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	<!--PLEASE USE AMERICAN ENGLISH THROUGHOUT THIS ARTICLE: use labor not labour; and football or soccer in the place of American football or association football. Thank you.
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	{{dablink\|This article is about the country in North America. For other uses of terms that redirect here, see ], ] and ].}}
	{{Infobox_Country
	\|native_name = United States of Whatever
	\|common_name = the United States
	\|image_flag = Flag of the United States.svg
	\|image_coat = USSeal.png\|20px
	\| symbol_type = Great Seal
	<!--Please read the talk page before editing this-->
	\| national_motto = {{lang\|la\|'']''}} (traditional)<br>'']'' (official, 1956–present)
	\| image_map = LocationUSA.png
	\| national_anthem = "]"
	\| official_languages = ];<br />] '']''
	\| capital = ]
	\| latd=38\|latm=53\|latNS=N\|longd=77\|longm=02\|longEW=W
	\| government_type = ]
	\| leader_title1 = ]
	\| leader_title2 = ]
	\| leader_name1 = ]
	\| leader_name2 = ]
	\| largest_city = ]
	\| area = 9,631,420
	\| areami² = 3,718,695
	\| area_rank = 3rd<sup>1</sup>
	\| area_magnitude = 1 E12
	\| percent_water = 4.87
	\| population_estimate = {{uspop commas}}<ref>Extrapolation from </ref> <!-- automatically updated extrapolation -->
	\| population_estimate_year = 2006
	\| population_estimate_rank = 3rd
	\| population_census = 281,421,906
	\| population_census_year = 2000
	\| population_density = 31
	\| population_densitymi² = 80
	\| population_density_rank = 172nd
	\| GDP_PPP_year = 2006
	\| GDP = $12.40 ]
	\| GDP_PPP = $13.049 ]
	\| GDP_PPP_rank = 1st
	\| GDP_PPP_per_capita = $43,555
	\| GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 3rd
	\| HDI_year=2003
	\| HDI=0.944
	\| HDI_rank=10th
	\| HDI_category=<font color="#009900">high</font>
	\| sovereignty_type = ]
	\| established_event1 = ]
	\| established_event2 = ]
	\| sovereignty_note = From ]
	\| established_date1 = ] ]
	\| established_date2 = ], ]
	\| currency = ] ($)
	\| currency_code = USD
	\| country_code = USA
	\| time_zone =
	\| utc_offset = -5 to -10
	\| time_zone_DST =
	\| utc_offset_DST = -4 to -10
	\| cctld = ] ] ] ] ]
	\| calling_code = 1
	\| HDI = 0.944
	\| HDI_rank = 10th
	\|ISO_3166-1_alpha2 = US
	\|ISO_3166-1_alpha3 = USA
	\|ISO_3166-1_numeric =
	\|sport_code = USA
	\|vehicle_code = USA

	\| footnotes = 1.) Area rank is '']'' with China and sometimes is ranked 3rd or 4th.
	}}
	{{United States Labelled Map\|float=right}}
	<!-- The opening paragraphs on this subject are a topic of great debate. Check the talk page before editing. -->
	The '''United States of America''' (also known as the '''United States''', the '''U.S.''', the '''U.S.A.''', the '''U.S. of A.''', and '''America''') is a ] in ] that extends from the ] to the ] and shares land borders with ] and ] and a sea border with ] and ]. The United States is a ], with its ] in ]

	The present-day ] has been inhabited for at least 15,000 years by ].<ref>"Indian, American", 2001 Standard Edition CD-ROM of ''The ] Encyclopedia'': "Most scientists think the first Indians came to the Americas from Asia at least 15,000 years ago. Other scientists believe the Indians may have arrived as early as 35,000 years ago. By 12,500 years ago, Indians had spread throughout the New World and were living from the Arctic in the north all the way to southern South America."</ref> After ] in the ], the ] established their own colonies—and gained control of others that had been begun by other European nations—in the eastern portion of the continent in the 17th and early 18th centuries. On ] ], at ] with ] over fair governance, ] ] their ]. In 1783, the war ended in British acceptance of the new nation. Since then, the United States of America has more than quadrupled in size: it now consists of 50 ] and one ]; it also has numerous ].

	At over 3.7 million ]s (over 9.5 million ]), the U.S. is the ] by total area, depending on whether ]'s figures include its ]. It is the world's ], with over 300 million people.

	The date of the Declaration of Independence, ], ], is generally considered to be the date on which the U.S. was founded. The first federal government was constituted under the ], adopted in 1781. The Articles were replaced by the ], adopted in 1787. Since its establishment, the ] nature of the government has grown as ] has been extended to more citizens. American military, economic, cultural, and political influence increased throughout the 20th century. With the ] at the end of the ], the nation emerged as the world's sole remaining ].<ref>. July/August 2004. Council on Foreign Relations. ''URL accessed July 14, 2006.''</ref> Today, the United States plays a major role in world affairs.

	==Name==
	''See also: ]''

	The earliest known use of the name '']'' is from 1507, when a globe and a large map created by the ] cartographer ] in ] described the combined continents of North and South America. Although the origin of the name is uncertain,<ref></ref> the most widely held belief is that expressed in an accompanying book, '']'', which explains it as a ] version of the ] name of Italian explorer ] (''Americus Vespucius''); in Latin, the other continents' names were all feminine. Vespucci theorized, correctly, that ], on reaching islands in the ] in 1492, had come not to ] but to a "]".

	] were also known as '']'', after Columbus, prompting the name ''District of Columbia'' for the land set aside as the U.S. capital. ''Columbia'' remained a popular name for the United States until the early 20th century, when it fell into relative disuse; but it is still used poetically and appears in various names and titles. One female ] of the country is called ''Columbia''; she is similar to ].<ref>http://www.nasa.gov/columbia/home/index.html</ref><sup></sup><ref>http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/C/htmlC/columbiabroa/columbiabroa.htm</ref><sup></sup><ref>http://www.reelclassics.com/Studios/Columbia/columbia.htm</ref><sup></sup><ref>http://memory.loc.gov/cocoon/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.200000004/default.html</ref> ] is a holiday in the U.S. and other countries in the Americas commemorating Columbus' October 1492 landing.

	The term <!--NOTE: Declaration has "united", NOT "United"-->"united States of America" was first used officially in the ], adopted on ] ]. On ] ], the ] adopted the ], the first of which stated "The Stile of this Confederacy shall be 'The United States of America.'"

	The ] and ]ic forms for the United States are '']'', a point of ] among some, particularly ]ns.

	==Geography==
	{{main\|Geography of the United States}}
	]
	] vegetation and ]s prevail in the east, transitioning to ], ] forests, and the ] in the west, and ]s in the southwest. In the northeast, the coasts of the ] and ] host much of the country's population.]]
	], a dormant volcano in the ].]]
	The United States is the world's third largest country by land area, after Russia and Canada.<ref>. 20 April 2006. CIA World Factbook. ''URL accessed 3 May 2006.''</ref> Its ] is bounded by the North ] to the east, the North ] to the west, ] and the ] to the south, and Canada to the north. The state of ] also borders Canada, with the Pacific Ocean to its south and the ] to its north. West of Alaska, across the narrow ], is Russia. The state of ] occupies an ] in the Pacific Ocean, southwest of the ]n mainland.

	===Terrain===
	The U.S. has an extremely varied geography, particularly in the ]. The eastern seaboard has a ] which is widest in the south and narrows in the north. The coastal plain does not exist north of ], although there are glacial ] plains on ], ], and ]. In the extreme southeast, ] is home to the ecologically unique ].

	Beyond the coastal plain, the rolling hills of the ] region end at the ], which rise above 6,000 ] (1,830 ]) in ], ], and ]. From the west slope of the Appalachians, the ] of the ] are relatively flat and are the location of the ] as well as the ]-], the world's ].<ref>. 2004. Visit Bemidji- First City on the Mississippi. ''URL accessed May 3, 2006.''</ref> West of the Mississippi River, the Interior Plains slope uphill and blend into the vast and often featureless ].

	The abrupt rise of the ], at the western edge of the Great Plains, extends north to south across the continental U.S., reaching altitudes over 14,000 feet (4,270 m) in ].<ref>Peakbagger.com, , ''URL accessed May 3, 2006.''</ref> In the past, the Rocky Mountains had a higher level of volcanic activity; nowadays, the range only has one area of ] (the ] underlying ] in ], possibly the world's largest volcano), although ] volcanism has occurred relatively recently near the Rockies' southern margin in ].<ref>Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program, , ''URL accessed August 26, 2006.''</ref> Dozens of high mountain ranges, salt flats such as the ], and valleys are found in the ] region located west of the Rockies and east of the Sierra Nevada, which also has deep chasms, including the ]. At the southwestern end of the Great Basin, ] lies 282 feet (86 m) below sea level, the second lowest dry land on Earth. It is the lowest point in the ] and is situated near the ].

	North of the Great Basin and east of the ] in the ] is the ], a large igneous province shaped by one of the largest ]s on Earth. It is marked by dark black rocks. Surrounding the ] region lies the ], named after the ], which flows through it. The Plateau is generally high in elevation, has highly eroded sandstone, and the soil is a blood red in some locations. Many national parks, such as ], ], ], and ] are in the area. West of the Great Basin, the ] mountain range has ], the highest peak in the coterminous U.S. Along the Pacific coast, the ] and the volcanic Cascade Range extend from north to south across the country. The northwestern Pacific coast shares the world's largest ] with Canada.

	Alaska has numerous mountain ranges, including ] (Denali), the highest peak in North America. Numerous volcanoes can be found throughout the ] and ] extending south and west of the Alaskan mainland.

	The Hawaiian islands are ] extending over 1,500 ]s (2,400 ]), and consisting of six larger islands and another dozen smaller ones that are inhabited.
	], in ], part of the Rocky Mountains, next to the ]. ] described the two as America's ] and ].]]

	===Climate===
	The ] of the U.S. is as varied as its landscape. In northern Alaska, ] and ] conditions predominate, and the temperature has fallen as low as minus 80 °] (−62 °]).<ref>Williams, Jack , ''USA today'', ''URL accessed 13 June, 2006.''</ref> On the other end of the spectrum, ] once reached 134 °F (56.7 °C), the second-highest temperature ever recorded on Earth.<ref name="Death_Valley">{{cite web \| url = http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/upload/Weather.pdf \| title = Weather and Climate \| accessmonthday = October 5 \| accessyear = 2006 \| year = 2002 \| month = January \| format = PDF \| work = Official website for Death Valley National Park \| publisher = National Park Service U. S. Department of the Interior \| pages = 1-2}}</ref>

	On average, the mountains of the western states receive the highest levels of snowfall on Earth. The greatest annual snowfall level is at ] in ], at 692 ]es (1,758 cm); the record there was 1,122 inches (2,850 cm) in the winter of 1971–72. Other places with significant snowfall outside the Cascade Range are the ], near the ], and the ], near ]. In the east, while snowfall does not approach western levels, the region near the Great Lakes and the mountains of the Northeast receive the most. Along the northwestern Pacific coast, rainfall is greater than anywhere else in the continental U.S., with ] in Washington having an average of 137 inches (348 cm).<ref>National Atlas, , ''URL accessed 15 June 2006.''</ref> Hawaii receives even more, with 460 inches (1,168 cm) measured annually on ], in ]. The ], in the southwest, is home to the driest locale in the U.S. ], ], has an average of 2.63 inches (6.68 cm) of ] each year.<ref>Hereford, Richard, et al, , ''U.S. Geological Survey, Fact Sheet 117-03'', ''URL accessed 13 June 2006.''</ref>

	In central portions of the U.S., ]es are more common than anywhere else on Earth<ref>NOVA, , ''Hunt for the Supertwister'', ''URL accessed 15 June 2006.''</ref> and touch down most commonly in the spring and summer. Deadly and destructive ]s occur almost every year along the Atlantic seaboard and the Gulf of Mexico. The Appalachian region and the Midwest experience the worst floods, though virtually no area in the U.S. is immune to flooding. The Southwest has the worst droughts; one is thought to have lasted over 500 years and to have decimated the ] people.<ref>O'Connor, Jim E. and John E. Costa, , ''U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1245'', ''URL accessed 13 June 2006.''</ref> The West is affected by large wildfires each year.

	==History==
	{{main\|History of the United States}}
	===Native Americans===
	Before the ], a process that began at the end of the 15th century, the present-day continental U.S. was inhabited exclusively by various ], including ], who migrated to the ] over a period that may have begun 35,000 years ago and may have ended as recently as 11,000 years ago.<ref>. 1999. Smithsonian Institution. ''Accessed 2 May 2006.''</ref>

	===European colonization===
	]'', which transported ] to the New World, arrived in 1620.]]
	The first confirmed European landing in the present-day United States was by ] ], who landed in 1513 in ], and as part of his claim, the first European settlement was established by Don ] on the site of a ] Indian village in 1565 at ]. The ] ] some of the ] portions, and the ] colonized most of the ] and ] United States. The first successful ] settlement was at ], ], in 1607, followed in 1620 by the ]' landing at ], ], and then the arrival of the colony of ], started by the ]s. In 1609 and 1617, respectively, the ] ] in part of what became ] and ]. In 1638, the ] founded ], in part of what became ], New Jersey, and ] after passing through Dutch hands. Throughout the 17th and early 18th centuries, England (and later Great Britain) established new colonies, took over Dutch colonies, and split others. With the division of the ] in 1729, and the colonization of ] in 1732, the ] in North America—excluding present-day Canada, and the loyal colonies of ] and ]—numbered thirteen.

	===American Revolution===
	] to the Continental Congress]]
	{{main\|American Revolution\|American Revolutionary War}}
	Tensions between American colonials and the British during the ] of the 1760s and 1770s led to open ] in 1775. The British Colonies of ] and ] and ] did not join in the rebellion against Great Britain. ] commanded the ] during the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) as the ] adopted the Declaration of Independence on ], ]. The Second Continental Congress had been formed to confront British actions and created the Continental Army, but it did not have the authority to levy ]es or make federal laws. In 1777, the Congress adopted the ], uniting the states under a weak federal government, which operated from 1781 until 1788, when enough states had ratified the ]. The Constitution, which strengthened the union and the federal government, has since remained the supreme law of the land.<ref>Yanak, Ted and Cornelison, Pam. ''The Great American History Fact-finder: The Who, What, Where, When, and Why of American History''. Page 114. Houghton Mifflin; 2nd Updated edition: 27 August 2004. ISBN 0-618-43941-2</ref>

	Following the war, ], soldiers and civilians, were evacuated from the colonies and resettled in other ] of the British Empire, most notably to ], ], ] and ] in what is now ].

	===Westward expansion===
	{{main\|Manifest Destiny}}
	]
	From 1803 to 1848, the size of the new nation nearly tripled as settlers (many embracing the concept of ] as an inevitable consequence of ]) pushed beyond national boundaries even before the ].<ref>. Crossroads of Earth Resources and Society. URL accessed on 4 May 2006.</ref> The expansion was tempered somewhat by the stalemate in the ], but it was subsequently reinvigorated by victory in the ] in 1848.

	===Civil War===
	], a major turning point of the ]. The victory of the Union kept the country united.]]
	{{main\|American Civil War}}
	As new territories were being incorporated, the nation was divided over the issue of ], the role of the federal government, and—by the 1820s—the expansion of ], which had been legal in all thirteen colonies but was rarer in the north, where it was abolished by 1804. The ] were opposed to the expansion of slavery whereas the Southern states saw the opposition as an attack on their way of life, since their economy was dependent on slave labor. The failure to permanently resolve these issues led to the ], following the secession of many ]s in the South to form the ] after the ] of ].<ref>Morrison, Michael A ''Slavery and the American West: The Eclipse of Manifest Destiny and the Coming of the Civil War''. Page 176. University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 0-8078-4796-8.</ref> The 1865 Union victory in the Civil War effectively ended slavery and settled the question of whether a state had the right to secede. The event was a major turning point in American history, with an increase in federal power.<ref>De Rosa, Marshall L. ''The Politics of Dissolution: The Quest for a National Identity and the American Civil War''. Page 266. Transaction Publishers: 1 January 1997. ISBN 1-56000-349-9</ref>

	===Reconstruction and industrialization===
	], 1902. Today, the majority of Americans are the descendants of European immigrants who arrived in the 18<sup>th</sup>, 19<sup>th</sup> and early 20<sup>th</sup>; many of whom arrived at Ellis Island.]]
	After the Civil War, an unprecedented influx of ], who helped to provide labor for American industry and create diverse communities in ]—together with high tariff protections, national infrastructure building, and national banking regulations—hastened the country's rise to international power. The growing power of the United States enabled it to acquire new territories, including the annexation of ] after victory in the ],<ref>Spielvogel, Jackson J. ''Western Civilization: Volume II: Since 1500''. Page 708. Wadsworth Publishing: 10 January 2005. ISBN 0-534-64604-2</ref> which marked the debut of the United States as a ].

	===World War I and II===
	], 1936.]]
	{{main\|World War I\|World War II}}
	At the start of the ] in 1914, the United States remained neutral. In 1917, however, the United States joined the ], helping to turn the tide against the ]. For historical reasons, American sympathies were very much in favor of the British and French, even though a sizable number of citizens, mostly Irish and German, were opposed to intervention.<ref>Eric Foner and John A. Garraty, ''The Reader's Companion to American History.'' Page 576. 21 October 1991. Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0-395-51372-3.</ref> After the war, the ] did not ratify the ] because of a fear that it would pull the United States into European affairs. Instead, the country pursued a policy of ] that bordered at times on ].<ref>McDuffie, Jerome, Piggrem, Gary Wayne, and Woodworth, Steven E. ''U.S. History Super Review''. Page 418. Research & Education Association: 21 June 2005. ISBN 0-7386-0070-9</ref>

	During ], the United States enjoyed a period of unbalanced prosperity as farm prices fell and industrial profits grew. A rise in debt and an inflated ] culminated in a ] in 1929, triggering the ]. After his election as ] in 1932, ] instituted his plan for a ], which increased government intervention in the economy in response to the Great Depression.

	The nation did not fully recover until 1941, when the United States was driven to join the ] against the ] after a surprise ] by ]. ] was the costliest war in American history,<ref>. The National WWII Museum, New Orleans. Last accessed October 24, 2006.</ref><ref>. David R. Francis, '']''. August 29, 2005. Last accessed October 24, 2006.</ref> but it helped to pull the economy out of depression because the required production of military ] provided much-needed jobs, and women entered the workforce in large numbers for the first time. During this war, ] working for the United States federal government succeeded in producing ], making the United States the world's first ]. Toward the end of World War II, after the ], the United States dropped ], Japan. ] soon after, on ] ], which ended World War II.<ref>Walker, John F, and Vatter, Harold G ''The Rise of Big Government in the United States''. Page 63. M.E. Sharpe: May 1997. ISBN 0-7656-0067-6.</ref>

	===Cold War and civil rights===
	] ] on the moon during the first manned landing, 1969.]]
	{{main\|Cold War\|American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968)}}
	After World War II, the United States and the ] became superpowers in an era of ideological rivalry dubbed the ]. The United States promoted ] and ], while the Soviet Union ] and a centrally ]. The result was a series of ]s, including the ], the ], the tense nuclear showdown of the ], and the ].

	The perception that the United States was losing the ] spurred government efforts to raise proficiency in mathematics and science in schools<ref>Rudolph, John L. ''Scientists in the Classroom: The Cold War Reconstruction of American Science Education''. Page 1. Palgrave Macmillan: 3 May 2002. ISBN 0-312-29571-5.</ref> and led to President ]'s call for the United States to land "a man on the ]" by the end of the 1960s, which was realized in 1969.<ref>Rudolph, John L. ''Scientists in the Classroom: The Cold War Reconstruction of American Science Education''. Page 1. Palgrave Macmillan: 3 May 2002. ISBN 0-312-29571-5.</ref>

	Meanwhile, American society experienced a period of sustained economic expansion. At the same time, discrimination across the United States, especially in the South, was increasingly challenged by a growing ] headed by prominent ]s such as ], which led to the abolition of the ] in the South.<ref>Klarman, Michael J. ''From Jim Crow to Civil Rights: The Supreme Court and the Struggle for Racial Equality''. Page 552. Oxford University Press, USA: 4 May 2006. ISBN 0-19-531018-7.</ref>

	After the ] in 1991, the United States continued to intervene militarily overseas, for example in the ]. It remains the worlds only Superpower.

	===September 11, 2001 and the War on Terrorism===
	{{main\|September 11, 2001 attacks\|War on Terror}}
	On ] ], 19 ] operatives ] four commercial airplanes and flew two planes into the ] towers, one plane into ], and the fourth plane was brought down by passengers in ], ]. After the 9/11 attacks U.S. foreign policy then focused on the global threat of ]. In response, the United States government under ] ] began a series of military and legal operations termed the ]. The War on Terror began on October 7, 2001 when a U.S.-led coalition launched military operations in Afghanistan which led to the removal of the ] rule and the expulsion of the terrorist organization ] and its leader ].<!--DO NOT CHANGE THIS WORD WITHOUT FIRST DISCUSSING IT--> The events of September 11 led to a preemptive policy against threats to U.S. security, known as ].

	In the ] ] President George Bush labeled North Korea, Iraq, and Iran "the axis of evil," and stated that these countries "constitute a grave threat to the security of the U.S. and its allies." Beginning later that year, the Bush administration began to press for regime change in the rogue state of ]. After many failed U.N. resolutions and Saddam Hussien rejecting demands to surrender, the United States and its allies ] in March of 2003. The Bush administration justified its invasion with a charge that Iraq had stockpiled ], and was seeking nuclear weapons.<ref>http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/10/20021007-8.html</ref> After the invasion only a limited number of non-nuclear stockpiles were found, and the Bush administration later admitted having acted on flawed intelligence. As of October 2006, the Iraq War remains an ongoing event.

	==Government and politics==
	<!--Please add new information into relevant articles of the series-->
	{{main\|Federal government of the United States\|Politics of the United States}}
	]
	The United States is the longest-surviving extant ], with the oldest wholly written ] in the world. Its government operates as a ] through a ] under a set of powers specified by its ]. There are three levels of government: federal, state, and local. Officials at all three levels are either elected by voters in a ] or appointed by other elected officials. Executive and legislative offices are decided by a ] of citizens in their respective districts, with judicial and cabinet-level offices nominated by the Executive branch and approved by the Legislature. In some states, judicial posts are filled by popular election rather than executive appointment.

	The federal government comprises three branches, which are designed to ] one another's powers:
	*]: The ], made up of the ] and the ], which makes federal law, declares war, approves treaties and has powers of impeachment.
	*]: The ], who appoints, with Senate approval, the ] and other officers, who administers and enforces federal law, can veto bills, and is Commander in Chief of the military.
	*]: The ] and lower federal courts, whose judges are appointed by the President with Senate approval, that interpret laws and their validity under the Constitution, and can overturn laws they deem unconstitutional.

	The United States Congress is a ] legislature. The House has 435 members, each representing a ] for a two-year term. House seats are ] among the ] according to ] every tenth year. Each state is guaranteed at least one representative: currently, seven states have one each; ], the most populous state, has 53. Each state has two senators, elected ] to six-year terms; one third of Senate seats are up for election every second year.

	]Under the country's ], the relationship between the state and national governments is complex; under ], states are considered sovereign entities. However, the American Civil War and '']'' established that states do not have the right to secede, and, under the Constitution, they are not allowed to conduct ]. ] overrides ] in the areas in which the federal government is empowered to act; but the powers of the federal government are subject to limits outlined in the Constitution. All powers not granted to the federal government in the Constitution are left to the states or the people themselves. However, the "]" and "]" clauses of the Constitution legally allow the extension of federal powers into other affairs, though this is the topic of considerable debate over ].

	The ] is the supreme legal document in the American system, and serves as a ] between the people of the United States and their government. All laws and procedures of both state and federal governments are subject to review, and any law ruled to violate the Constitution by the judicial branch is overturned. The Constitution is a living document. It can be amended by a variety of methods, all of which require the approval of an overwhelming majority of the states. The Constitution has been amended 27 times, the ] in ].

	The Constitution contains a dedication to "preserve ]" with a "]" and other ], which guarantee ], ], and ]; the ]; ]; ]; and ]. However, the extent to which these rights are protected and universal in practice is heavily debated. The Constitution also guarantees to every State "a Republican Form of Government". However, the meaning of that guarantee has been only slightly explicated.<ref>http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/article04/</ref>

	There are two major political parties: the ] and the ]. The Republicans are generally ] and economically ] with some right-leaning centrists. The Democrats are generally socially liberal and economically ] with some left-leaning centrists. Growing numbers of Americans identify with neither party—with some claiming the title Independent and others joining emerging parties, including the ], ], and ] parties. Except for a Democrat plurality in the Senate in 2001–02,<ref>Secretary of the Senate. United States Senate Art & History: . Retrieved ] ].</ref> the Republican Party has held the majority in both houses of Congress since the ]; since 2001, the President has been ], a Republican.

	===Foreign relations and military===
	{{main\|Foreign relations of the United States\|Military of the United States}}
	], ] (right) at ] in March 2003, hosting the ], ].]]
	The United States has vast economic, political, and military influence on a global scale, which makes its foreign policy a subject of great interest and discussion around the world. Almost all countries have ] in Washington, D.C., and ]s around the country. However, ], ], ], and ] do not have formal diplomatic relations with the United States.<ref>. February 2003. U.S. Department of Justice. ''URL accessed May 30, 2006''.</ref> The United States is a founding member of the ] (with a permanent seat on the ]), among many other ].

	In 1949, in an effort to contain communism during the Cold War, the United States, Canada, and ten Western European nations formed the ], a mutual-defense alliance in which they have since been joined by 14 other European states—including ], which straddles the Eurasian border, and some former Soviet states. In an example of ], the United States also established diplomatic relations with Communist countries that were antagonistic to the Soviet Union, like the ] during the ]. Recently, the foreign policy of the United States has focused on combating terrorism as well as the proliferation of ]. Other transnational issues include immigration reform and the shipment of illegal drugs into the country.<ref name=ISSUES>. 20 April 2006. CIA World factbook. Accessed 30 April 2006.</ref>
	]s like the ] are a major component of the U.S. system of ].]]

	The United States has a long-standing tradition of civilian control over military affairs. The ] administers the U.S. ], which comprise the ], the ], the ], and the ]. The ] falls under the jurisdiction of the ] in ] but is placed under the ] in times of ].

	The military of the United States comprises 1.4 million ] on ],<ref>. 2002. ''Accessed 2 May 2006.''</ref> along with several hundred thousand each in the ] and the ]. Service in the military is voluntary, though ] may occur in times of war through the ]. The United States is considered to have the most powerful military in the world, partly because of the size of its defense budget; ] in 2005 were estimated to be greater than the next 14 largest national military budgets combined,<ref>Anup Shah, . Last updated ], ]. ]. ''Retrieved ], ].''</ref> even though the U.S. military budget is only about 4% of the country's ].<ref>. 1 June 2006. ]. ''Retrieved 3 June 2006.''</ref><ref>{{cite web \| author = Truth and Politics \| title = Relative Size of US Military Spending from 1940 to 2003 \| url = http://www.truthandpolitics.org/military-relative-size.php \| accessdate = 26 May \| accessyear = 2006 }}</ref> The U.S. military maintains ] on every continent except ].<ref>. ''Retrieved 1 June 2006.''</ref>

	The American military is committed to having a technological edge over its potential enemies and has an extensive research program to maintain such an edge. Defense-related research over the years yielded such major breakthroughs as space exploration, the ], ], the ], ], ], better ], ], and more recently ] intended to target and destroy inbound missiles. These force multipliers have traditionally borne more material expense than personnel expense. Military technology maintains a close relationship with the civilian economy and has contributed to general technological and economic development of the United States, and often, via technology transfer, other countries as well. Conversely, the military has also benefited from the American civilian infrastructure.

	==Administrative divisions==
	{{main\|Political divisions of the United States}}
	] and the ] ] are omitted from this map.</ref>]]
	The conterminous, or contiguous, forty-eight states—all the states but ] and ]—are also called the ]. Some include Alaska in the "continental" states, because, although it is separated from the "lower forty-eight" by Canada, it is part of the North American mainland. All of these terms commonly include the ]. Hawaii, the fiftieth state, occupies an ] in the Pacific Ocean.

	The United States also holds several other territories, districts, and possessions, notably the ] of the District of Columbia—which contains the nation's capital city, Washington—and several overseas ]s, the most significant of which are ], ], the ], ], and the ]. ] is the United States' only ]; but it is ] and uninhabited. The ] consist of uninhabited islands and ]s in the Pacific and ]. In addition, since 1898, the United States Navy has leased an extensive ] at ], ].

	Former U.S. possessions include the ], which was a U.S. territory from 1903 until 1979. Additionally, the ] were ] from 1898 until 1935, when the United States established the ] as a transition between ] and full Philippine independence, which occurred in 1946. Because it was part of the United States at the time of ], the Philippines is the only independent nation with a memorial pillar at the ] in Washington, DC.

	In addition to the actual states and territories of the United States, there are also nations which are ]s of the U.S. The ] (since 1986), ] (since 1994), and the ] (since 1986) are associated with the United States under what is known as the ], giving the states international sovereignty and ultimate control over their territory. However, the governments of those areas have agreed to allow the United States to provide defense and financial assistance. The U.S. also treats these nations uniquely by giving them access to many U.S. domestic programs, including disaster response and recovery and hazard mitigation programs under ]. The freely associated states are all dependent on U.S. financial assistance to meet both government operational and capital needs. The Office of Insular Affairs administers this financial assistance. The freely associated states also actively participate in all Office of Insular Affairs technical assistance activities. Together with the ], each of these associated states were once part of the U.S.-administered ] ], which existed from 1947 until 1986 in the case of the Marshall Islands, the Northern Marianas, and the Federated States of Micronesia; Palau's trusteeship ended in 1994.

	==Ecology==
	] is on the ]. Protection of this once endangered species has helped save it from extinction.]]
	The U.S. has over 17,000 identified native plant and tree species, including 5,000 just in California (which is home to the ], the ], and the ] trees in the world).<ref>Morse, Larry E., et al, , ''Our Living Resources, U.S. Department of the Interior'', ''URL accessed 14 June 2006.''</ref> With habitats ranging from tropical to arctic, the flora of the U.S. is the most diverse of any country; yet, thousands of non-native ] species sometimes adversely affect indigenous plant and animal communities. Over 400 species of mammal, 700 species of bird, 500 species of reptile and amphibian, and 90,000 species of insect have been documented.<ref>National Biological Service, , ''URL accessed 14 June 2006.''</ref> Many plants and animals are very localized in their distribution, and some are in danger of extinction. The U.S. passed the ] in 1973 to protect native plant and animal species and their habitats.

	Conservation has a long history in the U.S.; in 1872, the world's first ] was established at ]. Another 57 national parks and hundreds of other federally managed parks and forests have since been designated.<ref>National Park Service, , ''National Park Service News release'' (28 February 2006), ''URL accessed 13 June 2006.''</ref> In some parts of the country, ] areas have been established to ensure long-term protection of pristine habitats. The ] monitors ] and ] species and has set aside numerous areas for species and habitat preservation. Altogether, the U.S. government regulates 1,020,779 square miles (2,643,807 km²), which is 28.8% of the total land area of the U.S.<ref>Republican Study Committee, , (19 May 2005), ''URL accessed 13 June 2006.''</ref> The bulk of this land is protected park and forestland, but some is leased for ] and ] exploration, ], and cattle ranching.

	==Economy==
	{{main\|Economy of the United States\|American middle class\|Household income in the United States\|Homeownership in the United States}}
	The ] is a story of economic growth that began with marginally successful colonial economies and progressed to the largest industrial economy in the world in the 20th and early 21st century.
	], in ], represents the status of the U.S. as a major global financial power.]]
	The economic system of the United States can be described as a ] ], in which ]s, other private firms, and individuals make most ] decisions, and governments prefer to take a smaller role in the domestic economy, although the combined role of all levels of government is relatively large, at 36% of the ] (GDP). The U.S. has a small ], and regulation of ] is slightly less than the average of developed countries.<ref> by ]. ''URL accessed 13 May 2006.''</ref> The United States' ] in 2005 was $43,318.<ref name="US Census Bureau news release in regards to median income">{{cite web\|url=http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/income_wealth/002484.html\|title=US Census Bureau news release in regards to median income\|accessdate=2006-06-29}}</ref>

	Economic activity varies greatly across the country. For example, ] is the center of the American ], ], ], and ] industries, while ] is the most important center for ] and ] production. The ] and the ] are major centers for technology. The ] is known for its reliance on manufacturing and heavy industry, with ] serving as the historic center of the American ], and ] serving as the business and financial capital of the region. The ] is a major area for ], ], and the ] industry, and, because of wages and costs below the national average, it continues to attract manufacturing.
	]. ] accounts for less than 1% of the total GDP of the United States but still is a major economic activity.]]
	The largest sector in the United States economy is ], which employs roughly three quarters of the work force.<ref>. 2006. Toward a Learning Economy. ''URL accessed 3 May 2006.''</ref>

	The economy is fueled by an abundance in ]s such as ], ], and ]s. However, the country still depends for much of its energy on foreign countries. In ], the country is a top producer of ], ], ], and ], with the ] labeled as the "breadbasket of the world" for its tremendous agricultural output.<ref>Frazier, Ian. ''Great Plains.'' Page 9. 4 May 2001. Picador; 1st Picado edition. ISBN 0-312-27850-0</ref> The U.S. has a large tourist industry, ranking third in the world,<ref>. 8 May 2000. ITA Office of Travel & Tourism Industries. ''URL accessed 3 May 2006.''</ref> and is also a major exporter in ] such as ]s, ], ], and ]. Canada accounts for 19% (more than any other nation) of the United States' foreign trade, followed by ], ], and ].

	While the ''per capita'' income of the United States is among the highest in the world, the wealth is comparatively concentrated, with approximately 40% of the population earning less than an average resident of ] and the top 20% earning substantially more.<ref>. September 1995. Nuffield College in Oxford. ''URL accessed June 3, 2006.''</ref> Since 1975, the U.S. has a "two-tier" labor market in which virtually all the real income gains have gone to the top 20% of households.<ref>. June 13, 2006. CIA World Factbook. ''URL accessed June 15, 2006.''</ref> This polarization is the result of a relatively high level of ].<ref>. September 2005. Fraser Institute. ''Accessed 18 July 2006.''</ref>

	The ] of U.S. residents relative to that of other countries is the subject of much debate. Some analysts have found that social mobility in the United States is low relative to other ] states, specifically compared to ], ] and Canada.<ref> The Economist. December 29, 2004. ''URL accessed 21 August 2006.''</ref><ref> Jo Blanden, Paul Gregg, and Stephen Malchin. April 2005. "URL accessed 21 August 2006."</ref><ref> Miles Corak. March 2006. "URL accessed 21 August 2006."</ref> Low social mobility may stem in part from the U.S. educational system. Public education in the United States is funded mainly by local property taxes supplemented by state revenues. This frequently results in a wide difference in funding between poor districts or poor states and more affluent jurisdictions.<ref> Bruce Biddle and David C. Berliner. Winter 2002. "URL accessed 21 August 2006."</ref><ref> William G. Gale, Meghan McNally, and Janet Rothenberg Pack. June 2003. "URL accessed 21 August 2006."</ref> In addition, the practice of ] at elite universities gives preference to the children of alumni, who are often wealthy. This practice reduces available spaces for better-qualified lower income students.<ref> Wall Street Journal</ref> Some analysts argue that relative social mobility in the U.S. peaked in the 1960s and declined rapidly beginning in the 1980s.<ref>]. (Late Edition (East Coast)). New York, N.Y.: May 15, 2005. pg. 1.1</ref> Former Federal Reserve Board Chairman ] has also suggested that that the growing income inequality and low class mobility of the U.S. economy may eventually threaten the entire system in the near future.<ref> Peter Greier. Christian Science Monitor. 14 June 2005. "URL accessed 21 August 2006."</ref>

	===Innovation===
	{{main\|Science and technology in the United States}}
	] ] takes off on a manned mission to space.]]
	The United States is an influential country in scientific and technological research and the production of ]. During World War II, the U.S. was the first to develop the ], ushering in the ]. Beginning early the Cold War, the U.S. achieved successes in space science and technology, leading to a ] which led to rapid advances in ], ], ], ], and many other areas. This technological progress was epitomized by the first visit of a man to the moon, when ] stepped off of ] in July 1969.<ref>. 20 September 2002. NASA. ''Accessed 2 May 2006.''</ref> The U.S. was also the most instrumental nation in the development of the ], developing its predecessor, ]. The U.S. also controls most of its infrastructure.

	In the sciences, Americans have a large share of ], especially in the fields of ] and ]. The ], a focal point for biomedical research in the United States, has contributed to the completion of the ].<ref>. 2006. National Human Genome Research Institute- National Institutes of health. ''Accessed May 2, 2006''.</ref> The main governmental organization for ] and space research is the ]. Major corporations, such as ] and ], also play an important role.

	===Transit===
	{{main\|Transportation in the United States}}
	The automobile industry developed earlier and more rapidly in the United States than in most other countries. The backbone of the nation's transportation infrastructure is a network of high-capacity ]s. From data taken in 2004, there are about 3,981,521 ]s (6,407,637 ]) of roadways in the U.S., the most in the world.<ref>. 20 April 2006. CIA World Factbook. Accessed 30 April 2006.</ref>

	] systems exist in large cities, such as ], which operates one of the busiest ] systems in the world. With a few exceptions, American cities are less dense than those in other parts of the world. Low density partly results from and largely necessitates automobile ownership by most households.

	Whereas the freight rail network is among the world's best (and most congested), the passenger rail network is underdeveloped by European and Japanese standards. This is partly because of the longer distances traveled in the U.S.; a destination two thousand miles (3,000 km) away is reached more quickly by air than by rail. Government subsidies of air travel played a role in the bankruptcy of passenger-rail corporations in the 1970s. The U.S. had been unique in its high number of private passenger railroads. During the 1970s, government intervention reorganized freight railroads. The passenger service was consolidated under the government-backed corporation ]. No other country has more miles of rail than the U.S.<ref>https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/rankorder/2121rank.html</ref>

	] is the preferred means of travel for long distances. In terms of passengers, seventeen of the world's thirty busiest ] in 2004 were in the U.S., including the world's busiest, ] (ATL). In terms of cargo, in the same year, twelve of the world's thirty busiest airports were in the U.S., including the world's busiest, ].

	Several major ]s are in the United States; the three busiest are California's ] and ], and the ], all among the ]. The interior of the U.S. also has a major shipping channel, via the ] and the Mississippi River. The first water link between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic, the ], allowed the rapid expansion of agriculture and industry in the Midwest and made New York City the economic center of the U.S.

	==Demographics==
	{{main\|Demographics of the United States\|Immigration to the United States}}

	]
	On ]] at 7:46 a.m. EST, the United States' population stood at an estimated 300,000,000, with an annual growth rate of about 0.59%.<ref name=POP>. 12 June 2006. American Fact Finder. Accessed 13 June 2006.</ref> This figure includes persons living in the U.S. ], estimated at 12 million, and excludes U.S. citizens living abroad, estimated at 3 million to 7 million. Thus any population estimate needs to be seen as a somewhat rough figure, according to the US Departement of Commerce.<ref name="Yahoo, News; rough nature of US population estimates">{{cite web\|url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061017/ap_on_re_us/300_million_milestone_3\|title=Yahoo, News; rough nature of US population estimates\|accessdate=2006-10-17}}</ref> According to the ], about 79% of the population lived in urban areas.<ref>. United States Census 2000. ''URL accessed 29 May 2006.''</ref>

	About 15.8% of households have annual incomes of at least $100,000, and the top 10% of households had annual gross incomes exceeding $118,200 in 2003.<ref name="Income in the United States, US Census Bureau">{{cite web\|url=http://pubdb3.census.gov/macro/032005/hhinc/new06_000.htm\|title=Income in the United States, US Census Bureau\|accessdate=2006-09-16}}</ref> Overall, the top ], those households earning more than $86,867 a year, earned 49.8% of all income in 2003.<ref name="Income distribution, US Census Bureau, 2003">{{cite web\|url=http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/p60-226.pdf\|title=Income distribution, US Census Breau\|accessdate=2006-09-16}}</ref>

	In the 2000 census, the country had 31 ]s with at least one million members each, with numerous others represented in smaller amounts.<ref>. Ancestry: 2000 - Census 2000 Brief. ''URL accessed May 29, 2006.''</ref> By the ], most Americans (80.4% in 2004)<ref>http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html</ref> are ]. These ] are mostly ]—the descendants of ]an ] to the United States—along with some non-Europeans counted as white in government nomenclature (those with origins in the original peoples of the ] and ]). To the exclusion of ]-origin European Americans, non-Hispanic whites constituted 67.4% of the population. The non-Hispanic white population is proportionally declining, because of both immigration by, and a higher birth rate among, ethnic and racial minorities.<ref name="Dealing with Diversity">{{cite book \| last =Adams \| first =J.Q. \| authorlink = \| coauthors =Pearlie Strother-Adams \| year =2001 \| title =Dealing with Diversity \| publisher =Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company \| location =Chicago, IL \|id = 0-7872-8145-X}}</ref> If current immigration trends continue, the number of non-Hispanic whites is expected to be reduced to a ] by 2040-2050. The largest ethnic group of European ancestry is ] at 15.2%, followed by ] (10.8%), ] (8.7%), ] (5.6%) and ]n (3.7%). Many immigrants also hail from ], as well as from such ] countries as ] and ].<ref>. 2000. U.S. Census Bureau. ''URL accessed 30 May 2006.''</ref> ], or Blacks, largely descend from Africans who arrived as slaves during the 17th through 19th centuries, and number about 35 million or 12.9% of the population. At about 1.5% of the total population, ] and ]s number about 4.4 million,<ref name="Native American population in the United States">{{cite web\|url=http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/005684.html\|title=Native American population in the United States\|accessdate=2006-07-06}}</ref> approximately 35% of whom were living on ] in 2005.<ref>. March 2006. fedgazette. ''URL accessed 3 May 2006''.</ref>

	Current demographic trends include the immigration of ] from ] into the ], a region that is home to about 60% of the 35 million Hispanics in the United States. Immigrants from ] make up about 66% of the Hispanic community,<ref>. United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. ''Accessed 2 May 2006.''</ref> and are second only to the German-descent population in the single-ethnicity category. The Hispanic population, which has been growing at an annual rate of about 4.46% since the 1990s, is expected to increase significantly in the coming decades, because of both immigration and a higher birth rate among Latinos than among the general population.<ref>. January 5, 2006. FacsNet. ''Accessed 2 May 2006''.</ref>

	<!-- To this section, we should add some basic statistics about age groups. We could also mention the annual birth and death rates and immigration and emigration rates. -->

	===Largest cities===
	{{main\|List of United States cities by population}}
	{\|align=right
	\|] ]]
	\|-
	\|] ]]
	\|-
	\|] ]]
	\|}
	The United States has dozens of ], which play an important role in U.S. culture, heritage, and economy. In 2004, 251 ]s had populations of at least 100,000 and nine had populations greater than 1,000,000, including several important ], such as ], ], and ]. In addition, there are fifty ] with populations over 1,000,000.

	{\| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right; margin-right:60px"
	\|-
	!rowspan=2\| Rank
	!rowspan=2 align=center \|City
	!rowspan=2\| Population<br><small> within<br>city limits</small>
	! rowspan=2\| Population<br>Density<br><small> per sq mi</small>
	! colspan=2 rowspan=1 \|Metropolitan<br>Area
	!rowspan=2\| Region
	\|-
	!rowspan=1\|<small>millions</small>
	!rowspan=1\|<small>rank</small>
	\|-
	\| 1 \|\|align=left \| ], ] \|\| '''8,143,197''' \|\| 26,402.9 \|\|18.7 \|\|1\|\|align=center \| ]
	\|-
	\| 2 \|\|align=left \| ], ] \|\| '''4,097,340''' \|\| 8,198.0 \|\| 12.9\|\|2\|\|align=center \|]
	\|-
	\| 3 \|\|align=left \| ], ] \|\| '''2,842,518''' \|\| 12,750.3 \|\| 9.4 \|\|3\|\| align=center \|]
	\|-
	\| 4 \|\|align=left \| ], ] \|\| '''2,016,582''' \|\| 3,371.7 \|\|5.2 \|\|7\|\| align=center \|]
	\|-
	\| 5 \|\|align=left \| ], ] \|\| '''1,463,281''' \|\| 11,233.6\|\| 5.8 \|\|4 \|\| align=center \|]
	\|-
	\| 6 \|\|align=left \| ], ] \|\| '''1,461,575''' \|\| 2,782.0\|\| 3.7 \|\|14 \|\| align=center \|]
	\|-
	\| 7 \|\|align=left \| ], ] \|\| '''1,256,509''' \|\| 2,808.5\|\| 1.8 \|\|29 \|\| align=center \|]
	\|-
	\| 8 \|\|align=left \| ], ] \|\| '''1,255,540''' \|\| 3,771.9 \|\| 2.9 \|\|17\|\|align=center \| ]
	\|-
	\| 9 \|\|align=left \| ], ] \|\| '''1,213,825''' \|\| 3,469.9\|\| 5.7 \|\|5 \|\| align=center \|]
	\|-
	\|10 \|\|align=left \| ], ] \|\| '''912,332''' \|\| 5,117.9\|\| 1.7 \|\|30 \|\| align=center \|]
	\|}

	===Indigenous peoples===
	].]]
	{{Main\|Native Americans in the United States}}

	The ] gave United States citizenship to Native Americans, in part because of an interest by many to see them merged with the American mainstream, and also because of the heroic service of many Native American veterans in the ].

	According to the 2003 census estimates, there are 2,786,652 Native Americans in the United States. However, numerous indigenous peoples from ], particularly ], have migrated to the U.S. over the years.

	===Language===
	{{main\|Languages in the United States}}
	Although the United States has no official language, ] is the '']'' ]. In 2003, about 214.8 million, or 81.6%, of the population aged five years and older spoke only English at home.<ref name =EnglishatHome>{{cite web
	\| url = http://www.census.gov/prod/2005pubs/06statab/pop.pdf
	\| title = U.S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2006, Section 1 Population
	\| accessmonthday = 16 October
	\| accessyear = 2006
	\| date =
	\| year =
	\| month =
	\| format = pdf
	\| publisher = U.S. Census Bureau
	\| pages = 59 pages
	\| language = English
	}}</ref> Although not all Americans speak English, it is the most common language for daily interaction among both native and non-native speakers. Knowledge of English is required of immigrants seeking ]. Some Americans advocate making English the ], which is the law in twenty-seven states. Three states also grant official status to other languages alongside English: ] in ], ] in ], and ] in ].<ref>. Englishfirst.org. ''URL accessed 21 May 2006.</ref> Besides English, languages spoken at home by at least one million Americans aged five years and up are Spanish or ], spoken by 29.7 million; ], 2.2 million; French (including ] and ]), 1.4 million; ], 1.3 million; ], 1.1 million; and ], 1.1 million.<ref name="Dealing with Diversity">{{cite book \| last =Adams \| first =J.Q. \| authorlink = \| coauthors =Pearlie Strother-Adams \| year =2001 \| title =Dealing with Diversity \| publisher =Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company \| location =Chicago, IL \| id = 0-7872-8145-X}}</ref><ref name="US Census Bureau, languages in the US">{{cite web\|url=http://www.census.gov/prod/2005pubs/06statab/pop.pdf\|coauthors=United States Census Bureau \| title=Statistical Abstract of the United States: page 47: Table 47: Languages Spoken at Home by Language: 2003\|accessdate=2006-07-11}}</ref>

	===Religion===
	]. The ] is well known for its large devout Protestant Christian population.]]
	{{main\|Religion in the United States}}
	The United States government keeps no official register of Americans' religious status. However, in a private survey conducted in 2001 and mentioned in the Census Bureau's ''Statistical Abstract of the United States'', 76.7% of American adults identified themselves as ]; about 52% of adults described themselves as members of various ] denominations, including ] (1.3%); ], at 24.5%, were the most populous individual sect. ] (1.4%) and other faiths also have firm places in American culture. About 14.2% of respondents described themselves as having no religion. The religious distribution of the 5.4% who elected not to describe themselves for the survey is unknown.<ref name=POP>. U.S. Census Bureau's ''Statistical Abstract of the United States'', 2006.</ref>

	Religion among some Americans is highly dynamic: over the period 1990–2001, those groups whose portion of the population at least doubled were, in descending order of growth, ]ns, nondenominational Christians, ], ], ], ], ] adherents, ], ] adherents, ], ], independent Christians, those who refused to answer the question, ], and ] adherents.<ref name=POP>. U.S. Census Bureau's ''Statistical Abstract of the United States'', 2006.</ref>

	===Education===
	{{main\|Education in the United States\|Educational attainment in the United States}}
	Education in the United States has been a state or local, not federal, responsibility. The ] of the federal government, however, exerts some influence through its ability to control funding. Students are generally obliged to attend school starting with ], and ending with the 12th grade, which is normally completed at age 18, but many states may allow students to drop out as early as age 16. Besides ]s, parents may also choose to educate their own children at ] or to send their children to ] or ]s. After ], students may choose to attend universities, either ] or ]. Public universities receive funding from the federal and state governments, as well as from other sources, but most students still have to pay student loans after graduation. Tuition at private universities is generally much higher than at public universities.
	]s include the ], one of many highly regarded public universities supported by taxpayers at the state level of government.]]
	There are many competitive ] in the United States, both private and public. The United States has 168 universities in the world's top 500, 17 of which are in the top 20.<ref> by Shanghai Jiao Tong university. URL accessed on 05 October 2006</ref> There are also many smaller universities and ] colleges, and local ]s of varying quality across the country with open admission policies.

	The United States ranks 24th out of 29 surveyed countries in the reading and science literacy as well as mathematical abilities of its high school students when compared with other developed nations.<ref>], URL accessed on July 11, 2006</ref> The United States also has a low literacy rate compared to other developed countries, with a reading ] at 86 - 98% of the population over age 15.<ref name=EDU>, U.S. Department of Education, 2003. Accessed 05 October 2006. 2% of the population still do not have basic literacy and 14% have Below Basic prose literacy.</ref> As for ], 27.2% of the population aged 25 and above have earned a ] or higher, and 84.6% have graduated high school.<ref name="Educational attainment according to the US Census Bureau, 2003">{{cite web\|url=http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/p20-550.pdf\|title=Educational attainment according to the US Census Bureau, 2003\|accessdate=2006-08-01}}</ref>

	===Health===
	{{main\|Health care in the United States}}
	The ] ranks the United States' health level 72nd among the world's nations.<ref> 1997. World Health Organization. Accessed 05 October 2006.</ref> ] is 5 per 1,000; among developed nations, only ] ranks lower, at 6 per 1,000. However, this statistic is contested by some experts, because other nations may not define infant mortality as broadly as the United States.<ref>. 9 May 2006. Associated Press. ''URL accessed 05 October 2006''.</ref> ] is also a ] problem, which is estimated to cost tens of ] of dollars every year.<ref>. 21 January 2004. BBC News. ''URL accessed 05 October 2006.</ref>

	Unlike many Western governments, the U.S. government does not operate a ] system. Private insurance plays a major role in covering health care costs.<ref>http://www.urban.org/publications/307319.html Health Policy for Low-Income People in Texas</ref> Health insurance in the United States is traditionally a benefit of employment. However, emergency care facilities are required to provide service regardless of the patient's ability to pay. Medical bills are the most common reason for personal ] in the United States.<ref>, by David U. Himmelstein, Elizabeth Warren, Deborah Thorne, and Steffie Woolhandler, published at Health Affairs journal in 2005, ''Accessed 05 October 2006''.</ref> The nation spends a substantial amount on medical research through such federal agencies as the ].<ref name=HEALTH>. USINFO.STATE.GOV. ''Accessed 05 October 2006''.</ref>

	==Culture==
	{{main\|Culture of the United States}}
	] in 1957]]
	], ], and the ].]]
	The culture of the United States began as the culture of its first English colonists. The culture quickly evolved as an independent frontier culture supplemented by indigenous and Spanish–Mexican ] culture and by the cultures of subsequent waves of immigrants, first from Europe and Africa and later from Asia. Overall, significant cultural influences came from Europe, especially from the ], ] and ] cultures and later from Italian, Greek and ] cultures. Descendants of enslaved West Africans preserved some cultural traditions from ] in the early United States. Geographical place names largely reflect the combined English, ], French, Spanish, and Native American components of U.S. American history.<ref name="Dealing with Diversity">{{cite book \| last =Adams \| first =J.Q. \| authorlink = \| coauthors =Pearlie Strother-Adams \| year =2001 \| title =Dealing with Diversity \| publisher =Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company \| location =Chicago, IL \|id = 0-7872-8145-X}}</ref>

	Some have described the United States as a ] in which immigrants eventually assimilate into a unified American culture that incorporates contributions from immigrant cultures. A more recently proposed model is that of the ], in which immigrant cultures retain some of the unique characteristics of their culture without merging into a completely unified American culture.<ref>Joyce Millet, . ]. Accessed 05 October 2006.</ref> Modern American sociologists tend to view pluralism, rather than assimilation, as the way for American society to achieve ethnic and racial harmony and state that the workings of pluralism are visible within modern American society, disregarding the idea of the melting pot.<ref name="Dealing with Diversity">{{cite book \| last =Adams \| first =J.Q. \| authorlink = \| coauthors =Pearlie Strother-Adams \| year =2001 \| title =Dealing with Diversity \| publisher =Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company \| location =Chicago, IL \|id = 0-7872-8145-X}}</ref>''

	An important component of American culture is the ]: the idea that, through hard work, courage, and self-determination, regardless of social class, a person can ].<ref>Boritt, Gabor S. ''Lincoln and the Economics of the American Dream''. Page 1. December 1994. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0-252-06445-3.</ref>

	===Cuisine===
	{{main\|Cuisine of the United States}}
	American cuisine embraces Native American ingredients such as ], ], ], and ], which have become integral parts of American culture. Such popular icons as ], ], and ]s are either derived from or are actual European dishes. ] and ]s have their origins in Mexico. ], which originated among African slaves, is popular in the U.S. as well. However, many foods now enjoyed worldwide either originated in the United States or were altered by American chefs.

	===Music===
	{{main\|Music of the United States}}
	Music also traces to the country's diverse cultural roots through an array of styles. ], ], ], ], and ] are among the country's most internationally renowned ]s. Since the late 19th century, popular recorded music from the United States has become increasingly known across the world, such that some forms of American ] are heard almost everywhere.<ref>Provine, Rob with Okon Hwang and Andy Kershaw. "Our Life Is Precisely a Song" in the ''Rough Guide to World Music, Volume 2'', pg. 167. ISBN 1-85828-636-0.</ref>

	===Cinema===
	{{main\|Cinema of the United States}}
	The birth of ], as well as its development, largely took place in the United States. In 1878, the first recorded instance of sequential photographs capturing and reproducing motion was ]'s series of a ], which the British-born photographer produced in ], using a row of still cameras. Since then, the American film industry, based in ], has had a profound effect on cinema across the world. Other genres that originated in the United States and spread worldwide include the ] and ]'s ]s.

	===Sports===
	{{main\|Sports in the United States}}
	], 2006. ] is the most popular ] in the United States.<ref>Maccambridge, Michael. ''America's Game : The Epic Story of How Pro Football Captured a Nation''. 26 October 2004. Random House. ISBN 0-375-50454-0</ref>]]

	]s are a national pastime, and playing sports, especially ], ], and ], is very popular at the ] level. Professional sports in the U.S. is big business and contains most of the world's highest paid athletes.<ref>. 24 June 2004. Forbes.com. ''Accessed 2 May 2006.''</ref> The "Big Four" sports are baseball, American football, ], and basketball. Baseball is popularly termed "the national pastime"; but, since the early 1990s, American football has largely been considered the most popular sport in America.

	Other sports, including ], ], ], ], and ], have significant followings. The United States is among the most influential regions in shaping three popular ]: ], ], and ]. Eight ] have ]; in medals won, the United States ranks third all-time in the ], with 218 (78 gold, 81 silver, and 59 bronze),<ref>. Information Please. ''Accessed 14 September 2006''.</ref><ref>. ''Accessed 14 September 2006''.</ref> and first in the ], with 2,321 (943 gold, 736 silver, and 642 bronze).<ref>. Information Please. ''Accessed 14 September 2006''.</ref><ref>. ''Accessed 14 September 2006''.</ref>

	{{see also\|Arts and entertainment in the United States\|Media of the United States\|Dance of the United States\|Architecture of the United States\|Holidays of the United States\|Lists of Americans\|Social structure of the United States}}

	==See also==
	{{main\|List of United States-related topics}}
	{{Life in the United States}}
	{{Demographics of the United States}}
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	==Notes==
	<div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;">
	<references/>
	</div>

	==Further reading==
	{{portal}}
	<div class="references-small">
	*Johnson, Paul M. ''A History of the American People''. 1104 pages. Harper Perennial: March 1, 1999. ISBN 0-06-093034-9.
	*Litwak, Robert S. ''Rogue States and U.S. Foreign Policy : Containment after the Cold War''. 300 pages. Woodrow Wilson Center Press: February 1, 2000. ISBN 0-943875-97-8.
	*Nye, Joseph S. ''The Paradox of American Power : Why the World's Only Superpower Can't Go It Alone''. 240 pages. Oxford University Press, USA; New Ed edition: 1 May 2003. ISBN 0-19-516110-6.
	*Susser, Ida (Editor), and Patterson, Thomas C. (Editor). ''Cultural Diversity in the United States: A Critical Reader''. 476 pages. Blackwell Publishers: December 2000. ISBN 0-631-22213-8.
	*Whalen, Edward. ''The United States Of Europe: The New Superpower and the End of American Supremacy''. 320 pages. The Penguin Press HC: 4 November 2004. ISBN 1-59420-033-5.
	*Pierson, Paul. ''Politics in Time : History, Institutions, and Social Analysis''. 208 pages. Princeton University Press: 9 August 2004. ISBN 0-691-11715-2.
	</div>

	==External links==
	{{sisterlinks\|United States}}
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	===Government===
	* - Gateway to governmental sites
	* - Official site of the President of the United States
	* - Official site of the United States Senate
	* - Official site of the United States House of Representatives
	* - Official site of the Supreme Court of the United States
	*

	===Overviews===
	* Updated regularly by U.S. Bureau of the Census.
	* - Published by the United States Information Agency, September 1997.
	*
	*
	*
	*
	*
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	===History===
	*
	*
	* - Links to historical statistics of USA

	===Maps===
	* at ]
	*
	*

	===Immigration===
	* USCIS.gov.
	* Immihelp.com - from an immigrant to future immigrants.
	*

	===Other===
	*

	{{US ties}}
	{{US topics}}
	{{United States}}
	{{North America}}
	{{UN Security Council}}
	{{G8}}
	{{Cold War}}

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Revision as of 17:40, 30 October 2006