Land use:
arable land: 19%
permanent crops : 0%
permanent pastures: 25%
forests and woodland: 30%
other: 26% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 207,000 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquake activity around
Pacific Basin; hurricanes along the Atlantic coast; tornadoes in the
midwest; mud slides in California; forest fires in the west; flooding;
permafrost in northern Alaska is a major impediment to development

Environment - current issues: air pollution resulting in acid rain in
both the US and Canada; the US is the largest single emitter of carbon
dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels; water pollution from runoff
of pesticides and fertilizers; very limited natural fresh water
resources in much of the western part of the country require careful
management; desertification

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Antarctic
Treaty, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test
Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,
Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Desertification,
Hazardous Wastes

Geography - note: world's third-largest country (after Russia and
Canada)

@United States:People

Population: 267,954,764 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 22% (male 29,837,393; female 28,450,028)
15-64 years: 65% (male 87,170,245; female 88,400,551)
65 years and over : 13% (male 13,975,746; female 20,120,801) (July
1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.89% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 14.6 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 8.8 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 3.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years : 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 6.55 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 76.04 years
male: 72.75 years
female : 79.49 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.06 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality:
noun: American(s)
adjective: American

Ethnic groups: white 83.4%, black 12.4%, Asian 3.3%, Amerindian 0.8%
(1992)

Reli