n by a sizable minority)

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1979 est.)
total population: 97%
male: 97%
female: 97%

Government
----------

Name of country:
conventional long form: United States of America
conventional short form: United States
abbreviation: US or USA

Data code: US

Type of government: federal republic; strong democratic tradition

Capital: Washington, DC

Administrative divisions: 50 states and 1 district*; Alabama,
Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut,
Delaware, District of Columbia*, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho,
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine,
Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri,
Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico,
New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee,
Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia,
Wisconsin, Wyoming

Dependent areas: American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland
Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands,
Navassa Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palmyra Atoll, Puerto
Rico, Virgin Islands, Wake Island
note: from 18 July 1947 until 1 October 1994, the US administered
the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, but recently entered
into a new political relationship with all four political units: the
Northern Mariana Islands is a Commonwealth in political union with
the US (effective 3 November 1986); Palau concluded a Compact of
Free Association with the US (effective 1 October 1994); the
Federated States of Micronesia signed a Compact of Free Association
with the US (effective 3 November 1986); the Republic of the
Marshall Islands signed a Compact of Free Association with the US
(effective 21 October 1986)

Independence: 4 July 1776 (from England)

National holiday: Independence Day, 4 July (1776)

Constitution: 17 September 1787, effective 4 March 1789

Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of
legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President William Jefferson
CLINTON (since 20 January 1993) and Vice President Albert GORE, Jr.
(since 20 January 1993) were elected for four-year terms b