United States
Americas Β· Capital: Washington D.C.
How it is run: United States is a member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly. Use the research links below to find out exactly who makes the laws there.
United States is home to 341.8 million people in North America, where people speak English.
Numbers that tell a story π’
π₯ People
341.8 million people
That is 4.2% of everybody alive (counted in 2025).
πΊοΈ Land
9,372,610 kmΒ²
A giant of the map β it stretches across several time zones.
ποΈ How crowded
About 36 people per square kilometre β a comfortable mix of cities and open land.
π Size in its region
1st most people in Americas
2nd largest by land in Americas.
π£οΈ Official languages
English
π° Money
United States dollar ($)
Life here today π©Ί
These come from World Bank open data β the same numbers governments use when they argue about budgets.
β€οΈ How long people live
78.9 years on average
One of the healthier countries β good hospitals and clean water make a big difference.
πΌ Money made per person each year
about US$90,027
A high-income country: most families can afford cars, travel and new technology.
π’ Living in cities
80.2% of people
Mostly a city country β think buses, trains and apartment blocks.
π Kids under 15
17.1% of the population
A fairly balanced mix of young and old.
Everyday details π§
π Phone code
+1
Dial this before the number to call from another country.
π Websites end in
.us
π§ People here are called
American
π·οΈ Name at home
United States
Also written: United States of America.
π Coast or inland
Has a coastline
ποΈ UN voting group
Western European and Others Group
Countries in the same group often plan votes together.
Neighbours & borders π€
United States touches 2 neighbours by land. Neighbours share rivers, roads and usually a lot of trade.
Say its name around the world π£οΈ
Countries have different names in different languages. Try these with a penpal.
Spanish
Estados Unidos
French
Γtats-Unis
Arabic
Ψ§ΩΩΩΨ§ΩΨ§Ψͺ Ψ§ΩΩ ΨͺΨΨ―Ψ©
Chinese
ηΎε½
Japanese
γ’γ‘γͺγ«
Russian
Π‘ΠΎΠ΅Π΄ΠΈΠ½ΡΠ½Π½ΡΠ΅ Π¨ΡΠ°ΡΡ ΠΠΌΠ΅ΡΠΈΠΊΠΈ
Portuguese
Estados Unidos
German
Vereinigte Staaten
Put it in perspective π
- United States covers roughly 89,263 times the area of Hong Kong Island.
- If everyone in United States lined up shoulder to shoulder, the line would stretch about 170,892 km.
Flags through time π
A flag is a country telling you what it believes. Scroll the timeline and watch United States change.
The 15-star flag
Two new states joined, so two stars AND two stripes were added β the only time the stripes changed.
35 stars, Civil War
West Virginia split away during the Civil War and became the 35th star.
50 stars
Hawaii became the 50th state, and a teenager's school project design became the flag flying today.
Fast facts π§
Fact of the day: United States is close to the line of 0Β° longitude, so its clocks are near the world's reference time (UTC).
π·οΈ Official name
United States of America
ποΈ Capital
Washington D.C.
π Region
Americas Β· North America
π€ Country code
US
ποΈ UN status
UN member state
π© Independence
Independent country
More about United States π
Statue of Liberty
A gift from France in 1886 that greeted millions of arriving immigrants. Her copper skin turned green as it weathered.
See it in Street Viewπ§ Where on the map
38.0Β° N, 97.0Β° W
π Half of the world
Northern & Western hemisphere
π°οΈ Clock check
Roughly UTC-6 β when it is noon in London it is about 06:00 in Washington D.C..
- πΊπΈ is the flag of United States. Its country code β the short name used on the internet and at the Olympics β is US.
- United States sits in the temperate zone, the belt where most of the world's farms and big cities are.
- United States is close to the line of 0Β° longitude, so its clocks are near the world's reference time (UTC).
- United States is an independent country, meaning it makes its own laws.
- United States sits in North America, in the northern and western half of the globe.
Countries nearby π€
Talk about it π¬
- United States has 1 official language. How would your school day change if lessons were taught in more than one language?
- United States can trade by sea. What should a country protect first: its ports, its fishing waters, or its beaches?
- If United States spoke at the General Assembly tomorrow, what one problem should its delegate ask the world to help fix?
Quick quiz π§ͺ
Guess first, then tap to check your answer.
What is the capital of United States?
Washington D.C.
Which money do people spend in United States?
United States dollar ($)
How many countries share a land border with United States?
2 β Canada, Mexico.
Roughly how many people live in United States?
341.8 million people
Keep researching π
Everything here is a starting point. These trusted sites, databases and libraries will take you further β and they are the kind of sources a teacher will accept in a report.
Start here β kid-friendly encyclopedias π
Short articles written for students, with maps and photos you can use in a report.
Official data & government sources ποΈ
Primary sources. Cite these when your teacher asks for real data.
News & current policy π°
Use two different outlets before you decide what you think.
Your library card π«
Libraries give you books, databases and librarians β all free.
Library tip: Ask your school or public librarian for their online databases (like Gale in Context or EBSCO Explora). Your library card unlocks them for free at home, and they are already checked by adults for school use.