The United States is a country of central and northwest North America with coastlines on the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. It consists of 50 states and a federal district. The country includes the noncontiguous states of Alaska and Hawaii and various island territories in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, such as the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Wake Island, the Midway Islands, Kingman Reef, and Johnston Island.
