Constitution-based federal republic; strong democratic tradition
multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy
Independence date
4 July 1776 (from Great Britain)
9 November 1953 (from France)
Religions
Protestant 51.3%, Roman Catholic 23.9%, Mormon 1.7%, other Christian 1.6%, Jewish 1.7%, Buddhist 0.7%, Muslim 0.6%, other or unspecified 2.5%, unaffiliated 12.1%, none 4% (2007 est.)
Theravada Buddhist 95%, other 5%
Languages
English 82.1%, Spanish 10.7%, other Indo-European 3.8%, Asian and Pacific island 2.7%, other 0.7% (2000 census) note: Hawaiian is an official language in the state of Hawaii
riels (KHR) per US dollar - 4,070.94 (2008 est.), 4,006 (2007), 4,103 (2006), 4,092.5 (2005), 4,016.25 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
4.060%
3.000%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
110
0
Location
North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico
Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos
Area
9,826,675 km sq
181,035 km sq
Coastline
19,924 km
443 km
Climate
mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains
tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry season (December to April); little seasonal temperature variation
