About United States
The United States of America is a federal republic comprising 50 states that span the width of the North American continent, plus Alaska and Hawaii. It is a nation of staggering geographic diversity, housing almost every climate type on Earth—from the tropical wetlands of Florida and the arid deserts of Arizona to the temperate rainforests of Washington and the frozen tundra of Alaska. It famously features natural wonders like the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Yosemite.
As a global superpower, the U.S. exerts immense influence on world culture, economy, and politics. New York City is a global hub of finance and culture; Los Angeles is the entertainment capital of the world; Washington D.C. is the seat of political power; and Silicon Valley drives global technology. The country is defined by its history of immigration, creating a "melting pot" of cultures, cuisines, and traditions.
The "American Dream"—the ethos that freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success—remains a central theme of its national identity. From jazz and rock 'n' roll to Hollywood movies and space exploration, American contributions to the modern world are ubiquitous. It is a land of road trips, national parks, sprawling metropolises, and small-town Americana.
The federal government of the United States is arguably the world's oldest continuously operating constitutional republic, based on a founding document ratified on 21 June 1788 and amended only 27 times since then—remarkably few compared to the 250+ amendments of countries like India. Territory acquisition has been dramatic: the 1803 Louisiana Purchase from Napoleon doubled national area for 15 million dollars (about 3 cents per acre), Alaska was bought from Tsarist Russia in 1867 for 7.2 million dollars (2 cents per acre), and Hawaii became the 50th state only on 21 August 1959. The country hosts more people who speak Spanish at home than Spain itself does—roughly 42 million against 44 million—and unlike almost every other nation on Earth, it has no legally designated official language at the federal level, though 31 individual states have adopted English as their official state language.