Welcome to the United States of America!!!!
United States of America,
popularly referred to as the United States or as America, a
federal republic on the continent of North America, consisting of
48 contiguous states and the noncontiguous states of Alaska and
Hawaii. Outlying areas include Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam,
and the Virgin Islands of the United States. The conterminous 48
states are bounded on the north by Canada, on the east by the
Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Gulf of Mexico and Mexico,
and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. The northern boundary is
partly formed by the Great Lakes and the Saint Lawrence River;
the southern boundary is partly formed by the Río Grande. New
York City is the largest city in the United States. Washington, D.C.,
is the capital.
The total area of the United States (including the District of
Columbia) is 9,629,047 sq km (3,717,796 sq mi), of which 1,593,440
sq km (615,230 sq mi) are in Alaska and 16,729 sq km (6459 sq mi)
are in Hawaii. The total land area of the country is 9,158,918 sq
km (3,536,278 sq mi). Inland, coastal, and Great Lakes bodies of
water occupy 470,129 sq km (181,518 sq mi) of the total area.
Measured along the parallel of latitude that passes through West
Quoddy Head, Maine, the easternmost point in the United States,
the maximum width of the conterminous 48 states is 4421 km (2747
mi). The maximum length measured from the vicinity of Brownsville,
Texas, due north to the Canadian border is 2572 km (1598 mi). The
boundaries of the United States extend along the Atlantic and
Pacific oceans, along the Gulf of Mexico, and along land areas.
The northern boundary is some 6420 km (some 3990 mi) long; the
southern boundary, 3111 km (1933 mi); and the boundary between
Alaska and Canada, some 2480 km (some 1540 mi). For the United
States, the Atlantic coastline is 3330 km (2069 mi) long; the
Pacific coastline, including Hawaii, 12,268 km (7623 mi); the
Gulf of Mexico coastline, 2625 km (1631 mi); and the Arctic
coastline of Alaska, 1706 km (1060 mi). Mount McKinley, or Denali
(6194 m/20,320 ft), in Alaska, is the highest point in North
America; Death Valley, a depression 86 m (282 ft) below sea level,
in California, is the lowest point. The mean elevation of the
United States is about 760 m (about 2500 ft) above sea level.
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