Let's start with the trivial. The USA has an area of 9,833,517 km². This is the third largest area in the world after Russia and Canada (Canada, by the way, is just a little bit bigger than the USA, so we can say that they share the second place).

The area of the smallest of the 50 states of America, namely the state of Rhode Island, is 4,002 km² (for comparison: the area of Moscow is 2,500 square kilometers), the largest, Alaska, is 1.717 million square kilometers.

The highest volcanic mountain in the world, Mauna Kea, is located in the USA, namely in the state of Hawaii. This mountain peak rises 4.2 kilometers above the water surface, but when measured together with the underwater part, it is almost 10.2 kilometers, which is 1.5 kilometers higher than Mount Everest, located on the border between Nepal and Tibet.

Every year, at least 800 powerful tornadoes occur in the United States, causing enormous damage to the economy and nature of the region. This number of cataclysms is explained by the unfortunate geographical location of the country. Here, cold air masses coming from Canada collide with moist and warm air from the Gulf of Mexico and very dry air coming from the Rocky Mountains. The largest number of hurricanes occur within the state of Oklahoma, near Oklahoma City.

The state of Alaska recorded the lowest temperature in the country at 62.2°C. However, other states have also experienced cold spells: in January 1954, it was minus 57°C in Montana. The hottest day on record was +56°C in California in June 1913.

One of the biggest geographical attractions of the USA is the Grand Canyon, along the bottom of which the Colorado River flows. The length of the canyon reaches 446 km, and its depth exceeds 1857 meters. It is noteworthy that North American Indians - Havasupai, Navajo and Walapai tribes - still live on the territory of the canyon. However, it is possible to get directly to the place of their habitat only by helicopter or by travelling a long and difficult way along narrow paths.

The United States has the longest network of motorways in the world - more than 6.5 million kilometers. The total length of railways here is also the largest in the world - 293,000 km.

Most dinosaur skeletons in the world are found in the USA. It is still not quite clear why the largest number of species of ancient amphibians and reptiles lived in America, but the fact remains.

Social facts about the USA

There is no official and unified state language in the United States. English is spoken in most states, of course, but it is not enshrined as the main language by the federal government. The second most common language in the USA is Spanish. Then come Chinese and French. In total, more than 230 languages are spoken in the USA.

The USA is the world leader in the number of immigrants. Today there are more than 45 million of them in the states. For example, in New York, more than 85 per cent of all taxi drivers are migrants, and more Chinese live in New York's Chinatown than in any other region of the Western Hemisphere.

In today's United States, about one in eight married couples have met online, yet only 51% of Americans are married. At least 40% of children are born out of wedlock.

The 334-million population of the United States is known to be extremely unevenly distributed over the territory. More than 50% of Americans live in only nine states: California (population 39 million), Texas (29 million), Florida (21.5 million), New York (20 million), Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina. And more than 82 per cent of the total population lives in urban areas.

In the USA there are still 556 Indian tribes living in small reservations. In total, their settlement territories cover up to 2.3 per cent of the country's territory. Indians obey their own laws and the laws of the USA, own land and do not have to pay a number of taxes, but their numbers are declining due to widespread urbanization and high mortality rates.

Funny and strange facts about the USA

In the USA, up to 99% of residents are literate, and about 28% even have a higher education. However, the literacy of Americans leaves much to be desired: according to statistics, about 60% of adults cannot find on the world map such countries as Afghanistan, Iraq, and even more so Belarus.

Almost 40 per cent of US residents do not believe in Darwin's theory, and 10-13 per cent of Americans believe that the Sun revolves around the Earth, not the other way round. Naturally, the vast majority of these uneducated citizens live in remote villages.

At least 70% of Americans consider themselves believers, and about 47% are Christians. Most of them periodically attend one church or another. However, religiosity does not prevent 42% of US residents from believing in ghosts, 25% believe in the existence of witches, and another 24% - in reincarnation.

There are 42 thousand people in the USA with the name John Smith, and at least five thousand people have the same first and last name, for example, Jack Jack Jack, Thomas Thomas and so on.

In the United States, licenses for different civic activities become available at different ages. For example, a teenager can get a driver's license at the age of 16. From the age of 18, it is possible to own a personal weapon and to vote in elections. Americans can legally buy alcohol only when they reach the age of 21.

It is believed that on average each American consumes 32 times more resources than the average resident of Kenya.

The U.S. Declaration of Independence was originally drafted by the Founding Fathers on hemp paper. The fact is that until 1883, up to 90% of the world's paper was made from hemp fibers.