{
  "Introduction": {
    "Background": {
      "text": "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), in which a northern Union of states defeated a secessionist Confederacy of 11 southern slave states, and the Great Depression of the 1930s, an economic downturn during which about a quarter of the labor force lost its jobs. 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. Since the end of World War II, the economy has achieved relatively steady growth, low unemployment and inflation, and rapid advances in technology."
    }
  },
  "Geography": {
    "Location": {
      "text": "North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico"
    },
    "Geographic coordinates": {
      "text": "38 00 N, 97 00 W"
    },
    "Map references": {
      "text": "North America"
    },
    "Area": {
      "total": {
        "text": "9,833,517 sq km"
      },
      "land": {
        "text": "9,147,593 sq km"
      },
      "water": {
        "text": "685,924 sq km"
      },
      "note": {
        "text": "includes only the 50 states and District of Columbia, no overseas territories (2010)"
      }
    },
    "Area - comparative": {
      "text": "about half the size of Russia; about three-tenths the size of Africa; 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 boundaries": {
      "total": {
        "text": "12,048 km"
      },
      "border countries": {
        "text": "Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska), Mexico 3,155 km"
      },
      "note": {
        "text": "US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is leased by the US and is part of Cuba; the base boundary is 28.5 km"
      }
    },
    "Coastline": {
      "text": "19,924 km"
    },
    "Maritime claims": {
      "territorial sea": {
        "text": "12 nm"
      },
      "contiguous zone": {
        "text": "24 nm"
      },
      "exclusive economic zone": {
        "text": "200 nm"
      },
      "continental shelf": {
        "text": "not specified"
      }
    },
    "Climate": {
      "text": "mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains"
    },
    "Terrain": {
      "text": "vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaii"
    },
    "Elevation": {
      "mean elevation": {
        "text": "760 m"
      },
      "elevation extremes": {
        "text": "lowest point: Death Valley -86 m (lowest point in North America) ++ highest point: Denali (Mount McKinley) 6,190 m (highest point in North America)"
      },
      "note": {
        "text": "the peak of Mauna Kea (4,205 m above sea level) on the island of Hawaii rises about 10,200 m above the Pacific Ocean floor; by this measurement, it is the world's tallest mountain - higher than Mount Everest (8,850 m), which is recognized as the tallest mountain above sea level"
      }
    },
    "Natural resources": {
      "text": "coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, rare earth elements, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber, arable land",
      "note": {
        "text": "the US has the world's largest coal reserves with 491 billion short tons accounting for 27% of the world's total"
      }
    },
    "Land use": {
      "agricultural land": {
        "text": "44.5% ++ arable land 16.8%; permanent crops 0.3%; permanent pasture 27.4%"
      },
      "forest": {
        "text": "33.3%"
      },
      "other": {
        "text": "22.2% (2011 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Irrigated land": {
      "text": "264,000 sq km (2012)"
    },
    "Population - distribution": {
      "text": "large urban clusters are spread throughout the eastern half of the US (particularly the Great Lakes area, northeast, east, and southeast) and the western tier states; mountainous areas, principally the Rocky Mountains and Appalachian chain, deserts in the southwest, the dense boreal forests in the extreme north, and the central prarie states are less densely populated; Alaska's population is concentrated along its southern coast - with particular emphasis on the city of Anchorage - and Hawaii's is centered on the island of Oahu"
    },
    "Natural hazards": {
      "text": "tsunamis; volcanoes; earthquake activity around Pacific Basin; hurricanes along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts; tornadoes in the Midwest and Southeast; mud slides in California; forest fires in the west; flooding; permafrost in northern Alaska, a major impediment to development",
      "volcanism": {
        "text": "volcanic activity in the Hawaiian Islands, Western Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and in the Northern Mariana Islands; both Mauna Loa (elev. 4,170 m) in Hawaii and Mount Rainier (elev. 4,392 m) in Washington have been deemed Decade Volcanoes by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to their explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Pavlof (elev. 2,519 m) is the most active volcano in Alaska's Aleutian Arc and poses a significant threat to air travel since the area constitutes a major flight path between North America and East Asia; St. Helens (elev. 2,549 m), famous for the devastating 1980 eruption, remains active today; numerous other historically active volcanoes exist, mostly concentrated in the Aleutian arc and Hawaii; they include: in Alaska: Aniakchak, Augustine, Chiginagak, Fourpeaked, Iliamna, Katmai, Kupreanof, Martin, Novarupta, Redoubt, Spurr, Wrangell; in Hawaii: Trident, Ugashik-Peulik, Ukinrek Maars, Veniaminof; in the Northern Mariana Islands: Anatahan; and in the Pacific Northwest: Mount Baker, Mount Hood"
      }
    },
    "Environment - current issues": {
      "text": "large emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels; air pollution resulting in acid rain in both the US and Canada; water pollution from runoff of pesticides and fertilizers; limited natural freshwater resources in much of the western part of the country require careful management; desertification"
    },
    "Environment - international agreements": {
      "party to": {
        "text": "Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling"
      },
      "signed, but not ratified": {
        "text": "Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Hazardous Wastes"
      }
    },
    "Geography - note": {
      "text": "world's third-largest country by size (after Russia and Canada) and by population (after China and India); Denali (Mt. McKinley) is the highest point in North America and Death Valley the lowest point on the continent"
    }
  },
  "People and Society": {
    "Population": {
      "text": "323,995,528 (July 2016 est.)"
    },
    "Nationality": {
      "noun": {
        "text": "American(s)"
      },
      "adjective": {
        "text": "American"
      }
    },
    "Ethnic groups": {
      "text": "white 79.96%, black 12.85%, Asian 4.43%, Amerindian and Alaska native 0.97%, native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander 0.18%, two or more races 1.61% (July 2007 estimate)",
      "note": {
        "text": "a separate listing for Hispanic is not included because the US Census Bureau considers Hispanic to mean persons of Spanish/Hispanic/Latino origin including those of Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Dominican Republic, Spanish, and Central or South American origin living in the US who may be of any race or ethnic group (white, black, Asian, etc.); about 15.1% of the total US population is Hispanic"
      }
    },
    "Languages": {
      "text": "English 79.2%, Spanish 12.9%, other Indo-European 3.8%, Asian and Pacific island 3.3%, other 0.9% (2011 est.)",
      "note": {
        "text": "data represents the language spoken at home; the US has no official national language, but English has acquired official status in 31 of the 50 states; Hawaiian is an official language in the state of Hawaii"
      }
    },
    "Religions": {
      "text": "Protestant 46.5%, Roman Catholic 20.8%, Mormon 1.6%, Jehovah's Witness 0.8%, other Christian 0.9%, Jewish 1.9%, Muslim 0.9%, Buddhist 0.7%, Hindu 0.7%, other 1.8%, unaffiliated 22.8%, don't know/refused 0.6% (2014 est.)"
    },
    "Age structure": {
      "0-14 years": {
        "text": "18.84% (male 31,182,660/female 29,854,687)"
      },
      "15-24 years": {
        "text": "13.46% (male 22,360,342/female 21,252,215)"
      },
      "25-54 years": {
        "text": "39.6% (male 64,170,791/female 64,135,619)"
      },
      "55-64 years": {
        "text": "12.85% (male 20,081,837/female 21,536,994)"
      },
      "65 years and over": {
        "text": "15.25% (male 21,895,128/female 27,525,255) (2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Dependency ratios": {
      "total dependency ratio": {
        "text": "50.9%"
      },
      "youth dependency ratio": {
        "text": "28.6%"
      },
      "elderly dependency ratio": {
        "text": "22.3%"
      },
      "potential support ratio": {
        "text": "4.5% (2015 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Median age": {
      "total": {
        "text": "37.9 years"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "36.6 years"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "39.3 years (2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Population growth rate": {
      "text": "0.81% (2016 est.)"
    },
    "Birth rate": {
      "text": "12.5 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)"
    },
    "Death rate": {
      "text": "8.2 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)"
    },
    "Net migration rate": {
      "text": "3.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)"
    },
    "Population distribution": {
      "text": "large urban clusters are spread throughout the eastern half of the US (particularly the Great Lakes area, northeast, east, and southeast) and the western tier states; mountainous areas, principally the Rocky Mountains and Appalachian chain, deserts in the southwest, the dense boreal forests in the extreme north, and the central prarie states are less densely populated; Alaska's population is concentrated along its southern coast - with particular emphasis on the city of Anchorage - and Hawaii's is centered on the island of Oahu"
    },
    "Urbanization": {
      "urban population": {
        "text": "81.6% of total population (2015)"
      },
      "rate of urbanization": {
        "text": "1.02% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Major urban areas - population": {
      "text": "New York-Newark 18.593 million; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana 12.31 million; Chicago 8.745 million; Miami 5.817 million; Dallas-Fort Worth 5.703 million; WASHINGTON, D.C. (capital) 4.955 million (2015)"
    },
    "Sex ratio": {
      "at birth": {
        "text": "NA"
      },
      "0-14 years": {
        "text": "1.04 male(s)/female"
      },
      "15-24 years": {
        "text": "1.05 male(s)/female"
      },
      "25-54 years": {
        "text": "1 male(s)/female"
      },
      "55-64 years": {
        "text": "0.93 male(s)/female"
      },
      "65 years and over": {
        "text": "0.79 male(s)/female"
      },
      "total population": {
        "text": "0.97 male(s)/female (2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Mother's mean age at first birth": {
      "text": "25.6 (2011 est.)"
    },
    "Maternal mortality rate": {
      "text": "14 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Infant mortality rate": {
      "total": {
        "text": "5.8 deaths/1,000 live births"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "6.3 deaths/1,000 live births"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "5.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Life expectancy at birth": {
      "total population": {
        "text": "79.8 years"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "77.5 years"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "82.1 years (2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Total fertility rate": {
      "text": "1.87 children born/woman (2016 est.)"
    },
    "Contraceptive prevalence rate": {
      "text": "76.4%",
      "note": {
        "text": "percent of women aged 15-44 (2006/10)"
      }
    },
    "Health expenditures": {
      "text": "17.1% of GDP (2014)"
    },
    "Physicians density": {
      "text": "2.45 physicians/1,000 population (2011)"
    },
    "Hospital bed density": {
      "text": "2.9 beds/1,000 population (2011)"
    },
    "Drinking water source": {
      "improved": {
        "text": " ++ urban: 99.4% of population ++ rural: 98.2% of population ++ total: 99.2% of population"
      },
      "unimproved": {
        "text": " ++ urban: 0.6% of population ++ rural: 1.8% of population ++ total: 0.8% of population (2015 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Sanitation facility access": {
      "improved": {
        "text": " ++ urban: 100% of population ++ rural: 100% of population ++ total: 100% of population"
      },
      "unimproved": {
        "text": " ++ urban: 0% of population ++ rural: 0% of population ++ total: 0% of population (2015 est.)"
      }
    },
    "HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate": {
      "text": "NA"
    },
    "HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS": {
      "text": "NA"
    },
    "HIV/AIDS - deaths": {
      "text": "NA"
    },
    "Obesity - adult prevalence rate": {
      "text": "35% (2014)"
    },
    "Children under the age of 5 years underweight": {
      "text": "0.5% (2012)"
    },
    "Education expenditures": {
      "text": "4.9% of GDP (2013)"
    },
    "School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)": {
      "total": {
        "text": "17 years"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "16 years"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "17 years (2014)"
      }
    },
    "Unemployment, youth ages 15-24": {
      "total": {
        "text": "13.4%"
      },
      "male": {
        "text": "14.5%"
      },
      "female": {
        "text": "12.2% (2014 est.)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Government": {
    "Country name": {
      "conventional long form": {
        "text": "United States of America"
      },
      "conventional short form": {
        "text": "United States"
      },
      "abbreviation": {
        "text": "US or USA"
      },
      "etymology": {
        "text": "the name America is derived from that of Amerigo VESPUCCI (1454-1512), Italian explorer, navigator, and cartographer"
      }
    },
    "Government type": {
      "text": "constitutional federal republic"
    },
    "Capital": {
      "name": {
        "text": "Washington, DC"
      },
      "geographic coordinates": {
        "text": "38 53 N, 77 02 W"
      },
      "time difference": {
        "text": "UTC-5 (during Standard Time)"
      },
      "daylight saving time": {
        "text": "+1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November"
      },
      "note": {
        "text": "the 50 United States cover six time zones"
      }
    },
    "Administrative divisions": {
      "text": "50 states and 1 district*; Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia*, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming"
    },
    "Dependent areas": {
      "text": "American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palmyra Atoll, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Wake Island",
      "note": {
        "text": "from 18 July 1947 until 1 October 1994, the US administered the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands; it entered into a political relationship with all four political entities: the Northern Mariana Islands is a commonwealth in political union with the US (effective 3 November 1986); the Republic of the Marshall Islands signed a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 21 October 1986); the Federated States of Micronesia signed a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 3 November 1986); Palau concluded a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 1 October 1994)"
      }
    },
    "Independence": {
      "text": "4 July 1776 (declared); 3 September 1783 (recognized by Great Britain)"
    },
    "National holiday": {
      "text": "Independence Day, 4 July (1776)"
    },
    "Constitution": {
      "text": "previous 1781 (Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union); latest drafted July - September 1787, submitted to the Congress of the Confederation 20 September 1787, submitted for states' ratification 28 September 1787, ratification completed by nine states 21 June 1788, effective 4 March 1789; amended many times, last in 1992 (2016)"
    },
    "Legal system": {
      "text": "common law system based on English common law at the federal level; state legal systems based on common law except Louisiana, which is based on Napoleonic civil code; judicial review of legislative acts"
    },
    "International law organization participation": {
      "text": "withdrew acceptance of compulsory ICJ jurisdiction in 2005; withdrew acceptance of ICCt jurisdiction in 2002"
    },
    "Citizenship": {
      "citizenship by birth": {
        "text": "yes"
      },
      "citizenship by descent": {
        "text": "yes"
      },
      "dual citizenship recognized": {
        "text": "no, but the US government acknowledges such situtations exist; US citizens are not encouraged to seek dual citizenship since it limits protection by the US"
      },
      "residency requirement for naturalization": {
        "text": "5 years"
      }
    },
    "Suffrage": {
      "text": "18 years of age; universal"
    },
    "Executive branch": {
      "chief of state": {
        "text": "President Donald J. TRUMP (since 20 January 2017); Vice President Michael R. PENCE (since 20 January 2017); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government"
      },
      "head of government": {
        "text": "President Donald J. TRUMP (since 20 January 2017); Vice President Michael R. PENCE (since 20 January 2017)"
      },
      "cabinet": {
        "text": "Cabinet appointed by the president, approved by the Senate"
      },
      "elections/appointments": {
        "text": "president and vice president indirectly elected on the same ballot by the Electoral College of 'electors' chosen from each state; president and vice president serve a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 8 November 2016 (next to be held on 10 November 2020)"
      },
      "election results": {
        "text": "Donald J. TRUMP elected president; electoral vote count - Donald J. TRUMP (Republican Party) 304, Hillary D. CLINTON (Democratic Party) 227; percent of direct popular vote - Donald J. TRUMP 46%, Hillary D. CLINTON 48%, other 6%"
      }
    },
    "Legislative branch": {
      "description": {
        "text": "bicameral Congress consists of the Senate (100 seats; 2 members directly elected in each of the 50 state constituencies by simple majority vote except in Georgia and Louisiana which require an absolute majority vote with a second round if needed; members serve 6-year terms with one-third of membership renewed every 2 years) and the House of Representatives (435 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote except in Georgia which requires an absolute majority vote with a second round if needed; members serve 2-year terms)"
      },
      "elections": {
        "text": "Senate - last held on 8 November 2016 (next to be held on 10 November 2020); House of Representatives - last held on 8 November 2016 (next to be held on 10 November 2020)"
      },
      "election results": {
        "text": "Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 46, Republican Party 52, independent 2; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 194, Republican Party 241"
      },
      "note": {
        "text": "in addition to the regular members of the House of Representatives there are 6 non-voting delegates elected from the District of Columbia and the US territories of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands; these are single seat constituencies directly elected by simple majority vote to serve a 2-year term; the delegate can vote when serving on a committee and when the House meets as the Committee of the Whole House, but not when legislation is submitted for a “full floor” House vote; election of delegates last held on 4 November 2014 (next to be held on 1 November 2016)"
      }
    },
    "Judicial branch": {
      "highest court(s)": {
        "text": "US Supreme Court (consists of 9 justices - the chief justice and 8 associate justices)"
      },
      "judge selection and term of office": {
        "text": "president nominates and, with the advice and consent of the Senate, appoints Supreme Court justices; justices appointed for life"
      },
      "subordinate courts": {
        "text": "Courts of Appeal (includes the US Court of Appeal for the Federal District and 12 regional appeals courts); 94 federal district courts in 50 states and territories"
      },
      "note": {
        "text": "the US court system consists of the federal court system and the state court systems; although each court system is responsible for hearing certain types of cases, neither is completely independent of the other, and the systems often interact"
      }
    },
    "Political parties and leaders": {
      "text": "Democratic Party [Interim Chairperson Donna BRAZILE] ++ Green Party [collective leadership] ++ Libertarian Party [Nicholas SARWARK] ++ Republican Party [Reince PRIEBUS]"
    },
    "Political pressure groups and leaders": {
      "other": {
        "text": "environmentalists; business groups; labor unions; churches; ethnic groups; political action committees or PACs; health groups; education groups; civic groups; youth groups; transportation groups; agricultural groups; veterans groups; women's groups; reform lobbies"
      }
    },
    "International organization participation": {
      "text": "ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), ANZUS, APEC, Arctic Council, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CD, CE (observer), CERN (observer), CICA (observer), CP, EAPC, EAS, EBRD, EITI (implementing country), FAO, FATF, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAFTA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNRWA, UNSC (permanent), UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC"
    },
    "Flag description": {
      "text": "13 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars; the 50 stars represent the 50 states, the 13 stripes represent the 13 original colonies; the blue stands for loyalty, devotion, truth, justice, and friendship; red symbolizes courage, zeal, and fervency, while white denotes purity and rectitude of conduct; commonly referred to by its nickname of Old Glory",
      "note": {
        "text": "the design and colors have been the basis for a number of other flags, including Chile, Liberia, Malaysia, and Puerto Rico"
      }
    },
    "National symbol(s)": {
      "text": "bald eagle; national colors: red, white, blue"
    },
    "National anthem": {
      "name": {
        "text": "\"The Star-Spangled Banner\""
      },
      "lyrics/music": {
        "text": "Francis Scott KEY/John Stafford SMITH"
      },
      "note": {
        "text": "adopted 1931; during the War of 1812, after witnessing the successful American defense of Fort McHenry in Baltimore following British naval bombardment, Francis Scott KEY wrote the lyrics to what would become the national anthem; the lyrics were set to the tune of \"The Anacreontic Song\"; only the first verse is sung"
      }
    }
  },
  "Economy": {
    "Economy - overview": {
      "text": "The US has the most technologically powerful economy in the world, with a per capita GDP of $54,800. US firms are at or near the forefront in technological advances, especially in computers, pharmaceuticals, and medical, aerospace, and military equipment; however, their advantage has narrowed since the end of World War II. Based on a comparison of GDP measured at Purchasing Power Parity conversion rates, the US economy in 2014, having stood as the largest in the world for more than a century, slipped into second place behind China, which has more than tripled the US growth rate for each year of the past four decades. ++  ++ In the US, private individuals and business firms make most of the decisions, and the federal and state governments buy needed goods and services predominantly in the private marketplace. US business firms enjoy greater flexibility than their counterparts in Western Europe and Japan in decisions to expand capital plant, to lay off surplus workers, and to develop new products. At the same time, businesses face higher barriers to enter their rivals' home markets than foreign firms face entering US markets. ++  ++ Long-term problems for the US include stagnation of wages for lower-income families, inadequate investment in deteriorating infrastructure, rapidly rising medical and pension costs of an aging population, energy shortages, and sizable current account and budget deficits. ++  ++ The onrush of technology has been a driving factor in the gradual development of a \"two-tier\" labor market in which those at the bottom lack the education and the professional/technical skills of those at the top and, more and more, fail to get comparable pay raises, health insurance coverage, and other benefits. But the globalization of trade, and especially the rise of low-wage producers such as China, has put additional downward pressure on wages and upward pressure on the return to capital. Since 1975, practically all the gains in household income have gone to the top 20% of households. Since 1996, dividends and capital gains have grown faster than wages or any other category of after-tax income. ++  ++ Imported oil accounts for nearly 55% of US consumption and oil has a major impact on the overall health of the economy. Crude oil prices doubled between 2001 and 2006, the year home prices peaked; higher gasoline prices ate into consumers' budgets and many individuals fell behind in their mortgage payments. Oil prices climbed another 50% between 2006 and 2008, and bank foreclosures more than doubled in the same period. Besides dampening the housing market, soaring oil prices caused a drop in the value of the dollar and a deterioration in the US merchandise trade deficit, which peaked at $840 billion in 2008. Because the US economy is energy-intensive, falling oil prices since 2013 have alleviated many of the problems the earlier increases had created. ++  ++ The sub-prime mortgage crisis, falling home prices, investment bank failures, tight credit, and the global economic downturn pushed the US into a recession by mid-2008. GDP contracted until the third quarter of 2009, making this the deepest and longest downturn since the Great Depression. To help stabilize financial markets, the US Congress established a $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) in October 2008. The government used some of these funds to purchase equity in US banks and industrial corporations, much of which had been returned to the government by early 2011. In January 2009, Congress passed and President Barack OBAMA signed a bill providing an additional $787 billion fiscal stimulus to be used over 10 years - two-thirds on additional spending and one-third on tax cuts - to create jobs and to help the economy recover. In 2010 and 2011, the federal budget deficit reached nearly 9% of GDP. In 2012, the Federal Government reduced the growth of spending and the deficit shrank to 7.6% of GDP. US revenues from taxes and other sources are lower, as a percentage of GDP, than those of most other countries. ++  ++ Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan required major shifts in national resources from civilian to military purposes and contributed to the growth of the budget deficit and public debt. Through 2014, the direct costs of the wars totaled more than $1.5 trillion, according to US Government figures. ++  ++ In March 2010, President OBAMA signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, a health insurance reform that was designed to extend coverage to an additional 32 million Americans by 2016, through private health insurance for the general population and Medicaid for the impoverished. Total spending on healthcare - public plus private - rose from 9.0% of GDP in 1980 to 17.9% in 2010. ++  ++ In July 2010, the president signed the DODD-FRANK Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, a law designed to promote financial stability by protecting consumers from financial abuses, ending taxpayer bailouts of financial firms, dealing with troubled banks that are \"too big to fail,\" and improving accountability and transparency in the financial system - in particular, by requiring certain financial derivatives to be traded in markets that are subject to government regulation and oversight. ++  ++ In December 2012, the Federal Reserve Board (Fed) announced plans to purchase $85 billion per month of mortgage-backed and Treasury securities in an effort to hold down long-term interest rates, and to keep short term rates near zero until unemployment dropped below 6.5% or inflation rose above 2.5%. In late 2013, the Fed announced that it would begin scaling back long-term bond purchases to $75 billion per month in January 2014 and further reduce them as conditions warranted; the Fed ended the purchases during the summer of 2014. In 2014, the unemployment rate dropped to 6.2%, and continued to fall to 5.5% by mid-2015, the lowest rate of joblessness since before the global recession began; inflation stood at 1.7%, and public debt as a share of GDP continued to decline, following several years of increases. In December 2015, the Fed raised its target for the benchmark federal funds rate by 0.25%, the first increase since the recession began, but the Fed has opted to hold the target rate steady at 0.25%-0.5% through the first three quarters of 2016, with US GDP growth falling below 2% in each of those quarters."
    },
    "GDP (purchasing power parity)": {
      "text": "$18.56 trillion (2016 est.) ++ $18.27 trillion (2015 est.) ++ $17.81 trillion (2014 est.)",
      "note": {
        "text": "data are in 2016 dollars"
      }
    },
    "GDP (official exchange rate)": {
      "text": "$18.56 trillion (2015 est.)"
    },
    "GDP - real growth rate": {
      "text": "1.6% (2016 est.) ++ 2.6% (2015 est.) ++ 2.4% (2014 est.)"
    },
    "GDP - per capita (PPP)": {
      "text": "$57,300 (2016 est.) ++ $56,800 (2015 est.) ++ $55,800 (2014 est.)",
      "note": {
        "text": "data are in 2016 dollars"
      }
    },
    "Gross national saving": {
      "text": "17.6% of GDP (2016 est.) ++ 19.1% of GDP (2015 est.) ++ 19.2% of GDP (2014 est.)"
    },
    "GDP - composition, by end use": {
      "household consumption": {
        "text": "68.6%"
      },
      "government consumption": {
        "text": "17.7%"
      },
      "investment in fixed capital": {
        "text": "15.9%"
      },
      "investment in inventories": {
        "text": "0.5%"
      },
      "exports of goods and services": {
        "text": "12%"
      },
      "imports of goods and services": {
        "text": "-14.7% (2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "GDP - composition, by sector of origin": {
      "agriculture": {
        "text": "1.1%"
      },
      "industry": {
        "text": "19.4%"
      },
      "services": {
        "text": "79.5% ++  (2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Agriculture - products": {
      "text": "wheat, corn, other grains, fruits, vegetables, cotton; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish; forest products"
    },
    "Industries": {
      "text": "highly diversified, world leading, high-technology innovator, second-largest industrial output in the world; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, lumber, mining"
    },
    "Industrial production growth rate": {
      "text": "2.1% (2016 est.)"
    },
    "Labor force": {
      "text": "158.6 million",
      "note": {
        "text": "includes unemployed (2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Labor force - by occupation": {
      "farming, forestry, and fishing": {
        "text": "0.7%"
      },
      "manufacturing, extraction, transportation, and crafts": {
        "text": "20.3%"
      },
      "managerial, professional, and technical": {
        "text": "37.3%"
      },
      "sales and office": {
        "text": "24.2%"
      },
      "other services": {
        "text": "17.6%"
      },
      "note": {
        "text": "figures exclude the unemployed ++  (2009)"
      }
    },
    "Unemployment rate": {
      "text": "4.7% (2016 est.) ++ 5.3% (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Population below poverty line": {
      "text": "15.1% (2010 est.)"
    },
    "Household income or consumption by percentage share": {
      "lowest 10%": {
        "text": "2%"
      },
      "highest 10%": {
        "text": "30% (2007 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Distribution of family income - Gini index": {
      "text": "45 (2007) ++ 40.8 (1997)"
    },
    "Budget": {
      "revenues": {
        "text": "$3.363 trillion"
      },
      "expenditures": {
        "text": "$3.893 trillion"
      },
      "note": {
        "text": "for the US, revenues exclude social contributions of approximately $1.0 trillion; expenditures exclude social benefits of approximately $2.3 trillion (2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Taxes and other revenues": {
      "text": "18.1% of GDP",
      "note": {
        "text": "excludes contributions for social security and other programs; if social contributions were added, taxes and other revenues would amount to approximately 22% of GDP (2016 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)": {
      "text": "-2.9% of GDP (2016 est.)"
    },
    "Public debt": {
      "text": "73.8% of GDP (2016 est.) ++ 73.6% of GDP (2015 est.)",
      "note": {
        "text": "data cover only what the United States Treasury denotes as \"Debt Held by the Public,\" which includes all debt instruments issued by the Treasury that are owned by non-US Government entities; the data include Treasury debt held by foreign entities; the dat"
      }
    },
    "Fiscal year": {
      "text": "1 October - 30 September"
    },
    "Inflation rate (consumer prices)": {
      "text": "1.3% (2016 est.) ++ 0.1% (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Central bank discount rate": {
      "text": "0.5% (31 December 2010) ++ 0.5% (31 December 2009)"
    },
    "Commercial bank prime lending rate": {
      "text": "3.5% (31 December 2016 est.) ++ 3.26% (31 December 2015 est.)"
    },
    "Stock of narrow money": {
      "text": "$3.311 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) ++ $3.022 trillion (31 December 2015 est.)"
    },
    "Stock of broad money": {
      "text": "$13.17 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) ++ $12.02 trillion (31 December 2015 est.)"
    },
    "Stock of domestic credit": {
      "text": "$20.31 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) ++ $19.23 trillion (31 December 2015 est.)"
    },
    "Market value of publicly traded shares": {
      "text": "$25.07 trillion (31 December 2015 est.) ++ $26.33 trillion (31 December 2014 est.) ++ $24.03 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)"
    },
    "Current account balance": {
      "text": "-$469.4 billion (2016 est.) ++ -$463 billion (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Exports": {
      "text": "$1.471 trillion (2016 est.) ++ $1.51 trillion (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Exports - commodities": {
      "text": "agricultural products (soybeans, fruit, corn) 9.2%, industrial supplies (organic chemicals) 26.8%, capital goods (transistors, aircraft, motor vehicle parts, computers, telecommunications equipment) 49.0%, consumer goods (automobiles, medicines) 15.0% (2008 est.)"
    },
    "Exports - partners": {
      "text": "Canada 18.6%, Mexico 15.7%, China 7.7%, Japan 4.2% (2015)"
    },
    "Imports": {
      "text": "$2.205 trillion (2016 est.) ++ $2.273 trillion (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Imports - commodities": {
      "text": "agricultural products 4.9%, industrial supplies 32.9% (crude oil 8.2%), capital goods 30.4% (computers, telecommunications equipment, motor vehicle parts, office machines, electric power machinery), consumer goods 31.8% (automobiles, clothing, medicines, (2008 est.)"
    },
    "Imports - partners": {
      "text": "China 21.5%, Canada 13.2%, Mexico 13.2%, Japan 5.9%, Germany 5.5% (2015)"
    },
    "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": {
      "text": "$117.6 billion (31 December 2015 est.) ++ $130.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.)"
    },
    "Debt - external": {
      "text": "$17.91 trillion (31 March 2016 est.) ++ $17.85 trillion (31 March 2015 est.)",
      "note": {
        "text": "approximately 4/5ths of US external debt is denominated in US dollars; foreign lenders have been willing to hold US dollar denominated debt instruments because they view the dollar as the world's reserve currency"
      }
    },
    "Stock of direct foreign investment - at home": {
      "text": "$3.648 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) ++ $3.28 trillion (31 December 2015 est.)"
    },
    "Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad": {
      "text": "$5.566 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) ++ $5.269 trillion (31 December 2015 est.)"
    },
    "Exchange rates": {
      "British pounds per US dollar": {
        "text": "0.7391 (2016 est.), 0.6542 (2015 est.), 0.607 (2014 est), 0.6391 (2013 est.), 0.6324 (2012 est.)"
      },
      "Canadian dollars per US dollar": {
        "text": "1.331 (2016 est.), 1.2788 (2015 est.), 1.1047 (2014 est.), 1.0298 (2013 est.), 0.9992 (2012 est.)"
      },
      "Chinese yuan per US dollar": {
        "text": "6.626 (2016 est.) 6.2275 (2015 est.), 6.1434 (2014 est.), 6.1958 (2013 est.), 6.3123 (2012 est.)"
      },
      "euros per US dollar": {
        "text": "0.9214 (2016 est.), 0.885 (2015 est.), 0.7525 (2014 est.), 0.7634 (2013 est.), 0.7752 (2012 est.)"
      },
      "Japanese yen per US dollar": {
        "text": "107.1 (2016 est.), 121.02 (2015 est.), 105.86 (2014 est.), 97.44 (2013 est.), 79.79 (2012 est.)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Energy": {
    "Electricity - production": {
      "text": "4.103 trillion kWh (2014 est.)"
    },
    "Electricity - consumption": {
      "text": "3.913 trillion kWh (2014 est.)"
    },
    "Electricity - exports": {
      "text": "13 billion kWh (2014 est.)"
    },
    "Electricity - imports": {
      "text": "67 billion kWh (2014 est.)"
    },
    "Electricity - installed generating capacity": {
      "text": "1.075 billion kW (2014 est.)"
    },
    "Electricity - from fossil fuels": {
      "text": "73.5% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)"
    },
    "Electricity - from nuclear fuels": {
      "text": "9.6% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)"
    },
    "Electricity - from hydroelectric plants": {
      "text": "7.4% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)"
    },
    "Electricity - from other renewable sources": {
      "text": "7.4% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)"
    },
    "Crude oil - production": {
      "text": "9.415 million bbl/day (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Crude oil - exports": {
      "text": "1.162 million bbl/day (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Crude oil - imports": {
      "text": "8.567 million bbl/day (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Crude oil - proved reserves": {
      "text": "36.52 billion bbl (1 January 2016 es)"
    },
    "Refined petroleum products - production": {
      "text": "19.89 million bbl/day (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Refined petroleum products - consumption": {
      "text": "19.53 million bbl/day (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Refined petroleum products - exports": {
      "text": "3.102 million bbl/day (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Refined petroleum products - imports": {
      "text": "881,100 bbl/day (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Natural gas - production": {
      "text": "766.2 billion cu m (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Natural gas - consumption": {
      "text": "773.2 billion cu m (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Natural gas - exports": {
      "text": "42.87 billion cu m (2014 est.)"
    },
    "Natural gas - imports": {
      "text": "76.96 billion cu m (2015 est.)"
    },
    "Natural gas - proved reserves": {
      "text": "10.44 trillion cu m (1 January 2015 es)"
    },
    "Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy": {
      "text": "5.402 billion Mt (2013 est.)"
    }
  },
  "Communications": {
    "Telephones - fixed lines": {
      "total subscriptions": {
        "text": "121.991 million"
      },
      "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": {
        "text": "38 (July 2015 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Telephones - mobile cellular": {
      "total": {
        "text": "382.307 million"
      },
      "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": {
        "text": "119 (July 2015 est.)"
      }
    },
    "Telephone system": {
      "general assessment": {
        "text": "a large, technologically advanced, multipurpose communications system"
      },
      "domestic": {
        "text": "a large system of fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and domestic satellites carries every form of telephone traffic; a rapidly growing cellular system carries mobile telephone traffic throughout the country"
      },
      "international": {
        "text": "country code - 1; multiple ocean cable systems provide international connectivity; satellite earth stations - 61 Intelsat (45 Atlantic Ocean and 16 Pacific Ocean), 5 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), and 4 Inmarsat (Pacific and Atlantic Ocean regions) (2015)"
      }
    },
    "Broadcast media": {
      "text": "4 major terrestrial TV networks with affiliate stations throughout the country, plus cable and satellite networks, independent stations, and a limited public broadcasting sector that is largely supported by private grants; overall, thousands of TV station (2008)"
    },
    "Internet country code": {
      "text": ".us"
    },
    "Internet users": {
      "total": {
        "text": "239.58 million"
      },
      "percent of population": {
        "text": "74.6% (July 2015 est.)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Transportation": {
    "National air transport system": {
      "number of registered air carriers": {
        "text": "92"
      },
      "inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers": {
        "text": "6,817"
      },
      "annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers": {
        "text": "798.23 million"
      },
      "annual freight traffic on registered air carriers": {
        "text": "37.219 billion mt-km (2015)"
      }
    },
    "Civil aircraft registration country code prefix": {
      "text": "N (2016)"
    },
    "Airports": {
      "text": "13,513 (2013)"
    },
    "Airports - with paved runways": {
      "total": {
        "text": "5,054"
      },
      "over 3,047 m": {
        "text": "189"
      },
      "2,438 to 3,047 m": {
        "text": "235"
      },
      "1,524 to 2,437 m": {
        "text": "1,478"
      },
      "914 to 1,523 m": {
        "text": "2,249"
      },
      "under 914 m": {
        "text": "903 (2013)"
      }
    },
    "Airports - with unpaved runways": {
      "total": {
        "text": "8,459"
      },
      "over 3,047 m": {
        "text": "1"
      },
      "2,438 to 3,047 m": {
        "text": "6"
      },
      "1,524 to 2,437 m": {
        "text": "140"
      },
      "914 to 1,523 m": {
        "text": "1,552"
      },
      "under 914 m": {
        "text": "6,760 (2013)"
      }
    },
    "Heliports": {
      "text": "5,287 (2013)"
    },
    "Pipelines": {
      "text": "natural gas 1,984,321 km; petroleum products 240,711 km (2013)"
    },
    "Railways": {
      "total": {
        "text": "293,564.2 km"
      },
      "standard gauge": {
        "text": "293,564.2 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)"
      }
    },
    "Roadways": {
      "total": {
        "text": "6,586,610 km"
      },
      "paved": {
        "text": "4,304,715 km (includes 76,334 km of expressways)"
      },
      "unpaved": {
        "text": "2,281,895 km (2012)"
      }
    },
    "Waterways": {
      "text": "41,009 km (19,312 km used for commerce; Saint Lawrence Seaway of 3,769 km, including the Saint Lawrence River of 3,058 km, is shared with Canada) (2012)"
    },
    "Merchant marine": {
      "total": {
        "text": "393"
      },
      "by type": {
        "text": "barge carrier 6, bulk carrier 55, cargo 51, carrier 2, chemical tanker 30, container 84, passenger 18, passenger/cargo 56, petroleum tanker 35, refrigerated cargo 3, roll on/roll off 27, vehicle carrier 26"
      },
      "foreign-owned": {
        "text": "85 (Australia 1, Bermuda 5, Denmark 31, France 4, Germany 5, Malaysia 2, Norway 17, Singapore 16, UK 4)"
      },
      "registered in other countries": {
        "text": "794 (Antigua and Barbuda 7, Australia 2, Bahamas 109, Belgium 1, Bermuda 26, Canada 10, Cayman Islands 57, Comoros 2, Cyprus 5, Georgia 1, Greece 8, Honduras 1, Hong Kong 44, Indonesia 2, Ireland 2, Isle of Man 1, Italy 23, Liberia 53, Malta 34, Marshall Isla (2010)"
      }
    },
    "Ports and terminals": {
      "cargo ports (tonnage)": {
        "text": "Baton Rouge, Corpus Christi, Hampton Roads, Houston, Long Beach, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Plaquemines, Tampa, Texas City"
      },
      "container port(s) (TEUs)": {
        "text": "Hampton Roads (1,918,029), Houston (1,866,450), Long Beach (6,061,091), Los Angeles (7,940,511), New York/New Jersey (5,503,485), Oakland (2,342,504), Savannah (2,944,678), Seattle (2,033,535)(2011)"
      },
      "cruise departure ports (passengers)": {
        "text": "Miami (2,032,000), Port Everglades (1,277,000), Port Canaveral (1,189,000), Seattle (430,000), Long Beach (415,000) (2009)"
      },
      "oil terminals": {
        "text": "LOOP terminal, Haymark terminal"
      },
      "LNG terminal(s) (import)": {
        "text": "Cove Point (MD), Elba Island (GA), Everett (MA), Freeport (TX), Golden Pass (TX), Hackberry (LA), Lake Charles (LA), Neptune (offshore), Northeast Gateway (offshore), Pascagoula (MS), Sabine Pass (TX)"
      },
      "LNG terminal(s) (export)": {
        "text": "Kenai (AK)"
      }
    }
  },
  "Military and Security": {
    "Military branches": {
      "text": "United States Armed Forces: US Army, US Navy (includes Marine Corps), US Air Force, US Coast Guard; note - Coast Guard administered in peacetime by the Department of Homeland Security, but in wartime reports to the Department of the Navy (2015)"
    },
    "Military service age and obligation": {
      "text": "18 years of age (17 years of age with parental consent) for male and female voluntary service; no conscription; maximum enlistment age 42 (Army), 27 (Air Force), 34 (Navy), 28 (Marines); 8-year service obligation, including 2-5 years active duty (Army), 2 years active (Navy), 4 years active (Air Force, Marines); DoD is eliminating prohibitions restricting women from assignments in units smaller than brigades or near combat units (2013)"
    },
    "Military expenditures": {
      "text": "4.35% of GDP (2012) ++ 4.75% of GDP (2011) ++ 4.35% of GDP (2010)"
    }
  },
  "Transnational Issues": {
    "Disputes - international": {
      "text": "the US has intensified domestic security measures and is collaborating closely with its neighbors, Canada and Mexico, to monitor and control legal and illegal personnel, transport, and commodities across the international borders; abundant rainfall in recent years along much of the Mexico-US border region has ameliorated periodically strained water-sharing arrangements; 1990 Maritime Boundary Agreement in the Bering Sea still awaits Russian Duma ratification; Canada and the United States dispute how to divide the Beaufort Sea and the status of the Northwest Passage but continue to work cooperatively to survey the Arctic continental shelf; The Bahamas and US have not been able to agree on a maritime boundary; US Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay is leased from Cuba and only mutual agreement or US abandonment of the area can terminate the lease; Haiti claims US-administered Navassa Island; US has made no territorial claim in Antarctica (but has reserved the right to do so) and does not recognize the claims of any other states; Marshall Islands claims Wake Island; Tokelau included American Samoa's Swains Island among the islands listed in its 2006 draft constitution"
    },
    "Refugees and internally displaced persons": {
      "refugees (country of origin)": {
        "text": "16,370 (Democratic Republic of the Congo); the US admitted 84,995 refugees during FY2016 including: 12,587 (Syria); 12,347 (Burma); 9,880 (Iraq); 9,020 (Somalia); 5,817 (Bhutan); 3,750 (Iran)"
      }
    },
    "Illicit drugs": {
      "text": "world's largest consumer of cocaine (shipped from Colombia through Mexico and the Caribbean), Colombian heroin, and Mexican heroin and marijuana; major consumer of ecstasy and Mexican methamphetamine; minor consumer of high-quality Southeast Asian heroin; illicit producer of cannabis, marijuana, depressants, stimulants, hallucinogens, and methamphetamine; money-laundering center"
    }
  }
}