Country · Americas
United States
United States of America
The United States is a country in North America. About 326.7 million people live there, in an area of 9 372 610 square kilometres. Its capital city is Washington D.C.
Picture credit: Drsarahgrace (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Icannotbedefeated.Ibeatallman.Someday,IwillbeatarealchampionIfhedies,hedies. (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Rhododendrites (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons
Where is the United States?
The United States lies in North America, on the continent of Americas.
It sits in the northern half of the world, roughly 4 230 km from the equator.
Its coastline is about 19 924 km long.
It shares a border with 2 countries: Canada and Mexico.
How big is the United States?
The United States covers 9 372 610 square kilometres.
That is about 9.3 times the size of Egypt.
Among the world's countries that makes it the 4th largest.
Spread everybody out evenly and you get about 34.9 people on every square kilometre.
That is emptier than the world average of roughly 60 people per square kilometre.
Who lives in the United States?
About 326.7 million people live in the United States.
That is the 3rd biggest population in the world.
People here speak English.
They pay with the United States dollar ($).
On average, people born here can expect to live about 77 years.
The land of the United States
The land of the United States sits on average 760 metres above sea level.
Its coast runs for about 19 924 km. Walking it end to end, at twenty kilometres a day, would take roughly 996 days.
It lies between the tropics and the poles, which is the single biggest reason its weather is the way it is.
What makes the United States different?
Dishes the country is known for: Hamburger, Hot dog and Fried chicken.
Websites from here often end in .us.
The United States and the rest of the world
Out of every thousand people alive on Earth, about 43 live in the United States.
It takes up about 7 % of all the land that countries stand on.
Within Americas the country ranks 2nd of 35 by size, and the first by population.
The United States and its neighbours
Canada, its largest neighbour, is about 1.1 times bigger.
More people live in the United States than in Canada — 326.7 million against 37.1 million.
Nature and animals
Of the animals on this site, 99 live wild in the United States: Brown bear, Polar bear, Grey wolf, Red fox, Arctic fox, Nine-banded armadillo and more. The highest mountain in the country is Denali, at 6 190 metres. The longest river in the country is the Missouri River. The largest lake in the country is Lake Michigan.
Brown bear
Polar bear
Grey wolf
Red fox
Arctic fox
Nine-banded armadillo
Raccoon
Moose
Reindeer
American bison
Bald eagle
Golden eagle
Photographs from Wikimedia Commons under free licences — every credit is on the page itself and in the picture credits.
Where this country lands in the record lists
How big is the United States compared with the United Kingdom?
- The United States is about 39 times as big as the United Kingdom: 9 372 610 km² against 242 900 km². See both on one map
Questions children ask
What is the capital of the United States?
The capital of the United States is Washington D.C. It is the city where the country's government works from.
How many people live in the United States?
About 326.7 million people live in the United States, which makes it the 3rd most populated country in the world. (Source: World Bank, 2018.)
Which countries border the United States?
How big is the United States?
The United States covers 9 372 610 square kilometres, making it the 4th largest country in the world. That is about 9.3 times the size of Egypt.
What is the highest mountain in the United States?
The highest mountain in the United States is Denali, 6 190 metres above sea level. It is the country's highest point.
What is the longest river in the United States?
The longest river in the United States is the Missouri River, about 3 767 kilometres long.
What is the largest lake in the United States?
The largest lake in the United States is Lake Michigan. It covers about 57 757 km².
Which continent is the United States in?
The United States is in Americas, in the part called North America.
Where these numbers come from
Borders and outlines: Natural Earth. Names, capitals, areas, languages and currencies: ISO 3166 data (world-countries). Population: World Bank, 2018. Every derived figure on this page (ranks, density, distance from the equator) is calculated from those values.
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