Interesting facts about the United States of America

united states of america flag

The United States of America (USA), usually called the United States (US), or America is a country in North America.

It is made up of 50 states, a federal district, and five territories.

The United States of America is bordered by the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Artctic Ocean, Canada to the north, and Mexico to the south.

The United States does not have a national official language; nevertheless, English (specifically American English) is the primary language used for legislation, regulations, executive orders, treaties, federal court rulings, and all other official pronouncements.

At 9.8 million square kilometers (3.8 million square miles) the USA is the world’s third-largest country by total area (and fourth-largest by land area).

As of 1 January 2016, the population of United States of America was estimated to be 323,025,335 people. The USA is the world’s third most populated country.

The country’s capital is Washington, D.C. and its largest city is New York City [Photo below]; other major metropolitan areas include Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, Boston, Philadelphia, Houston, Atlanta, and Miami.

new york city

The landscape varies across the large country from tropical beaches in Florida to peaks in the Rocky Mountains, from rolling prairie lands and barren deserts in the West to dense wilderness areas in the Northeast and Northwest.

The tallest mountain the US is Denali (also known as Mount McKinley, its former official name), located in the state of Alaska it reaches 6,190 meters (20,310 feet) above sea level.

denali

The United States has 19,924 kilometers (52 miles) of coastline; it is the 9th longest coastline in the world.

The Mississippi and Missouri Rivers combine to form the longest river system in the US and the fourth longest in the world.

Situated along the Canada-US border, Niagara Falls is one of the most famous waterfalls in the world. Niagara With more than 14 million visitors each year it is one of the most visited tourist attraction in the world.

niagara falls

There are 58 national parks and hundreds of other federally managed parks, forests, and wilderness areas.

The oldest national park is Yellowstone, Wyoming which was founded in 1872; the most visited is Great Smoky Mountains National Park [photo below], which draws more than ten million visitors annually.

great smoky mountains national park

The Grand Canyon is located in northern Arizona and is one of the great tourist attractions in the United States. Carved over several million years by the Colorado River, the canyon attains a depth of over 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) and 446 kilometers (277 miles) long.

grand canyon

A universal symbol of freedom, the Statue of Liberty is America’s most familiar icon. It is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York City.

statue of liberty

The Golden Gate Bridge, which spans the San Francisco Bay and connects the city to its northern sububrs, is one of the world’s most famous structures. It has been a California icon since it was built in the 1930s.

golden gate bridge

The Walt Disney World Resort is mega amusement park near Orlando. It is the top family attraction in the country, and has been catering to both young and old for decades. Opened on October 1, 1971, Walt Disney World is the most visited vacation resort in the world, with an attendance of over 52 million people annually.

walt disney world

Bustling Times Square, famous for its flashing billboards, New Year’s Eve count down, and constant throngs of people, lies at the heart of Midtown Manhattan.

times square

The White House is the official residence of the President of the United States, and on almost all tourists’ list of things to see in Washington. It was built between 1792 and 1800 and first used by President John Adams.

the white house

For centuries native peoples lived across the vast expanse that would become the United States. In the early 17th century, settlers moved from Europe to the New World, established colonies, and displaced the native peoples.

The settlers fought for their independence from Britain in the late 18th century and formed a union of states based on a new constitution. The nation continued to expand westward and although the country is a relatively young nation, it has become a global power since declaring independence from Britain on July 4, 1776.

us independence

The United States has the world’s largest economy. The country has rich mineral resources, with many gold, coal and uranium deposits. Farming makes the country among the top producers of, among others, corn (maize), wheat, sugar and tobacco. America produces cars, airplanes and electronics. About 3/4 of Americans work in the service industry.

The United States purchased Alaska from Russia for just US$7.2 million in 1867.

alaska

Hawaii is the most recent of the 50 states in the US (joining in 1959) and is the only one made up entirely of islands.

The state of Alaska is 429 times larger than the state of Rhode Island is. But Rhode Island has a significantly larger population than Alaska does.

The United States has 23 UNESCO world heritage sites.

In God We Trust” was declared the U.S.national motto in 1956. It first appeared in 1861 because of the increased religious sentiment existing during the Civil War.

The bald eagle is the national bird and symbol of the United States and is a protected species.

bald eagle open wings

American popular culture goes out to many places in the world. It has a large influence on most of the world, especially the Western world. American music is heard all over the world, and American movies and television shows can be seen in most countries.

The most popular team sports in the US are American football, baseball, basketball and ice hockey.

The first Friday of June is National Donut Day in the U.S.

donuts

100 acres of Pizza are served in the U.S. every day.

8 billion chickens are consumed in the U.S. each year.

1 in 3 Americans is obese.

The banana is the most popular fruit in the U.S.

Christmas was illegal in the U.S. until 1836 as it was considered an Ancient Pagan Holiday.

In the U.S., there’s an official Rock Paper Scissors League.

There are more single people than married people in the U.S. nowadays.

The biggest bill the U.S. issued was a US$ 10,000 bill.

Apple has more operating cash than the U.S. Treasury.

The poorest place in the U.S. is Allen, South Dakota, where 96% are Native American.

27% percent of Americans believe we never landed on the moon.

There are more Facebook users from the U.S. than U.S. citizens that voted in the last election.