USA flag

USA Overview

The United States is the world’s fourth largest country, and known for its wide variety of attractions. Here are both bustling megacities, the huge redwood trees, alpine lakes, rolling vineyards, barren desert and a dramatic coastline. All this in just one state – California. There are another 49 states in the United States.

Capital: Washington DC
Biggest city: New York City
State: Federal Republic
Language: English
Religion: Christianity
Surface: 9,372,614 km
Population: 316.2 million (2013)
Population density: 32 residents per km²
Life expectancy: 78 years
Illiteracy: 1%
Currency: US dollar (USD)
1 dollar = 8.40 kr
GDP per capita: $ 47,700 (2010)
Time difference: -11 to -6 hours
Electricity: 220 V AC, 50Hz
National Day: July 4th
Country area code: 1
2-Letter country abbreviation: US (See more abbreviations on Abbreviationfinder)
Business: service sector 79%, industry 18%, agriculture 3%
Climate: varied: the eastern states have temperate climates with hot summers and snowy winters in the north and subtropical conditions in the south; in the southwest there are arid and semi-arid conditions; the west coast is temperate but warmer in California and wetter on the Pacific coast in the northwest; Hawaii is mainly tropical; Alaska has primarily an arctic climate but is more chilly and humid on the south coast

USA flag

According to Countryaah, 49 of these states are located in North America, while one of them, Hawaii, is an archipelago in the North Pacific. Alaska in northwestern North America is separate from other states, and borders only Canada.

In addition to the 50 states, the United States also consists of the Federal District of Columbia – which consists of the US capital Washington – and the autonomous territories of the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and Puerto Rico, as well as several uninhabited islands that together form Outer Islands of the United States.

The United States is usually described as the country where everything is big. The cars are big, the houses are tall and the food is served in huge portions. The country also has a special position when it comes to economic, political, military and cultural influence.

The landscape is varied, and the United States has over 50 national parks. Several of them – such as the Yellowstone, Grand Canyon and Everglades – are also on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

WORLD HERITAGE

The following objects in the United States are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The year in which the item was added to the list is indicated in parentheses.

  • Mesa Verde National Park (1978)
  • Yellowstone National Park (1978)
  • Tatshenshini-Alsek, Kluane, Wrangell-Saint Elias and Glacier Bay (1979)
  • Independence Hall, Philadelphia (1979)
  • Grand Canyon National Park (1979)
  • Everglades National Park (1979)
  • Redwood National Park (1980)
  • Mammoth Cave National Park (1981)
  • Olympic National Park (1981)
  • Cahokia Mounds (1982)
  • Great Smoky Mountains National Park (1983)
  • Statue of Liberty, New York (1984)
  • Yosemite National Park (1984)
  • Chaco Culture National Park (1987)
  • Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (1987)
  • Monticello and the University of Virginia, Charlottesville (1987)
  • Pueblo de Taos (1992)
  • Carlsbad Caverns National Park (1995)
  • Waterton Glacier International Peace Park (1995)
  • Papahānaumokuākea (2010)
  • Poverty Point National Monument (2014)

ELECTRICAL OUTLET

Electricity and electrical outlets in the USA

Voltage: 120 V

Frequency: 60 Hz

Type of plug: A, B

Need an adapter: Yes, Swedes need an adapter.

CLIMATE AND WEATHER

Weather in Washington DC

Climate Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Christmas Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Average temperature °C -7 -6 0 6 13 18 21 20 16 10 3 -4
Day °C -2 -1 5 11 19 24 27 26 21 15 7 0
Night °C -12 -11 -5 1 7 12 16 15 10 5 -1 -8
Rain (mm) 90 86 104 98 88 89 87 77 89 94 107 101

List of the 50 states of the United States

  • Alabama
  • Alaska
  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • Colorado
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Iowa
  • California
  • 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

Outer Islands of the United States

The United States Minor Outlying Islands are a group of islands grouped together for convenience. The areas are not administered collectively, nor do they have any individual cultures or political history. They are a group of more or less uninhabited islands under the rule of the United States.

USA 2

State: US territory
Language: English
Religion: Christianity
Surface: 34 km²
Population: 200 (2013)
Population density: 5 residents per km²
Currency: US dollar (USD)
1 US dollar = 8.40 kr
Time difference: -12 to +11 hours
Electricity: 220 V AC, 50Hz
National Day: July 4th
Country area code: 1
2-Letter country abbreviation: UM
Business: fishing, military activities
Climate: tropical

The areas are managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service within the U.S. Department of the Interior, with offices in Hawaii. All areas are now nature conservation areas.

The following islands and archipelagos are included in the area:

  • Baker Island1 kmön
  • Howland Island 6 km²
  • Jarvis Island 5 km²
  • Johnston Atoll (Johnston Atoll) 2.6 km²
  • Kingman Reef 0.01 km²
  • Midway Islands 2 km²
  • Navassa Island 4 km²
  • Palmyra Atoll (Palmyraatoll) 3.9 km²
  • Wake Island 5 km²

Baker Island (Baker Island National Wildlife Refuge) is an uninhabited coral island in the central Pacific Ocean, halfway between Hawaii and Australia. The island was discovered in 1832 by Captain Michael Baker, and has belonged to the United States since 1857. The island lacks freshwater sources, and is covered for the most part by sand and low vegetation. The island has a now unusable runway that is completely covered by vegetation. There are both abandoned buildings and the remains of crashed planes on Bakerön.

Howland Island (Howland Island National Wildlife Refuge) is an uninhabited coral island, about 69 km from Baker Island. The island lacks freshwater sources, and is mostly covered by sand and low vegetation. In 1935, the United States made an attempt to colonize the island, and for seven years the village of Itascatown existed. Today, only the ruins of Itascatown remain. There is a now unusable runway on the island.

Jarvis Island (Jarvis Island National Wildlife Refuge), also known as Bunker Island, is an uninhabited coral island in the Pacific Ocean, halfway between Hawaii and the Cook Islands. It has a tropical desert climate, with high daytime temperatures, strong sun and constant wind. The island lacks fresh water sources, and it rarely rains. This has created a gloomy and flat landscape, largely covered by sand and bushes. In the middle of the island is a now dried up lagoon.

The Johnston Atoll National Wildlife Refuge is a group of coral islands in the North Pacific Ocean, approximately 1,300 km southwest of Honolulu. The atoll consists of the four islands of Johnston Island, Sand Island, North Island (Akau) and East Island (Hikina). The Johnstonatoll was formerly used as a military base and warehouse for chemical weapons. It previously had about 1,100 residents, but is today completely uninhabited. In 2005, the General Services Administration (GSA) announced that the atoll was for sale, and those who bought the atoll would also receive their own zip code in Hawaii. The atoll was put up for auction, before shortly afterwards repenting and withdrawing the offer.

The Kingman Reef (Kingman Reef National Wildlife Refuge) is an uninhabited coral reef in the central Pacific Ocean, halfway between Hawaii and American Samoa. The reef is administered by the US Department of the Interior in Washington, and lacks natural resources. The few plants that start to grow – mainly coconut palms – die quickly due to the tide. The coastline is at some times 3 km in circumference, but the highest point is only 1 meter above sea level. The reef is often flooded by water, making it dangerous for seafarers. It was formerly called Danger Reef.

The Midway Islands (Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge) is an atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about 2,300 km northwest of Honolulu, which consists of an annular coral reef with a few sand islands, the main islands of Eastern Island and Sand Island, and the smaller Spit Island between them. The United States opened a military base in the Midway Islands in 1939, and in 1942 the Battle of Midway was fought here. Military activity ceased in 1996, and since 2008 tourists have been allowed to visit the islands. Sand Island is the largest island, and here is also the atoll’s airport. About 40 people – all employees of the US Fish and Wildlife Service – live and work on the islands.

Navassa Island (Navassa National Wildlife Refuge) is an uninhabited island in the central Caribbean, between Haiti and Jamaica. On the south side is a 46 meter high lighthouse that was built in 1917. The Coast Guard extinguished the lighthouse in 1996, and since then the island has been administered by the Department of Interior in Washington. Since 1801, Haiti has been claiming the island.

The Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge is a group of coral islands in the central Pacific Ocean, halfway between Hawaii and American Samoa. It consists of about 50 islands, surrounded by a reef and two lagoons. The Palmyra Atoll is populated by between four and 20 people who are either researchers or staff at the US Fish and Wildlife Service. In 2004, several bungalows and showers were built on the island for temporary residents. The area lacks its own freshwater sources.

The Wake Atoll (Wake Atoll National Wildlife Refuge) is a group of coral islands in the North Pacific Ocean, 3,700 km west of Honolulu. The atoll is located between Hawaii and the Northern Mariana Islands, and consists of the three islands Peale, Wake and Wilkes. During World War II, the islands were occupied by Japan, which controlled them between 1941 and 1945. In 1950, President Harry S. Truman had a meeting with General Douglas MacArthur in the Wake Islands to discuss the Korean War. Today, the area is administered by the US Air Force, which has military airfields and several research stations on the atoll. Today, about 150 people live and work on the three islands. The Wake Islands are also the scene of the Swedish game series Battlefield, as they have made several multiplayer maps based on the area.

ELECTRICAL OUTLET

Electricity and electrical outlets in the US outer islands

Voltage:

Frequency:

Type of plug: A, B

Need an adapter: Yes, Swedes need an adapter.