World Country Guide

General Information

General
Information on the USA is provided in two parts: a general overview and individual State profiles, each of which has its own section.

Area
9,809,155 sq km (3,787,319 sq miles).

Population
294,800,000 (official estimate 2004).

Population density
30.5 per sq km.

Capital
Washington, DC. Population: 565,392 (2004).
20 other cities have a population larger than that of Washington, DC. New York is the largest city, with a population of over 8 million. Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio and San Diego had populations of over 1 million in 2000.

Geography
Covering a large part of the North American continent, the USA shares borders with Canada to the north and Mexico to the south and has coasts on the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. The State of Alaska, in the northwest corner of the continent, is separated from the rest of the country by Canada, and Hawaii lies in the central Pacific Ocean. The third-largest country in the world (after the Russian Federation and Canada), the USA has an enormous diversity of geographical features. The climate ranges from subtropical to Arctic, with a corresponding breadth of flora and fauna. For a more detailed description of each region’s geographical characteristics, see the individual State sections.

Government
Federal Republic since 1789. Gained independence from the UK in 1776. Head of State and Government: President George W Bush since 2001.

Language
English, with significant Spanish-speaking minorities.

Religion
Protestant majority with Roman Catholic, Jewish and many ethnic minorities. In large cities, people of the same ethnic background often live within defined communities.

Time
The USA is divided into six time zones:
Eastern Standard Time: GMT - 5 (GMT - 4 from first Sunday in April to last Sunday in October).
Central Standard Time: GMT - 6 (GMT - 5 from first Sunday in April to last Sunday in October).
Mountain Standard Time: GMT - 7 (GMT - 6 from first Sunday in April to last Sunday in October).
Pacific Standard Time: GMT - 8 (GMT - 7 from first Sunday in April to last Sunday in October).
Alaska: GMT - 9 (GMT - 8 from first Sunday in April to last Sunday in October).
Hawaii: GMT - 10.

Note
When calculating travel times, bear in mind the adoption of Daylight Saving Time (DST) by most States in summer. From the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October, clocks are put forward one hour, changing at 0200 hours local time. Regions not observing DST include most of Indiana, all of Arizona and Hawaii.

Electricity
110 volts AC, 60Hz. Plugs are of the flat two-pin type. European electrical appliances not fitted with dual-voltage capabilities will require a plug adaptor, which is best purchased before arrival in the USA. The television system is NTSC I/II and is not compatible with the PAL and SECAM systems used in Asia and Europe, although cassettes can be converted.

Communications

Telephone
Full IDD is available. Country code: 1. Outgoing international code: 011. For emergency police, fire or medical services in major cities, dial 911. The following area codes denote toll-free (freephone) numbers: 800, 855, 866, 877 and 888. Telephone numbers with the prefix 900 are usually expensive.

Mobile telephone
GSM 1900 network, with a mixture of cellular and digital (especially in major centres) coverage. Most foreign mobile telephones, unless tri-band, do not work in the USA and charges are high. Most visitors choose to hire a mobile telephone. Network operators offering the closest to nationwide coverage include AT&T Wireless (website: www.attws.com), Cingular (joint venture of SBC and Bell South; website: www.cingular.com) and Verizon (formerly Bell Atlantic and GTE, now in joint venture with Vodafone; website: www.verizonwireless.com).

Fax
There are bureaux in all main centres, and major hotels also have facilities. Public fax services are widely available; these often require a credit card.

Internet
There are Internet cafes in most urban areas. ISPs include America Online (website: www.aol.com), AT&T Business Internet Services (website: www.attbusiness.net), Cable & Wireless (website: www.cw.com) and MSN (website: www.msn.com).

Telegram
These can be sent at all Western Union offices by telephone or Internet (website: www.westernunion.com). Check the website for office locations.

Post
There are numerous post offices throughout the States. Stamps can also be bought at stamp machines in hotels and shops and at ATMs, at an extra cost. Airmail to Europe takes up to one week. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700 (24 hours at main offices in larger cities).

Press
The most influential papers are the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post. Owing to the high degree of self-government of each State, newspapers tend to be region specific, although recent economic pressures have resulted in large-scale mergers. Even so, the USA publishes more newspapers than any other country, and has perhaps the bulkiest Sunday newspapers in the world, particularly the Sunday edition of The New York Times.

Radio
BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.