The United States is an independent state in North America, and a member of the United Nations. Treaties and official documents call it United States of America. Its seat of government is Washington D.C.
It is home to roughly 340.1 million people, placing it 3rd of 250 by population — between China above it and Indonesia below. Measured only against its own subregion, it is 2nd of 7 in size and 1st in population.
The land area is 9,372,610 km², which ranks it 5th of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind China and just ahead of Brazil. That makes it a fraction smaller than China.
The lie of the land
Its reference point sits at 38.0° north and 97.0° west, which puts it in the northern hemisphere, roughly 4,230 km from the equator, in what geographers would call temperate latitudes.
Countries on the same parallel, far away in longitude, include Türkiye, Spain and Turkmenistan.
Its land neighbours number 2: Canada and Mexico. The largest of them by area is Canada, while the most populous is Mexico. Together those neighbours hold about 172.1 million people.
Unlike its landlocked neighbours it reaches the sea directly, while also sharing land frontiers.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
How crowded the United States is, and what is spoken there
Population divided by land area gives roughly 36 people per square kilometre, which makes it less crowded than the typical entry on this list. The median across all 250 entries here is about 90 per square kilometre.
The one official language is English. Another 90 entries list English too — among them American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda and Australia.
People from the United States are called Americans.
Against the Americas as a whole it is the 1st most populous of 56 entries, and it accounts for 66% of everyone living in North America.
Useful reference details
It uses the United States dollar ($, USD). It is issued for the United States alone.
The top-level domain is .us. The international dialling code is +1. Its ISO codes are us and USA, which is what most databases and flag files use.
Washington D.C. is the seat of government and the answer most quizzes are looking for.
It holds a seat at the United Nations, one of 193 entries here that do. The other 57 entries are territories, dependencies or observers, which is why totals on this site run to 250 rather than the familiar 195.
Neighbouring countries
United States shares borders with 2 countries:
Fun facts about United States
- The United States dollar is used here and nowhere else on this list.
- Within North America it is the 2nd largest of 7.
- It lies about 4,230 km from the equator, in temperate latitudes.
- Ranked by land area, the United States is 5th out of the 250 countries and territories on this site.
- It is 3rd of 250 by population, with about 340.1 million residents.
- In land area it is a fraction smaller than China.
- Websites based there use the .us domain.
- Population density works out at roughly 36 people per square kilometre.
United States — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of the United States?
- The capital of the United States is Washington D.C.
- How big is the United States?
- The United States covers 9,372,610 km², ranking 5th of 250 by land area. That makes it a fraction smaller than China.
- What currency does the United States use?
- The United States uses the United States dollar, written $ (currency code USD). No other entry in this dataset uses it.
- Where is the United States located?
- The United States is in North America, part of the Americas. Its reference coordinates are 38.0° north and 97.0° west, roughly 4,230 km from the equator in temperate latitudes.
- Is the United States a country?
- Yes. The United States is a sovereign state and one of the 193 UN members listed on this site.
- Which countries border the United States?
- The United States borders 2 countries: Canada and Mexico. Canada is the largest of them by area.
- What is the population of the United States?
- The United States has a population of about 340.1 million, which makes it the 3rd most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. China sits just above it and Indonesia just below.
- What language is spoken in the United States?
- The official language of the United States is English. It is also official in 90 other entries on this list.
