United States of America or United States, 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 non-contiguous states of Alaska and Hawaii. Outlying areas include Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands. 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 St Lawrence River; the southern boundary is partly formed by the Rio Grande. New York is the largest city in the United States. Washington, D.C., is the capital.

Population
        266,993,000
        (1997 estimate)
Population Density
        28 people/sq km
        (72 people/sq mi)
        (1997 estimate)
Urban/Rural Breakdown
        75%Urban
        25%Rural
Largest Cities
        New York7,311,966
        Los Angeles3,489,779
        Chicago2,768,483
        (1992 estimates)
Largest Metropolitan Areas
        Los Angeles9,054,000
        New York8,552,000
        Chicago7,561,000
        (1990 census)
Ethnic Groups
        80%White
        12%Black
        3%Asian and Pacific Islanders
        5%Other
        including Native Americans and many other groups
Languages
Official Language
        None; English is predominant
Other Languages
        Spanish, many other minority languages
Religions
        56%Protestantism
        25%Roman Catholicism
        2%Judaism
        17%Other
        including other Christian denominations, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism