United States of America (USA) | Basic Information | Everyone Must Know

The United States of America (USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US), the States or simply America, is a country comprising 50 states, a federal district, five major self-governing territories, and various possessions. At 3.8 million square miles (9.8 million km2), it is the world&third or fourth-largest country by total area[d] and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe. Most of the country is located in central North America between Canada and Mexico. With an estimated population of over 328 million people, the U.S. is the third most populous country. The capital is Washington, D.C., and the most populous city is New York City. Paleo-Indians migrated from Siberia to the North American mainland at least 12,000 years ago.European colonization began in the 16th century. The United States emerged from the thirteen British colonies established along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the colonies led to the American Revolutionary War lasting between 1775 and 1783, leading to independence.The United States embarked on a vigorous expansion across North America throughout the 19th century—gradually acquiring new territories,displacing Native Americans, and admitting new states—until by 1848 it spanned the continent.During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the abolition of slavery in the United States.The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the country&status as a global military...