In , 76 percent of the American population lived in urban areas and 53 percent lived in or near the nation's 20 largest cities. There are now 9 cities in the United States that have populations of more than 1 million people. In addition, there are a number of cities, including Detroit and San Jose, with populations near 1 million. Despite the nation's size, the population density of the United States is relatively low.
There are However, this density is uneven. For instance, the population density of New York City is 8, per square kilometer 23, per square mile. The state with the highest population density is New Jersey people per square kilometer, or 1, per square mile. Alaska has the lowest density with less than 1 person per square kilometer at about 1 person per square mile. The United States also has one of the most mobile populations in the world.
Although 84 percent of the population lives in the same residence as they have for the past 5 years, the average American will move 6 times during his or her lifetime. The strong economy of the s produced record profits for many American manufacturing firms. One result of this has been increased investment in new factories and equipment and in research and development of new products.
Profits in industry have also been aided by the increased productivity of workers. New investment by industry increased by 9 percent since In the manufacturing sector, durable goods products that are designed to last 5 years or more accounted for 9.
In , the main durable goods were electronic products, motor vehicles, industrial machinery, fabricated metal products, lumber and wood products, and other transportation goods including airplanes and aerospace equipment.
In , there were The main non-durable goods sectors were food and foodstuffs, printing and publishing, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, rubber and plastics, textiles and clothing, and tobacco.
In , there were 7. Because of increased production, many American workers in the manufacturing sector worked more than 40 hours a week in order to keep up with demand.
In , the average manufacturing employee worked 4. This marked a 3. American manufacturing companies were operating at about 82 percent of total capacity in In comparison, throughout the s and early s these companies were operating at an average of only 76 percent of capacity. The greatest gains in productivity in the manufacturing sector were in electronics, industrial machinery, and automobile production. In , 6. There were 1. The United States produces 74 percent of its energy needs.
The nation has significant reserves of coal, natural gas, and hydroelectric power. The United States has the sixth-largest reserves of natural gas and is one of the world's largest producers of gas. The United States is also the third-largest exporter of coal.
The nation has the twelfth-largest reserves of oil, but it is one of the world's largest importers of oil. About 57 percent of the oil consumed in the United States is imported. The majority of the nation's oil production is concentrated in Alaska, Texas, Louisiana, and California.
Although profits for U. The 15 largest U. There has been increased consolidation in the energy field. This was followed in by a merger announcement between Chevron and Texaco. Rising oil prices in the United States contributed to the economic slowdown that began in The major minerals included zinc, lead, gold, iron ore, phosphates, and platinum.
Eleven states accounted for 56 percent of total production. The main commodities were crushed stone, cement, copper, sand, lime and clays. Many of these products were used in the construction industry. In , mining employed about , people. One of the fastest growing areas of the U. This includes the development of computer software and computer applications for business and government, as well as new methods of communication.
The IT sector also covers systems that integrate new technologies. For instance, IT includes systems that link Internet access and mobile phones. Although IT accounts for only a small part of the U. GDP 8. In addition, spending on IT software and services accounted for 11 percent of the 14 percent increase in business spending on procurement in IT was also responsible for a 30 percent growth in personal income. Most of the technology involved in this sector of the economy was invented before , including the personal computer, fax machine, cellular phone and Internet.
It has only been since that systems have been developed that integrate these new technologies. Retail and wholesale trade has posted substantial growth since By , retail and wholesale trade employed 25 percent of all workers in the private sector and accounted for Strong sales in these sectors have been bolstered by increases in productivity.
Average worker productivity has increased by about 5 percent per year since Wages in the retail sector are far lower than the national average.
In addition, retail workers usually work less than 40 hours per week on average just 29 hours and often do not have benefits such as health insurance and retirement. Increases in sales and productivity have meant dramatic profits for many retailers. However, many companies have not been able to compete with the mega-retail firms such as Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and Target.
By , many of the country's oldest and most respected firms—including Montgomery Ward and Bradlees— were bankrupt. Wal-Mart is the nation's number-one retail store, and in , it came in second place only to General Electric in overall sales among all American companies including such firms as Ford, Microsoft, and Exxon Mobil.
The number-two retail firm was Home Depot. Along with this trend has been the slow demise of the mom-and-pop stores small, independent, often family-owned businesses that are usually involved in retail ventures such as service stations and neighborhood grocery stores.
One of the fastest growing segments of the retail sector is e-commerce business that is conducted through the Internet. The United States currently leads the world in e-commerce. However, initial estimates of wild growth in the sector have not come true and many online companies have struggled to become profitable. The island is currently a dependency of the nation, but many on Guam seek commonwealth status, like Puerto Rico, which would give the territory increased autonomy and control over its government and economy.
The territory has an elected governor and assembly and sends 1 non-voting representative to the U. House of Representatives.
Guam is located in the Pacific Ocean and has an area of square kilometers square miles. Its population is , Guam uses the American dollar as its currency. There is a substantial U. The main products and industries of Guam's economy include petroleum products, tourism, retail sales, construction materials, and fish. Its main trading partners are the United States and Japan.
In , Guam had a total of 2, businesses, which ranged from construction companies to retail stores and included hotels and a variety of service companies. Total employment on Guam in was 42, this does not include the military and those engaged in subsistence farming and fishing. Total employees numbered 15, Two factors have helped maintain the growth of the retail industry. The first is sales to military families. The second is sales to foreign tourists. Guam allows tourists to buy goods without paying a sales tax.
Since U. The island is also home to the world's largest K-Mart store. Manufacturing and construction made up only a small part of the economy.
During the s, the economy of Guam expanded significantly. Although construction was down by 29 percent during the decade, most other segments of the economy have posted impressive gains. Retail sales were up by 65 percent while wholesale revenues have increased by percent.
Service revenues have increased by 81 percent and manufacturing by 49 percent. This growth has led to a higher inflation rate than the American average, 4 percent compared with 1. The economy will likely continue to grow in the near future. The island's dependency on food imports and tourism makes it vulnerable to price increases and economic slowdowns by its major trade partners.
The territory of the U. Virgin Islands consists of 3 islands and small cays low island or reef in the Caribbean. The 3 main islands are St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. Combined, these islands have a total area of square kilometers square miles. The total population of the territory is , The majority of the population lives on St. Croix and St. Thomas only about 4, people live on St. The economy of the Virgin Islands employs about 41, people. There are a further number of seasonal jobs that are dependent on tourism, and a percentage of the population works outside of regular businesses in subsistence farming and fishing.
The dominant industry is tourism. There is also a significant retail sector in the islands and some minor oil refining. The territory's main trade partners are the United States and Puerto Rico. South Korea. Czech Republic. United Arab Emirates. Sierra Leone. Sri Lanka. Costa Rica. Equatorial Guinea. Solomon Islands. Republic of Macedonia. El Salvador. New Caledonia. East Timor. The Bahamas. Puerto Rico. Trinidad and Tobago.
French Polynesia. Cape Verde. Hong Kong. Sao Tome and Principe. Federated States of Micronesia. Antigua and Barbuda. Saint Kitts and Nevis. Cook Islands. Marshall Islands.
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