km2
Land area:
9,166,600 km2; includes only the 50 states and District of Colombia
Comparative area:
about three-tenths the size of Russia; about one-third the size of Africa;
about one-half the size of South America (or slightly larger than Brazil);
slightly smaller than China; about two and one-half times the size of
Western Europe
Land boundaries:
12,248.1 km; Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska), Mexico 3,326
km, Cuba (US naval base at Guantanamo) 29.1 km
Coastline:
19,924 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone:
12 nm
Continental shelf:
not specified
Exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
maritime boundary disputes with Canada (Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait
of Juan de Fuca); US Naval Base at Guantanamo is leased from Cuba and only
mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease;
Haiti claims Navassa Island; US has made no territorial claim in Antarctica
(but has reserved the right to do so) and does not recognize the claims of
any other nation; Marshall Islands claims Wake Island
Climate:
mostly temperate, but varies from tropical (Hawaii) to arctic (Alaska); arid
to semiarid in west with occasional warm, dry chinook wind
Terrain:
vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in east;
rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged, volcanic
topography in Hawaii
Natural resources:
coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron,
mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, crude oil, natural gas,
timber
Land use:
arable land 20%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 26%; forest and
woodland 29%; other 25%; includes irrigated 2%
Environment:
pollution control measures improving air and water quality; acid rain;
agricultural fertilizer and pesticide pollution; management of sparse
natural water resources in west; desertification; tsunamis, volcanoes, and
earthquake activity around Pacific Basin; continuous permafrost in northern
Alaska is a major impediment to development
Note:
world's fourth-largest country (after Russia, Canada, and China)

:United States People

Population:
254,521,000 (July 1992), growth rate 0.8% (1992)
Birth rate:
14 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
9 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
N