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GDP: US$9 trillion
GDP per head: US$25,850
Annual growth: 4.1%
Inflation: 2.6%
Major industries: Oil, electronics, computers, automobile manufacturing, aerospace industries, agriculture
Major trading partners: Canada, Japan, the EU

Visas: Most visitors to the US require a visa. However, Canadians need only proof of citizenship and a reciprocal visa-waiver program allows citizens of the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland to stay up to 90 days without a visa if they have an onward ticket.
Health risks: None, apart from the high cost of medical care
Time: Eastern (GMT/UTC minus 5 hours), Central (-6), Mountain (-7), and Pacific Standard (-8)
Electricity: 110V
Weights & measures: Imperial
Tourism: 45 million visitors per year

The US is most popular with travelers during the summer, but this is when American families pack everything up and decide to visit Aunt Tilly. To avoid mobs (especially throughout the national park system), it's better to go during autumn or early spring. Autumn is an especially good time to visit New England and the upper Great Lakes because the fall colors are at their best. Most of the country east of the Rockies is hot and humid during summer, especially the south. The deserts between the Rockies and the Sierra Nevada (which run along the eastern edge of California) are very hot and dry during the summer, especially in the southwest. California's southern coast is comfortable year round but if you want to experience the beach scene, it's best to visit between June and September.

Events

Americans love a parade and a bit of pageantry, so there's no shortage of events and festivities. Half the country comes to a standstill during the Superbowl, the roving American football finale held in January. The New Orleans Mardi Gras in February-March is a rowdy, touristy, bacchanalian knees-up. St Patrick's Day in mid-March is celebrated with parades and pitchers of green beer, and is especially fervent in New York and Chicago. The Kentucky Derby is run in Louisville in May.

Independence Day (4th of July) is celebrated with lots of flag-waving patriotism, fireworks and the odd bevvy. Inveterate travelers should drop into the National Hobo Convention in Britt, Iowa, in August. Halloween (October 31st) is a big deal for kids who go trick-or-treating around their neighborhood in even worse clothes than they normally wear; in Greenwich Village, West Hollywood and San Francisco it's subversively celebrated with glam parades. Americans go home to Mom and Pop for a big feed on Thanksgiving, the last Thursday of November.

Money & Costs

Currency: US dollar (USD)

• Budget meal: US$3-5
• Moderate restaurant meal: US$10-20
• Top-end restaurant meal: US$20+
  
  
• Budget lodging: US$12-25
• Moderate lodging: US$25-60
• Top-end lodging: US$60-200

If you camp or stay in hostels, catch buses and self-cater, you could feasibly explore the country on around US$50 a day. Staying in motels and eating at modest cafes will mean you'll hit the US$100 mark, and enjoying the convenience of a rental car will push your daily budget up to US$150. If you want to do the US in style, welcome to the world of credit and consumerism. Pick a number, any number.

If you intend to carry your stash in the form of traveler's checks, you'll save yourself a lot of hassle and expense if you buy them in US dollars. Restaurants, hotels and most stores accept US dollar traveler's checks as if they were cash. Major credit cards are widely accepted; and you'll find it hard to perform certain transactions (such as renting a car or reserving tickets over the phone) without one of these handy pieces of plastic. Depending on the sophistication of your home banking network, you should also be able to access your bank account using US ATMs.

Tipping is expected in restaurants and better hotels. The going rate in restaurants is 15% of the bill; never tip in a fast-food or self service environment. Taxi drivers, bartenders and hairdressers depend on similar-sized gratuities. Sales taxes vary from state to state but are typically 5-8%, though some states have no sales taxes at all. Top-end accommodation also often attracts a bed tax, which can be as high as 15%. It's worth checking whether quoted prices for lodging include all relevant taxes.