United States
🇺🇸 North America · United States of America
How United States ranks globally
About United States
United States (officially United States of America) is a country in North America, with Washington D.C. as its capital. It is home to roughly 341.78 million people, giving a population density of about 36 people per square kilometre. The country covers 9,372,610 km² of land and shares land borders with 2 neighbouring countries. Its economy is valued at approximately $30.77T in nominal GDP (2025), and it records a Human Development Index of 0.938. The official currency is the United States dollar (USD), and the main language is English.
Key indicators
💹 Economy
👥 People
🌍 Quality of Life
GDP over time
How United States measures up
How United States is governed
Both head of state and head of government; holds executive power.
Leads the executive branch; commander-in-chief.
Bicameral — House of Representatives — 435 seats; Senate — 100 seats
Who holds the power?
The United States has a presidential system with a strict separation of powers between three co-equal branches. The President is uniquely both head of state and head of government, elected separately from the legislature via the Electoral College. Congress writes the laws and controls spending; the President executes them and can veto legislation; the Supreme Court interprets the constitution. This system of checks and balances means power is deliberately divided — the President cannot dissolve Congress, and Congress can impeach the President.
Did you know?
The United States has no official language at the federal level.
Its road network is among the longest in the world, spanning millions of kilometres.
The US dollar is the world's primary reserve currency.
United States is the 3rd most populous country in the world, with about 341.78 million people.
It is the most populous country in Americas.
By land area it is the 4th-largest country in the world, covering 9,372,610 km².
United States has the world's largest economy by nominal GDP ($30.77T).
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Neighbouring countries
More countries in Americas
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