World Factbook
United States
United States of America
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Flag
description: 13 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; a blue rectangle in the upper-left corner has 50 five-pointed white stars, arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars meaning: the stars represent the 50 states, and the stripes represent the 13 original colonies; blue stands for loyalty, devotion, truth, justice, and friendship; red for courage, zeal, and fervency; white for purity and rectitude of conduct
note 1: sometimes referred to by its nickname of "Old Glory"
note 2: the design and colors have been the basis for a number of other flags, including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico
Capital
name
Washington, D.C.
etymology
named after George WASHINGTON (1732-1799), the first president of the United States
time zone note
the 50 United States cover six time zones
time difference
UTC-5 (during Standard Time)
daylight saving time
+1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November; note - no DST for Hawaii and most of Arizona
geographic coordinates
38 53 N, 77 02 W
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Citizenship
citizenship by birth
yes
citizenship by descent only
yes
dual citizenship recognized
no, but the US government acknowledges such situtations exist; US citizens are not encouraged to seek dual citizenship since it limits protection by the US
residency requirement for naturalization
5 years
Constitution
history
previous 1781 (Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union); latest drafted July - September 1787, submitted to the Congress of the Confederation 20 September 1787, submitted for states' ratification 28 September 1787, ratification completed by nine of the 13 states 21 June 1788, effective 4 March 1789
amendment process
proposed as a "joint resolution" by Congress, which requires a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate or by a constitutional convention called for by at least two thirds of the state legislatures; passage requires ratification by three fourths of the state legislatures or passage in state-held constitutional conventions as specified by Congress; the US president has no role in the constitutional amendment process
Country name
etymology
the name America was first used in 1507 and is derived from the first name of Amerigo VESPUCCI (1454-1512), an Italian explorer, navigator, and cartographer; the name United States first appeared in a document subtitle during the discussions that led to the Declaration of Independence in 1776
abbreviation
US or USA
conventional long form
United States of America
conventional short form
United States
Independence
4 July 1776 (declared independence from Great Britain); 3 September 1783 (recognized by Great Britain)
Legal system
common law system based on English common law at the federal level; state legal systems based on common law, except Louisiana, where state law is based on Napoleonic civil code; judicial review of legislative acts
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 (14)
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 entities: 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)
Government type
constitutional federal republic
Judicial branch
note
note: the US court system consists of the federal court system and the state court systems; each court system is responsible for hearing certain types of cases, but neither is completely independent of the other, and the systems often interact
highest court(s)
US Supreme Court (consists of 9 justices -- the chief justice and 8 associate justices)
subordinate courts
Courts of Appeal (includes the US Court of Appeal for the Federal District and 12 regional appeals courts); 94 federal district courts in 50 states and territories
judge selection and term of office
president nominates and, with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoints Supreme Court justices; justices serve for life
Executive branch
note
note: the president is both chief of state and head of government
cabinet
Cabinet appointed by the president, approved by the Senate
chief of state
President Donald J. TRUMP (since 20 January 2025)
election results
2024: Donald J. TRUMP elected president; electoral vote - Donald J. TRUMP (Republican Party) 312, Kamala HARRIS (Democratic Party) 226; percent of direct popular vote - Donald J. TRUMP 49.8%, Kamala HARRIS 48.3%, other 1.9% 2020: Joseph R. BIDEN, Jr. elected president; electoral vote - Joseph R. BIDEN, Jr. (Democratic Party) 306, Donald J. TRUMP (Republican Party) 232; percent of direct popular vote - Joseph R. BIDEN Jr. 51.3%, Donald J. TRUMP 46.9%, other 1.8%
head of government
President Donald J. TRUMP (since 20 January 2025)
most recent election date
5 November 2024
election/appointment process
president and vice president indirectly elected on the same ballot by the Electoral College of electors chosen from each state; president and vice president serve a 4-year term (eligible for a second term)
expected date of next election
7 November 2028
National holiday
Independence Day, 4 July (1776)
National color(s)
red, white, blue
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites
26 (13 cultural, 12 natural, 1 mixed); note - includes one site in Puerto Rico
selected World Heritage Site locales
Yellowstone National Park (n); Grand Canyon National Park (n); Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site (c); Independence Hall (c); Statue of Liberty (c); Yosemite National Park (n); Papahānaumokuākea (m); Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point (c); The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright (c); Mesa Verde National Park (c); Mammoth Cave National Park (n); Monticello and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville (c); Olympic National Park (n); Everglades National Park (n); Kluane / Wrangell-St. Elias / Glacier Bay / Tatshenshini-Alsek (n); Redwood National and State Parks (n); Great Smoky Mountains National Park (n); La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico (c); Chaco Culture (c); Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (n); Taos Pueblo (c); Carlsbad Caverns National Park (n); Waterton Glacier International Peace Park (n); Moravian Church Settlements (c); San Antonio Missions (c); Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks (c)
Political parties
Alliance Party Constitution Party Democratic Party Green Party Libertarian Party Republican Party Vermont Progressive Party
Legislative branch
note
note: in addition to the regular members of the House of Representatives there are 6 non-voting delegates elected from the District of Columbia and the US territories of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands; these are single seat constituencies directly elected by simple majority vote to serve a 2-year term (except for the resident commissioner of Puerto Rico who serves a 4-year term); the delegate can vote when serving on a committee and when the House meets as the Committee of the Whole House, but not when legislation is submitted for a “full floor” House vote; election of delegates last held on 8 November 2022 (next to be held on 3 November 2024)
legislature name
Congress
legislative structure
bicameral
National anthem(s)
title
"The Star-Spangled Banner"
history
adopted 1931; during the War of 1812, Francis Scott KEY witnessed the successful American defense of Baltimore's Fort McHenry against a British naval bombardment, later writing a poem about it that would become the US national anthem; the lyrics were set to the tune of "The Anacreontic Song;" there are four verses, but only the first verse is sung
lyrics/music
Francis Scott KEY/John Stafford SMITH
National symbol(s)
bald eagle
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
Legislative branch - lower chamber
chamber name
House of Representatives
term in office
2 years
number of seats
435 (all directly elected)
electoral system
plurality/majority
scope of elections
full renewal
most recent election date
11/5/2024
expected date of next election
November 2026
percentage of women in chamber
28.9%
parties elected and seats per party
Republican Party (220); Democratic Party (215)
Legislative branch - upper chamber
chamber name
Senate
term in office
6 years
number of seats
100 (all directly elected)
electoral system
plurality/majority
scope of elections
partial renewal
most recent election date
11/5/2024
expected date of next election
November 2026
percentage of women in chamber
26%
parties elected and seats per party
Republican Party (15); Democratic Party (19)
International organization participation
ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), ANZUS, APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CD, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CICA (observer), CP, EAPC, EAS, EBRD, EITI (implementing country), FAO, FATF, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAFTA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), Quad, SAARC (observer), SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UN Security Council (permanent), UNTSO, UPU, USMCA, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
International law organization participation
withdrew acceptance of compulsory ICJ jurisdiction in 2005; withdrew acceptance of ICCt jurisdiction in 2002