United States Government

Map showing the location of United States

The federal government of the United States of America has the mandate of governing the country. It is in charge of 50 states, as well as the capital of Washington, D.C, and several overseas territories. The government consists of the executive, the legislative, and the judiciary. The country is governed by the principles of republicanism and federalism, meaning that each state has its own government with the federal government playing a more senior role. It is a democratic state whose leaders are chosen through an electoral process. The first government was founded in 1789 making it one of the oldest democracies in the world.

The president of the United States can serve for a maximum of two four year terms. Eligible citizens vote for the members of the electoral college who then cast their vote for the preferred presidential candidate. Congress consists of 535 members, as well as 100 senators and 435 representatives. Each state has two senators who serve a six-year term. The members of the House of Representatives serve a two year term with each representing a single constituency.

Washington, D.C. serves as the seat of the government. It was created by the Residence Act on July 16, 1790, when the states Maryland of Virginia succeeded land to create the District. Washington was named after the first president of the country, George Washington. The Congress, the office of the President, the Supreme Court, federal offices, and several foreign embassies are located in the District. The president resides at the White House while serving terms. It is located in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the official residence and workplace of the U.S president since 1800 when president John Adams took office as the second president of the U.S.

The political landscape of the United States is generally dominated by two major political parties: the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. However, other lesser-known political parties, known as "third parties" include the Constitution Party, the Green Party, and the Libertarian Party,.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Washington
Languages	English 79.2%, Spanish 12.9%, other Indo-European 3.8%, Asian and Pacific island 3.3%, other 0.9% (2011 est.)
Ethnic Groups	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)
Religion	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.)
Government	Constitutional federal republic
Independance	4 July 1776 (declared); 3 September 1783 (recognized by Great Britain)
Area	9,833,517.00 km²
Water Area	685,924.00 km²
Land Area	9,147,593.00 km²
Population	323,995,528.00 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 prairie 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
Location	North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico
No. Bordering Countries	2
Bordering Countries	Canada 8,893 km (including 2,477 km with Alaska), Mexico 3,155 km
GDP(PPP)	$18,600,000,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$57,300.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are Canada, Mexico, and China.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are agricultural products, industrial supplies, and capital goods.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are China, Canada, and Mexico.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include agricultural products, industrial supplies, capital goods, and consumer goods.
Climate	Warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown
Terrain	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
Learn More	United States

United States Government

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