COUNTRY OVERVIEW
President: George W. Bush (since January 20, 2001)
Legislative Branch: Bicameral Congress (Senate, House of Representatives)
Judicial Branch: Supreme Court
Independence: July 4, 1776
Population (July 2002E): 280.6 million
Location/Size: North America, between Canada and Mexico/9,629,091 sq. km (3,717,792 sq. miles)., the third largest country in the world, behind Russia and Canada
Major Cities: Washington, DC (capital), New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Miami, Philadelphia, etc.
Languages: English, Spanish (spoken by a sizable minority)
Ethnic Groups (2000): White (77.1%), Black (12.9%), Asian (4.2%), Native American (1.5%), other (4%). Note: Hispanics, who can be of any race, made up 11.8% of the U.S. population as of 8/1/2000.
Religions (1997): Protestant (58%), Roman Catholic (26%), Jewish (2%), other (6%), none (8%)
Defense (8/98): Army, 479,400; Navy, 380,600; Air Force, 370,300; Marine Corps, 171,300 (the United States also has nearly 1.35 million reservists)

ECONOMIC OVERVIEW
Currency: Dollar ($)
Exchange Rates, per Dollar (5/15/2003): British Pound (0.61831); Canadian Dollar (1.3743); Euro (0.8704);Japanese Yen (116.35)
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (2002E): $10.4 trillion
Real GDP Growth Rate: (2001E): 0.3% (2002E): 2.4% (2003F): 2.6%
Inflation Rate (consumer price index) (2001E): 2.8% (2002E): 1.6% (2003F): 2.2%
Unemployment Rate (2001E): 4.8% (2002E): 5.8% (2003F): 5.9%
Current Account Balance (2001E): -$393 billion (2002E): -$503 billion (2003F): -$546 billion
Merchandise Exports (2001E): $719 billion (2002F): $683 billion (2003F): $736 billion
Merchandise Imports (2001E): $1,146 billion (2002F): $1,167 billion (2003F): $1,257 billion
Merchandise Trade Balance (2001E): -$427 billion (2002E): -$484 billion (2003F): -$521 billion
Major Exports: Capital goods, automobiles, industrial supplies and raw materials, consumer goods, agricultural products
Major Imports: Crude oil and refined petroleum products, machinery, automobiles, consumer goods, industrial raw materials, food and beverages
Major Trading Partners: Canada, Japan, European Union, Mexico
Federal Budget Balance (2001E): $127 billion (2002E): -$158 billion (2003F): -$300 billion+

ENERGY OVERVIEW
Secretary of Energy: Spencer Abraham (as of January 20, 2001)
Proven Oil Reserves (1/1/03E): 22.4 billion barrels
Oil Production (2002E): 8.1 million barrels per day (bbl/d), of which 5.8 million bbl/d was crude oil (NOTE: Including "refinery gain," US oil production in 2002 is estimated at 9.1 million bbl/d)
Oil Consumption (2002E): 19.7 million bbl/d
Net Oil Imports (2002E): 10.4 million bbl/d
Gross Oil Imports (2002E): 11.4 million bbl/d (of which, 9.05 million bbl/d was crude oil and 2.31 million bbl/d were petroleum products)
Crude Oil Imports from the Persian Gulf (2002E): 2.25 million bbl/d (around 20% of total U.S. oil imports)
Top Sources of U.S. Crude Oil Imports (2002E): Saudi Arabia (1.52 million bbl/d); Mexico (1.49 million bbl/d); Canada (1.43 million bbl/d); Venezuela (1.20 million bbl/d)
Value of Gross Oil Imports (2002E): $102.8 billion (compared to $102.7 billion during 2001)
Crude Oil Refining Capacity (1/1/03E): 16.6 million bbl/d (133 refineries)
Total Oil Stocks (1Q03E): 1.47 billion barrels (including about 599 million barrels in the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve)
Oil Wells Drilled (2002E): 4,964 (down from 8,060 during 2002)
Operating Oil and Natural Gas Rotary Rigs in Operation (2/03E): 907 (750 for natural gas and 153 for oil)
Natural Gas Reserves (1/1/03E): 183 trillion cubic feet (Tcf)
Dry Natural Gas Production (2001E): 19.4 Tcf (2002E): 19.0 Tcf (2003E): 19.3 Tcf
Natural Gas Consumption (2001E): 22.3 Tcf (2002E): 23.2 Tcf (2003F): 23.3 Tcf
Net Natural Gas Imports (2001E): 3.6 Tcf (over 90% from Canada) (2002E): 3.5 Tcf (2003F): 3.8 Tcf
Natural Gas Wells Drilled (2002E): 15,947 (down from 22,083 in 2001)
Recoverable Coal Reserves (12/31/98): 275.1 billion short tons (54% lignite and subbituminous; 46% anthracite and bituminous)
Coal Production (2001E): 1,128 million short tons (Mmst) (2002E): 1,094 Mmst (2003F): 1,089 Mmst
Coal Consumption (2001E): 1,060 Mmst (2002E): 1,065 Mmst (2003F): 1,081 Mmst
Gross Coal Exports (2001E): 49 Mmst (2002E): 40 Mmst (2003F): 40 Mmst
Primary and Secondary Coal Stocks (closing; 2002E): 181 Mmst (down from 182 Mmst in 2001)
Electric Installed Capacity (2001E): 813 gigawatts (74% thermal-fired, 12% nuclear; 12% hydroelectric, and 2% "renewables")
Total Electricity Generation (2001E): 3,737 bkwh (2002E): 3,836 bkwh (2003F): 3,880 bkwh

ENVIRONMENTAL OVERVIEW
Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Christine Todd Whitman
Total Energy Consumption (2001E): 96.2 quadrillion Btu (2002E): 97.9 quadrillion Btu (25% of world total energy consumption)
Energy-Related Carbon Emissions (2001E): 1,565 million metric tons of carbon (about 24% of world total carbon emissions)
Per Capita Energy Consumption (2001E): 341.8 million Btu
Per Capita Carbon Emissions (2001E): 5.5 metric tons of carbon
Energy Intensity (2002E): 10,370 Btu/$1996
Carbon Intensity (2001E): 0.17 metric tons of carbon/thousand $1995
Sectoral Share of Energy Consumption (2002E): Industrial (34%), Transportation (27%), Residential (21%), Commercial (18%)
Fuel Share of Energy Consumption (2002E): Oil (39%), Natural Gas (24%), Coal (22%), Nuclear (8%), Hydroelectricity (3%), Other "renewables" (3%)
Fuel Share of Carbon Emissions (2001E): Oil (44%), Coal (36%), Natural Gas (20%)
Renewable Energy Consumption (2002E): 5.9 quadrillion Btu (about 45% of which was conventional hydroelectric power)
Number of People per Motor Vehicle (2000E): 1.3
Status in Climate Change Negotiations: Annex I country under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (ratified October 15th, 1992). Under the negotiated Kyoto Protocol (signed on November 12th, 1998 - not ratified), the United States agreed to reduce greenhouse gases 7% below 1990 levels by the 2008-2012 commitment period.
Major Environmental Issues: Air pollution resulting in acid rain in both the US and Canada; the US is the largest single emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels; water pollution from runoff of pesticides and fertilizers; very limited natural fresh water resources in much of the western part of the country require careful management; desertification.
Major International Environmental Agreements: A party to Conventions on Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands and Whaling. Has signed, but not ratified, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes.

Sources for this report include: Associated Press; Christian Science Monitor; Dallas Morning News; Dow Jones; EIU Viewswire; Energy Daily; Energy Report; Financial Times; Financial Times Energy Newsletters; Gas Daily; Global Insight; Houston Chronicle; Los Angeles Times; Megawatt Daily; New York Times; Oil and Gas Journal; Oil Daily; Petroleum Intelligence Weekly; Pipeline and Gas Journal; Platts Oilgram News; PR Newswire; Reuters; U.S. Energy Information Administration (numerous publications -- see links); USA Today; Washington Post; Weekly Petroleum Argus; World Gas Intelligence; World Markets Online; World Oil.