CIA - The World Factbk -- United States
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Britain s American colonies broke with the mother countr in 1776 and were recognized as
the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Pars in 1783. During
the 19th and 20th centues, 37 new states were added to the original 13 as the nation
expanded across the Nort American continent and acquired a number of overseas
possessions. The two most traumatic experiences in the nation s history were the Civil War
(1861- 65), in which a nortern Union of states defeated a secessionist Confederacy of 11
southern slave states, and the Great Depression of the 1930s, an economic downturn durg
which about a quarer of the labor force lost its jobs. Buoyed by victories in W orld Wars I
and IT and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the US remain the world' s most powerfl
nation state. The economy is marked by steady growth, low unemployment and infation
and rapid advances in technology.
Nort America, bordering both the Nort Atlantic Ocean and the Nort Pacific Ocean,
between Canada and Mexico
Geographic OJ
coordinates: 3800 N, 97 00 W
Map references:
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Area: OJ E!
total:
land:
water:
note:
0.
826, 630 sq km
161, 923 sq km
664, 707 sq km
includes only the 50 states and Distrct of Columbia
Area - comparative:
about half the size of Russia; about thee- tenths the size of Afrca; about half the size of
South America (or slightly larger than Brazil); slightly larger than China; more than twice
the size of the European Union
Land boundares:
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total:
12,034 km
Canada 8, 893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska), Mexico 3, 141 km
US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is leased by the US and is par of Cuba; the
border countries:
note:
base boundar is 28
Coastline:
19, 924 km
Martime claims:
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terrtorial sea:
contiguous zone:
12 nm
24 nm
exclusive economic zone:
continental shelf:
200 nm
not specified
htls://www. cia. govllibra/publicationsth-world-factbooklgeos/us. htm (2 sur 14)2008- 12- 04 11 :51: 18