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Capital Washington, D.C.
Largest city New York City
Official languages None at federal level

National language English
Demonym American
Government Federal presidential constitutional republic

- President Barack Obama
- Vice President Joe Biden
- Speaker of the House John Boehner (R)
- Chief Justice John Roberts

Legislature Congress
- Upper house Senate [’sen t]
- Lower house House of Representatives

Independence from Great Britain (currently the United Kingdom)
- Declared July 4, 1776
- Recognized September 3, 1783

- Constitution June 21, 1788

The Flag. The Stars and Stripes originated as a result of a resolution

adopted by the Second Continental Congress at Philadelphia on June 14,
1777. The resolution read: "Resolved, that the flag of the United States be
thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white
in a blue field representing a new constellation (сузір'я)."

The resolution gave no instruction as to how many points the stars
should have, nor how the stars should be arranged on the blue union.
Consequently, there were many variations. During the Revolutionary War,

several patriots made flags for the new Nation. Betsy Ross is the best known
of these persons, but there is no proof that she made the first Stars and
Stripes.
It was not until April 4, 1818, when President Monroe accepted a bill

that prescribed the basic design of the flag which would assure that the
growth of the country would be properly symbolized. It required that the flag
of the United States have a union of 20 stars, white on a blue field, and that

upon admission of each new State one star be added to the union of the flag
on the fourth of July following the date of admission. The 13 alternating red
and white stripes would remain unchanged.

The Nation's Capital. New York City was the first capital of the
United States once the Constitution was ratified. George Washington took

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