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The United States of America is a federal republic of 50 states and a capital district, mostly in central North America. The U.S. has three land borders, two with Canada and one with Mexico, and is otherwise bounded by the Pacific Ocean, the Bering Sea, the Arctic Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. Of the 50 states, only Alaska and Hawaii are neither contiguous with the other forty-eight nor with each other. The U.S. also has a collection of districts, territories, and possessions around the world. Each state has a high level of local autonomy according to the system of federalism.

The United States traces its national origin to the declaration by 13 British colonies in 1776 that they were free and independent states. They were recognized as such by the Treaty of Paris in 1783. Since then, the nation has grown to become a global superpower and enjoys a high level of economic, political, military, and cultural influence.

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The United States Congress is the biennial meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government. It is bicameral, comprising the House of Representatives and the Senate, and all of its members are elected directly by the people. The House of Representatives has 435 members, each representing a congressional district and serving a two-year term. House seats are apportioned among the states by population. Each state has two Senators, regardless of population. There are 100 senators, serving six-year terms.

The United States Constitution vests all legislative powers of the federal government in the Congress. The powers of Congress are limited to those enumerated in the Constitution; all other powers are reserved to the states and the people. Through Acts of Congress, Congress may regulate interstate and foreign commerce, levy taxes, organize the federal courts, maintain the military, declare war, and certain other "necessary and proper" powers.

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IN: Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore contains 15 miles (24 km) of beaches, as well as sand dunes, bogs, marshes, swamps, prairies, rivers, oak savannas, and woodland forests. More than 350 species of birds have been observed in the park. It has one of the most diverse plant communities of any unit in the U.S. National Park Service with 1418 vascular plant species including 90 threatened or endangered ones.

Did you know... edit

A Washingtonia palm

…that Washingtonia, a genus of palm that produces a fruit eaten by Native American people and birds, was named after George Washington?

…that Senator William A. Blakley of the U.S. state of Texas worked as ranch hand as a young man?

…that in the 1958 court case Trop v. Dulles, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that it was unconstitutional for the government to cancel the citizenship of a U.S. citizen as a punishment?

…that political illustrator Steve Brodner has caricatured American Presidents going back to Richard Nixon?

…that Lighthouse Hill on Staten Island got its name from the Staten Island Lighthouse, built in 1912, which towers 141 feet (43 meters) above the Lower New York Bay and can be seen as far as 18 miles (29 km) away?

…that the Delaware at-large congressional district' is the oldest congressional district in the country?

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United States

By state:
- AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
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This list is not complete; if you know of a project list it here and on Wikipedia:WikiProject!

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U.S. Collaboration of the Week

These two weeks Mount Rushmore is the US Collaboration of the Week. (Shortcut: WP:USCOTW +/-)

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See also:

Wikipedia:U.S. Wikipedians' notice board
Wikipedia:U.S. Southern wikipedians' notice board
Wikipedia:U.S. Wikipedians' notice board/to do

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