World Countries: United States

Location

The world's third largest country, the United States is located across the central part of the North American continent. The country also includes the land areas of Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and various small Pacific islands. The continental United States is bordered by Canada and the Great Lakes to the north and Mexico on the south. The country has coastlines on the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, as well as the Gulf of Mexico.

The flag of the United States, pictured at left,
features 13 horizontal stripes and 50 stars.
The stripes symbolize the 13 original colonies.
The stars represent the 50 states.
According to the CIA World Factbook₁, the
color red in the flag represents courage, the white symbolized purity, and the blue represents truth and justice.

Geographic Features

Like most large countries, the United States has diverse geography. A series of mountain ranges in the west give way to central plains. In addition, there are mountain ranges in the east and coastal plains in the southeast and swamps in the extreme south. Large rivers systems crisscross the country.

Climate

The Deep South and Florida are more tropical. The southwest is arid and hot. Southern California experiences a mostly Mediterranean climate with mild winters and hot summers. The north and east are temperate continental.

Official Name

United States of America

Capital

Washington, DC

Official Language

English

Population

July 2011 Estimate: 313,232,042

Formation

The United States became a country in 1776, when the British colonies declared independence from the mother country.

Fun Facts

Denali, or Mount McKinley in the south central Alaska is the highest point in the United States at 20,000 plus feet. The lowest point in the country is in Death Valley, a desert region in southern Nevada and eastern California.

Neighbors

See also the North American countries: Canada and Mexico.

Source: 1. CIA World Factbook

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