- Full name: United States of America
- Population: 298 million (US Census Bureau estimate, 2006)
- Capital: Washington DC
- Area: 9.8 million sq km
- Major language: English
- Major religion: Christianity
- Life expectancy: 75yrs (men), 80yrs (women) (UN)
- Monetary unit: 1 US dollar = 100 cents
- Main exports: Computers and electrical machinery, vehicles, chemical products, food and live animals, military equipment and aircraft
- GNI per capita: US $43,740 (World Bank, 2006)
- Internet domain: .us
- International dialling code: +1
BBC Website (2006)1
Feedback:
I am willing to entertain communications about facts that need altering. But the opinions and feelings of people are sometimes in contradiction of the facts and this essay is primarily an account of feelings. There is no need to get into an argument with me over whether peoples' feelings are "true" or not!
Sources:
Some of the sources are from Internet news sites, such as BBC News (regarded as the best news service in the world). Some of the web pages I link to will, in time, disappear. In most cases I have copies of the page and site, and I can forward any missing pages to anyone who wishes. Just contact me!
2003 Aug 28: I have started to add some quotes from "Why do people hate America?" by Ziauddin Sardar and Merryl Wyn Davies, 2002. This book, wrote nine months after I wrote my initial page by the same name, is a worthwhile read. It covers many of the same subjects as I do except some of my sources are not as respectable. However much of the book is centered around analysing the self-perception of USA Americans, especially under the influence of USA style war films. The book, therefore, contains a wealth of information on such war films and highlights the inherent pro-USA slant that all such films take, and their bludgeoning of known history. But, in my opinion, the book concentrates on this far too much! I do believe that my simple page contains much more varied and balanced material. However, it is useful to read this book - it is professional and respectable, whereas I am merely Vexen.
2003 Nov 14: Adding quotes from "American Foreign Policy" by Kegley & Wittkopf. From 1987 3rd edition. Quoted on WW2 numbers of deaths of Americans/Soviets and Supporting Obnoxious Regimes.
2003 Nov 15: Adding quotes and notes from "Our Global Neighbourhood: The Report of the Commission on Global Governance" (1995), Oxford University Press, original edition. This is a comprehensive report on the United Nations and doesn't concentrate on the USA in particular, but on the state of the internal workings of the UN and its interactions with the world. It is a pleasant read, and not overly technical or political, written in readably understandable English.