IntroductionUnited States, officially United States of America,
republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi
(9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the
world's third largest country in population and in area. It
consists of 50 states and a federal district. The conterminous
(excluding Alaska and Hawaii) United States stretches across
central North America from the Atlantic Ocean on the east to the
Pacific Ocean on the west, and from Canada on the north to
Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico on the south. The state of Alaska
is located in extreme NW North America between the Arctic and
Pacific oceans and is bordered by Canada on the east. The state
of Hawaii, an island chain, is situated in the E central Pacific
Ocean c.2,100 mi (3,400 km) SW of San Francisco. Washington,
D.C., is the capital of the United States, and New York is its
largest city. The outlying territories and areas of the United
States include: in the Caribbean Basin, Puerto Rico (a
commonwealth associated with the United S