United States

The United States (US) is located in North America and is bordered on the north by Canada, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Gulf of America and Mexico, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. The United States does not have an official language at the federal level; however, English is the de facto national language. The currency is the United States dollar (USD).

The United States is a constitution-based federal republic. Its federal government is comprised of a legislative branch, executive branch, and judicial branch. The legislative branch has an elected House of Representatives and Senate. The executive branch is led by an elected President and an appointed cabinet of leaders of federal agencies that administer the laws enacted by the legislative branch. The judicial branch is organised into circuits with the power to review the decisions of the district courts. Ultimate review of lower court decisions is handled by the US Supreme Court.

Geographically, the United States is divided into 50 states and one federal district, Washington, DC, the capital city. The state governments mirror the structure of the federal government in that they all have legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Each of the states has county (parish), city, and municipal governments. The United States also has 14 dependent territories. These territories also may have lower governmental bodies.

All of the levels of government, from federal to state to municipality, have authority to tax, legislate, and regulate. A complex system determines which has primary authority over an issue.

The federal court system is based on English common law. Each state has its own unique legal system, of which all but one is based on English common law (the Louisiana legal system is influenced by the Napoleonic Code). A primary component of the judicial system is the judicial review of legislative and executive acts.

The United States is a member of a number of international organisations, including being a permanent member of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a member of the G-7, a member of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

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