onment:
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
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
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, Wetlands, Whaling; signed, but
not ratified - Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds,
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Desertification,
Hazardous Wastes, Tropical Timber 94

Geographic note: world's fourth-largest country (after Russia,
Canada, and China)

People
------

Population: 266,476,278 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 22% (male 29,718,390; female 28,335,934)
15-64 years: 65% (male 86,225,056; female 87,411,573)
65 years and over: 13% (male 13,850,234; female 20,021,655) (July
1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.91% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 14.8 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 8.8 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 3.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 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: 0.69 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.96 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 6.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.95 years
male: 72.65 years
female: 79.41 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.06 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: American(s)
adjective: American

Ethnic divisions: white 83.4%, black 12.4%, Asian 3.3%, Native
American 0.8% (1992)

Religions: Protestant 56%, Roman Catholic 28%, Jewish 2%, other
4%, none 10% (1989)

Languages: English, Spanish (spoke