Geography Quiz Arcade

Capital of United States: Washington, D.C.

The capital of United States is Washington, D.C.. United States sits in North America, has a population of 333,287,557, and uses the USD. Official languages include English.

Quick facts

  • Capital: Washington, D.C.
  • Continent: North America
  • Population: ~333,287,557
  • Area: 9,833,517 km²
  • Population density: 33.9 people per km²
  • Official language: English
  • Currency: USD
  • ISO code: US

How big is United States?

By population, United States ranks 3rd in the world, holding roughly 4.19% of all people on Earth. By land area it ranks 3rd.

Those two numbers rarely match, and the gap between them is the interesting part. United States has 33.9 people per square kilometre, which is about 1.8 times below the world average of 59.4. Its population and area ranks line up exactly, which is uncommon.

Within North America, United States is the most populous country of 23.

Countries of a similar size

The two countries closest to United States in population are Indonesia (275,501,339) and Pakistan (235,824,862).

By land area, its closest counterparts are Canada (9,984,670 km²) and China (9,596,961 km²).

Comparisons like these are worth more than raw figures when you are trying to remember them. A number on its own is hard to hold; a number next to a country you already have a feel for is much easier.

Language and currency

English is spoken officially in 58 countries in this dataset, including Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados and Belize, and 52 others.

The USD is not unique to United States — it is also used by Ecuador, El Salvador, Marshall Islands and Micronesia, and 2 others. Shared currencies usually mark a monetary union or a long-standing peg, and they are a useful shortcut in quizzes: get one country's currency and you often get several.

United States in North America

The largest countries by population sharing this continent are Mexico, Canada, Guatemala and Haiti.

If you are learning capitals region by region — far more effective than working alphabetically — North America is the block United States belongs to, and its neighbours are the ones worth learning alongside it.

Try the Country to Capital Quiz, or the harder reverse direction. There is also a full country profile for United States and a page on the flag of United States.

Frequently asked questions

What is the capital of United States?

The capital of United States is Washington, D.C..

What is the population of United States?

About 333,287,557, making it the 3rd most populous country in the world.

How big is United States?

9,833,517 square kilometres, ranking 3rd by land area, at a density of 33.9 people per square kilometre.

What currency does United States use?

The USD, shared with 6 other countries.

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