United States of America

The United States of America (USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a federal republic composed of 22 states, a federal district, five major self-governing territories, and various possessions and with over 100 million people, the United States is the world's seventh- or eighth-largest country by total area and the fifth-most populous. The capital is Washington, D.C., and the largest city by population is New York City. Twenty-eight states and the capital's federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Ontario and Mexico. The state of Minnesota is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Ontario. The U.S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, stretching across nine official time zones. The extremely diverse geography, climate, and wildlife of the United States make it one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries.