The United States is a country located in the central part of the North American continent. It has an area of 9.83 square kilometers and a population of more than 314.5 million. It is the world’s #3 most populated country after China and India.
It is composed of 50 states and a capital district. 48 of the 50 U.S. states and the capital district, Washington D.C., are situated in North America, while the two other states, Hawaii and Alaska, lie in the Pacific Ocean region and the northwestern portion of North America, respectively.
The United States is considered to be among the most culturally and ethnically diverse nations of the world. There are reportedly at least 30 ancestry groups in the country, with Whites being the largest among all. The largest racial minority are the Black Americans, followed by the Asian Americans. The Hispanics and Latinos comprise 16.3% of the total U.S. population.
In terms of religious denominations, according to a survey conducted in 2007, Protestants account for about 51% of the population, Catholics for 24%, and other religions such as Buddhism, Islam, Unitarian Universalism, Judaism, and Hinduism for 5%. The rest identified themselves as atheists, agnostics, or having no religion at all.
American culture is considered extremely influential. Many American arts, literature, music, and philosophies have found their way in many parts of the globe. Edgar Allan Poe, Mark Twain, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, and Henry David Thoreau are just some of these world-renowned writers, novelists, and poets.
The U.S. government is classified as a constitutional republic and representative democracy. It has three levels: the federal government, the state government, and the local government; and three branches: the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch.
The largest cities in the U.S. in terms of population are New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Miami, Atlanta, and Boston.
