/oig/reports/INS/e0304/results.htm "Table 2 Aliens From Countries That Sponsor Terrorism Who Were Ordered Removed - 1&nbsp;October 2000 through 31&nbsp;December 2001"]. February 2003. [[United States Department of Justice|U.S. Department of Justice]]. ''URL accessed [[May 30]] [[2006]]''.</ref>
 
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The United States is a founding member of the [[United Nations]], a permanent member of the [[United Nations Security Council|Security Council]], and hosts the [[United Nations headquarters]] in New York City. America's principal allies include the [[NATO]] member states as well as [[Australia]], [[Japan]], and [[Israel]]. America enjoys a [[special relationship]] with the [[United Kingdom]], its closest ally. Additionally, the United States enjoys close ties to its neighbors through the [[Organization of American States]] and [[free trade agreement]]s such as the trilateral [[North American Free Trade Agreement]] with [[Canada]] and [[Mexico]].
 
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==Military==
 
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{{see|Military of the United States}}
 
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[[Image:F-22A Raptor.jpg|thumb|right|[[F-22A Raptor]].]]
 
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The President, who also holds the title of Commander in Chief commands the nation's armed forces and appoints its leaders, the [[Joint Chiefs of Staff]] and [[United States Secretary of Defense|Secretary of Defense]]. The [[United States Department of Defense]] administers the U.S. [[armed forces]], which comprise the [[United States Army|Army]], the [[United States Navy|Navy]], 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 [[United States Department of Homeland Security|Department of Homeland Security]] in [[peace]]time but is placed under the [[United States Department of the Navy|Department of the Navy]] in times of [[war]]. The military of the United States comprises 1.4 million [[personnel]] on [[active duty]],<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20060529062557/http://www.dior.whs.mil/mmid/military/ms9.pdf "Active Duty Military Personnel Strength Levels"]. 2002. ''Accessed [[29 May]] [[2006]].''</ref> along with several hundred thousand each in the [[Reserve Component of the Armed Forces of the United States|Reserves]] and the [[United States National Guard|National Guard]]. Service in the military is voluntary, though [[conscription]] may occur in times of war through the [[Selective Service System]].
 
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The United States military is considered the most powerful in the world, partly because of the size of its [[Military budget|defense budget]]; [[Military budget of the United States|American defense expenditures]] in 2005 were estimated to be greater than the next 14 largest national military budgets combined,<ref>Anup Shah, [http://www.globalissues.org/Geopolitics/ArmsTrade/Spending.asp High Military Expenditure in Some Places]. Last updated [[27 March]], [[2006]]. http://globalissues.org. ''Retrieved [[30 June]], [[2006]].''</ref> even though the U.S. military budget is only about 4 percent of the country's [[gross domestic product]]. <ref name="CIA World Factbook">[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html]. [[1 June]] [[2006]]. [[CIA Factbook]]. ''Retrieved [[3 June]] [[2006]].''</ref><ref>{{cite web | author = Truth and Politics | title = Relative Size of U.S. Military Spending from 1940 to 2003 | url = http://www.truthandpolitics.org/military-relative-size.php | accessdate = 26 May|accessyear = 2006 }}</ref> The U.S. military maintains [[Deployments of the United States Military|more than 700 bases and facilities]], distributed throughout every continent except [[Antarctica]].<ref>[http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/20050527_2005BSR.pdf U.S. Department of Defense Base Structure Report, Fiscal Year 2005 Baseline]. ''Retrieved [[1 June]] [[2006]].''</ref> Much of U.S. military capability is involved in logistics and transportation, which enable rapid buildup of forces as needed. The Air Force maintains a large fleet of [[C-5 Galaxy]], [[C-17 Globemaster]], and [[C-130 Hercules]] transportation aircraft with an equally large fleet of aerial refueling tankers. The Marine Corps maintains Marine Expeditionary Units at sea with the Navy's Atlantic and Pacific Fleets. The Navy's fleet of 11 active aircraft carriers, combined with a military doctrine of power projection, enables a flexible response to potential threats.
 
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==Administrative divisions==
 
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{{main|Political divisions of the United States}}
 
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{{United States and Census Regions Labelled Map}}
 
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The United States of America consists of 50 [[U.S. state|states]] and one [[Capital districts and territories#United States|federal district]], the [[District of Columbia]]. The conterminous forty-eight states — all the states but [[Alaska]] and [[Hawaii]] — are also called the [[continental United States|contiguous United States]] or the "lower 48" and occupy much of central North America. Alaska is separated from the contiguous U.S. by Canada; together, they comprise the continental United States. Hawaii, the fiftieth state, is situated in the Pacific.
 
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The map above presents the 50 states, additional [[insular area|territories]] and highlights the United States census regions of them. The [[District of Columbia]] is not shown.
 
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In addition to those territories labeled on the map, the United States also holds several other territories. [[Palmyra Atoll]] is the United States' only [[incorporated territory]]; but it is [[Unorganized territory|unorganized]] and uninhabited. The [[United States Minor Outlying Islands]] consist of [[uninhabited island]]s and [[atoll]]s in the Pacific and [[Caribbean Sea]]. In addition, since 1898, the United States Navy has held an extensive [[Guantanamo Bay Naval Base|naval base]] at [[Guantánamo Bay, Cuba|Guantánamo Bay]], [[Cuba]].
 
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In addition to the actual states and territories of the United States, there are also nations which are [[associated state]]s of the U.S. The [[Federated States of Micronesia]] (since 1986), the [[Marshall Islands]] (since 1986), and [[Palau]] (since 1994) are associated with the United States under what is known as the [[Compact of Free Association]], giving the states international sovereignty and ultimate control of their territory. However, the governments of those areas have agreed to allow the United States to provide defense and financial assistance.
 
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==Economy==
 
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{{main|Economy of the United States|Homeownership in the United States}}
 
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{| class="wikitable" table style="border:1px #000000;" cellspacing="0" align="right" style="margin-left: 1em"
 
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|-
 
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! style="background:#FF9999;" colspan="2"|Economy of the United States
 
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|-
 
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! style="background:#FF9999;" colspan="2"|[[Income in the United States|Median Income]]<ref name="US Census Bureau, personal median income, ages 25–64, 2006">{{cite web|url=http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new03_019.htm|title=US Census Bureau, personal median income, ages 25–64, 2006|accessdate = 2006-12-23}}</ref><ref name="US Census Bureau, Household income distribution, 2006">{{cite web|url=http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/hhinc/new02_001.htm|title=US Census Bureau, Household income distribution, 2006|accessdate = 2006-12-23}}</ref>
 
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|-
 
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|Median income||$32,611 for individuals<br>$46,326 for households
 
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|-
 
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! style="background:#FF9999;" colspan="2"|[[Income in the United States|Income distribution]]<ref name="US Census Bureau, personal income distribution, age 25+, 2006">{{cite web|url=http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/perinc/new03_001.htm|title=US Census Bureau, personal income distribution, age 25+, 2006|accessdate = 2006-12-28}}</ref><ref name="US Census Bureau, overall household income distribution, 2006">{{cite web|url=http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/hhinc/new06_000.htm|title=US Census Bureau, overall household income distribution, 2006|accessdate = 2006-12-28}}</ref>
 
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|-
 
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|Top 20%||$52,500 for individuals<br>$91,705 for households
 
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|-
 
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|Bottom 20%||$12,500 for individuals<br>$20,000 for households
 
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|-
 
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! style="background:#FF9999;" colspan="2"|National economic indicators
 
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|-
 
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|Unemployment||4.5%<ref name="US Department of Labor, unemployment as of December 2006">{{cite web|url=http://www.bls.gov/|title=US Department of Labor, unemployment as of December 2006|accessdate = 2007-01-23}}</ref>
 
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|-
 
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|GDP growth||3.4%
 
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|CPI inflation||2.5%<ref name="US Department of Labor, CPI summary of December 2006">{{cite web|url=http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm|title=US Department of Labor, CPI summary of December 2006|accessdate = 2007-01-24}}</ref>
 
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|-
 
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|[[Gini index]]||46.9%
 
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! style="background:#FF9999;" colspan="2"|SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce
 
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|-
 
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|}
 
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The [[economic system]] of the United States can be described as a [[capitalism|capitalist]] [[mixed economy]]. Although private organizations constitute the bulk of the economy, government activity accounts for 36 percent of the GDP. Most businesses in the U.S. are not [[corporation]]s and [[sole proprietorship]]s with no [[payroll]].<ref>[http://www.census.gov/epcd/www/smallbus.html Statistics about Business Size from the U.S. Census Bureau]. ''URL accessed [[December 13]], [[2006]].''</ref> Both the [[Ease of Doing Business Index|regulatory burden]] on its companies and its [[social safety net]] are smaller than in most developed nations.<ref>[http://www.heritage.org/research/features/index/countries.cfm Index of Economic Freedom 2006] by [[Heritage Foundation]]. ''URL accessed [[13 May]] [[2006]].''</ref>The United States GDP of more than $13 trillion constitutes 22 percent of the [[gross world product]].<ref name="CIA The World Factbook - World">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/xx.html|date=17 April, 2007|title="CIA The World Factbook - World"}}</ref> The nation ranks as the third or eighth highest GDP [[per capita]], according to the [[International Monetary Fund]].<ref name="International Monetary Fund, GDP of advanced economies, 2006" />
 
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The economy is fueled by an abundance in [[natural resource]]s, well-developed infrastructure, and high productivity. Americans tend to work considerably more hours annually, take less vacation, and produce more an hour than workers in other developed nations,<ref name="CNN, work in American, UN report finds Americans most productive, 2002">{{cite web|url=http://archives.cnn.com/2001/CAREER/trends/08/30/ilo.study/|title=CNN, work in American, UN report finds Americans most productive, 2002|accessdate=2006-12-15}}</ref><ref>Key Indicators of the Labour Market, Fourth Edition. "[http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/strat/kilm/ unit labour costs, productivity and international competitiveness"]. [[International Labour Organization|International Labor Organization]].</ref> increasing productiveness and GDP.<ref name="International Monetary Fund, GDP of advanced economies, 2006">{{cite web|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2006/02/data/weorept.aspx?sy=2003&ey=2007&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=193%2C158%2C122%2C542%2C124%2C137%2C156%2C138%2C423%2C196%2C128%2C142%2C172%2C182%2C132%2C576%2C134%2C184%2C174%2C144%2C532%2C146%2C176%2C528%2C178%2C112%2C436%2C111%2C136&s=NGDP_R%2CNGDP_RPCH%2CNGDP%2CNGDPD%2CNGDP_D&grp=0&a=&pr1.x=81&pr1.y=10|title=International Monetary Fund, GDP of advanced economies, 2006|accessdate = 2007-01-24}}</ref> 79% of Americans are employed in the [[Tertiary sector of industry|service sector]].<ref name="CIA World Factbook"> Although [[Income in the United States|income levels]] in the U.S. are high, income is distributed [[List of countries by income equality|less equally]] than in similar developed nations such as [[Austria]] or [[Sweden]].<ref> [http://citeseer.ist.psu.edu/cache/papers/cs/1185/http:zSzzSzwww.nuff.ox.ac.ukzSzeconomics_wpzSzw13zSzlyonrev.pdf/atkinson95income.pdf Income Distribution in Europe and the United States by A B Atkinson]. [[1995|September 1995]]. Nuffield College in Oxford. ''URL accessed [[June 3]] [[2006]].''</ref> The United States is the largest importer of goods and second largest exporter. Canada, China, Mexico, Japan, and Germany are its top five trading partners.<ref name="US, top trading partners, 2006">{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/top/dst/current/balance.html|title=US, top trading partners, 2006|accessdate=2007-03-26}}</ref>
 
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===Income===
 
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{{main|Household income in the United States|Personal income in the United States|Affluence in the United States}}
 
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According to the [[US Census Bureau]], [[median household income]]s ranged from $33,000 in [[West Virginia]] to $57,000 in [[New Hampshire]],<ref name="US Census Bureau, median household income by state 2004">{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/income04/statemhi.html|title=US Census Bureau, median household income by state 2004|accessdate=2006-07-01}}</ref> with an overall national median of $46,000.<ref name="US Census Bureau news release in regards to median income">{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/002484.html|title=US Census Bureau news release in regards to median income|accessdate=2006-06-29}}</ref> Using current exchange rates, these income levels are similar to those found in other post-industrial nations such as [[Switzerland]] ($54,000),<ref name="Swiss Government, median household income, 2003">{{cite web|url=http://www.bfs.admin.ch/bfs/portal/de/index/themen/die_schweiz_in_ueberblick/fuehrungsgroessen/sektoriel/03_02/03_02_06.html|title=Swiss Government, median household income, 2003|accessdate=2007-01-19}}</ref> and the United Kingdom. ($39,000)<ref name="UK Parliament question">{{cite web|url=http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm060719/text/60719w1831.htm|title=UK parliament discussion showing median household income|accessdate=2006-12-31}}</ref> As 42 percent of US households had two or more income earners, there is a discrepancy between personal and [[household income]]. In 2005 The [[Personal income in the United States|median income for an individual]] age 25 or older in the [[labor force]] with earnings was $32,000 while the [[median income per household member]] was $24,000.<ref name="US Census 2005 Economic Survey, income data">{{cite web|url=http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032005/hhinc/new06_000.htm|title=US Census 2005 Economic Survey, income data|accessdate=2006-06-29}}</ref>
 
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[[Income inequality]] in the United States has increased since the 1970s,<ref name="Center on Budget Policy, IRS Data Show income inquality is rising, 2005">{{cite web|url=http://www.cbpp.org/10-17-05inc.htm|title=Center on Budget Policy, IRS Data Show income inquality is rising, 2005|accessdate=2007-05-16}}</ref><ref name="The American Class Structure">{{cite book | last = Gilbert | first = Dennis | authorlink = | coauthors = | year = 1998 | title = The American Class Structure | publisher = Wadsworth Publishing | location = New York | id = 0-534-50520-1}}</ref> although the [[standard of living]] has increased for nearly all classes.<ref>[http://www.hoover.org/publications/digest/3522596.html "The Rich — and Poor — Are Getting Richer"]
 
−
David Henderson</ref> The share of income held by the top 1% has increased considerably while the share of income of the bottom 90% has fallen, with the gap between the two groups being roughly as large in 2005 as in 1928.<ref name="New York Times, Income Gap is Widening, 2007">{{cite web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/29/business/29tax.html?ex=1332820800&en=fb472e72466c34c8&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss|title=New York Times, Income Gap is Widening, 2007|accessdate=2007-05-16}}</ref> Economists such as [[Alan Greenspan]] see rising income inequality as a cause for concern<ref>[http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0614/p01s03-usec.html "Rich-Poor Gap Gaining Attention"] Peter Greier. Christian Science Monitor. [[14 June]] [[2005]]. "URL accessed [[21 August]] [[2006]]."</ref> while others argue it does not yet present a grave problem.
 
−
 
−
===Socio-economic class===
 
−
{{main|Social class in the United States|American upper class|American middle class|American lower class}}
 
−
Although the [[Social class in the United States|social class structure]] of the United States remains a vaguely defined concept, [[sociology|sociologists]] point to social class as the perhaps most important societal variable.<ref name="Society in Focus">{{cite book | last = Thompson | first = William | authorlink = | coauthors = Joseph Hickey | year = 2005 | title = Society in Focus
 
−
| publisher = Pearson | location = Boston, MA | id = 0-205-41365-X}}</ref> Occupation, [[Educational attainment in the United States|educational attainment]] and [[Income in the United States|income]] are used as the main indicators of [[Social status|socio-economic status]].<ref name="Society in Focus">{{cite book | last = Thompson | first = William | authorlink = | coauthors = Joseph Hickey | year = 2005 | title = Society in Focus
 
−
| publisher = Pearson | location = Boston, MA | id = 0-205-41365-X}}</ref> Social classes lack clearly defined boundaries and therefore may overlap.<ref name="The American Class Structure">{{cite book | last = Gilbert | first = Dennis | authorlink = | coauthors = | year = 1998 | title = The American Class Structure | publisher = Wadsworth Publishing | location = New York | id = 0-534-50520-1}}</ref> [[Sociology|Sociologist]] [[Dennis Gilbert]] of [[Hamilton College]] has proposed a system, adapted by other sociologists,<ref name="Marriages, Families & Intimate Relationships">{{cite book | last = Williams | first = Brian | authorlink = | coauthors = Stacey C. Sawyer, Carl M. Wahlstrom | year = 2005 | title = Marriages, Families & Intimate Relationships | publisher = Pearson | location = Boston, MA | id = 0-205-36674-0}}</ref> with six social classes. He identified an [[American upper class|upper, or capitalist, class]] consisting of the wealthy and powerful (1%), an [[American middle class#The Professional/Managerial Middle Class|upper middle class]] consisting of highly educated professionals (15%), a [[American middle class#Lower middle class|middle class]] consisting of semi-professionals and craftsmen (33%), a [[American middle class#Working class majority|working class]] consisting of clerical and [[blue-collar]] workers (33%), and two [[American lower class|lower classes]]: the [[American lower class|working poor]] (13%) and an [[American lower class|underclass]] (12%). The former consists of service and low-rung [[blue collar]] workers and the latter of those who do not participate in the labor force.<ref name="Marriages, Families & Intimate Relationships">{{cite book | last = Williams | first = Brian | authorlink = | coauthors = Stacey C. Sawyer, Carl M. Wahlstrom | year = 2005 | title = Marriages, Families & Intimate Relationships | publisher = Pearson | location = Boston, MA | id = 0-205-36674-0}}</ref><ref name="The American Class Structure">{{cite book | last = Gilbert | first = Dennis | authorlink = | coauthors = | year = 1998 | title = The American Class Structure | publisher = Wadsworth Publishing | location = New York | id = 0-534-50520-1}}</ref>
 
−
 
−
Social mobility is another issue of debate, especially when attempting to conduct international comparisons. Although some analysts have found the U.S. to have a relatively low social mobility compared to [[Western Europe]] and Canada,<ref>[http://www.economist.com/world/na/displayStory.cfm?story_id=3518560 "Ever Higher Society, Ever Harder to Ascend: Whatever Happened to the Belief That Any American Could Get to the Top"] [[The Economist]]. [[December 29, 2004]]. ''URL accessed [[21 August]] [[2006]].''</ref><ref>[http://www.suttontrust.com/reports/IntergenerationalMobility.pdf "Intergenerational Mobility in Europe and North America"] Jo Blanden, Paul Gregg, and Stephen Malchin. April 2005. "URL accessed [[21 August]] [[2006]]."</ref><ref>[http://www.iza.org/index_html?lang=en&mainframe=http%3A//www.iza.org/iza/en/webcontent/personnel/photos/index_html%3Fkey%3D83&topSelect=personnel&subSelect=fellows "Do Poor Children Become Poor Adults? Lessons from a Cross Country Comparison of Generational Earnings Mobility"] Miles Corak. March 2006. "URL accessed [[21 August]] [[2006]]."</ref> others point out that bottom quintile households are more likely to rise to the top fifth than to remain near the bottom.<ref>[http://www.hoover.org/publications/digest/3522596.html "The Rich — and Poor — Are Getting Richer"]
 
−
David Henderson</ref> Former [[Chairman of the Federal Reserve|Federal Reserve Board Chairman]] [[Alan Greenspan]] has suggested that the growing income inequality and low [[Social class|class]] mobility of the [[Economy of the United States|U.S. economy]] may eventually threaten social stability in the future.<ref>[http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0614/p01s03-usec.html "Rich-Poor Gap Gaining Attention"] Peter Greier. Christian Science Monitor. [[14 June]] [[2005]]. "URL accessed [[21 August]] [[2006]]."</ref> The locally funded education system is stipulated to provide lower quality education to those in poor jurisdictions than to those in more affluent jurisdictions.<ref>[http://www.asu.edu/educ/epsl/EPRP/EPRP-0206-102-EPRP.htm "What Research Says About Unequal Funding for Schools in America"] Bruce Biddle and David C. Berliner. Winter 2002. "URL accessed [[21 August]] [[2006]]."</ref><ref>[http://www.brookings.edu/comm/conferencereport/cr15.htm "An Economic Perspective on Urban Education"] William G. Gale, Meghan McNally, and Janet Rothenberg Pack. June 2003. "URL accessed [[21 August]] [[2006]]."</ref>
 
−
 
−
===Innovation===
 
−
{{main|United States technological and industrial history|Science and technology in the United States}}
 
−
[[Image:Buzz salutes the U.S. Flag.jpg|thumb|right|[[Astronaut]] [[Buzz Aldrin]] during the first human [[moon landing|landing]] on the [[Moon]].]]
 
−
Beginning with the [[Industrial Revolution]], the U.S. became a world leader in the [[design]], [[production]], and selling of [[products]] and [[services]].
 
−
The United States is now one of the most influential countries in scientific and technological research and the production of innovative technological products. The bulk of [[Research and development|Research and Development]] funding (69 percent) comes voluntarily from the private sector, rather than from taxation.<ref>[http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/science_technology/science.pdf Research and Development (R&D) Expenditures by Source and Objective: 1970 to 2003], [[National Science Foundation|U.S. National Science Foundation]].</ref> During World War II, the U.S. led the Allied program to develop the [[atomic bomb]], ushering in the [[atomic age]]. Beginning early in the Cold War, as a response to [[USSR]]'s [[Human spaceflight|space program]], the U.S. pursued a wide and successful space program of its own, through the federally funded [[NASA]] program. This competition between the two superpowers, dubbed the [[Space Race]], led to rapid advances in [[rocketry]], [[material science]], [[computers]], and many other areas. The U.S. was also the most instrumental nation in the development of the [[Internet]],  while also developing its predecessor, [[Arpanet]]. The United States has become a world leader in [[science]], producing the largest percentage of [[Scientific method|scientific research]] papers of any country.<ref>[http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/research/story/0,,1736095,00.html ''Britain second in world research rankings''], ''[[The Guardian]]'', 21 March 2006, retrieved 14 May 2006.</ref> Many scientists from across the world have come to work in the United States, a very notable example being [[Albert Einstein]]. There are also a number of famous American-born scientists, such as the physicist [[Richard Feynman]], who helped develop [[quantum electrodynamics]], and [[James D. Watson]], who helped discover the structure of [[DNA]]. The U.S. continues to lead the way in all fields of innovation, industry and science.
 
−
 
−
===Transportation===
 
−
{{main|Transportation in the United States}}
 
−
The United States has a variety of [[freeway]] and [[highway]] systems, multiple large [[international airport]]s, and an extensive freight [[train]] network. [[Automaker]]s developed early and rapidly in the United States. The U.S. is home to more roadways than any other country in the world.<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2085rank.html Rank Order- Roadways]. [[20 April]] [[2006]]. CIA World Factbook. Accessed [[30 April]] [[2006]].</ref> Although [[Public transport]] systems are heavily used in some large cities, these systems tend to be less extensive than in other developed nations.<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2121rank.html Rank Order - Railways]</ref>
 
−
 
−
[[Air travel]] is the preferred [[mode of transport]] 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|Hartsfield – Jackson Atlanta International Airport]] (ATL). 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]], a superhub of [[Federal Express]]. The [[airline]]s are privately owned, but most [[airport]]s are owned by local governments. Likewise, several major [[seaport]]s in the United States include New York to the east, Houston and New Orleans on the gulf coast, Los Angeles to the west.<ref> [http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0104779.html Rank Order - Seaports]. Infoplease.com</ref> The interior of the U.S. also has major [[Channel (geography)|shipping channels]], via the [[St. Lawrence Seaway]] and the Mississippi River. The first water link between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic, the [[Erie Canal]], allowed the rapid expansion of agriculture and industry in the Midwest and made New York City the economic center of the country.
 
−
 
−
==Demographics==
 
−
{{main|Demography of the United States|Immigration to the United States}}
 
−
<div style="font-size: 90%">
 
−
{| class="wikitable" table style="border:1px #000000;" cellspacing="0" align="right" style="margin-left: 1em"
 
−
|-
 
−
! style="background:#FF9999;" colspan="2"|[[Demographics of the United States]]
 
−
|-
 
−
! style="background:#FF9999;" colspan="2"|Population<ref name=POP>[http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html#People People]. [[12 June]] [[2006]]. American Fact Finder. Accessed [[13 June]] [[2006]].</ref>
 
−
|-
 
−
|Population||300,000,000
 
−
|-
 
−
|Population growth||0.59%
 
−
|-
 
−
|Iundocumented immigrants||12,000,000
 
−
|-
 
−
|Citizens abroad||3,000,000 to 7,000,000
 
−
|-
 
−
! style="background:#FF9999;" colspan="2"|Race<ref name="US Census Bureau, race in 2005">{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=01000US&-ds_name=ACS_2005_EST_G00_&-mt_name=ACS_2005_EST_G2000_B02001|title=US Census Bureau, race in 2005|accessdate = 2007-01-24}}</ref>
 
−
|-
 
−
|[[White American|White]]||74.67%
 
−
|-
 
−
|[[African American]]||12.12%
 
−
|-
 
−
|[[Asian American|Asian and Pacific Islander]]||4.46%
 
−
|-
 
−
|Other||5.99%
 
−
|-
 
−
! style="background:#FF9999;" colspan="2"|[[Affluence in the United States|Affluence]]<ref name="US Census Bureau, individual income distribution, 2006">{{cite web|url=http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/hhinc/new06_000.htm|title=US Census Bureau, individual income distribution, 2006|accessdate = 2006-12-23}}</ref><ref name="Income in the United States, [[United States Census|US Census]] Bureau">{{cite web|url=http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032006/hhinc/new02_001.htm|title=Income in the United States, U.S. Census Bureau|accessdate = 2006-12-23}}</ref>
 
−
|-
 
−
|Persons w/ [[six figure income]]s||5.63%
 
−
|-
 
−
|Top 10% of individuals||$75,000
 
−
|-
 
−
|Households w/ [[six figure income]]s||17.2%.
 
−
|-
 
−
|Top 10% of households||$118,200.
 
−
|-
 
−
! style="background:#FF9999;" colspan="2"|Languages<ref name="Dealing with Diversity">{{cite book | last =Adams | first =J.Q. | authorlink = | coauthors =Pearlie Strother-Adams | year =2001 | title =Dealing with Diversity | publisher =Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company | location =Chicago, IL | id = 0-7872-8145-X}}</ref><ref name="US Census Bureau, languages in the US">{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/prod/2005pubs/06statab/pop.pdf|coauthors=United States Census Bureau | title=Statistical Abstract of the United States: page 47: Table 47: Languages Spoken at Home by Language: 2003|accessdate = 2006-07-11}}</ref>
 
−
|-
 
−
|[[English language|English]] (''only'')||214.8 million
 
−
|-
 
−
|[[Spanish language|Spanish]]||29.7 million
 
−
|-
 
−
|[[Chinese language|Chinese]]||2.2 million
 
−
|-
 
−
|[[French language|French]] incl. [[Creole]]||1.4 million
 
−
|-
 
−
|[[Tagalog language|Tagalog]]||1.3 million
 
−
|-
 
−
|[[German language|German]]||1.1 million
 
−
|-
 
−
|[[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]]||1.1 million
 
−
|-
 
−
! style="background:#FF9999;" colspan="2"|SOURCE: U.S. Department of Commerce
 
−
|-
 
−
|}
 
−
</div>
 
−
 
−
On [[October 17]] [[2006]] at 7:46 a.m. EST, the United States' population stood at an estimated 300,000,000.<ref name=POP>[http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html#People People]. [[12 June]] [[2006]]. American Fact Finder. Accessed [[13 June]] [[2006]].</ref> This figure excludes persons living in the U.S. [[Illegal immigration to the United States|wihtout legal permission to do so]]. Due to the nation's size any population estimate needs to be seen as a somewhat rough figure, according to the U.S. [[United States Department of Commerce|Department of Commerce]].<ref name="Yahoo, News; rough nature of [[Demographics of the United States|US population]] estimates">{{cite web|url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061017/ap_on_re_us/300_million_milestone_3|title=Yahoo, News; rough nature of U.S. population estimates|accessdate = 2006-10-17}}</ref> According to the [[United States Census, 2000|2000 census]], about 79 percent of the population lived in [[urban area]]s.<ref>[http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&-_lang=en&-mt_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_GCTP1_US1&-format=US-1&-CONTEXT=gct "United States -- Urban/Rural and Inside/Outside Metropolitan Area"]. United States Census 2000. ''URL accessed [[29 May]] [[2006]].''</ref> The United States has a highly diverse population, being home to 31 [[ethnic group]]s with more than a million members.<ref>[http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/c2kbr-35.pdf Table 2. Ancestries With 100,000 or More People in 2000: 1990 and 2000]. Ancestry: 2000 - Census 2000 Brief. ''URL accessed [[May 29]] [[2006]].''</ref> Among racial demographics, [[whites]], who are of European ancestry, remained the largest racial group<ref name="US Census Bureau, race in 2005">{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=01000US&-ds_name=ACS_2005_EST_G00_&-mt_name=ACS_2005_EST_G2000_B02001|title=US Census Bureau, race in 2005|accessdate = 2007-01-24}}</ref> with [[German American|German-Americans]], [[Irish American|Irish-Americans]] and English-Americans constituting the three largest ethnic groups.<ref>[http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/c2kbr-35.pdf Figure 2 - Fifteen Largest Ancestries: 2000]. 2000. U.S. Census Bureau. ''URL accessed [[30 May]] [[2006]].''</ref> The percentages of whites among the general population is, however, declining.<ref name="Dealing with Diversity">{{cite book | last =Adams | first =J.Q. | authorlink = | coauthors =Pearlie Strother-Adams | year =2001 | title =Dealing with Diversity | publisher =Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company|location =Chicago, IL |id = 0-7872-8145-X}}</ref> African Americans, who are largely the descendants of former slaves, constituted the nation's largest racial and third largest [[Minority group|ethnic minority]].<ref name="US Census Bureau, race in 2005">{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=01000US&-ds_name=ACS_2005_EST_G00_&-mt_name=ACS_2005_EST_G2000_B02001|title=US Census Bureau, race in 2005|accessdate = 2007-01-24}}</ref><ref name="US Department of Commerce, ancestry in the U.S. as published on Factmonster, 2000">{{cite web|url=http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0762137.html|title=US Department of Commerce, ancestry in the U.S. as published on Factmonster, 2000|accessdate = 2007-01-24}}</ref>
 
−
 
−
[[Demographic transition|Demographic trends]] include the immigration of [[Hispanics]] from [[Latin America]] into the [[Southwest United States|Southwest]], a region that is home to about 60 percent of the 35 million Hispanics in the United States. Immigrants from [[Mexico]] make up about 66 percent of the Hispanic community and are the second largest ethnic group in the country.<ref>[http://www.ushcc.com/res-statistics.html Population & Economic Strength]. United States Hispanic [[Chamber of commerce|Chamber of Commerce]]. ''Accessed [[2 May]] [[2006]].''</ref> It is estimated that with current population trends [[White American|non-Hispanic Whites]] will become a plurality by 2040 to 2050. In the four "[[majority-minority state]]s" such as [[California]],<ref>[http://www.census.gov/popest/states/asrh/tables/SC-EST2005-03-06.xls California 2005 population]</ref> [[New Mexico]],<ref>[http://www.census.gov/popest/states/asrh/tables/SC-EST2005-03-35.xls New Mexico 2005 population]</ref> [[Hawaii]]<ref>[http://www.census.gov/popest/states/asrh/tables/SC-EST2005-03-15.xls Hawaii 2005 population]</ref> and [[Texas]]<ref>[http://www.census.gov/popest/states/asrh/tables/SC-EST2005-03-48.xls Texas 2005 population]</ref> such is already the case.
 
−
 
−
[[Crime in the United States]] is characterized by relatively high levels of [[Gun violence in the United States|gun violence]] and [[homicide]], compared to other [[developed country|developed countries]].<ref>{{cite journal |author=Krug, E.G, K.E. Powell, L.L. Dahlberg |year=1998 |title=Firearm-related deaths in the United States and 35 other high- and upper-middle income countries |journal=International Journal of Epidemiology |volume=7 |pages=pp. 214–221 |url=http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/27/2/214}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.unodc.org/unodc/crime_cicp_survey_seventh.html |title=The Seventh United Nations Survey on Crime Trends and the Operations of Criminal Justice Systems (1998–2000) |publisher=United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) |accessdate = 2006-11-08}}</ref>  [[drug policy of the United States|Its drug policy]] is a source of heated argument, and is partly responsible for a high [[incarceration]] rate among minority groups.<ref>www.hrw.org/reports/2000/usa/Rcedrg00-05.htm [[Human Rights Watch]]</ref>
 
−
 
−
===Indigenous peoples===
 
−
{{Main|Native Americans in the United States}}
 
−
The [[Indian Citizenship Act of 1924]] gave [[United States nationality law|United States citizenship]] to [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native Americans]], in part because of an interest by many to see them merged with the American mainstream, and also because of the service of many Native American veterans in the [[First World War]]. According to the 2003 census estimates, there are 2,786,652 Native Americans in the United States.
 
−
 
−
===Languages===
 
−
{{main|Languages of the United States}}
 
−
Although the United States has no official language at the federal level, [[English language|English]] is the ''[[de facto]]'' [[national language]]. In 2003, about 215 million, or 82 percent of the population aged five years and older, spoke only English at home.<ref name =EnglishatHome>{{cite web
 
−
| url = http://www.census.gov/prod/2005pubs/06statab/pop.pdf
 
−
| title = U.S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2006, Section 1 Population
 
−
| accessmonthday = [[16 October]]
 
−
| accessyear = 2006
 
−
| date =
 
−
| year =
 
−
| month =
 
−
| format = pdf
 
−
| publisher = U.S. Census Bureau
 
−
| pages = 59 pages
 
−
| language = English
 
−
}}</ref> English is the most common language for daily interaction among both native and non-native speakers. Knowledge of English is required of immigrants seeking [[naturalization]]. More languages are, however, used in daily life. [[Spanish language|Spanish]] is the second most [[spoken language]] and the most widely taught [[foreign language]].<ref>[http://www.census.gov/prod/2005pubs/06statab/pop.pdf United States Census Bureau], Statistical Abstract of the United States: page 47: Table 47: Languages Spoken at Home by Language: 2003</ref><ref>[http://www.adfl.org/resources/enrollments.pdf Foreign Language Enrollments in United States Institutions of Higher Learning], MLA Fall 2002.</ref> Some Americans advocate making English the [[official language]], which is the law in twenty-five states.<ref>[http://www.englishfirst.org/efstates.htm 25 States Have Made English Official (25 State Laws Still in Effect)]. Englishfirst.org. URL accessed [[21 May]] [[2006]].</ref> Three states also grant administrative status to languages other than English: [[Hawaiian language|Hawaiian]] in [[Hawaii]] (where it is granted official status by the Hawaiian Constitution), [[French language|French]] in [[Louisiana]], and Spanish in [[New Mexico]] (where the languages are not official but are promoted and preserved through several legislative acts).<ref>[http://www.hawaii.gov/lrb/con/conart15.html The Constitution of the State of Hawaii,] Article XV Section 4, [[7 November]] [[1978]].</ref><ref>[http://www.legis.state.la.us/ Louisiana State Legislature]</ref><ref>[http://64.132.204.47/NXT/gateway.dll?f=templates&fn=default.htm&vid=nm:all New Mexico Statues and Court Rules Unannotated]</ref>
 
−
 
−
===Largest cities===
 
−
{|align=right
 
−
|[[Image:Panorama clip3.jpg|thumb|right|New York City]]
 
−
|-
 
−
|[[Image:LosAngeles06.jpg|thumb|right|Los Angeles]]
 
−
|-
 
−
|[[Image:2004-07-14 2600x1500 chicago lake skyline.jpg|thumb|right|Chicago]]
 
−
|-
 
−
|}
 
−
{{main|List of United States cities by population|List of United States metropolitan areas}}
 
−
The [[List of United States cities by population|largest cities]] of the United States figure prominently in the economy, culture, and heritage of the U.S. In 2005, 254 [[incorporated place]]s in the U.S. had populations greater than 100,000, nine cities had populations greater than one million, and four [[global city|global cities]] had populations greater than 2 million ([[New York City]], [[Los Angeles]], [[Chicago]], and [[Houston]]).<ref name=PopEstBigCities>{{cite web | url = http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2005-01.csv | title = Table 1: Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places Over 100,000, Ranked by [[July 1]] [[2005]] Population: [[April 1]] [[2000]] to [[July 1]] [[2005]] | format = [[comma-separated values|CSV]] | work = 2005 Population Estimates | publisher = [[United States Census Bureau]], Population Division | date = [[2006-06-20]] | accessdate = 2007-01-26 }}</ref> The United States has 54 [[Table of United States primary census statistical areas|metropolitan areas]] with populations greater than one million.<ref name=PopEstMSA>{{cite web | url = http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/metropop/2005/cbsa-01-fmt.csv | title = Table 1. Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: [[April 1]] [[2000]] to [[July 1]] [[2005]] | format = [[comma-separated values|CSV]] | work = 2005 Population Estimates | publisher = [[United States Census Bureau]], Population Division | date = [[2006-08-18]] | accessdate = 2007-01-26 }}</ref>  [[Miami, Florida|Miami]], [[Washington, DC|Washington]], [[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta]], and [[Detroit, Michigan|Detroit]] are examples of cities whose populations of the cities proper are not in the top 10 in the U.S. but whose metropolitan areas rank in the top 10.
 
−
 
−
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right; margin-right:60px"
 
−
|-
 
−
!rowspan=2| Rank
 
−
!rowspan=2 align=center |City
 
−
!rowspan=2| Population<br><small> within<br>city limits<br>(2005)</small>
 
−
! rowspan=2| Population<br>Density<br><small> per sq mi</small>
 
−
! colspan=2 rowspan=1 |Metropolitan<br>Area
 
−
!rowspan=2| Region
 
−
|-
 
−
!rowspan=1|<small>population<br>(2006)</small>
 
−
!rowspan=1|<small>rank</small>
 
−
|-
 
−
| 1 ||align=left | [[New York City]] || '''8,143,197''' || 26,720.9 || 18,818,536 ||1||align=center | [[Northeastern United States|Northeast]]
 
−
|-
 
−
| 2 ||align=left | [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] || '''3,844,829''' || 8,198.0 || 12,950,129 ||2||align=center |[[Southwestern United States|Southwest]]
 
−
|-
 
−
| 3 ||align=left | [[Chicago]] || '''2,842,518''' || 12,750.3 || 9,505,748 ||3|| align=center |[[Midwestern United States|Midwest]]
 
−
|-
 
−
| 4 ||align=left | [[Houston, Texas|Houston]] || '''2,016,582''' || 3,371.7 || 5,539,949 ||6|| align=center |[[Southern United States|South]]
 
−
|-
 
−
| 5 ||align=left | [[Philadelphia]] || '''1,463,281''' || 11,233.6|| 5,826,742 ||5|| align=center |[[Northeastern United States|Northeast]]
 
−
|-
 
−
| 6 ||align=left | [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]] || '''1,461,575''' || 2,782.0|| 4,039,182 ||13|| align=center |[[Southwestern United States|Southwest]]
 
−
|-
 
−
| 7 ||align=left | [[San Antonio, Texas|San Antonio]] || '''1,256,509''' || 2,808.5|| 1,942,217 ||29 || align=center |[[Southwestern United States|Southwest]]
 
−
|-
 
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| 8 ||align=left | [[San Diego, California|San Diego]] || '''1,255,540''' || 3,771.9 || 2,941,454 ||17||align=center | [[Southwestern United States|Southwest]]
 
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|-
 
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| 9 ||align=left | [[Dallas, Texas|Dallas]] || '''1,213,825''' || 3,469.9|| 6,003,967 ||4|| align=center |[[Southern United States|South]]
 
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|-
 
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|10 ||align=left | [[San Jose, California|San Jose]] || '''912,332''' || 5,117.9|| 1,787,123 ||30 || align=center |[[Southwestern United States|Southwest]]
 
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|}
 
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===Religion===
 
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[[Image:Pisgah.jpg|thumb|left|A [[North Carolina]] church in the largely Protestant [[Bible Belt]].]]
 
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{{main|Religion in the United States}}
 
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The United States government keeps no official register of Americans' religious status.<ref>http://www.census.gov/prod/www/religion.htm</ref> However, in a private survey conducted in 2001 and mentioned in the Census Bureau's ''Statistical Abstract of the United States'', 76.7 percent of American adults identified themselves as [[Christian]]; about 52 percent of adults described themselves as members of various [[Protestant]] denominations. [[Roman Catholicism in the United States|Roman Catholics]], at 24.5 percent, were the most populous individual denomination. The most popular other faiths include [[Judaism]] (1.4 percent), [[Islam in the United States|Islam]] (0.5 percent), [[Buddhism]] (0.5 percent), [[Hinduism]] (0.4 percent) and [[Unitarian Universalism]] (0.3 percent).<ref>[http://www.gc.cuny.edu/faculty/research_briefs/aris/key_findings.htm American Religious Identification Survey], [[CUNY Graduate Center]] ARIS 2001.</ref> About 14.2 percent of respondents described themselves as having no religion. The religious distribution of the 5.4 percent who elected not to describe themselves for the survey (up from 2.3 percent in 1990) is unknown. Although the total U.S. population grew by 18.5 percent between 1990 and 2001, 13 religious groups declined in absolute numbers, while 20 groups more than doubled in number.<ref>[http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/tables/07s0073.xls Self-Described Religious Identification of Adult Population: 1990 and 2001]. U.S. Census Bureau's ''Statistical Abstract of the United States'', 2006. See [[Religion in the United States]] for a complete tabulation.</ref>
 
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<br clear=all>
 
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===Education===
 
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[[Image:RotundaII.jpg|left|thumb|The [[University of Virginia]], designed by [[Thomas Jefferson]], is one of 19 U.S. [[World Heritage Site]]s]]
 
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[[Image:Stanford University Hoover Tower.JPG|thumb|[[Stanford University]], one of many renowned private universities]]
 
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{{main|Education in the United States|Educational attainment in the United States}}
 
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[[Education in the United States]] is a combination of public and private entities. [[Public education]] is the responsibility of state and local governments, rather than the federal government. The [[United States Department of Education|Department of Education]] of the federal government, however, exerts some influence through its ability to control funding. Students are generally obliged to attend school starting with [[kindergarten]], and ending with the [[Twelfth grade|12th grade]], which is normally completed at age 18, but many states may allow students to drop out as early as age 16. Parents may also choose to educate their own children at [[homeschooling|home]] or to send their children to [[parochial school|parochial]] or [[private school]]s.
 
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The United Nations assigned an Education Index of 99.9 to the United States, ranking it and 20 other nations as tied for the highest score.<ref name=undp>{{cite web |url=http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/2005/pdf/HDR05_HDI.pdf |title=Human development indicators |accessdate = 2006-11-07 |format=PDF |work=United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Reports}}</ref> The United States has a basic [[literacy rate]] at 98 percent<ref name=EDU>[http://nces.ed.gov/NAAL/PDF/2006470.PDF A First Look at the Literacy of America’s Adults in the 21st century], U.S. Department of Education, 2003. Accessed [[5 October]] [[2006]]. 2% of the population still do not have basic literacy and 14 percent have Below Basic prose literacy.</ref> to 99 percent<ref name="CIA World Factbook"> of the population older than age 15. As for [[Educational attainment in the United States|educational attainment]], 27.2 percent of the population aged 25 and above have earned a [[bachelor's degree]] or higher, and 84.6 percent have graduated high school.<ref name="Educational attainment according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 2003">{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/p20-550.pdf|title=Educational attainment according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 2003|accessdate = 2006-08-01}}</ref>
 
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After [[high school]], most graduates voluntarily go on to [[community college]]s, state colleges, private colleges, [[university|universities]], or trade schools. Tuition for these institutions can range from $1000 to more than $40,000 a year.  Many American university students use [[student loan]]s and public and private [[scholarship]]s to pay their tuition.  Many of these [[financial aid]] programs are subsidized by both federal and [[U.S. state|state]] governments. [[Public university|Public universities]] receive part of their funding from those same governments. [[Alumni]] donations and other sources also contribute large amounts of funding to both public and [[Private university|private universities]], and most of the [[List of US colleges and universities by endowment|top university endowments]] in the world are owned by [[universities in the United States]]. Tuition at private universities is generally much higher than at public universities. There are many competitive [[List of colleges and universities in the United States|institutions of higher education]] in the United States, both private and public. The United States has 168 universities in the world's top 500, 17 of which are in the top 20.<ref>[http://ed.sjtu.edu.cn/rank/2005/ARWU2005Statistics.htm ARWU2005 Statistics] by [[Shanghai Jiao Tong University|Shanghai Jiao Tong university]]. URL accessed on 05 October 2006</ref> There are also many smaller universities and [[liberal arts]] colleges, and local [[community college]]s of varying quality across the country with open admission policies.
 
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===Health===
 
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{{main|Health care in the United States}}
 
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The overall healthcare attainment of the United States [[health care system]] was ranked 15th by the [[World Health Organization]].<ref>[http://www.who.int/whr/2000/en/annex09_en.pdf "Overall Health system attainment in all Member States] 1997. World Health Organization. Accessed [[29 November]] [[2006]].</ref> The United States far outspends (combined private and public expenditures) any other nation in healthcare, measured in terms of both per capita spending and percentage of GDP.<ref>''OECD Health Data 2000: A Comparative Analysis of 29 Countries'' (Paris: OECD, 2000); see also [http://dll.umaine.edu/ble/U.S.%20HCweb.pdf "The US Healthcare System: The Best in the World or Just the Most Expensive?] 2001. The University of Main. Accessed [[29 November]] [[2006]].</ref> This spending has not correlated with a high ranking in many public health metrics. The [[The World Factbook|CIA World Factbook]] indicates that the United States has a higher [[infant mortality]] rate and slightly lower [[life expectancy]] than some other post-industrial Western nations such as [[Sweden]],<ref name="CIA Factbook, Sweden health">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sw.html#People|title=CIA Factbook, [[Sweden]] health|accessdate = 2006-10-31}}</ref> [[Germany]]<ref name="CIA Factbook, Germany health">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gm.html#People|title=CIA Factbook, Germany health|accessdate = 2006-10-31}}</ref> or [[France]].<ref name="CIA Factbook, France health">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/fr.html#People|title=CIA Factbook, France health|accessdate = 2006-10-31}}</ref><ref name="CIA World Factbook"><ref name="CIA World Factbook"> The average salary of a physician in the U.S. is the highest in the world.<ref>[http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/abstract/21/3/169?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=cross-national+comparison&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT]</ref>
 
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Unlike the aforementioned European countries, the U.S. healthcare system is not fully [[publicly funded health care|publicly-funded]], instead relying on a mix of public and private funding. In 2004, private insurance paid for 36 percent of personal health expenditure, private out-of-pocket payments covered 15 percent, and federal, state, and local governments paid for 44 percent.<ref>[http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus06.pdf Health, United States, 2006]. [[United States Department of Health and Human Services|U.S. Department of Health and Human Services]], [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]], [[National Center for Health Statistics]].</ref>
 
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In 2005, 41.2 million people in the U.S. (14.2 percent of the population) were without healthcare insurance for at least part of that year.<ref>[http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus06.pdf Health, United States, 2006]. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics.</ref> Many of these people may have been between jobs for part of the year, which could leave them without coverage as health insurance is often provided as a benefit of employment. Not all those without insurance were unable to afford it — approximately one third of the 41.2 million who were without insurance for part of the year lived in households with annual incomes greater than $50,000, with half of these having an income of greater than $75,000.<ref>[http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/hlthins/hlthin05.html Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2005.] U.S. Census Bureau.</ref> Presumably some of these people chose not to purchase insurance, for example because they perceived themselves as being at low risk of serious illness. Another third of the 41.2 million were eligible for public health insurance programs but had not signed up for them.<ref>Dr. David Gratzer, senior fellow at the [[Manhattan Institute]]. Interviewed in the Sun, in the article [http://www.nysun.com/article/46304?page_no=1 Momentum Grows on Health Care].</ref> This leaves substantially fewer than 41.2 million people who were without access to healthcare insurance because they could not afford to purchase it privately. Although [[Emergency department|emergency care facilities]] are required to provide service regardless of the patient's ability to pay, medical bills remain the most common reason for personal [[bankruptcy]] in the United States.<ref>[http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/full/hlthaff.w5.63/DC1 "Illness And Injury As Contributors To Bankruptcy"], by David U. Himmelstein, [[Elizabeth Warren]], Deborah Thorne, and Steffie Woolhandler, published at Health Affairs journal in 2005, ''Accessed 05 October 2006''.</ref> [[Obesity]] is also a serious [[public health]] problem, estimated to cost tens of [[1000000000 (number)|billions]] of dollars annually.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3418603.stm "Obesity cost US $75bn, says study" by Jannat Jalil]. [[21 January]] [[2004]]. ''BBC''. Retrieved on [[5 October]] [[2006]].</ref>
 
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The nation spends a substantial amount on [[medical research]], mostly privately-funded. As of 2000, non-profit private organizations funded 7 percent (such as the [[Howard Hughes Medical Institute]]), private industry funded 57 percent, and the tax-funded [[National Institutes of Health]] funded 36 percent of medical research in the U.S.<ref>[http://hsc.utoledo.edu/research/nih_research_benefits.pdf The Benefits of Medical Research and the Role of the NIH].</ref> As of 2003, the NIH funded 28 percent of medical research funding; funding by [[Private sector|private industry]] increased 102 percent from 1994 to 2003.<ref name="Medical Research Spending Doubled Over Past Decade"> [http://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/HealthPolicy/tb/1767 Medical Research Spending Doubled Over Past Decade], Neil Osterweil, [[MedPage Today]], [[September 20]] [[2005]]</ref>
 
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==Culture==
 
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[[Image:Elvis presley.jpg|thumb|right|[[Elvis Presley]] in 1957]]
 
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{{main|Culture of the United States}}
 
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The United States is a diverse and multicultural nation, home to a wide variety of ethnic groups and cultures.<ref name="Society in Focus">{{cite book | last = Thompson | first = William | authorlink = | coauthors = Joseph Hickey | year = 2005 | title = Society in Focus | publisher = Pearson | location = Boston, MA | id = 0-205-41365-X}}</ref><ref name="Dealing with Diversity">{{cite book | last =Adams | first =J.Q. | authorlink = | coauthors =Pearlie Strother-Adams | year =2001 | title =Dealing with Diversity | publisher =Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company | location =Chicago, IL |id = 0-7872-8145-X}}</ref>  The culture held in common among most Americans has evolved from that of colonial Dutch and English settlers. [[Culture of England|English]], [[German culture|German]], and [[Culture of Ireland|Irish]] cultures and later Italian, Greek, and [[Ashkenazi Jews|Eastern European Jewish]] cultures had a significant influence on modern American culture. Descendants of enslaved West Africans preserved some cultural traditions from [[West Africa]] in the early United States. Geographical place names largely reflect the combined English, [[Netherlands|Dutch]], French, German, Spanish, and Native American components of U.S. history.<ref name="Dealing with Diversity">{{cite book | last =Adams | first =J.Q. | authorlink = | coauthors =Pearlie Strother-Adams | year =2001 | title =Dealing with Diversity | publisher =Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company | location =Chicago, IL |id = 0-7872-8145-X}}</ref>
 
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Brought to the United States by the [[American Dream]], the idea that a person can [[social mobility|gain a better life]] through mere perseverance,<ref>Boritt, Gabor S. ''Lincoln and the Economics of the American Dream''. Page 1. [[1994|December 1994]]. [[University of Illinois Press]]. ISBN 0-252-06445-3.</ref> these immigrant cultures blended together.  The effect can be described as a [[melting pot]], immigrants from other cultures bring unique cultural aspects which are incorporated into the larger American culture and adopt features of the mainstream culture. Alternatively, it can also be seen as a [[Salad bowl (cultural idea)|salad bowl]], in which immigrant cultures retain some of their unique characteristics while culturally intermingling.<ref>Joyce Millet, [http://www.culturalsavvy.com/understanding_american_culture.htm Understanding American Culture: From Melting Pot to Salad Bowl]. [http://culturalsavvy.com Cultural Savvy]. Accessed 05 October 2006.</ref><ref name="Dealing with Diversity">{{cite book | last =Adams | first =J.Q. | authorlink = | coauthors =Pearlie Strother-Adams | year =2001 | title =Dealing with Diversity | publisher =Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company|location =Chicago, IL |id = 0-7872-8145-X}}</ref>
 
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===Cinema===
 
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[[Image:Hollywood-Sign-cropped.jpg|thumb|left|The iconic [[Hollywood sign]]]]
 
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{{main|Cinema of the United States}}
 
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The birth of [[Cinema of the United States|cinema]], as well as its development, largely took place in the United States. In 1878, the first recorded instance of sequential photographs capturing and reproducing motion was [[Eadweard Muybridge]]'s series of a [[:Image:The Horse in Motion.jpg|running horse]], which the British-born photographer produced in [[Palo Alto, California|Palo Alto]], [[California]], using a row of still cameras. Since then, the American film industry, based in [[Hollywood, California|Hollywood]], [[California]], has had a profound effect on cinema across the world. Other genres that originated in the United States and spread worldwide include the [[American comic book|comic book]] and [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney's]] [[animated film]]s.
 
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===Cuisine===
 
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[[Image:Motherhood and apple pie.jpg|thumb|right|American cultural icons, such as [[apple pie]], [[baseball]], and the [[Flag of the United States|American flag]].]]
 
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{{main|Cuisine of the United States}}
 
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[[Cuisine of the United States|American cuisine]] uses Native American ingredients such as [[Turkey (bird)|turkey]], [[potatoes]], [[maize|corn]], and [[squash (fruit)|squash]], which have become integral parts of American culture. Such popular icons as [[apple pie]], [[pizza]], and [[hamburger]]s are either derived from or are actual European dishes. [[Burritos]] and [[taco]]s have their origins in Mexico. [[Soul food]], which originated among [[History of slavery|African slaves]], is popular in the U.S. as well. However, many foods now enjoyed worldwide either originated in the United States or were altered by American cooks.
 
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===Literature===
 
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{{main|Literature of the United States}}
 
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Americans have produced much notable [[literature]] across genres — its citizens have won the [[Nobel Prize in Literature]] twelve times.  [[Toni Morrison]] became the most recent recipient in 1993. The genre of literature which captures the American essence in its narrative is the '[[Great American Novel]]'. The term has been used to describe [[Herman Melville]]'s ''[[Moby-Dick]]'', [[Mark Twain]]'s ''[[The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn]]'', [[F. Scott Fitzgerald]]'s ''[[The Great Gatsby]]'', and [[J.D. Salinger]]'s ''[[The Catcher in the Rye]]''.
 
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===Music===
 
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{{main|Music of the United States}}
 
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Music also traces to the country's diverse cultural roots through an array of styles. [[rock music|Rock]], [[pop music|pop]], [[soul music|soul]], [[hip hop music|hip hop]], [[country music|country]], [[blues]], and [[jazz]] are among the country's most internationally renowned [[genre]]s. Since the late 19th century, popular recorded music from the United States has become increasingly known across the world, such that some forms of American [[popular music]] are heard almost everywhere.<ref>Provine, Rob with Okon Hwang and Andy Kershaw. "Our Life Is Precisely a Song" in the ''Rough Guide to World Music, Volume 2'', pg. 167. ISBN 1-85828-636-0.</ref>
 
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===Sports===
 
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[[Image:2006 Pro Bowl tackle.jpg|thumb|right|[[Pro Bowl]], 2006.]]
 
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{{main|Sports in the United States}}
 
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[[Sport]]s are a [[National sport|national pastime]], and playing sports, especially [[American football|football]], [[baseball]], [[basketball]], and [[ice hockey]].<ref>Hunter, Marques. ''Top five popular sports in America''. Ledger. [[University of Washington, Tacoma]]. [[December 4]], [[2003]]. ''Accessed [[January 26]], [[2007]].''</ref>  Youths are encouraged to participate in sports starting from pee-wee leagues, through high-school, into college and eventually culminating in [[professional sports]], which in the U.S. is a sizable business venture.<ref>[http://www.forbes.com/2004/06/23/04athletesland.html "The Best-Paid Athletes"]. [[24 June]], [[2004]]. Forbes.com. ''Accessed [[2 May]] [[2006]].''</ref> [[Auto racing]], particularly [[NASCAR]], has also enjoyed a surge in popularity since the 1970s. However, [[American Football]] is arguably the most popular [[spectator sport]] in the United States.<ref>Maccambridge, Michael. ''America's Game : The Epic Story of How Pro Football Captured a Nation.'' [[26 October]], [[2004]]. Random House. ISBN 0-375-50454-0</ref>
 
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Eight [[Olympic Games|Olympiads]] have [[United States at the Olympics|taken place in the United States]], with the premier Summer Olympics being held four times (St. Louis 1904, Los Angeles 1932 and 1984, and Atlanta 1996).  In terms of medals won, the United States ranks second all-time in the [[Winter Olympic Games|Winter Games]], with 216 (78 gold, 81 silver, and 59 bronze),<ref>[http://www.infoplease.com/ipsa/A0115207.html All-Time Medal Standings, 1924–2002]. Information Please. ''Accessed [[14 September]], [[2006]]''.</ref><ref>[http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/past/table_uk.asp?OLGT=2&OLGY=2006 Turin 2006 Medal Table]. ''Accessed [[14 September]] [[2006]]''.</ref> and first in the [[Summer Olympic Games|Summer Games]], with 2,321 (943 gold, 736 silver, and 642 bronze).<ref>[http://www.infoplease.com/ipsa/A0115108.html All-Time Medal Standings 1896–2000]. Information Please. ''Accessed [[14 September]] [[2006]]''.</ref><ref>[http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/past/table_uk.asp?OLGT=1&OLGY=2004 Athens 2004 Medal Table]. ''Accessed [[14 September]] [[2006]]''.</ref>
 
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===Visual arts===
 
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[[Image:Mountrushmore.jpg|thumb|left|[[Mount Rushmore]], a sculpture of four prominent American presidents]]
 
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{{main|Visual arts of the United States}}
 
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In the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries [[Visual arts of the United States|American art]] took most of its cues from Europe. Painting, sculpture, and literature looked to Europe as a model, and for approval. By the end of the U.S. Civil War, a more native voice had emerged in [[American literature]]. [[Mark Twain]], [[Emily Dickinson]], and [[Walt Whitman]] all spoke in an American vernacular and voice. Visual art was slower to find its own distinct American expression. The 1913 [[Armory Show]] in New York City, an exhibition which brought European modernist artists' work to the U.S., both shocked the public and influenced art making in the United States for the remainder of the twentieth century. The exhibition had a twofold effect of communicating to American artists that art making was about expression, not only aesthetics or [[Realism (arts)|realism]], and at the same time showing that Europe had abandoned its conservative model of ranking artists according to a strict academic hierarchy.
 
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==See also==
 
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{{main|List of United States-related topics}}
 
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{{US topics}}
 
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==Footnotes==
 
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<div class="references-small"><div class="references-2column">
 
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<references/>
 
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</div>
 
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==Further reading==
 
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{{portal}}
 
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<div class="references-small">
 
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* Browne, Ray B. ed. ''The Guide to United States Popular Culture'' (2001) (ISBN 0879728213)
 
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* ''CQ Guide to Current American Government: Spring 2007'' (2006)
 
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* Jonathan Crowther. ''Oxford Guide to British and American Culture for Learners of English.'' (2004)
 
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* M. Thomas Inge and Dennis Hall, eds. ''The Greenwood Guide to American Popular Culture'' (4 vol 2002)
 
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* Johnson, Paul M. ''A History of the American People''. 1104 pages. Harper Perennial: 1999. ISBN 0-06-093034-9, conservative historian
 
−
* Stanley I. Kutler, ed. ''Encyclopedia of the United States in the Twentieth Century.'' (4 vol 1995)
 
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* Colin A. Palmer, ed. ''Encyclopedia Of African American Culture And History: The Black Experience in the Americas'' 6 vol. (2005)
 
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* ''The Oxford Essential Guide to the U.S. Government'' (2000)
 
−
* Larry Schweikart and Michael Patrick Allen. ''A Patriot's History of the United States: From Columbus's Great Discovery to the War on Terror'' (2007), conservative
 
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* George Tindall and David Shi. ''America: A Narrative History,'' Seventh Edition, (2006), college textbook
 
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</div>
 
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==External links==
 
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{{sisterlinks|United States}}
 
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; Government
 
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* [http://www.usa.gov Official U.S. government Web portal] - Gateway to governmental sites
 
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* [http://www.whitehouse.gov White House] - Official site of the President of the United States
 
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* [http://www.senate.gov Senate] - Official site of the United States Senate
 
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* [http://www.house.gov House] - Official site of the United States House of Representatives
 
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* [http://www.supremecourtus.gov Supreme Court] - Official site of the Supreme Court of the United States
 
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* [http://www.firstgov.gov/Agencies/federal.shtml U.S. Federal Government]
 
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; Directories
 
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* [http://dmoz.org/Regional/North_America/United_States/ Open Directory Project - "United States"] - Volunteer directory
 
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; Overviews
 
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* [http://wikitravel.org/en/United_States United States at Wikitravel] - [[Guide book|Travel Guide]] and tourist information on United States
 
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* [http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/ U.S. Census Housing and Economic Statistics] Updated regularly by U.S. Bureau of the Census.
 
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* [http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/factover/ Portrait of the United States] - Published by the United States Information Agency, September 1997.
 
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* [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html CIA World Factbook Entry for United States]
 
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* [http://www.britannica.com/nations/United-States Encyclopaedia Britannica, United States - Country Page]
 
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* [http://www.teacheroz.com/states.htm Info links for each state]
 
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* [http://www.ers.usda.gov/statefacts/ Population, employment, income, and farm characteristics by State]
 
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; History
 
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* [http://www.nationalcenter.org/HistoricalDocuments.html Historical Documents]
 
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* [http://www.religioustolerance.org/nat_mott.htm National Motto: History and Constitutionality]
 
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* [http://www.historicalstatistics.org/index2.html Historicalstatistics.org] - Links to historical statistics of USA
 
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; Maps
 
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* [http://www.wikimapia.org/#y=41771312&x=-99492187&z=4&l=0&m=a WikiSatellite view of United States] at [[WikiMapia]]
 
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* [http://nationalatlas.gov/ The National Atlas of the United States.]
 
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* [http://www.united-states-map.org United States map]
 
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; Immigration
 
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* [http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/index.htm U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services] [[U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services|USCIS]].gov.
 
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* [http://www.immihelp.com/citizenship/us-citizenship-sample-civics-questions.html U.S. citizenship sample civics questions for naturalization interview] Immihelp.com - from an immigrant to future immigrants.
 
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* [http://www.iandoli.com/documents/Sample_Civics_Questions.html Civic Orientation - Sample Questions for Naturalization]
 
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; Other
 
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* [http://www.idea.int/countryprofile.cfm?CountryCode=US Voter turnout, Gender quotas, Electoral system design and Political party financing in United States]
 
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[[Category:Wikipedia content]]
 
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[[Category:Geography pages]]
 

Latest revision as of 07:35, 9 August 2009

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