America, and Sometimes the States, Is a Federal Republic[1 7][18] Consisting of 50 States and a Federal District

The United States of America (USA or U.S.A.), commonly referred to as the United States (US or U.S.), America, and sometimes the States, is a federal republic[1 7][18] consisting of 50 states and a federal district. The 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C., are in central North America between Canada and Mexico. Th e state of Alaska is the northwestern part of North America and the state of Haw aii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. The country also has five populated an d nine unpopulated territories in the Pacific and the Caribbean. At 3.80 million square miles (9.85 million km2)[4] and with around 318 million people, the Unit ed States is the world's third- or fourth-largest country by total area and thir d-largest by population. It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and mu lticultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many countries. [19] The geography and climate of the United States is also extremely diverse, a nd it is home to a wide variety of wildlife. Paleo-Indians migrated from Eurasia to what is now the U.S. mainland around 15,0 00 years ago,[20] with European colonization beginning in the 16th century. The United States emerged from 13 British colonies located along the Atlantic seaboa rd. Disputes between Great Britain and these colonies led to the American Revolu tion. On July 4, 1776, as the colonies were fighting Great Britain in the Americ an Revolutionary War, delegates from the 13 colonies unanimously issued the Decl aration of Independence. The war ended in 1783 with the recognition of independe nce of the United States from the Kingdom of Great Britain, and was the first su ccessful war of independence against a European colonial empire.[21][22] The cur rent Constitution was adopted on September 17, 1787. The first ten amendments, c ollectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guar antee many fundamental civil rights and freedoms. Driven by the doctrine of manifest destiny, the United States embarked on a vigo rous expansion across North America throughout the 19th century.[23] This involv ed displacing native tribes, acquiring new territories, and gradually admitting new states.[23] The American Civil War ended legal slavery in the country.[24] B y the end of the 19th century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean ,[25] and its economy began to soar.[26] The SpanishAmerican War and World War I confirmed the country's status as a global military power. The United States eme rged from World War II as a global superpower, the first country to develop nucl ear weapons, the only country to use them in warfare, and as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. The end of the Cold War and the dissolut ion of the Soviet Union left the United States as the sole superpower.[27] The United States is a developed country and has the world's largest national ec onomy.[6] The economy is fueled by an abundance of natural resources and high wo rker productivity.[28] While the U.S. economy is considered post-industrial, it continues to be one of the world's largest manufacturers.[29] The country accoun ts for 37% of global military spending,[30] being the world's foremost economic and military power, a prominent political and cultural force, and a leader in sc ientific research and technological innovations.[31] Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2.1 Native American and European contact 2.2 Settlements 2.3 Independence and expansion 2.4 Civil War and Reconstruction Era 2.5 Industrialization 2.6 World War I, Great Depression, and World War II 2.7 Cold War and civil rights era 2.8 Contemporary history 3 Geography, climate, and environment 4 Demographics 4.1 Population 4.2 Language 4.3 Religion 4.4 Family structure 5 Government and politics 5.1 Political divisions 5.2 Parties and elections 5.3 Foreign relations 5.4 Government finance 5.4.1 National debt 6 Military 7 Crime and law enforcement 8 Economy 8.1 Income, poverty and wealth 9 Infrastructure 9.1 Transportation 9.2 Energy 10 Science and technology 11 Education 12 Health 13 Culture 13.1 Mass media 13.2 Cinema 13.3 Comics 13.4 Music 13.5 Literature, philosophy, and the arts 13.6 Food 13.7 Sports 14 See also 15 Notes 16 References 17 Bibliography 17.1 Website sources 18 External links Etymology See also: Names for United States citizens In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a world map on whic h he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere "America" after the Italian explo rer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci (Latin: Americus Vespucius).[32] The first documentary evidence of the phrase "United States of America" is from a letter dated January 2, 1776, written by Stephen Moylan, Esq., George Washington's aide -de-camp and Muster-Master General of the Continental Army. Addressed to Lt. Col . Joseph Reed, Moylan expressed his wish to carry the "full and ample powers of the United States of America" to Spain to assist in the revolutionary war effort .[33] The first publicly published evidence of the phrase "United States of America" w as in an anonymously written essay in The Virginia Gazette newspaper in Williams burg, Virginia, on April 6, 1776.[34][35] In June 1776, Thomas Jefferson include d the phrase "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" in all capitalized letters in the headli ne of his "original Rough draught" of the Declaration of Independence.[36][37] I n the final Fourth of July version of the Declaration, the pertinent section of the title was changed to read, "The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America".[38] In 1777 the Articles of Confederation announced, "The S tile of this Confederacy shall be 'The United States of America'".[39] The short form "United States" is also standard. Other common forms include the "U.S.", the "U.S.A.", and "America". Colloquial names include the "U.S. of A." a nd, internationally, the "States". "Columbia", a name popular in poetry and song s of the late 1700s,[40] derives its origin from Christopher Columbus; it appear s in the name "District of Columbia". In non-English languages, the name is freq uently the translation of either the "United States" or "United States of Americ a", and colloquially as "America". In addition, an abbreviation (e.g. USA) is so metimes used.[41] The phrase "United States" was originally treated as plural, a description of a collection of independent statese.g., "the United States are"including in the Thir teenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1865. It became common to treat it as singular, a single unite.g., "the United States is"after the end of the Civil War. The singular form is now standard; the plural form is ret ained in the idiom "these United States".[42] The difference has been described as more significant than one of usage, but reflecting the difference between a c ollection of states and a unit.[43] The standard way to refer to a citizen of the United States is as an "American". "United States", "American" and "U.S." are used to refer to the country adjecti vally ("American values", "U.S. forces"). "American" is rarely used in English t o refer to subjects not connected with the United States.[44] History Main articles: History of the United States and Timeline of United States histor y Native Americans meeting with Europeans, 1764 Native American and European contact Further information: Pre-Columbian era and Colonial history of the United States The first North American settlers migrated from Siberia by way of the Bering lan d bridge approximately 15,000 or more years ago.[20][45][46] Some, such as the p re-Columbian Mississippian culture, developed advanced agriculture, grand archit ecture, and state-level societies. After European explorers and traders made the first contacts, the native population declined due to various reasons, includin g diseases such as smallpox and measles,[47][48] intermarriage,[49] and violence .[50][51][52] In the early days of colonization many settlers were subject to shortages of foo d, disease and attacks from Native Americans. Native Americans were also often a t war with neighboring tribes and allied with Europeans in their colonial wars.[ 53] At the same time however many natives and settlers came to depend on each ot her. Settlers traded for food and animal pelts, natives for guns, ammunition and other European wares.[54] Natives taught many settlers where, when and how to c ultivate corn, beans and squash in the frontier. European missionaries and other s felt it was important to "civilize" the Indians and urged them to concentrate on farming and ranching without depending on hunting and gathering.[55][56] Settlements Further information: European colonization of the Americas and 13 colonies Signing of the Mayflower Compact, 1620 After Columbus' first voyage to the New World in 1492 other explorers and settle ment followed into the Floridas and the American Southwest.[57][58] There were a lso some French attempts to colonize the east coast, and later more successful s ettlements along the Mississippi River. Successful English settlement on the eas tern coast of North America began with the Virginia Colony in 1607 at Jamestown and the Pilgrims' Plymouth Colony in 1620. Early experiments in communal living failed until the introduction of private farm holdings.[59] Many settlers were d issenting Christian groups who came seeking religious freedom.

Load more