United States of America or United States, popularly referred to as the United States or as America, a federal republic on the continent of North America, consisting of 48 contiguous states and the non-contiguous states of Alaska and Hawaii. Outlying areas include Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands. The conterminous 48 states are bounded on the north by Canada, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Gulf of Mexico and Mexico, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. The northern boundary is partly formed by the Great Lakes and the St Lawrence River; the southern boundary is partly formed by the Rio Grande. New York is the largest city in the United States. Washington, D.C., is the capital.

Population
	266,993,000
	(1997 estimate)
Population Density
	28 people/sq km
	(72 people/sq mi)
	(1997 estimate)
Urban/Rural Breakdown
	75%Urban
	25%Rural
Largest Cities
	New York7,311,966
	Los Angeles3,489,779
	Chicago2,768,483
	(1992 estimates)
Largest Metropolitan Areas
	Los Angeles9,054,000
	New York8,552,000
	Chicago7,561,000
	(1990 census)
Ethnic Groups
	80%White
	12%black
	3%Asian and Pacific Islanders
	5%Other
	including Native Americans and many other groups
Languages
Official Language
	None; English is predominant
Other Languages
	Spanish, many other minority languages
Religions
	56%Protestantism
	25%Roman Catholicism
	2%Judaism
	17%Other
	including other Christian denominations, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism