United States
Also known as the States, the United States of America, US of America, the US, the U.S., the US of A, U.S. of America, the US of America
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic consisting of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous states border Canada to the north and Mexico to the south, with the semi-exclave of Alaska in the northwest and the archipelago of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. The United States also asserts sovereignty over five major island territories and various uninhabited islands in Oceania and the Caribbean. It is a megadiverse country, with the world's third-largest land area and third-largest population, exceeding 341 million.
AI overview
The United States is a federal republic in North America consisting of 50 states plus Washington, D.C., with territory extending from Canada's border to Mexico and including Alaska and Hawaii, along with several island territories. It is one of the world's largest countries by both land area and population, with over 341 million people and exceptional biodiversity.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
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Country
- Capital
- Washington, D.C.
- Population
- 340,110,988
- Region
Travel guide
Understand
The U.S. is large, complex, and diverse, with over 340 million people (2024) and distinct cultural and regional identities. Traveling the long distances between destinations can be time-consuming and expensive.
Get in
The United States has a strict and notoriously perplexing visa policy; nearly everyone needs a visa to visit the country, and obtaining an American visa of any kind can be a complicated and cumbersome affair.
Read up carefully before your visit, especially if you need to apply for a visa, and consult the Bureau of Consular Affairs. Travelers have been refused entry for many reasons, often trivial. During the application process, visitors to the U.S. are required to fully document mobile phone numbers, e-mail addresses and on-line identities they've used in the past five years.
Travelers under 18 years old may need a notarized letter of consent, preferably in English, from both their parents. If the border authorities aren't satisfied with this or with your travel plans and their documentation, you may get taken into the authorities' care for months until they can arrange your return.
New immigration practices were introduced in 2025 that resulted in the questionable detention of a few visitors with apparently valid travel documents at a port of entry. Detentions would last until the visitor departed on a flight back home. However, a few visitors have been detained for a few weeks before being allowed on a return flight. If you fear this problem (due to work permits, residing with an American spouse, problems on a prior visit or political opinions, for example), using an airport with pre-flight US Customs clearance airports would be safe: while you could still be denied en…
Get around
thumb|The Golden Gate Bridge in [[San Francisco|250x250px]]
The size of the U.S. and the distance separating major cities make air the dominant mode of long-distance travel for short-term travellers. If you have time, or are travelling a short distance, travel by car, bus, or rail can be far more interesting. Long-distance car travel, in particular, is a quintessentially American way to see the country. That said, do not underestimate the size of the country and the time it takes to travel between cities. For comparison, the distance between New York City and San Francisco is greater than that between Lisbon and Moscow.
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Article
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic consisting of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous states border Canada to the north and Mexico to the south, with the semi-exclave of Alaska in the northwest and the archipelago of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. The United States also asserts sovereignty over five major island territories and various uninhabited islands in Oceania and the Caribbean. It is a megadiverse country, with the world's third-largest land area and third-largest population, exceeding 341 million.
Paleo-Indians first migrated from North Asia to North America at least 15,000 years ago, and formed various civilizations. European discovery of the Americas began in 1492, and British colonization followed with the 1607 settlement of Virginia, the first of the Thirteen Colonies. The American Enlightenment that spread throughout the colonies in the 18th century valued republicanism and liberalism. Clashes with the British Crown over taxation without parliamentary representation and the denial of other English rights evolved into the American Revolution, which led to the July 2, 1776, Lee Resolution formally declaring independence from Great Britain. This was followed two days later, on the Fourth of July, by the public release of the Declaration of Independence. Victory in the 1775–1783 Revolutionary War brought international recognition of the country's sovereignty. Rapid westward territorial expansion followed the purchase, settlement, and conquest of European and Indigenous-controlled territory. As more states were admitted into the Union, a North–South division over slavery led 11 Southern states to declare secession and join as the Confederate States of America in order to preserve slavery there. These states fought against the Union in the American Civil War of 1861–1865 but were defeated. With the United States' victory and reunification, slavery was abolished nationally. By 1900, the country had established itself as a great power, a status solidified after its involvement during World War I. Following Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the U.S. entered World War II on the side of the Allies. Its aftermath left the U.S. and the Soviet Union as rival superpowers, competing for ideological dominance and international influence during the Cold War. The Soviet Union's collapse in 1991 left it the world's sole superpower, although since the 2020s China has been widely cited as a potential rival.
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Countries and territories where English is an official languageCountries in North AmericaFederal constitutional republicsFormer British colonies and protectorates in the AmericasFormer confederationsFree-content attributionFree content from FAOG20 membersMember states of NATOMember states of the United NationsStates and territories established in 1776