Aminet 6/Aminet 6 - June 1995.iso/Aminet/docs/misc/wfbook93_texi.lha/texi/249.data

Text File | 1995-03-27 | 14.8 KB | 439 lines

@node Geography (United States)
@section Geography (United States)

@display

Location:
  North America, between Canada and Mexico
Map references:
  North America, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
 total area:
  9,372,610 km2
 land area:
  9,166,600 km2
 comparative area:
  about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the size of Africa; about
  one-half the size of South America (or slightly larger than Brazil);
  slightly smaller than China; about two and one-half times the size of
  Western Europe
 note:
  includes only the 50 states and District of Columbia
Land boundaries:
  total 12,248 km, Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska), Cuba 29
  km (US naval base at Guantanamo), Mexico 3,326 km
Coastline:
  19,924 km
Maritime claims:
 contiguous zone:
  24 nm
 continental shelf:
  200 m or depth of exploitation
 exclusive economic zone:
  200 nm
 territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  maritime boundary disputes with Canada (Dixon Entrance, Beaufort Sea, Strait
  of Juan de Fuca); US Naval Base at Guantanamo is leased from Cuba and only
  mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease;
  Haiti claims 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 nation; Republic of Marshall Islands claims Wake Island
Climate:
  mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida and 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
Terrain:
  vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in east;
  rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged, volcanic
  topography in Hawaii
Natural resources:
  coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron,
  mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas,
  timber
Land use:
 arable land:
  20%
 permanent crops:
  0%
 meadows and pastures:
  26%



@end display

@node Geography (United States 2. usage)
@section Geography (United States 2. usage)

@display

 forest and woodland:
  29%
 other:
  25%
Irrigated land:
  181,020 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
  pollution control measures improving air and water quality; agricultural
  fertilizer and pesticide pollution; management of sparse natural water
  resources in west; desertification; tsunamis, volcanoes, and earthquake
  activity around Pacific Basin; permafrost in northern Alaska is a major
  impediment to development
Note:
  world's fourth-largest country (after Russia, Canada, and China)



@end display

@node People (United States)
@section People (United States)

@display

Population:
  258,103,721 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  1.02% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  15.48 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  8.67 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  3.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  8.36 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  75.8 years
 male:
  72.49 years
 female:
  79.29 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  2.05 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  American(s)
 adjective:
  American
Ethnic divisions:
  white 83.4%, black 12.4%, asian 3.3%, native american 0.8% (1992)
Religions:
  Protestant 56%, Roman Catholic 28%, Jewish 2%, other 4%, none 10% (1989)
Languages:
  English, Spanish (spoken by a sizable minority)
Literacy:
  age 15 and over having completed 5 or more years of schooling (1991)
 total population:
  97.9%
 male:
  97.9%
 female:
  97.9%
Labor force:
  128.548 million (includes armed forces and unemployed; civilian labor force
  126.982 million) (1992)
 by occupation:
  NA



@end display

@node Government (United States)
@section Government (United States)

@display

Names:
 conventional long form:
  United States of America
 conventional short form:
  United States
Abbreviation:
  US or USA
Digraph:
  US
Type:
  federal republic; strong democratic tradition
Capital:
  Washington, DC
Administrative divisions:
  50 states and 1 district*; 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
Dependent areas:
  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:
  since 18 July 1947, the US has administered the Trust Territory of the
  Pacific Islands, but recently entered into a new political relationship with
  three of the four political units; the Northern Mariana Islands is a
  Commonwealth in political union with the US (effective 3 November 1986);
  Palau concluded a Compact of Free Association with the US that was approved
  by the US Congress but to date the Compact process has not been completed in
  Palau, which continues to be administered by the US as the Trust Territory
  of the Pacific Islands; the Federated States of Micronesia signed a Compact
  of Free Association 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)
Independence:
  4 July 1776 (from England)
Constitution:
  17 September 1787, effective 4 June 1789
Legal system:
  based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts
  compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday:
  Independence Day, 4 July (1776)
Political parties and leaders:
  Republican Party, Haley BARBOUR, national committee chairman; Jeanie AUSTIN,
  co-chairman; Democratic Party, David C. WILHELM, national committee
  chairman; several other groups or parties of minor political significance
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Elections:
 President:
  last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held 5 November 1996); results -
  William Jefferson CLINTON (Democratic Party) 43.2%, George BUSH (Republican
  Party) 37.7%, Ross PEROT (Independent) 19.0%, other 0.1%



@end display

@node Government (United States 2. usage)
@section Government (United States 2. usage)

@display

 Senate:
  last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held 8 November 1994); results -
  Democratic Party 53%, Republican Party 47%, other NEGL%; seats - (100 total)
  Democratic Party 57, Republican Party 43
 House of Representatives:
  last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held 8 November 1994); results -
  Democratic Party 52%, Republican Party 46%, other 2%; seats - (435 total)
  Democratic Party 258, Republican Party 176, Independent 1
Executive branch:
  president, vice president, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
  bicameral Congress consists of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or
  House of Representatives
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court
Leaders:
 Chief of State and Head of Government:
  President William Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January 1993); Vice President
  Albert GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993)
Member of:
  AfDB, AG (observer), ANZUS, APEC, AsDB, Australian Group, BIS, CCC, COCOM,
  CP, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, FAO, ESCAP, G-2, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, GATT,
  IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
  INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, MTCR,
  NACC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, PCA, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM,
  UNRWA, UN Security Council, UNTAC, UN Trusteeship Council, UNTSO, UPU, WCL,
  WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Flag:
  thirteen 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



@end display

@node Economy (United States)
@section Economy (United States)

@display

Overview:
  The US has the most powerful, diverse, and technologically advanced economy
  in the world, with a per capita GDP of $23,400, the largest among major
  industrial nations. The economy is market oriented with most decisions made
  by private individuals and business firms and with government purchases of
  goods and services made predominantly in the marketplace. In 1989 the
  economy enjoyed its seventh successive year of substantial growth, the
  longest in peacetime history. The expansion featured moderation in wage and
  consumer price increases and a steady reduction in unemployment to 5.2% of
  the labor force. In 1990, however, growth slowed to 1% because of a
  combination of factors, such as the worldwide increase in interest rates,
  Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in August, the subsequent spurt in oil prices, and
  a general decline in business and consumer confidence. In 1991 output fell
  by 1%, unemployment grew, and signs of recovery proved premature. Growth
  picked up to 2.1% in 1992. Unemployment, however, remained at nine million,
  the increase in GDP being mainly attributable to gains in output per worker.
  Ongoing problems for the 1990s include inadequate investment in economic
  infrastructure, rapidly rising medical costs, and sizable budget and trade
  deficits.
National product:
  GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $5.951 trillion (1992)
National product real growth rate:
  2.1% (1992)
National product per capita:
  $23,400 (1992)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  3% (1992)
Unemployment rate:
  7% (April 1993)
Budget:
  revenues $1,092 billion; expenditures $1,382 billion, including capital
  expenditures of $NA (FY92)
Exports:
  $442.3 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
 commodities:
  capital goods, automobiles, industrial supplies and raw materials, consumer
  goods, agricultural products
 partners:
  Western Europe 27.3%, Canada 22.1%, Japan 12.1% (1989)
Imports:
  $544.1 billion (c.i.f., 1992)
 commodities:
  crude oil and refined petroleum products, machinery, automobiles, consumer
  goods, industrial raw materials, food and beverages
 partners:
  Western Europe 21.5%, Japan 19.7%, Canada 18.8% (1989)
External debt:
  $NA
Industrial production:
  growth rate 1.5% (1992 est.); accounts for NA% of GDP
Electricity:
  780,000,000 kW capacity; 3,230,000 million kWh produced, 12,690 kWh per
  capita (1992)
Industries:
  leading industrial power in the world, highly diversified; petroleum, steel,
  motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food
  processing, consumer goods, lumber, mining



@end display

@node Economy (United States 2. usage)
@section Economy (United States 2. usage)

@display

Agriculture:
  accounts for 2% of GDP and 2.8% of labor force; favorable climate and soils
  support a wide variety of crops and livestock production; world's second
  largest producer and number one exporter of grain; surplus food producer;
  fish catch of 4.4 million metric tons (1990)
Illicit drugs:
  illicit producer of cannabis for domestic consumption with 1987 production
  estimated at 3,500 metric tons or about 25% of the available marijuana;
  ongoing eradication program aimed at small plots and greenhouses has not
  reduced production
Economic aid:
  donor - commitments, including ODA and OOF, (FY80-89), $115.7 billion
Currency:
  1 United States dollar (US$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
 British pounds:
  (#) per US$ - 0.6527 (January 1993), 0.5664 (1992), 0.5652 (1991), 0.5603
  (1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988)
 Canadian dollars:
  (Can$) per US$ - 1.2776 (January 1993), 1.2087 (1992), 1.1457 (1991), 1.1668
  (1990), 1.1840 (1989), 1.2307 (1988)
 French francs:
  (F) per US$ - 5.4812 (January 1993), 5.2938 (1992), 5.6421 (1991), 5.4453
  (1990), 6.3801 (1989), 5.9569 (1988)
 Italian lire:
  (Lit) per US$ - 1,482.5 (January 1993), 1,232.4 (1992), 1,240.6 (1991),
  1,198.1 (1990), 1.372.1 (1989), 1,301.6 (1988)
 Japanese yen:
  (Y) per US$ - 125.01 (January 1993), 126.65 (1992), 134.71 (1991), 144.79
  (1990), 137.96 (1989), 128.15 (1988)
 German deutsche marks:
  (DM) per US$ - 1.6158 (January 1993), 1.5617 (1992), 1.6595 (1991), 1.6157
  (1990), 1.8800 (1989), 1.7562 (1988)
Fiscal year:
  1 October - 30 September



@end display

@node Communications (United States)
@section Communications (United States)

@display

Railroads:
  240,000 km of mainline routes, all standard 1.435 meter track, no government
  ownership (1989)
Highways:
  7,599,250 km total; 6,230,000 km state-financed roads; 1,369,250 km
  federally-financed roads (including 71,825 km interstate limited access
  freeways) (1988)
Inland waterways:
  41,009 km of navigable inland channels, exclusive of the Great Lakes (est.)
Pipelines:
  petroleum 276,000 km (1991), natural gas 331,000 km (1991)
Ports:   Anchorage, Baltimore, Beaumont, Boston, Charleston, Chicago, Cleveland,
  Duluth, Freeport, Galveston, Hampton Roads, Honolulu, Houston, Jacksonville,
  Long Beach, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Mobile, New Orleans, New York,
  Philadelphia, Portland (Oregon), Richmond (California), San Francisco,
  Savannah, Seattle, Tampa, Wilmington
Merchant marine:
  385 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 12,567,000 GRT/19,511,000 DWT;
  includes 3 passenger-cargo, 36 cargo, 23 bulk, 169 tanker, 13 tanker
  tug-barge, 13 liquefied gas, 128 intermodal; in addition, there are 219
  government-owned vessels
Airports:
 total:
  14,177
 usable:
  12,417
 with permanent-surface runways:
  4,820
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  63
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  325
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  2,524
Telecommunications:
  126,000,000 telephone access lines; 7,557,000 cellular phone subscribers;
  broadcast stations - 4,987 AM, 4,932 FM, 1,092 TV; about 9,000 TV cable
  systems; 530,000,000 radio sets and 193,000,000 TV sets in use; 16
  satellites and 24 ocean cable systems in use; satellite ground stations - 45
  Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT and 16 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT (1990)



@end display

@node Defense Forces (United States)
@section Defense Forces (United States)

@display

Branches:
  Department of the Army, Department of the Navy (including Marine Corps),
  Department of the Air Force
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 66.826 million; fit for military service NA (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $315.5 billion, 5.3% of GDP (1992)



@end display