Economy Overview: The United States is the most technologically powerful, diverse, advanced, and large economy in the world, with a GDP per capita of $36,200. In this market economy, private individuals and firms make most of the decisions, and the government buys the necessary goods and services mainly on the free market. US firms have far more room to maneuver when it comes to expanding production, laying off staff, or developing new products than their Western European or Japanese counterparts. At the same time, they face stricter barriers that prevent them from entering competitors’ domestic markets than foreign firms do when entering the US market. US firms are at the forefront of technological progress, especially in the field of computer technology, as well as in the fields of medical, aerospace and military equipment. The surge in technology largely explains why the U.S. has developed a two-tier labor market in which those at the bottom lack the education and technical skills of those at the top and cannot expect pay increases, health insurance, and other benefits. Since 1975, virtually all income growth has come from 20% of households. During 1994-2000 there was a strong increase in output, inflation remained low, and unemployment fell to less than 5%. Long-term problems remain underinvestment in economic infrastructure, rapidly rising health care costs and an aging nation, large trade deficits, and stagnating family incomes in the lower economic groups. Economic growth weakened in the 4th quarter of 2000, growth in 2001 will definitely be significantly lower than in 2000, when it was 5%. The outlook for 2000 is clouded by the ongoing economic problems of Japan, Russia, Indonesia, Brazil and many other countries. See topb2bwebsites.com to know more about United States in 2004. GDP: at purchasing power parity – $9.963 trillion (2000 est.). Real GDP growth rate: 5% (2000 est.). GDP per capita: at purchasing power parity – $36,200 (2000 est.). The composition of GDP by sectors of the economy: agriculture: 2%; industry: 18%; services: 80% (1999). Proportion of population below the poverty line: 12.7% (1999 est.). Percentage distribution of family income or consumption: 10% of the poorest families account for: 1.8%; 10% of the wealthiest families account for: 30.5% (1997). Inflation rate at consumer prices: 3.4% (2000). Labor force: 140.9 million people (including the unemployed) (2000). Employment structure: managers and highly qualified specialists 30.2%, technical, commercial, service personnel 29.2%, employed in the service sector 13.5%, employed in manufacturing and mining, in transport 24.6%, employed in farming, forestry, fisheries 2.5% (2000); note: excluding unemployed. Unemployment rate: 4% (2000). Budget: revenues: $1.828 trillion; expenditures: $1.703 trillion, including capital investments – NA (1999). Spheres of economy: leading industrial world power, highly diversified and technologically advanced industry; oil, steel, automotive, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food, consumer goods, wood products, mining. Growth in industrial production: 5.6% (2000 est.). Electricity generation: 3.678 trillion kWh (1999) Sources of electricity generation: fossil fuels: 69.64%; hydropower: 8.31%; nuclear fuel: 19.8%; others: 2.25% (1999). Electricity consumption: 3.45 trillion kWh (1999). Electricity export: 14 billion kWh (1999). Electricity import: 43 billion kWh (1999). Agricultural products: wheat, other cereals, corn, fruits, vegetables, cotton; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; forest products; fish. Exports: $776 billion (free on board, 2000 est.) Export items: capital goods, automobiles, industrial equipment and raw materials, consumer goods, agricultural products. Export partners: Canada 23%, Mexico 14%, Japan 8%, UK 5%, Germany 4%, France, Netherlands (2000). Imports: $1.223 trillion (free on board, 2000 est.) Import articles: crude oil and petroleum products, machinery, vehicles, consumer goods, industrial raw materials, food and beverages. Import partners: Canada 19%, Japan 11%, Mexico 11%, China 8%, Germany 5%, UK, Taiwan (2000). External debt: $862 billion (1995 est.) Economic Aid Donor: Official Development Support $6.9 billion (1997). Currency: US dollar. Currency code: USD. Exchange rate: British pounds per USD – 0.6764 (January 2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998), 0.6106 (1997), 0.6403 (1996); Canadian dollars per USD – 1.5032 (January 2001), 1.4851 (2000), 1.4857 (1999), 1.4835 (1998), 1.3846 (1997), 1.3635 (1996); French francs per USD -5.65 (January 1999), 5.8995 (1998), 5.8367 (1997), 5.1155 (1996), 4.9915 (1995), 5.5520 (1994); Italian liras per USD – 1,668.7 (January 1999), 1,763.2 (1998), 1,703.1 (1997), 1,542.9 (1996), 1,628.9 (1995), 1,612.4 (1994); Japanese yen per USD – 117.10 (January 2001), 107.77 (2000), 113.91 (1999), 130.91 (1998), 120.99 (1997), 108.78 (1996); DM per USD – 1.69 (January 1999), 1.9692 (1998), 1.7341 (1997), 1.5048 (1996), 1.4331 (1995), 1.6228 (1994); euro per USD – 1.06594 (January 2001), 1.08540 (January 1999), 0.93863 (1999); note: France, Fiscal year: October 1-September 30.
Telecommunications
Telecommunications Telephone lines: 194 million (1997). Mobile cell phones: 69.209 million (1998) Telephone system: a very large, technologically advanced and versatile system; domestic: an extensive system of fiber optic cables, microwave radio relay, coaxial cables and a national satellite system provide all forms of telephone communication; a rapidly growing cellular network provides mobile telephone service throughout the country; international: 24 ocean cable systems in use; satellite earth stations – 61 Intelsat (45 Atlantic Ocean and 16 Pacific Ocean), 5 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region), 4 Inmarsat (Pacific and Atlantic Ocean regions) (2000). Broadcast stations: AM – 4762, FM – 5542, shortwave – 18 (1998). Radio receivers: 575 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: more than 1,500 (including approximately 1,000 stations associated with the five major networks – NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, PBS; there are also approximately 9,000 cable television systems) (1997). Televisions: 219 million (1997) Internet country code: .us. Internet Service Providers: 7,800 (2000 est.) Number of users: 148 million (2000 est.).
(Transportation)
Transport Railways: total: 225,750 km of main lines; with standard gauge: 225,750 km (1.435 m gauge) (1999). Roads: total: 6,370,031 km; paved: 5,733,028 km (including 74,091 km of expressways); unpaved: 637,003 km (1997) Waterways: 41,009 km of inland navigable routes, excluding the Great Lakes. Pipelines: for oil products – 276,000 km; for natural gas – 331,000 km (1991). Ports and harbors: Anchorage, Baltimore, Boston, Honolulu, Jacksonville, Duluth, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Port Canaveral, Portland (OR), Prado Bay, Savannah, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa, Toledo, Philadelphia, Houston, Hampton Roads, Charleston, Chicago. Merchant navy: total: 376 vessels (of 1,000 tons displacement and over) with a total displacement of 10,814,622 gross register tons / 14,416,517 long tons of gross tonnage; different types of ships: barges – 9, dry cargo ships – 68, cargo ships – 29, chemical tankers – 13, combined dry cargo ships – 3, container ships – 80, liquefied gas tankers – 1, multifunctional heavy cargo ships – 3, passenger ships – 9, cargo-passenger ships – 1, oil tankers – 98, ferries for the transport of loaded vehicles – 49, coastal passenger ships – 3, specialized tankers – 1, cargo ships for the transport of transport – 9 (2000 est.). Airports: 14,720 (2000 est.). Airports with paved runways: total: 5,174; over 3,047 m: 182; from 2438 to 3047 m: 220; from 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1,331; from 914 to 1523 m: 2440; less than 914 m: 1,001 (2000 est.). Airports with unpaved runways: total: 9,546; over 3,047 m: 3; from 2438 to 3047 m:6; from 1,524 to 2,437 m: 164; from 914 to 1523 m: 1675; less than 914 m: 7,698 (2000 est.). Helipads: 131 (2000 est.).
Armed forces
Branches of the Armed Forces: Department of the Army, Department of the Navy (including the Marine Corps), Department of the Air Force; note: The Coast Guard is normally under the Department of Transportation, but in wartime becomes under the Department of the Navy. Enlistment age: 18 years old. Total Military Manpower: Male 15 to 49: 70,819,436 (2001 est.). Eligible for military service: no data. Number of persons reaching military age each year: men aged 15 to 49: 2,039,414 (2001 est.). Military spending in dollar terms: $276.7 billion (FY99 est.) Military spending as part of GDP: 3.2% (1999 FG).
International Issues
International problems International disputes: dispute over the maritime border with Canada (Dixon Entrance Strait, Beaufort Sea, Juan de Fuca Strait, Machias Seal Island); the American naval base at Guantanamo Bay is leased by the United States, the lease can only be terminated by mutual agreement or by the United States unilaterally; Haiti claims Navassa Island; The USA has no territorial claims in Antarctica (but reserves the right to put them forward) and does not recognize the claims of other countries; The Marshall Islands claim Wake Island. Illicit drugs: user of cocaine shipped from Colombia via Mexico and the Caribbean; heroin, marijuana and increasingly methamphetamine users from Mexico; high-quality heroin user from Southeast Asia; illicit production of cannabis, marijuana, sedatives, stimulants, hallucinogens and methamphetamines; money laundering center.
