Statistical information United States 1989United%20States

Map of United States | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year:  | More stats

United States in the World
United States in the World

StudentUniverse


United States - Introduction 1989
top of page


Background: Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and II and the end of the Cold War in 1989, the US remains the world's most powerful nation-state. The economy is marked by steady growth, low unemployment, low inflation, and rapid advances in technology. The biggest cloud over this affluent society is the distribution of gains_since 1975 most of the increase in national income has gone to the 20% of people at the top of the income ladder.


United States - Geography 1989
top of page


Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area

Land boundaries:
12,248.1 km total
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:200 meters Extended economic zone:200 nm Territorial sea:12 nm

Climate: mostly temperate, but varies from tropical (Hawaii) to arctic (Alaska; arid to semiarid with occasional warm, dry chinook wind in west

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

Elevation

Natural resources: coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, crude oil, natural gas, timber
Land use

Land use: 20% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 26% meadows and pastures; 29% forest and woodland; 25% other; includes 2% irrigated

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: world's fourth-largest country (after USSR, Canada, and China)


United States - People 1989
top of page


Population: 248,231,030 (July 1989), growth rate 0.9% (1989)

Nationality: noun - American(s; adjective - American

Ethnic groups: 85% white, 12% black, 3% other (1985)

Languages: predominantly English; sizable Spanish-speaking minority

Religions: Protestant 61% (Baptist 21%, Methodist 12%, Lutheran 8%, Presbyterian 4%, Episcopalian 3%, other Protestant 13%), Roman Catholic 25%, Jewish 2%, other 5%; none 7%

Demographic profile
Age structure

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 15 births/1000 population (1989)

Death rate: 9 deaths/1000 population (1989)

Net migration rate: 2 migrants/1000 population (1989)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: 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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 10 deaths/1000 live births (1989)

Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 79 years female (1989)

Total fertility rate: 1.9 children born/woman (1989)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: 99%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


United States - Government 1989
top of page


Country name: conventional long form: United States of America; abbreviated US or USA

Government type: 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, Pennyslvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Dependent areas: (2) American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Palmyra Atoll, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Wake Island. Since 18 July 1947, the US has administered the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, but recently entered into a new political relationship with three of the four political units. The Northern Mariana Islands is a Commonwealth associated with the US (effective 3 November 1986). Palau concluded a Compact of Free Association with the US that was approved by the US Congress but to date the Compact process has not been completed in Palau, which continues to be administered by the US as the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. 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 21 June 1788

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: all citizens over age 18; not compulsory

Executive branch

Legislative branch: Department of the Army, Department of the Navy (including Marine Corps), Department of the Air Force

Judicial branch

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ADB, ANZUS, Bank of International Settlements, CCC, CENTO, Colombo Plan, DAC, FAO, ESCAP, GATT, Group of 10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICEM, ICES, ICO, IDA, IDB - Inter-American Development Bank, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, ILZSG, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IPU, IRC, ITC, ITU, IWC - International Whaling Commission, IWC - International Wheat Council, NATO, OAS, OECD, PAHO, SPC, UN, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WSG, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: US Representative to the UN, Ambassador Thomas R. PICKERING; Mission at 799 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10,017; telephone (212) 415-4,444

Flag descriptionflag of United%20States: thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 50 small white five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars; the 50 stars represent the 50 states, the 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies; known as Old Glory; the design and colors have been the basis for a number of other flags including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


United States - Economy 1989
top of page


Economy overview: The US has the largest and most diversified economy in the world. In 1988 it ranked among the top 10 countries with a per capita GNP of nearly $20,000 and the economy entered its seventh successive year of growth, the longest in peacetime history. The expansion has featured continued moderation in wage and consumer price increases, an unemployment rate of 5.5%, (the lowest in nine years), and an inflation rate of 4.1%. The trade deficit, which has grown every year since 1980, started to narrow in late 1987 as the weakening dollar stimulated export demand and depressed import growth. On the negative side, the US became a net debtor nation for the first time in recent history in 1987.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving
Gdp composition by sector of origin

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: food grains, feed crops, oil-bearing crops, cattle, dairy products; an illegal producer of cannabis

Industries: leading industrial power in the world, highly diversified; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, fishing, lumber, mining

Industrial production growth rate: 5.0% (1988)

Labor force: 123,000,000 (includes armed forces and unemployed; civilian labor force 121,000,000 (1988)
Labor force

Unemployment rate: 5.5% (1988)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $976 billion; expenditures $1,137 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (FY89 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $322.3 billion (f.o.b., 1988)
Commodities: capital goods, automobiles, industrial supplies and raw materials, consumer goods, agricultural products
Partners: Canada 24.2%, Japan 12.3% (1986)

Imports: $440.9 billion (c.i.f., 1988)
Commodities: crude and partly refined petroleum, machinery, automobiles, consumer goods, industrial raw materials, food and beverages
Partners: Japan 21.8% , Canada 19.1% (1986)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $400 billion (December 1987)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: British pounds (L) per US$ - 0.5631 (January 1989), 0.5614 (March 1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985; Canadian dollars (Can$) per US$ - 1.1914 (January 1989), 1.2307 (1988), 1.3260 (1987), 1.3895 (1986), 1.3655 (1985; French francs (F) per US$ - 6.2503 (January 1989), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261 (1986), 8.9852 (1985; Italian lire (Lit) per US$ - 1,344.2 (January 1989), 1,301.6 (1988), 1,296.1 (1987), 1,490.8 (1986), 1,909.4 (1985; Japanese yen (Y) per US$ - 127.23 (January 1989), 128.15 (1988), 144.64 (1987), 168.52 (1986), 238.54 (1985; FRG deutsche marks (DM) per US$ - 1.8304 (January 1989), 1.7562 (1988), 1.7974 (1987), 2.1715 (1986), 2.9440 (1985)


United States - Energy 1989
top of page


Electricity
Capacity: 768,349,000 kW capacity; 2,900,313 million kWh produced, 11,790 kWh per capita (1988)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


United States - Communication 1989
top of page


Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


United States - Military 1989
top of page


Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $282.2 billion; 27.8% of central government budget (FY87)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


United States - Transportation 1989
top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 15,422 in operation (1981)

Heliports

Pipelines: 275,800 km petroleum, 305,300 km natural gas (1985)

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 41,009 km of navigable inland channels, exclusive of the Great Lakes (est.)

Merchant marine: NA

Ports and terminals


United States - Transnational issues 1989
top of page


Disputes international: maritime boundary dispute with Canada; 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; 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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs


VRBO


You found a piece of the puzzle

Please click here to complete it
SurfShark