About the USA

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Before several European nations began colionalizing the Americas, the present day United States of America was inhabited exclusively by Native Americans. At the end of the 15th and early 16th centuries the Spanish, English, Dutch and Swedes began settlement of the territory. By mid 18th century, tensions between the original 13 American colonies and Britain lead to an open military conflict. The American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added to the original 13 as the nation expanded across the North American continent. Today, the U.S.A. is a federal republic composed of 50 self-governing states united by a federal government. The two most traumatic experiences in the nation’s history were the Civil War (1861-65) and the Great Depression of the 1930s. American military and economic influence increased throughout the 20th century. With the collapse of the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War, the nation emerged as the world’s sole remaining superpower. Current controversial issues within the United States include illegal immigration, welfare, coorporate fraud, among others. Recently, the foreign policy of the United States has focused on combating terrorism as well as the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

PRESENT ECONOMY

The USA has the largest and most technologically advanced economy in the world. The USA’s market-oriented economy is characterized by steady growth, low unemployment, low inflation and rapid advances in technology. US companies enjoy great flexibility in decisions to expand capital, lay off surplus workers, and to develop new products. At the same time, they face higher barriers to enter their rivals’ home markets than foreign firms face entering US markets. US firms are at or near the forefront in technological advances, especially in computers and in medical, aerospace, and military equipment. The response to the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 showed the remarkable resilience of the economy. Soaring oil prices in 2005 and 2006 threatened inflation and unemployment, yet the economy continued to grow through mid-2006. Long-term problems include inadequate investment in economic infrastructure, rapidly rising medical and pension costs of an aging population, sizable trade and budget deficits, and stagnation of family income in the lower economic groups.

U.S.A. - ANGOLA TRADE RELATIONS

Angola is the second largest trading partner of the United States in Sub-Saharan Africa, largely because of its oil exports. Angola supplies approximately 4% of the total U.S.A. crude oil imports. U.S.A. exports to Angola primarily consist of industrial goods and services for the oil industry sector, mechanical equipment, chemicals, and food. On December 30, 2003, President George W. Bush approved the designation of Angola as eligible for tariff preferences under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Theoretically, this designation should have facilitated the expansion in the exports from Angola to the United States into areas other than the oil industry. However, AGOA primarily provides tariff reductions and it does not directly address the many issues still existent with trade between the USA and developing countries such as Angola. Additionally, internal barriers within Angola itself continue to emper the country’s ability to produce and become competitive in the world’s trade market.

TECHNICAL DATA

Area (Comparative): 9,631,420 sq km (Almost eight times the size of Angola)
Administrative Divisions: 50 states and 1 district
Population: 298.445 million (2006 estimate)
Population Growth Rate: 0.91% (2006 estimate)
Capital: Washington, DC
Languages: English (official), Spanish, Indo-European, Asian and Pacific Islands and others.

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 north.
Terrain: Vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged, volcanic topography in Hawai.

Currency (Code): US dollar (USD)
Exchange Rate: US cents of a Dollar per Kwanza – 1.1 (July 2006)
GDP per capita: $41.800 (2005 estimate)

Natural Resources: Coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber.
Agricultural products: Wheat, corn, other grains, fruits, vegetables, cotton; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish; forest products.
Industry Types: Highly diversified and technologically advanced; petroleum, steel, motor vehicles, aerospace, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, lumber, mining.

Exports: USD $927 billion F.O.B. (2005 estimate)
Main Export Commodities: Soybeans, fruit, corn, industrial supplies (organic chemicals), capital goods (transistors, aircraft, motor vehicle parts, computers, telecommunications equipment), consumer goods (automobiles, medicines)
Main Export Partners: Canada, Mexico, Japan, China, UK

Imports: USD $1.73 trillion F.O.B. (2005 estimate)
Main Import Commodities: Agricultural products, industrial supplies (crude oil), capital goods (computers, telecommunications equipment, motor vehicle parts, office machines, electric power machinery), consumer goods (automobiles, clothing, medicines, furniture, toys)
Main Import Partners: Canada, China, Mexico, Japan, Germany

Interesting Facts

• Sister Cities: Lafayette, Louisiana and Cabinda. Houston, Texas and Luanda.
• Research indicates that 27% of slaves who came to the USA from Africa originated in Angola.
• 14% of America’s fastest growing companies were started with less than USD $1,000.

Sources: U.S. Department of State, USAid, Wikipedia.