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1994-05-02
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<text>
<title>
Alaska United States: Government
</title>
<article><hdr>The World Factbook 1993: United States
Government</hdr><body>
<list>
<l>Names:</l>
<l> conventional long form: United States of America</l>
<l> conventional short form: United States</l>
</list>
<p>Abbreviation: US or USA
</p>
<p>Digraph: US
</p>
<p>Type: federal republic; strong democratic tradition
</p>
<p>Capital: Washington, DC
</p>
<p>Administrative divisions: 50 states and 1 district*; Alabama,
Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut,
Delaware, District of Columbia*, 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,
Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
</p>
<p>Dependent areas: American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland
Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway
Islands, Navassa Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palmyra
Atoll, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Wake Island
</p>
<p>note: since 18 July 1947, the US has administered the Trust
Territory of the Pacific Islands, but recently entered into a
new political relationship with three of the four political
units; the Northern Mariana Islands is a Commonwealth in
political union with the US (effective 3 November 1986); Palau
concluded a Compact of Free Association with the US that was
approved by the US Congress but to date the Compact process has
not been completed in Palau, which continues to be administered
by the US as the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands; the
Federated States of Micronesia signed a Compact of Free
Association with the US (effective 3 November 1986); the Republic
of the Marshall Islands signed a Compact of Free Association
with the US (effective 21 October 1986)
</p>
<p>Independence: 4 July 1776 (from England)
</p>
<p>Constitution: 17 September 1787, effective 4 June 1789
</p>
<p>Legal system: based on English common law; judicial review of
legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations
</p>
<p>National holiday: Independence Day, 4 July (1776)
</p>
<p>Political parties and leaders: Republican Party, Haley
BARBOUR, national committee chairman; Jeanie AUSTIN,
co-chairman; Democratic Party, David C. WILHELM, national
committee chairman; several other groups or parties of minor
political significance
</p>
<p>Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
</p>
<p>Elections:
</p>
<p> President: last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held 5
November 1996); results - William Jefferson CLINTON (Democratic
Party) 43.2%, George BUSH (Republican Party) 37.7%, Ross PEROT
(Independent) 19.0%, other 0.1%
</p>
<p> Senate: last held 3 November 1992 (next to be held 8
November 1994); results - Democratic Party 53%, Republican Party
47%, other NEGL%; seats - (100 total) Democratic Party 57,
Republican Party 43
</p>
<p> House of Representatives: last held 3 November 1992 (next to
be held 8 November 1994); results - Democratic Party 52%,
Republican Party 46%, other 2%; seats - (435 total) Democratic
Party 258, Republican Party 176, Independent 1
</p>
<p>Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
</p>
<p>Legislative branch: bicameral Congress consists of an upper
house or Senate and a lower house or House of Representatives
</p>
<p>Judicial branch: Supreme Court
</p>
<p>Leaders:
</p>
<p> Chief of State and Head of Government: President William
Jefferson CLINTON (since 20 January 1993); Vice President Albert
GORE, Jr. (since 20 January 1993)
</p>
<p>Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), ANZUS, APEC, AsDB, Australian
Group, BIS, CCC, COCOM, CP, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, FAO, ESCAP,
G-2, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT,
INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, MINURSO, MTCR, NACC, NATO,
NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, PCA, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM,
UNRWA, UN Security Council, UNTAC, UN Trusteeship Council, UNTSO,
UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
</p>
<p>Flag: thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and
bottom) alternating with white; there is a blue rectangle in the
upper hoist-side corner bearing 50 small white five-pointed
stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top
and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars; the 50 stars
represent the 50 states, the 13 stripes represent the 13 original
colonies; known as Old Glory; the design and colors have been
the basis for a number of other flags including Chile, Liberia,
Malaysia, and Puerto Rico
</p></body></article></text>