Bloggers of The Americas

Some of the Britain’s American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the original 13 as the nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions. The two most traumatic experiences in the nation’s history were the Civil War (1861-65), in which a northern Union of states defeated a secessionist Confederacy of 11 southern slave states, and the Great Depression of the 1930s, an economic downturn during which about a quarter of the labor force lost its jobs. Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and II and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the US remains the world’s most powerful nation state. In spite of the current situation, the economy has been marked by steady growth, low unemployment and inflation, and rapid advances in technology.
Located in North America, the United States have borders with both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico.

The map of the US is the following:

 

The flag of the US is the following:

 

The US Flag description: 13 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars; the 50 stars represent the 50 states, the 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies; known as Old Glory; the design and colors have been the basis for a number of other flags, including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico.

The Area of the USA is the following,
total: 9,826,675 sq km
country comparison to the world: 3
land: 9,161,966 sq km
water: 664,709 sq km
note: includes only the 50 states and District of Columbia (Washington DC)

The Area of the United States can be compared as follows:
about half the size of Russia;
about three-tenths the size of Africa;
about half the size of South America (or slightly larger than Brazil);
slightly larger than China;
more than twice the size of the European Union.

The land borders of the USA are quite extended with a total of 12,034 km, that is border countries with Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska) and with Mexico 3,141 km. The extension of the USA coastline is 19,924 km.

The Territorial waters of the USA are measured in nautical miles, each one 1852 meters (nm) :
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

The climate of the United States is not homogeneus: mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains.

The terrain of the USA has a vast central plain, mountains in the west, hills and low mountains in east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaii.

The lowest point of the US is in Death Valley -86 m and the highest elevation is the Mount McKinley 6,198 m.

The natural resources of the USA includes coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber. The USA has the world’s largest coal reserves with 491 billion short tons accounting for 27% of the world’s total.

 

The arable part of the USA is the 18.01% of the total land. The irrigated land is the 223,850 sq km (2003).
The renovable water resources of the US totalize 3,069 cu km/cubic km (1985). The freshwater withdrawal (domestic 13% /industrial 46%/agricultural 41%) totalize 477 cu km/yr (13%/46%/41%), and a use per capita of 1,600 cu m/yr (2000).
The natural hazards of the US are tsunamis; volcanoes; earthquake activity around Pacific Basin; hurricanes along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts; tornadoes in the midwest and southeast; mud slides in California; forest fires in the west; flooding; permafrost in northern Alaska.

In relation to the environment issue, the subcontinent has major air pollution levels resulting in acid rain in both the US and Canada; the US is the largest single emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels; water pollution from runoff of pesticides and fertilizers; limited natural fresh water resources in much of the western part of the country require careful management; also desertification. In regard to environment the US is party of international agreements on : Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling. The US has signed , but not ratified the following international agreements: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Hazardous Wastes.

The estimated total population of the US by July 2009 is 307,212,123, third in population in the world after China and India.

The age structure of the US (2009 est.) is:
0-14 years: 20.2% (male 31,639,127/female 30,305,704),
15-64 years: 67% (male 102,665,043/female 103,129,321)
65 years and over: 12.8% (male 16,901,232/female 22,571,696)

The median age of the US population is :
total: 36.7 years
male: 35.4 years
female: 38 years (2009 est.)

The population growth rate (PGR) is low of 0.975% (2009 est.) with 13.82 births/1,000 population (country comparison to the world 153) and a death rate of 8.38 deaths/1,000 population (place in the world 101) . The PGR is an average annual percent change in the population, resulting from a surplus (or deficit) of births over deaths and the balance of migrants entering and leaving a country. The rate may be positive or negative. The growth rate is a factor in determining how great a burden would be imposed on a country by the changing needs of its people for infrastructure (e.g., schools, hospitals, housing, roads), resources (e.g., food, water, electricity), and jobs.

The net migration rate (NMR) of the US is 4.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) This entry NMR includes the figure for the difference between the number of persons entering and leaving a country during the year per 1,000 persons (based on midyear population). An excess of persons entering the country is referred to as net immigration (e.g., 3.56 migrants/1,000 population); an excess of persons leaving the country as net emigration (e.g., -9.26 migrants/1,000 population). The net migration rate indicates the contribution of migration to the overall level of population change. High levels of migration can cause problems such as increasing unemployment and potential ethnic strife (if people are coming in) or a reduction in the labor force, perhaps in certain key sectors (if people are leaving).

The 82% of total population lives in urbanized areas (2008).

The infant mor tality rate of the US total:
6.26 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 180
male: 6.94 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

The Life Expectancy of the US,
total population: 78.11 years
country comparison to the world: 50
male: 75.65 years
female: 80.69 years (2009 est.)

The religions in the US are the following:
Protestant 51.3%, Roman Catholic 23.9%, Mormon 1.7%, other Christian 1.6%, Jewish 1.7%, Buddhist 0.7%, Muslim 0.6%, other or unspecified 2.5%, unaffiliated 12.1%, none 4% (2007 est.)

The languages in the US are the following:
English 82.1%, Spanish 10.7%, other Indo-European 3.8%, Asian and Pacific island 2.7%, other 0.7% (2000 census)
note: Hawaiian is an official language in the state of Hawaii.

The literacy in the US is the following:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.)

The ethnic groups in the US are:
white 79.96%, black 12.85%, Asian 4.43%, Amerindian and Alaska native 0.97%, native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander 0.18%, two or more races 1.61% (July 2007 estimate)

The education expenditures in the US are:
5.3% of GDP (2005)
country comparison to the world: 57

 

Type of Government in the United States of America: Constitution-based federal republic; strong democratic tradition, Capital name: Washington, DC.
The states/administrative divisions in USA totalize 50 states and 1 district (District of Columbia DC); Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia*, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

 

The dependant areas in the US are:
American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palmyra Atoll, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Wake Island
note: from 18 July 1947 until 1 October 1994, the US administered the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands; it entered into a political relationship with all four political units: the Northern Mariana Islands is a commonwealth in political union with the US (effective 3 November 1986); the Republic of the Marshall Islands signed a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 21 October 1986); the Federated States of Micronesia signed a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 3 November 1986); Palau concluded a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 1 October 1994).

The Independence Day in the US is the 4 July 1776 (from Great Britain). Also is a National Holiday.

The Constitution in the USA is of 17 September 1787, effective 4 March 1789.

The legal system in the US is a federal court system based on English common law; each state has its own unique legal system, of which all but one (Louisiana, which is still influenced by the Napoleonic Code) is based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction (International Court of Justice) .

The suffrage age is 18 years ; universal.

 

In the USA, the Head of the Executive Branch of the Government and chief of state: President Barack H. OBAMA (since 20 January 2009); Vice President Joseph R. BIDEN (since 20 January 2009); cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with Senate approval
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by a college of representatives who are elected directly from each state; president and vice president serve four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held 4 November 2008 (next to be held on 6 November 2012), last election results: Barack H. OBAMA elected president, with the 52,4% of votes.

 

 

In USA, the Legislative Branch in the USA is a bicameral Congress and consists of the Senate (100 seats, 2 members are elected from each state by popular vote to serve six-year terms; one-third are elected every two years) and the House of Representatives (435 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms), elections: Senate – last held 4 November 2008 (next to be held November 2010); House of Representatives – last held 4 November 2008 (next to be held in November 2010). Election results: Senate – seats by party – Democratic Party 57, Republican Party 41, independent 2; House of Representatives ; seats by party – Democratic Party 257, Republican Party 178.

 

Political Parties in the US: Democratic Party [Timothy KAINE]; Green Party; Libertarian Party [William (Bill) REDPATH]; Republican Party [Michael STEELE].

 

The Judicial Branch of the US is the Supreme Court (nine justices; nominated by the president and confirmed with the advice and consent of the Senate; appointed to serve for life); United States Courts of Appeal; United States District Courts; State and County Courts.

 

The political pressure groups in the USA are environmentalists; business groups; labor unions; churches; ethnic groups; political action committees or PAC; health groups; education groups; civic groups; youth groups; transportation groups; agricultural groups; veterans groups; women’s groups; reform lobbies.

The USA has international organization participation in: ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), ANZUS, APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CE (observer), CERN (observer), CP, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, G-20, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAFTA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SECI (observer), SPC, UN, UN Security Council, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC.

The Economic Overview of the United States is the following:
The US has the largest and most technologically powerful economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $46,900. In this market-oriented economy, private individuals and business firms make most of the decisions, and the federal and state governments buy needed goods and services predominantly in the private marketplace. US business firms enjoy greater flexibility than their counterparts in Western Europe and Japan in decisions to expand capital plant, to lay off surplus workers, and to develop new products. At the same time, they face higher barriers to enter their rivals’ home markets than foreign firms face entering US markets. US firms are at or near the forefront in technological advances, especially in computers and in medical, aerospace, and military equipment; their advantage has narrowed since the end of World War II. The onrush of technology largely explains the gradual development of a “two-tier labor market” in which those at the bottom lack the education and the professional/technical skills of those at the top and, more and more, fail to get comparable pay raises, health insurance coverage, and other benefits. Since 1975, practically all the gains in household income have gone to the top 20% of households. The war in March-April 2003 between a US-led coalition and Iraq, and the subsequent occupation of Iraq, required major shifts in national resources to the military. Hurricane Katrina caused extensive damage in the Gulf Coast region in August 2005, but had a small impact on overall GDP growth for the year. Soaring oil prices between 2005 and the first half of 2008 threatened inflation and unemployment, as higher gasoline prices ate into consumers’ budgets. Imported oil accounts for about two-thirds of US consumption. Long-term problems include inadequate investment in economic infrastructure, rapidly rising medical and pension costs of an aging population, sizable trade and budget deficits, and stagnation of family income in the lower economic groups. The merchandise trade deficit reached a record $819 billion in 2007 and $821 billion in 2008. The global economic downturn, the sub-prime mortgage crisis, investment bank failures, falling home prices, and tight credit pushed the United States into a recession by mid-2008. To help stabilize financial markets, the US Congress established a $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) in October 2008. The government used some of these funds to purchase equity in US banks and other industrial corporations. In January 2009 the US Congress passed and President Barack OBAMA signed a bill providing an additional $787 billion fiscal stimulus – two-thirds on additional spending and one-third on tax cuts – to create jobs and to help the economy recover.

The GDP (purchasing power parity) of the US is
$14.26 trillion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2 (after the European Union)
$14.1 trillion (2007 est.)
$13.82 trillion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
The GDP (purchasing power parity) of the USA gives the gross domestic product (GDP) or value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year. A nation’s GDP at purchasing power parity (PPP) exchange rates is the sum value of all goods and services produced in the country valued at prices prevailing in the United States. This is the measure most economists prefer when looking at per-capita welfare and when comparing living conditions or use of resources across countries. The measure is difficult to compute, as a US dollar value has to be assigned to all goods and services in the country regardless of whether these goods and services have a direct equivalent in the United States (for example, the value of an ox-cart or non-US military equipment); as a result, PPP estimates for some countries are based on a small and sometimes different set of goods and services. In addition, many countries do not formally participate in the World Bank’s PPP project that calculates these measures, so the resulting GDP estimates for these countries may lack precision. For many developing countries, PPP-based GDP measures are multiples of the official exchange rate (OER) measure. The differences between the OER- and PPP-denominated GDP values for most of the wealthy industrialized countries are generally much smaller.

 

The GDP official exchange rate of the US is of $14.26 trillion (2008 est.).A nation’s GDP at official exchange rates (OER) is the home-currency-denominated annual GDP figure divided by the bilateral average US exchange rate with that country in that year. The measure is simple to compute and gives a precise measure of the value of output. Many economists prefer this measure when gauging the economic power an economy maintains vis-�-vis its neighbors, judging that an exchange rate captures the purchasing power a nation enjoys in the international marketplace. Official exchange rates, however, can be artificially fixed and/or subject to manipulation – resulting in claims of the country having an under- or over-valued currency – and are not necessarily the equivalent of a market-determined exchange rate. Moreover, even if the official exchange rate is market-determined, market exchange rates are frequently established by a relatively small set of goods and services (the ones the country trades) and may not capture the value of the larger set of goods the country produces. Furthermore, OER-converted GDP is not well suited to comparing domestic GDP over time, since appreciation/depreciation from one year to the next will make the OER GDP value rise/fall regardless of whether home-currency-denominated GDP changed.

 

The GDP real growth rate in the US is 1.1% (2008 est.), country comparison to the world: 172, 2% (2007 est.), 2.8% (2006 est.).

The GDP per capita (PPP) in the US is $46,900 (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 10
$46,800 (2007 est.)
$46,300 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars

The GDP composition in the US is by sector:
agriculture: 1.2%
industry: 19.2%
services: 79.6% (2008 est.)

The Labor Force in the US is 154.3 million (includes unemployed) (2008 est.), country comparison to the world: 4

The Labor Force by occupation in the USA is:
farming, forestry, and fishing 0.6%,
manufacturing, extraction, transportation, and crafts 22.6%,
managerial, professional, and technical 35.5%,
sales and office 24.8%,
other services 16.5%
note: figures exclude the unemployed (2007)

The unemployment rate in the US is:
10% (September 2009 est.)

The population below the powerty line in the US is 12% (2004 est.).

The Household Income or Consumption by percentage share in the US is
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 30% (2007 est.)
Data on household income or consumption come from household surveys, the results adjusted for household size. Nations use different standards and procedures in collecting and adjusting the data. Surveys based on income will normally show a more unequal distribution than surveys based on consumption. The quality of surveys is improving with time, yet caution is still necessary in making inter-country comparisons.

The Investment (gross fixed) in the US is
14.3% of GDP (2008 est.),country comparison to the world: 138
The Investment (gross fixed) records total business spending on fixed assets, such as factories, machinery, equipment, dwellings, and inventories of raw materials, which provide the basis for future production. It is measured gross of the depreciation of the assets, i.e., it includes investment that merely replaces worn-out or scrapped capital.

The Budget in the US is:
revenues: $2.524 trillion
expenditures: $2.978 trillion (2008 est.)
This entry includes revenues, expenditures, and capital expenditures. These figures are calculated on an exchange rate basis, i.e., not in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms.

The Public Debt of the US is:
60.8% of GDP (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 24
65% of GDP (2004 est.)
This entry records the cumulative total of all government borrowings less repayments that are denominated in a country’s home currency. Public debt should not be confused with external debt, which reflects the foreign currency liabilities of both the private and public sector and must be financed out of foreign exchange earnings.

The inflation rate in the US is :
3.8% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
2.9% (2007 est.)
This entry furnishes the annual percent change in consumer prices compared with the previous year’s consumer prices.

The Central Bank discount Rate in the US is
0.5% (31 March 2009)
country comparison to the world: 110
4.83% (31 December 2007)
This entry provides the annualized interest rate a country’s central bank charges commercial, depository banks for loans to meet temporary shortages of funds.

The Commercial Bank prime lending rate in the US is:
NA% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 105
8.05% (31 December 2007)
This entry provides a simple average of annualized interest rates commercial banks charge on new loans, denominated in the national currency, to their most credit-worthy customers.

The Stock of money in the US is:
$1.624 trillion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 4
$1.395 trillion (31 December 2007)
This entry, also known as “M1,” comprises the total quantity of currency in circulation (notes and coins) plus demand deposits denominated in the national currency, held by nonbank financial institutions, state and local governments, nonfinancial public enterprises, and the private sector of the economy. The national currency units have been converted to US dollars at the closing exchange rate on the date of the information.

The Stock of quasi money in the US is
$8.171 trillion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 1
$7.466 trillion (31 December 2007)
This entry comprises the total quantity of time and savings deposits denominated in the national currency, held by nonbank financial institutions, state and local governments, nonfinancial public enterprises, and the private sector of the economy. When added together with “M1″ the total money supply is known as “M2.” The national currency units have been converted to US dollars at the closing exchange rate on the date of the information.

 

The Agriculture Products in the US are
wheat, corn, other grains, fruits, vegetables, cotton; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish; forest products

 

The US is the leading industrial power in the world, highly diversified and technologically advanced; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, lumber, mining.

The market value of publicly traded shares in the US is:
$NA (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 1
$19.95 trillion (31 December 2007)
$19.43 trillion (31 December 2006)
This entry gives the value of shares issued by publicly traded companies at a price determined in the national stock markets on the final day of the period indicated. It is simply the latest price per share multiplied by the total number of outstanding shares, cumulated over all companies listed on the particular exchange.

The industrial production growth rate in the US is negative
-2% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152

The electricity production in the US is
4.11 trillion kWh (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1

The oil consumption in the US is the highest in the whole world,
19.5 million bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1

The oil imports in the US is
13.47 million bbl/day (2008 est.)

The natural gas consumption in the US is
657.2 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1

The natural gas imports of the US are:
112.7 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1

The natural gas proved reserves of the US are:
6.731 trillion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 5

The current account deficit of the US are:
$-673.3 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 190
$-731.2 billion (2007 est.)

The exports of the US are: $1.291 trillion (2008 est.). Country comparison to the world: 4. $1.148 trillion (2007 est.).
Exports – commodities: agricultural products (soybeans, fruit, corn) 9.2%, industrial supplies (organic chemicals) 26.8%, capital goods (transistors, aircraft, motor vehicle parts, computers, telecommunications equipment) 49.0%, consumer goods (automobiles, medicines) 15.0% (2003)
The US export partners are: Canada 20.1%, Mexico 11.7%, China 5.5%, Japan 5.1%, Germany 4.2%, UK 4.1% (2008).

The Imports of the US are: $2.112 trillion (2008 est.) Country comparison to the world: 1. $1.968 trillion (2007 est.)
Imports – commodities: agricultural products 4.9%, industrial supplies 32.9% (crude oil 8.2%), capital goods 30.4% (computers, telecommunications equipment, motor vehicle parts, office machines, electric power machinery), consumer goods 31.8% (automobiles, clothing, medicines, furniture, toys) (2003)
Imports – partners: China 16.5%, Canada 15.7%, Mexico 10.1%, Japan 6.6%, Germany 4.6% (2008)

The reserves of the US of foreign exchange and gold are: 77.65 billion (31 December 2008 est.) Country comparison to the world: 19. $70.57 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

The external Debt of the US is, $13.64 trillion (31 December 2008), country comparison to the world: 1, $13.43 trillion (31 December 2007).

The Stock of direct foreign investment in the US are : $2.367 trillion (31 December 2008 est.) Country comparison to the world: 1
$2.093 trillion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of US direct foreign investment – abroad: $3.066 trillion (31 December 2008 est.). Country comparison to the world: 1. $2.791 trillion (31 December 2007 est.)

The facts of the US communications sector is the following:

Telephones – main lines in use: 150 million (2008), Country comparison to the world: 2, Telephones – mobile cellular: 270 million(2008) country comparison to the world: 3
Telephone system is a large, technologically advanced, multipurpose communications system.
Domestic: a large system of fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and domestic satellites carries every form of telephone traffic; a rapidly growing cellular system carries mobile telephone traffic throughout the country
international: country code – 1; multiple ocean cable systems provide international connectivity; satellite earth stations – 61 Intelsat (45 Atlantic Ocean and 16 Pacific Ocean), 5 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 4 Inmarsat (Pacific and Atlantic Ocean regions) (2000)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 4,789, FM 8,961, shortwave 19 (2006)
Television broadcast stations: 2,218 (2006)
Internet country code: .us
Internet hosts: 383 million (2009); note – the US Internet total host count includes the following top level domain host addresses: .us, .com, .edu, .gov, .mil, .net, and .org , country comparison to the world: 1
Internet users: 231 million (2008), country comparison to the world: 2

 

The Transportation sector in the US is the following:
Airports: 15,095 (2009),country comparison to the world: 1
Airports – with paved runways: total: 5,174
over 3,047 m: 190
2,438 to 3,047 m: 229
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1,477
914 to 1,523 m: 2,309
under 914 m: 969 (2009)
Airports – with unpaved runways:
total: 9,921
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 158
914 to 1,523 m: 1,757
under 914 m: 8,000 (2009)
Heliports: 126 (2009)
Pipelines: petroleum products 244,620 km; natural gas 548,665 km (2006)
Railways: total: 226,427 km, country comparison to the world: 1 , standard gauge: 226,427 km 1.435-m gauge (2007)
Roadways: total: 6,465,799 km, country comparison to the world: 1
paved: 4,209,835 km (includes 75,040 km of expressways)
unpaved: 2,255,964 km (2007)
Waterways: 41,009 km (19,312 km used for commerce)
country comparison to the world: 4
note: Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint Lawrence River of 3,058 km, shared with Canada (2008)
Merchant marine: total: 422, country comparison to the world: 24
by type: barge carrier 6, bulk carrier 61, cargo 69, carrier 2, chemical tanker 22, container 81, passenger 19, passenger/cargo 59, petroleum tanker 53, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 25, vehicle carrier 22
foreign-owned: 74 (Australia 1, Denmark 31, Germany 5, Japan 7, Malaysia 2, Netherlands 1, Norway 9, Singapore 12, Sweden 5, UK 1)
registered in other countries: 732 (Antigua and Barbuda 8, Australia 2, Bahamas 106, Bermuda 23, Cambodia 6, Canada 10, Cayman Islands 42, Comoros 2, Cyprus 5, Ecuador 1, Greece 8, Hong Kong 29, Ireland 2, Isle of Man 4, Italy 17, South Korea 7, Liberia 98, Luxembourg 4, Malta 23, Marshall Islands 123, Netherlands 14, Netherlands Antilles 1, Norway 8, Panama 126, Portugal 1, Puerto Rico 3, Russia 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 18, Sierra Leone 1, Singapore 22, Trinidad and Tobago 1, Tuvalu 1, UK 12, Vanuatu 1, unknown 2) (2008)
Ports and terminals: Corpus Christi, Duluth, Hampton Roads, Houston, Long Beach, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Tampa, Texas City.

 

The military sector in the US can be caracterized as follows,
The United States Armed Forces have the following military branches: US Army, US Navy (includes Marine Corps), US Air Force, US Coast Guard; note – Coast Guard administered in peacetime by the Department of Homeland Security, but in wartime reports to the Department of the Navy (2009)
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age (17 years of age with parental consent) for male and female voluntary service; maximum enlistment age 42 (Army), 27 (Air Force), 34 (Navy), 28 (Marines); service obligation 8 years, including 2-5 years active duty (Army), 2 years active (Navy), 4 years active (Air Force, Marines) (2008). Manpower available for military service: males age 16-49: 72,715,332, females age 16-49: 71,638,785 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 59,764,677 , females age 16-49: 59,437,663 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 2,196,124, female: 2,085,085 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures: 4.06% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 28

The pendant international disputes off the US are:
the U.S. has intensified domestic security measures and is collaborating closely with its neighbors, Canada and Mexico, to monitor and control legal and illegal personnel, transport, and commodities across the international borders; abundant rainfall in recent years along much of the Mexico-US border region has ameliorated periodically strained water-sharing arrangements; 1990 Maritime Boundary Agreement in the Bering Sea still awaits Russian Duma ratification; managed maritime boundary disputes with Canada at Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and around the disputed Machias Seal Island and North Rock; The Bahamas and US have not been able to agree on a maritime boundary; US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased from Cuba and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease; Haiti claims US-administered Navassa Island; US has made no territorial claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the right to do so) and does not recognize the claims of any other states; Marshall Islands claims Wake Island; Tokelau included American Samoa’s Swains Island among the islands listed in its 2006 draft constitution
Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): the US admitted 62,643 refugees during FY04/05 including; 10,586 (Somalia); 8,549 (Laos); 6,666 (Russia); 6,479 (Cuba); 3,100 (Haiti); 2,136 (Iran) (2006)

Illicit drugs in the US are: world’s largest consumer of cocaine (shipped from Colombia through Mexico and the Caribbean), Colombian heroin, and Mexican heroin and marijuana; major consumer of ecstasy and Mexican methamphetamine; minor consumer of high-quality Southeast Asian heroin; illicit producer of cannabis, marijuana, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and methamphetamine; money-laundering center.