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Facts About The United States
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Conventional Long Form Name: United States of America
Local Conventional Short Form Names: US, USA, The States
Internet Country Code: .us
Capital: Washington, DC
People are called: Americans
Official Language: There is no official language at the federal level, though American English is the primary language used for legislation, regulations, executive orders, treaties, federal court rulings, and all other official pronouncements. Over 30 states have enacted legislation to make English their official state language.
Total Population: 339,665,118 (2023 est. by World Factbook)
Urban Population: 83.3%
Major Urban Areas: 18.937 million New York-Newark, 12.534 million Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, 8.937 million Chicago, 6.707 million Houston, 6.574 million Dallas-Fort Worth, 5.490 million WASHINGTON, D.C. (capital) (2023)
Currency: Dollar
Currency Symbol: $, US$, USD
Thousands Separator (comma) and Decimal Mark (dot): 1,234,567.89
Clock: 12 hour clock (am/pm)
Date format: MM/DD/(YY)YY
Time Zones for Standard Time (ST) and Daylight Savings Time (DST):
Atlantic UTC -4 (ST) / UTC -3 (DST) (No portion of the continental United States is in this time zone, but Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are)
Eastern UTC -5 (ST) / UTC -4 (DST)
Central UTC -6 (ST) / UTC -5 (DST)
Mountain UTC -7 (ST) / UTC -6 (DST) (Arizona, except for the Navajo Indian Nation, does not observe DST)
Pacific UTC -8 (ST) / UTC -7 (DST)
Alaska UTC -9 (ST) / UTC -8 (DST)
Hawaii - Aleutian UTC -10 (ST) / UTC -9 (DST) (Hawaii does not always observe DST)
Daylight Savings Time: Starts second Sunday in March; ends First Sunday in November
Phone Number Country Code: 1
Landline Phone Number Format: 10-digit, (area code) prefix-suffix; (xxx) xxx-xxxx
Cell Phone Number Format: 10-digit, (area code) prefix-suffix; (xxx) xxx-xxxx
Standard Work Week: The standard work week is 40 hours, and any covered nonexempt employee must be paid at least time and a half for any hour over 40. There is no limit to how many hours can be worked for those 16 and over, as long as overtime is paid. Overtime pay is not required for work on weekends, holidays, or regular days of rest, unless overtime is worked on those days.
National Holiday: One of the federal holidays, the 4th of July, or Independence Day, marks the United States’ independence
Voting Age: 18
Drinking Age: Each state can set its own minimum legal drinking age (MLDA). All 50 states have set 21 as the MLDA for purchase of alcohol. In some states the consumption of alcohol in certain private situations (at home or with family) is legal
Smoking: 18 to purchase tobacco, though in some states consuming tobacco products under the age of 18 is not illegal or is ignored. In January 2016, Hawaii raised the age to 21 for smoking, purchase, and sale of tobacco and e-cigarettes.
World Factbook
US Census Quickfacts
World Bank
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
United States Department of Labor - Overtime Pay
United Nations Country Profile: USA
Digital Nation Data Explorer: National Telecommunications & Information Administration
US Visas from the US Department Of State
