United States of America

**United States of America**, (also known as the **United States**, the **U.S.**, the **U.S.A.**, and **America**) is a federal constitutional republic situated mostly in central North America. Its 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, rests between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to the east and Russia to the west across the Bering Strait. The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. The country also possesses several territories in the Pacific and Caribbean such as Puerto Rico.

At 3.79 million square miles (9.83 million km2) and with over 308 million people, the United States is the third or fourth largest country by total area, and the third largest both by land area and population. It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many countries. The U.S. economy is the world's largest national economy, with an estimated 2009 GDP of $14.3 trillion (24% of nominal global GDP and 20% of global GDP at purchasing power parity).

Indigenous peoples have inhabited what is now the mainland United States for many thousands of years. This Native American population was greatly reduced by disease and warfare after European contact. The United States was founded by thirteen British colonies located along the Atlantic seaboard. On July 4th, 1776, they issued the Declaration of Independence, which proclaimed their right to self-determination and their establishment of a cooperative union. The rebellious states defeated the British Empire in the American Revolution, the first successful colonial war of independence. The current United States Constitution was adopted on September 17th, 1787; its ratification the following year made the states part of a single republic with a strong federal government. The Bill of Rights, comprising ten constitutional amendments guaranteeing many fundamental civil rights and freedoms, was ratified in 1791.

In the 19th century, the United States acquired land from France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Mexico, and Russia, and annexed the Republic of Texas and the Republic of Hawaii. Disputes between the agrarian South and industrial North over states' rights and the expansion of the institution of slavery provoked the American Civil War of the 1860's. The North's victory prevented a permanent split of the country and led to the end of legal slavery in the United States. By the 1870's, the national economy was the world's largest. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the country's status as a military power. It emerged from World War II as the first country with nuclear weapons and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union left the United States as the sole superpower. The country accounts for 43% of global military spending and is a leading economic, political, and cultural force in the world.

## The United States in *Kent Kennedy*

Kent Kennedy's story unfolds in the United States.

## States

There are fifty states in the United States. The following is a complete list of all states in alphabetical order.

* Alabama
* Alaska
* Arizona
* Arkansas
* **California**
* Colorado
* Connecticut
* Delaware
* Florida
* Georgia
* Hawaii
* Idaho
* Illinois
* Indiana
* Iowa
* Kansas
* Kentucky
* Louisiana
* Maine
* Maryland
* Massachusetts
* Michigan
* Minnesota
* Mississippi
* Missouri
* Montana
* Nebraska
* Nevada
* New Hampshire
* New Jersey
* New Mexico
* **New York**
* North Carolina
* North Dakota
* Ohio
* Oklahoma
* Oregon
* Pennsylvania
* Rhode Island
* South Carolina
* South Dakota
* Tennessee
* Texas
* Utah
* Vermont
* Virgina
* Washington
* West Virginia
* Wisconsin
* Wyoming

## Terrirories

There are four terrirories in the United States. The following is a complete list of all Terrirories in alphabetical order.

* American Samoa
* Guam
* Puerto Rico
* United States Virgin Islands.

## Known Cities

* **New York City**

* **Los Angeles**

* **Chicago**

* **Empire Bay**

* **Lost Heaven**

* **Birkland**

## Others

* Several firearm manufacturers appear to be of an American origin or mostly based on real-life American brands:
	+ Bretton (Barrett)
	+ Cole (Colt)
	+ Cornell (Ithaca)
	+ Flemming (Remington)
	+ Hartmann (Springfield)
	+ Peterberg (Mossberg)
	+ Seth & Winston (Smith & Wesson)
	+ Winters (Winchester Repeating Arms Company)
* Several Vehicle Brands appear to be of an American origin or mostly based on real-life American brands:
	+ Berkley (Buick)
	+ Crusader (Pontiac)
	+ Culver (Chrysler)
	+ GAI (GMC)
	+ Gerald (General Motors)
	+ Harrison (Harley-Davidson)
	+ Indiana (Indian Motocycle Manufacturing Company)
	+ Jefferson (Lincoln)
	+ Lassiter (Cadillac)
	+ Meucci (Bell Helicopter)
	+ Pinkerton (Navistar International)
	+ Potomac (Pontiac)
	+ Powers (Boeing and Hughes Helicopters)
	+ Quicksilver (Mercury)
	+ Samson (AMC)
	+ Shubert (Chevrolet)
	+ Smith (Ford)
	+ Valen (Oldsmobile)
	+ Walter (Willys)
	+ Watson (Jeep)
	+ Waybar (Ford\Shelby)

* Several weapons in *Kent Kennedy* are stated to be of an American origin or manufactured by American firearm manufacturers.