GeodlyNorth America
United States
The United States of America stretches across the middle of North America, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, and also includes Alaska in the far north-west and the islands of Hawaii in the Pacific. It is a federal republic of 50 states, with its capital in Washington, D.C. With about 340 million people, it is the third most populous country in the world, and it is also one of the largest by area.
Native American peoples lived across the continent for thousands of years before European colonisation. Thirteen British colonies on the Atlantic coast declared independence on 4 July 1776, and the Constitution written in 1787 is the oldest written national constitution still in use. The country grew westward through the 1800s, adding territory by purchase, treaty and war, and it has become the world’s largest economy and a major cultural influence worldwide.
The flag of the United States
The flag has thirteen horizontal stripes, alternating red and white, and a blue rectangle in the upper corner by the flagpole with fifty white stars.
The thirteen stripes stand for the original thirteen colonies, and each star stands for a state. The first official flag, adopted in 1777, had thirteen stars, and new stars were added as states joined the union. The current fifty-star flag has been used since 4 July 1960, the year after Hawaii became a state. The flag is often called the Stars and Stripes or Old Glory.
Landscape and geography
The eastern United States is crossed by the old, worn-down Appalachian Mountains. West of them lie the Great Plains and the basin of the Mississippi River, which together with the Missouri forms one of the longest river systems in the world. Further west, the Rocky Mountains, the deserts of the Southwest and the Sierra Nevada lead to the Pacific coast. Denali in Alaska, at about 6,190 metres, is the highest mountain in North America.
The country has an enormous range of climates, from the Arctic tundra of Alaska and the tropical islands of Hawaii to the swamps of Florida. Death Valley in California is the lowest point in North America and one of the hottest places on Earth.
Did you know?
- Yellowstone, established in 1872, is often called the world’s first national park.
- The United States bought Alaska from Russia in 1867 for 7.2 million dollars.
- Mauna Kea in Hawaii is taller than Mount Everest when measured from its base on the ocean floor.
- The Grand Canyon in Arizona was carved by the Colorado River and is more than a kilometre and a half deep in places.
Key facts
- Capital
- Washington D.C.
- Continent
- North America
- Population
- About 336 million
- Land neighbours
- 2
- Coast
- Has a coastline
- European Union
- Not a member
- NATO
- Member
Land neighbours
United States in numbers
| Population | 335,893,238 people |
|---|---|
| Land area | 9,147,420 km² |
| Population density | 37 people/km² |
| Total GDP | $27,360,000,000,000 |
| GDP per capita | $81,632 |
| Life expectancy | 77.5 years |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% |
| Coastline | 19,924 km |
| Forest coverage | 33.9% |
| Human Development Index | 0.927 |
| UNESCO World Heritage sites | 25 sites |
| Airports | 13,513 airports |
These are the figures used in GeoDecide. They are rounded and can lag behind the latest official statistics.
World rankings
Geo Sort asks you to place countries by rank. A lower number means a higher place in that category.
| Land Area | #4 |
|---|---|
| Coastline | #8 |
| FIFA Ranking (M) | #12 |
| Military Strength | #1 |
| Avg Annual Temperature | #104 |
| UNESCO Sites | #10 |
| Population Density | #145 |
| Highest Point | #11 |
Practise the United States on Geodly
- Flag Drawing: The flag of the United States is in the Easy set. Draw it from memory and compare your drawing with the real design.
- Border Clash: Draw the border between the United States and Mexico on a blank map.
- Border Clash: Draw the border between the United States and Canada on a blank map.
- Geo Click: Find the United States on the map, or locate its capital, Washington D.C., in the capital modes.
- Geo Chain: Link countries through shared land borders. Knowing the 2 neighbours of the United States gives you more routes.
- GeoDecide: Compare the United States with other countries on the statistics listed above.
- Geo Sort: Place the United States in the category where its world rank is strongest.
- Terra Tac Toe: Use the United States as an answer when its facts fit both the row and the column of a square.
Sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica: United States · CIA World Factbook: United States