Statistical information United States 1990

United States in the World
top of pageBackground: Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and II and the end of the Cold War in 1990, 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.
top of pageLocationGeographic coordinatesMap referenceAreaLand 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 claimsContiguous zone: 12 nm
Continental shelf: not specified
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
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
ElevationNatural resources: coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, crude oil, natural gas, timber
Land use: 20% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 26% meadows and pastures; 29% forest and woodland; 25% other; includes 2% irrigated
Irrigated landMajor riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographyNote: world's fourth-largest country (after USSR, Canada, and China)
top of pagePopulation: 250,410,000 (July 1990), growth rate 0.9% (1990)
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 profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rateBirth rate: 15 births/1000 population (1990)
Death rate: 9 deaths/1000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: 2 migrants/1000 population (1990)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent 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 pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 10 deaths/1000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male, 80 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 1.9 children born/woman (1990)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: 99%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry 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. U.S. U.S. U.S. 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 4 June 1789
Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: universal at age 18
Executive branch: Chief of State and Head of Government--President George BUSH (since 20 January 1989; Vice President Dan QUAYLE (since 20 January 1989)
Legislative branch: Department of the Army, Department of the Navy (including Marine Corps), Department of the Air Force
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation: ADB, ANZUS, CCC, Colombo Plan, DAC, FAO, ESCAP, GATT, 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 representationIn 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 description
: 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 symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: The US has the most powerful and diversified economy in the world, with a per capita GNP of over $21,000, the largest among the major industrial nations. In 1989 the economy entered its eighth 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 5.2%, (the lowest in 10 years), and an inflation rate of 4.8%. On the negative side, the US enters the 1990s with massive budget and trade deficits, huge and rapidly rising medical costs, and inadequate investment in industrial capacity and economic infrastructure.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rateReal gdp per capitaGross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: accounts for 2% of GNP and 2.8% of labor force; favorable climate and soils support a wide variety of crops and livestock production; world's second-largest producer and number-one exporter of grain; surplus food producer; fish catch of 5.7 million metric tons (1987)
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: 3.3% (1989)
Labor force: 125,557,000 (includes armed forces and unemployed; civilian labor force 123,869,000 (1989)
Unemployment rate: 5.2% (1989)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $976 billion; expenditures $1,137 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (FY89 est.)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: 1 October-30 September
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $322.3 billion (f.o.b., 1988)
Commodities: capital goods, automobiles, industrial supplies and raw materials, consumer goods, agricultural products
Partners: Canada 22.9%, Japan 11.8% (1988)
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 19.6% , Canada 19.1% (1988)
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $532 billion (December 1988)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: British pounds (L) per US$--0.6055 (January 1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987), 0.6817 (1986), 0.7714 (1985; Canadian dollars (Can$) per US$--1.1885 (February 1990), 1.2307 (1988), 1.3260 (1987), 1.3895 (1986; French francs (F) per US$--5.695 (February 1990), 5.9569 (1988), 6.0107 (1987), 6.9261 (1986), 8.9852 (1985; Italian lire (Lit) per US$--1,244.8 (February 1990), 1,301.6 (1988), 1,296.1 (1987), 1,490.8 (1986), 1,909.4 (1985; Japanese yen (Y) per US$--145.55 (February 1990), 128.15 (1988), 144.64 (1987), 168.52 (1986), 238.54 (1985; FRG deutsche marks (DM) per US$--1.6775 (February 1990), 1.7562 (1988), 1.7974 (1987), 2.1715 (1986), 2.9440 (1985)
top of pageElectricityCapacity: 776,550,000 kW capacity; 2,958,300 million kWh produced, 11,920 kWh per capita (1989)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresPercent of gdp: 5.8% of GNP, or $302.8 billion (1989)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 15,422 in operation (1981)
HeliportsPipelines: 275,800 km petroleum, 305,300 km natural gas (1985)
RailwaysRoadwaysWaterways: 41,009 km of navigable inland channels, exclusive of the Great Lakes (est.)
Merchant marine: 373 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling NA GRT/NA DWT; includes 2 passenger-cargo, 37 cargo, 22 bulk, 165 tanker, 13 tanker tug-barge, 10 liquefied gas, 124 intermodal; in addition there are 248 government-owned vessels
Ports and terminalstop of pageDisputes international: maritime boundary disputes 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 personsIllicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for domestic consumption with 1987 production estimated at 3,500 metric tons or about 25% of the available marijuana; ongoing eradication program aimed at small plots and greenhouses has not reduced production