• Literacy rate: 99%
• Numbers in tertiary education: 15.3m students

The education system

Education in the US is primarily the responsibility of the state governments.

Reports critical of standards in US public high schools cite problems of discipline, a devaluation in the worth of leaving diplomas, and a lack of resources in many areas. Private education at secondary level continues to develop rapidly, catering for 9% of high-school students. While the number of Roman Catholic private schools has shrunk, more nondenominational fee-paying schools have been founded.

Three-quarters of students now go on to some form of tertiary college. The leading US universities are internationally recognized as being world-class.

• Protected land as percentage of total land area: 26% (14% partially protected)
• CO2 emissions trend: 19.8 tonnes per capita

Environmental treaties

• Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Washington DC, 1973: yes
• Convention on Biological Diversity Earth Summit in Rio, 1992: no
• 1992 Amendment to protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer (amendment to Montreal Protocol) Copenhagen, 1992: yes
• Kyoto Convention on reduction of greenhouse gas emissions Earth Summit in Kyoto, 1997: no
• Basel convention on the dumping of hazardous wastes (Basel) Basel, 1989: no
• Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar) Ramsar, Iran 1971: yes

The US lags far behind other Western countries on environmental issues. The international commitment made at the 1997 Kyoto conference on cutting carbon dioxide emissions was scrapped by President Bush in 2001. The Rockies are a battleground between those who want to maintain their beauty, and those who advocate "wise use" – in practice this often means giving ranchers and miners free rein; in 2002, Congress approved plans to dump nuclear waste in Mt. Yucca, Nevada. Similar issues surround the arguments over extending oil drilling in the Alaskan wilderness. The US is leading the field in genetically modified (GM) food. Huge acreages have been planted with GM cereals, and by 2004 over 80% of soybean production was GM. A consumer backlash, especially in Europe, has worried many farmers.

• Doctors: 1 per 370 people
• Major causes of death: Cancers, heart, cerebrovascular, and respiratory diseases

US researchers lead in pioneering new treatments. Sophisticated techniques are available to those with insurance (which they typically receive, at least in part, from their employer); the Texas Medical Center has a budget equivalent to that of some small countries. On the other hand, costs have skyrocketed, and state medical care facilities are woefully underfunded. Infant mortality rates in some areas are at levels more commonly found in developing countries. Notable health campaigns have focused on smoking, which is now banned in public places in many major cities. Around 30% of the population is clinically obese, and obesity kills nearly as many people as smoking. Abortion is a highly sensitive issue; unborn fetuses were covered as separate individuals under new legislation in 2004.