United States 🇺🇸
United States is a country in North America with a population of 333,287,557. Its capital is Washington, D.C.. The official currency is USD, and the main languages are English.
Quick facts
- Capital: Washington, D.C.
- Continent: North America
- Population: 333,287,557
- Area: 9,833,517 km²
- Density: 33.9 people per km²
- Currency: USD
- Languages: English
- ISO code: US
Where United States sits
United States 🇺🇸 is one of 23 countries in North America, with its capital at Washington, D.C.. It covers 9,833,517 square kilometres — 3rd in the world — and is home to about 333,287,557 people, 3rd globally.
The countries it shares a continent with include Mexico, Canada, Guatemala, Haiti and Dominican Republic. If you are learning geography region by region — which works far better than alphabetically, because memory for places is spatial — those are the ones to learn alongside it.
How United States compares
Raw figures are hard to hold on their own, so it helps to anchor them. In population, United States sits closest to Indonesia and Pakistan. In land area, its nearest counterparts are Canada and China.
At 33.9 people per square kilometre it is about 1.8 times below the world average of 59.4. Its population and area ranks match exactly, which is uncommon.
English is an official language in 58 countries here, among them Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas and Barbados, and 53 others. The USD is shared with 6 other countries, including Ecuador, El Salvador and Marshall Islands, and 3 others.
To see United States next to every other country, sort the country rankings by population, area or density; its currency and languages are listed alongside every other country's in world currencies and world languages.
How to remember United States
Washington, D.C. is named after George Washington, and 'D.C.' stands for District of Columbia: a federal district, not one of the 50 states. It sits on the Potomac River, in the Mid-Atlantic region of the East Coast. For the flag, count it out: 13 stripes for the first colonies, 50 stars for today's states.
The flag of United States: red, white and blue
🇺🇸 The flag is 13 horizontal stripes of red and white, with a blue rectangle in the top corner by the flagpole holding 50 small white stars. The 50 stars stand for the 50 states and the 13 stripes for the 13 original colonies. Blue is said to stand for loyalty, justice and friendship, red for courage, and white for purity.
Region and neighbours
United States is a large country in North America, stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, with Alaska in the northwest and the islands of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. It shares land borders with 2 countries: Canada and Mexico.
Three facts about United States
- The United States is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C.
- Denali in Alaska, also called Mount McKinley, is the highest peak in the country and on the continent.
- By land area, the United States is the third-largest country in the world, after Russia and China.
Sources: Wikipedia: United States, Wikipedia: Flag of the United States, Wikipedia: Washington, D.C., CIA World Factbook.
Quiz yourself on United States
- North American capitals quiz — match United States to Washington, D.C.
- North American flags quiz — spot the United States flag among its neighbours
Quizzes that include United States
Three angles are worth covering for any country — where it is, what its flag looks like, and what its capital is. For United States those are:
- North America map quiz — place it on a blank map
- North America flags quiz — identify its flag among its neighbours
- North America capitals quiz — match it to Washington, D.C.
- United States capital quiz — five quick questions starting with United States
- Daily Map Challenge — five countries to find on a blank world map, the same five for everyone each day
Doing all three for one continent before moving on is far more efficient than learning flags globally, then capitals globally, then the map.
Read more about United States
- Capital of United States: Washington, D.C. — the capital in detail, with size and density rankings
- All 23 countries of North America
Nearby countries
- Antigua and Barbuda 🇦🇬 — capital Saint John's
- Bahamas 🇧🇸 — capital Nassau
- Barbados 🇧🇧 — capital Bridgetown
- Belize 🇧🇿 — capital Belmopan
- Canada 🇨🇦 — capital Ottawa
- Costa Rica 🇨🇷 — capital San José
- Cuba 🇨🇺 — capital Havana
- Dominica 🇩🇲 — capital Roseau
- Dominican Republic 🇩🇴 — capital Santo Domingo
- El Salvador 🇸🇻 — capital San Salvador
- Grenada 🇬🇩 — capital Saint George's
- Guatemala 🇬🇹 — capital Guatemala City
Frequently asked questions
What are the colours of the United States flag?
The flag of United States is 13 horizontal stripes of red and white, with a blue rectangle in the top corner by the flagpole holding 50 small white stars. The 50 stars stand for the 50 states and the 13 stripes for the 13 original colonies. Blue is said to stand for loyalty, justice and friendship, red for courage, and white for purity.
Which countries border United States?
United States shares land borders with Canada and Mexico.
How can I remember the capital of United States?
Washington, D.C. is named after George Washington, and 'D.C.' stands for District of Columbia: a federal district, not one of the 50 states. It sits on the Potomac River, in the Mid-Atlantic region of the East Coast. For the flag, count it out: 13 stripes for the first colonies, 50 stars for today's states.