United States

:For other uses, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation).

Related Topics:
US (disambiguation) - USA (disambiguation) - United States (disambiguation)

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The United States of America?also referred to as the United States, the U.S., the USA, America (more loosely{{an|America}}), the States (colloquially), and Columbia (poetically)?is a federal republic of 50 states, located primarily in central North America.

Related Topics:
Columbia - Federal republic - States - North America

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The United States has land borders with Canada and Mexico, and territorial water boundaries with Canada, Russia and the Bahamas. It is otherwise bounded by the Pacific Ocean, the Bering Sea, the Arctic Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea. Forty-eight of the states?often referred to as the continental, contiguous or Lower 48 states?are located in a single region between Canada and Mexico. The other two, Alaska and the archipelago of Hawaii, are not contiguous with the others. There is a federal district, the District of Columbia, comprising the capital, Washington, D.C. The United States also owns a number of overseas territories.

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Canada - Mexico - Territorial water - Russia - Bahamas - Pacific Ocean - Bering Sea - Arctic Ocean - Atlantic Ocean - Gulf of Mexico - Caribbean Sea - Lower 48 - Alaska - Archipelago - Hawaii - Federal district - District of Columbia - Capital - Washington, D.C. - Overseas territories

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The official founding date of the United States is July 4, 1776, when the Second Continental Congress?representing the 13 British colonies?adopted the Declaration of Independence. However, the structure of the nation was profoundly changed in 1788, when the states replaced the Articles of Confederation with the United States Constitution; the date on which each of the original 13 states adopted the Constitution is typically regarded as the date that state "entered the Union" (became part of the United States). Since the mid-20th century, the United States has become the dominant global influence in economic, political, military, scientific, technological and cultural affairs.

Related Topics:
July 4 - 1776 - Continental Congress - British - Colonies - Declaration of Independence - Articles of Confederation - United States Constitution - Global - Economic - Political - Military - Scientific - Technological - Cultural

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