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United States

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1. Composition: 50 states and the federal capital district of Washington, D.C.
2. Population: Over 341 million
3. Neighbors: Canada to the north and Mexico to the south of the 48 contiguous states
4. Form of government: Federal republic under the United States Constitution
5. President: Donald Trump, the 45th and 47th president
6. Founding documents on display: Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights, in the National Archives Rotunda
7. Declaration of Independence adopted: July 4, 1776
8. Lee Resolution declaring independence: July 2, 1776
9. Geography and population
10. The United States is a country in North America made up of 50 states and the federal capital district of Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous states border Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The country also includes the semi-exclave of Alaska in the northwest of the continent and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific, and it claims sovereignty over five major island territories and a number of small, uninhabited islands in Oceania and the Caribbean.
11. Overview A short overview chapter of the Geography Now! episode on the United States.
12. Geography A chapter of the Geography Now! episode describing physical and political geography of the United States.
13. Fun Fact A chapter of the Geography Now! episode presenting brief facts about the country.
14. History
15. British colonization established the Thirteen Colonies, beginning with the settlement of Virginia in 1607. The Lee Resolution formally declared independence from Great Britain on July 2, 1776, and the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776. Victory in the Revolutionary War (1775 to 1783) brought international recognition of United States sovereignty.
16. Divided over slavery, eleven Southern states seceded and formed the Confederate States of America. The Union's victory in the Civil War (1861 to 1865) led to the abolition of slavery in the United States. After Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, the United States joined the Allies in World War II, and with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 it emerged as the world's only remaining superpower.
17. The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights are known together as the Charters of Freedom. The Declaration set out the nation's founding principles and explained why it broke away from Great Britain; the Constitution defined the framework of the federal government; and the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the Constitution, outlines the rights of citizens and states in relation to the federal government. The originals of all three are permanently housed in the National Archives Rotunda in Washington, D.C.
18. During and after the American Revolutionary War, the new government operated under the Articles of Confederation. The framers created the United States Constitution after deciding to build a system for running the country, and the Constitutional Convention relied on compromises to secure its passage.
19. History A long chapter of the Geography Now! episode summarizing United States history.
20. Skyscape Closing chapter of the Geography Now! episode showing a view of the United States from the air.
21. Native North Americans A chapter of a Crash Course US History episode introducing the indigenous peoples of North America.
22. Were Native North Americans 'Primitive?' A chapter of a Crash Course US History episode discussing common misconceptions about pre-Columbian societies.
23. Native North American Populations A chapter of a Crash Course US History episode describing the size and distribution of indigenous populations.
24. Life in Pre-Columbian America A chapter of a Crash Course US History episode describing daily life in the Americas before European contact.
25. Government
26. Under the United States Constitution, the federal government is a republic in which a president holds executive power. The Constitution separates powers among legislative, executive and judicial branches, and Congress, the national legislature, has two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. Under the federal system, each of the 50 states keeps considerable self-government. The current president is Donald Trump, whom the White House lists as both the 45th and the 47th president of the United States. USA.gov describes itself as the official guide to United States government information and services.
27. The Articles of Confederation A chapter of a Crash Course US History episode explaining the Articles of Confederation.
28. What did the Articles of Confederation Accomplish? A chapter of a Crash Course US History episode assessing the achievements of the Articles of Confederation.
29. Shay's Rebellion A chapter of a Crash Course US History episode describing Shays' Rebellion and its political consequences.
30. The United States Constitution A chapter of a Crash Course US History episode describing the drafting of the United States Constitution.
31. International position
32. The United States performs strongly in measures of economic competitiveness, innovation and tertiary education. Its economy produces more than a quarter of the world's nominal GDP and has been the largest since roughly 1890.
33. The United States is the richest country in the world and ranks first among OECD countries in per-capita disposable household income. It accounts for close to one-third of global military spending, and its armed forces are generally regarded as the strongest in the world. A member of many international bodies, it exerts a leading influence on world politics, culture, the economy and military affairs.
34. Timeline
35. 1607: British colonisation of North America begins with the settlement of Virginia.
36. 1776-07-02: The Lee Resolution formally declares independence from Great Britain.
37. 1776-07-04: The Declaration of Independence is adopted.
38. 1783: The Revolutionary War ends with international recognition of United States sovereignty.
39. 1861: Eleven Southern states secede and form the Confederate States of America.
40. 1865: Union victory in the Civil War leads to the abolition of slavery in the United States.
41. 1941: The United States enters the Second World War on the Allied side after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
42. 1991: The Soviet Union collapses, leaving the United States as the world's sole superpower.

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