Ethnicity: The US has always been a place of ethnic diversity. Since the 1950s, after changes in immigration laws, the nation has become a blend of many cultures.
The United States boasts a large number of people from over 100 countries. The US Census Bureau estimates the country's population to be 311,799,000, including an estimated 11.2 million illegal immigrants.
Religion: The United States is officially a secular nation. In 2007, the total number of Protestants was estimated at more than 100 million; Catholics were 67 million; and Jews, 6 million. Islam has about 6 million US adherents, many of whom were originally African-Americans. Buddhism and Hinduism are growing with the arrival of immigrants from Asian countries.
Language: There is no official language at the federal level. However, some of the laws standardize English as the official language. Spanish is the second-most common language in the country, and is spoken by over 12% of the population.
History of USA
The United States was the result of the original Thirteen Colonies revolting against the British Empire when they declared independence on July 4, 1776. The territory was first home to the Native Americans since prehistoric times. It was in 1492 that an Italian explorer working under Spanish charter reached these lands and claimed them. His name, of course, was Christopher Columbus. Later, disagreements between American colonials and the British during the revolutionary period of 1760-70s led to the Revolutionary War, fought from 1775 to 1781.
Economy of USA
The US is the world's largest economy among nations, and has an estimated GDP of $14.780 trillion (2010). As such, the country is important to the global financial system: the US dollar is used as a world reserve currency and for many financial transactions around the world. Price fluctuations on the New York Stock Exchange, the world's largest by dollar volume, often produce ripple effects on other world economies. In August 2010, the American labor force was 154.1 million-strong.
Interesting Facts about United States of America
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