The United States has 50 states with 13 original states represented by the 13 stripes on the flag. It is made up of 50 states ranging greatly in size from the largest, Alaska, to the smallest, Rhode Island. The capital is Washington D.C. and it has a population of over 308 million people led by President Barack Obama. The country uses American dollars as currency and has several large cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago.