Conventional long form: United States of America Conventional short form: United States Abbreviation: US or USA
Background
Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country
in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of
America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th
centuries, 37 new states were added to the original 13 as the nation
expanded across the North 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) and the Great Depression of the
1930s. Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and II and the end of the Cold
War in 1991, the US remains the world's most powerful nation-state. The
economy is marked by steady growth, low unemployment and inflation,
and rapid advances in technology.
Nationality: Noun: American(s) Adjective: American
Ethnic groups:
white 77.1%, black 12.9%, Asian 4.2%, Amerindian and
Alaska native 1.5%, native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander 0.3%,
other 4% (2000) note: Bureau considers Hispanic to mean a person of Latin
American descent (especially of Cuban, Mexican, or Puerto Rican origin)
living in the US who may be of any race or ethnic group (white, black,
Asian, etc.)
Religions: Protestant 56%, Roman Catholic 28%, Jewish 2%, other 4%,
none 10% (1989)
Languages: English, Spanish (spoken by a sizable minority)
