Introduction
Have you ever wondered just how big the United States of America really is? It’s a huge country that stretches across a wide part of the world. From the sunny beaches of California to the bustling streets of New York City, the United States has a lot of different places to explore. In fact, the U.S. is the third-largest country in the world by both land and total area!
Just How Big is The U.S.?
The U.S. covers a whopping 9.8 million square kilometers, or 3.8 million square miles. To put that in perspective, it’s about half the size of Russia, which is the largest country in the world. It’s also larger than China and Canada, which are the second and fourth largest countries respectively. If you wanted to fit other countries inside the U.S., you could fit the United Kingdom inside the U.S. about 40 times! And you could squeeze in Italy, another European country, about 35 times. Think about it this way: if the U.S. were a building, it would be over 5000 floors high! That’s taller than any skyscraper in the world.
Divisions of The U.S.
The U.S. isn’t just one big piece of land. It’s divided into 50 states, a federal district (where the capital, Washington D.C., is located), five major unincorporated territories, nine minor outlying islands, and 326 Indian reservations. Each state has its own unique size, culture, and history. For example, Alaska is the biggest state, and it’s twice as big as the second biggest state, Texas. But Rhode Island, the smallest state, is about 425 times smaller than Alaska!
Borders and Coastlines
The U.S. shares land borders with Canada to its north and with Mexico to its south. But, that’s not all. The U.S. also has maritime borders (borders over the ocean) with the Bahamas, Cuba, Russia, and other nations. The U.S. has a coastline that’s about 95,471 miles long. That’s longer than the Earth’s circumference, which is only about 24,901 miles. Imagine how long it would take to walk along the entire U.S. coastline!
Population
The United States isn’t just big in terms of land. It’s also big in terms of people. Over 333 million people live in the U.S., making it the most populous country in the Americas and the third-most populous in the world.
Conclusion
So, the United States is really, really big. It’s a vast land filled with diverse landscapes, from towering mountains to sweeping plains, from dense forests to arid deserts. And with over 333 million people calling it home, it’s a nation bursting with stories, cultures, and adventures. No matter how much you explore, there’s always more to discover in the United States of America!