Are you looking for Facts about the USA? The United States of America is one of the biggest and wealthiest countries in the world. Here’s a list of 25 Interesting USA facts that you probably didn’t know.
To make this even more fun and interesting, I want to challenge you! How many of the facts about the USA do you already know? Share your result in the comment section at the end of this article.
You can also read some general information such as highest mountain, biggest cities, largest lake, government and much more!
1. Americans consume 3 billion pizzas in total per year
Pizza might originate from Italy, but the Americans sure do love their pizzas! Reports even claim that the pizzas that Americans eat every day would cover an area of 100 acres.
2. American inventions
Throughout history, there has been countless of American inventors who’ve come up with inventions that have changed the world.
Some of the most notable inventions are the transistor, the internet, the lightbulb, the airplane and of course the improved cell phone by Martin Cooper.
These are just some of the many inventions that Americans have given the world.
Left: Thomas Edison. Right: The Wright Brothers.
3. GPS is controlled and owned by the American government and can be ‘switched off’ at any time
One of the many interesting facts about the USA, which shows their power and influence over the world. GPS is being used worldwide, but I think few people are aware that it’s controlled and owned by the American government.
They also have the possibility to shut it down at any time.
4. Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Expression, and Freedom of Press
Often referred to as “The land of the Free” and Americans have the right to express themselves freely in print and speech.
5. The current flag of the USA was designed by a 17-year-old
His name was Robert G. Heft and he did it as a school project. He originally received a B– for the project, but he was later awarded an A after the flag was accepted by the Congress.
6. NASA – Exploring Space
The United States of America is the only country in the world who has set foot on the moon. NASA is the government organization and they’re number 1 in space exploration.
7. They have won the most Olympic Medals of all times
Americans are great at sports, which gets quite evident when you take a look at their achievements. The U.S. has won the most Olympic Medals of all times!
In the Winter Olympic Games, Norway has won the most but combined with the Summer Olympic Games, the U.S. has won the most medals.
Photo: A.RICARDO / Shutterstock.com
8. Home to some of the greatest musical artists of all time
The Music Industry in the U.S. is huge, and globally, the majority of the music we listen to comes from America. There are so many music superstars with origins in the USA.
Some of the greatest artists of all time include Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Metallica, Eminem, Beyonce, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Billy Joel, Whitney Houston, Ray Charles, Madonna, Nirvana, Bruno Mars, Guns n’ Roses, Bon Jovi, Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen, Kiss, Marvin Gaye, Tupac and Frank Sinatra just to mention a few.
The list could go on and on because so many hits have been made by American artists, and you will find all kinds of music from every genre.
9. The United States uses 18% of the world’s energy
It is said that 1 American consumes the same resources as 32 Kenyans. And globally, The U.S. uses almost 1/4 of the world’s energy.
10. James and Mary are the most common given names in the United States
If your name is James or Mary, you got the most common male and female names. As for surname, Smith is the most common one. About 1% of the total population has Smith as their last name.
11. One of the best Passports in the world
Americans can travel the world quite freely and they can pride themselves with the fact that they have one of the world’s best passports. The U.S. citizens can travel to 116 countries without a visa requirement and get a visa on arrival in additional 44 countries.
Photo: Shutterstock
12. The USA has the world’s biggest economy
China is growing fast, but the U.S. Economy is still the world’s biggest when measuring GDP.
13. The highest number of entrepreneurs in the world
The US is often referred to as the Land of Dreams or the Land of Opportunity. The American dream is well known around the world, so it might not be a surprising fact about the USA that the country is home to the highest number of entrepreneurs in the world!
Anything is possible in the United States of America!
14. Russia and the USA are only 3.8km apart at the nearest point
In the middle of the Bering Strait between Alaska and Siberia, the U.S. and Russia own 1 island each which are divided by the international date line. These two islands are just 3.8 km (2.36121053 miles) apart from each other.
15. The U.S. purchased Alaska from Russia for just $7.2 million in 1867
At just two cents per acre, the United States of America bought the lands of Alaska from Russia.
Photo: Shutterstock
5 x Fun Facts about the USA and Americans
- 27% of the Americans believe that the moon landing was fake
- Christmas was illegal in the USA until 1836 as it was considered an ancient pagan holiday
- There’s an official Rock Paper Scissors league
- An average American eats 35 tons of food in a lifetime
- 60% of Americans order takeout or delivery food at least once a week
5 x USA facts for kids
- The national animal of the U.S. is the Bald Eagle
- The Bison is the national mammal
- The world’s tallest roller coaster is Kingda Ka located at Six Flags
- Montana has 3 times as many cows as people
- The United States of America consists of 50 states.
Photo: Shutterstock
General facts about America (USA)
- Total Population: 326,681,307
- Highest Mountain: Denali – 6190 meters.
- Land area: 3,796,742 sqm
- Biggest Lake: Lake Superior.
- National Day: 4th July.
- Government: Federal presidential constitutional republic.
- President: Donald J. Trump
- Currency: U.S. Dollars (USD).
- Official language: No official language, but English and Spanish are the two most spoken languages.
- Member of Nato: Yes.
- National song: “The Star-Spangled Banner“
- Time zone: (UTC−4 to −12, +10, +11)
- Country Number/Prefix: +1
- Capital: Washington D.C.
Photo: Shutterstock
Biggest Cities
- New York
- Los Angeles
- Chicago
- Houston
- Phoenix
- Philadelphia
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- Dallas
- San Jose
Flag of the United States of America
The American flag consists of 13 stripes and 50 stars. The stripes represent the 13 British Colonies who declared independence from Great Britain. And the 50 stars represent each state in the U.S. It was first adopted back in 1777 the 14th of June.
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How many of these facts about the USA did you already know? Share your result in the comment section below! And if you know some more interesting USA facts, feel free to share them as well.