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USA

On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was issued, establishing the United States of America.

The United States of America (USA), commonly referred to as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a federal republic composed of 50 states, a federal district, 5 major territories and various possessions. States are the primary subdivisions of the United States, and possess a number of powers and rights under the United States Constitution.

Washington, D.C. is not a city or state. It is a unique "federal district", created specifically to be the seat of government.

The US is the 4th largest country in the world by land area and 3rd by population.

U.S. flag White House American money Statue of Liberty

BASIC FACTS

Official Name: United States of America

Form of Government: Constitution-based federal republic

Capital: Washington, D.C.

Population: 322,021,000

Total Area: 3,794,083 square miles (9,826,630 square kilometers)

Languages: English, Spanish (no official national language)

Money: U.S. dollar

Major Mountain Ranges: Rocky Mountains, Appalachian Mountains. The lowest point in the country is in Death Valley which is at -282 feet (-86 meters) and the highest peak is Denali (Mt. McKinley) at 20,320 feet (6,198 meters).

Major Rivers: Mississippi, Missouri, Colorado

Largest Cities: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, San Diego, Detroit, Dallas, Phoenix, San Antonio

Industry: Petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics

Agriculture: Wheat, corn, other grains, fruits, beef, forest products, fish

Exports: Capital goods, automobiles, industrial supplies and raw materials, consumer goods, agricultural products

Out of the 50 states, California is the most populous and Wyoming is the least populous. The largest state by area is Alaska, encompassing 665,384 square miles (1,723,337 square kilometers), while the smallest is Rhode Island, encompassing 1,545 square miles (4,002 square kilometers). The newest state is Hawaii. The largest territory in terms of both population and size is Puerto Rico, with a total area of 5,325 square miles (13,792 square kilometers).

Flag: The 50 stars on the flag represent the 50 states of the United States of America, and the 13 stripes represent the thirteen British colonies that declared independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.


Death Valley Denali in Alaska New York Hollywood NASA

Click here for free, printer-friendly, black/white USA states worksheets.

U.S. states

50 STATES

StAbbr.NicknameCapital
Alabama AL Heart of Dixie Montgomery
Alaska AK The Last Frontier Juneau
Arizona AZ Grand Canyon StatePhoenix
Arkansas AR The Natural State Little Rock
California CA The Golden State Sacramento
Colorado CO Centennial State Denver
Connecticut CT Constitution State Hartford
Delaware DE The First State Dover
Florida FL Sunshine State Tallahassee
Georgia GA Peach State Atlanta
Hawaii HI Aloha State Honolulu
Idaho ID Gem State Boise
Illinois IL Prairie State Springfield
Indiana IN Hoosier StateIndianapolis
Iowa IA Hawkeye StateDes Moines
Kansas KS Sunflower StateTopeka
Kentucky KY Bluegrass StateFrankfort
Louisiana LA Pelican StateBaton Rouge
Maine ME Pine Tree StateAugusta
Maryland MD Old Line StateAnnapolis
Massachusetts MA The Bay State Boston
Michigan MI The Great Lakes StateLansing
Minnesota MN North Star State St. Paul
Mississippi MS Magnolia StateJackson
Missouri MO Show-Me StateJefferson City
Montana MT Treasure StateHelena
Nebraska NE Cornhusker State Lincoln
Nevada NV Silver StateCarson City
New Hampshire NH Granite StateConcord
New Jersey NJ Garden State Trenton
New Mexico NM Land of EnchantmentSanta Fe
New York NY The Empire State Albany
North Carolina NC First in Flight State Raleigh
North Dakota ND Peace Garden State Bismarck
Ohio OH Buckeye StateColumbus
Oklahoma OK Sooner StateOklahoma City
Oregon OR Beaver StateSalem
Pennsylvania PA Keystone StateHarrisburg
Rhode Island RI Ocean State Providence
South Carolina SC Palmetto StateColumbia
South Dakota SD Mount Rushmore StatePierre
Tennessee TN Volunteer State Nashville
Texas TX Lone Star State Austin
Utah UT Beehive State Salt Lake City
Vermont VT Green Mountain State Montpelier
Virginia VA The Old Dominion Richmond
Washington WA Evergreen State Olympia
West Virginia WV Mountain State Charleston
Wisconsin WI Badger State Madison
Wyoming WY Equality State Cheyenne

TERRITORIES OF THE UNITED STATES

In addition to the 50 states and federal district, the United States has control over 14 territories. Five of them (American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) have a permanent, nonmilitary population, while nine of them (the United States Minor Outlying Islands) do not. With the exception of Navassa Island, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, which are located in the Caribbean, all territories are located in the Pacific Ocean.


Inhabited Territories of the United States
Territory Abbr. Capital Acquired
American Samoa AS Pago Pago1900
Guam GU Hagåtña1899
Northern Mariana Islands MP Saipan1986
Puerto Rico PR San Juan1899
U.S. Virgin Islands VI Charlotte Amalie1917

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