Destinations › · The Destination Index · universal template · every figure sourced
United States.
North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico. 9,833,517 sq km and 341,784,857 people, 19,924 km of coastline, mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains.
Region · Population · ~341,784,857Languages · English, Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese. Around 170 Native American languages remainEco Index · /100 · Not yet scored
165,478,000 visitors a year · 341,784,857 residents
The United States is the birthplace of globally influential living music, including jazz, blues, gospel, country, bluegrass, rock and roll and hip hop. Native American song and dance endure across 574 federally recognised tribal nations through powwows and ceremonies, though many were historically disrupted.
Where the name comes from
Named for the union of its states. 'America' is for Amerigo Vespucci, a name applied by a German cartographer in 1507 to two continents already full of nations with their own names. Source: national and regional toponymic records.
The land itself: a vast central plain, mountains in the west, hills and low mountains in the east, with rugged ranges and broad river valleys in Alaska and volcanic terrain in Hawaii. Its high point is Denali, 6,190 m, renamed from Mount McKinley in 2015 to the Koyukon name Alaska had long used. Source: national mapping and survey records.
Where it starts
Twenty-three thousand years
Fossil footprints at White Sands in New Mexico are between 23,000 and 21,000 years old, the oldest securely dated evidence of people anywhere in the Americas, confirmed by radiocarbon dating of seeds and pollen and by luminescence dating of the sediment. Paisley Caves in Oregon adds occupation at 14,300 years. Poverty Point in Louisiana raised vast earthworks between 1700 and 1100 BC without farming, and Cahokia on the Mississippi held a mound with a larger base than the Great Pyramid.
How it got here
Confederacy, slavery, removal
Before 1500 the six nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy had a constitutional union with councils, checks and clan mothers holding the power to select and remove leaders. Enslaved Africans were brought to Virginia from 1619 and slavery was abolished in 1865 after civil war. Thirteen colonies declared independence in 1776. From 1830 the Indian Removal Act and the wars and treaties that followed displaced Native nations from most of their land.
The timeline
c. 23,000 to 21,000 years ago
White Sands.
Fossil footprints in New Mexico are the oldest securely dated evidence of people in the Americas, confirmed by three independent dating methods. ↗
c. 14,300 years ago
Paisley Caves.
Human coprolites and tools in Oregon push occupation of the interior west back beyond the Clovis horizon. ↗
c. 1700 to 1100 BC
Poverty Point.
Vast earthworks in Louisiana are built by people who were not farming, overturning the assumption that monuments require agriculture. ↗
c. AD 850 to 1150
Chaco Canyon.
Great houses in New Mexico are built with astronomical alignments and roads running straight for miles. ↗
c. AD 1050 to 1350
Cahokia.
A city on the Mississippi with a plaza and a mound larger at its base than the Great Pyramid, the largest settlement north of Mexico. ↗
before 1500
The Haudenosaunee Confederacy.
Six nations form a constitutional union with councils, checks and clan mothers holding the power to select and remove leaders. ↗
1619 to 1865
Slavery.
Enslaved Africans are brought to Virginia in 1619, and slavery is abolished in 1865 after civil war. ↗
1776
Declaration of Independence.
Thirteen colonies declare independence from Britain in 1776. Independence Hall in Philadelphia, where the declaration was adopted, is inscribed by UNESCO. ↗
1830 onward
Removal.
The Indian Removal Act and the wars and treaties that follow displace Native nations from most of their land. ↗
About 13% of US land and 19% of its waters are protected (World Bank, 2025), and marine protection includes some of the largest reserves on Earth, such as Papahanaumokuakea. Federal management through the National Park Service and the wilderness system is well funded and enforced, which lifts this above the land area figure alone.
Is wild United States protected? 12.9% of the land is, against a 30% target for 2030
Species to know
Recorded in United States and named in the open record. Endemic status is stated per species, not implied by this list.
High endemism in Hawaii
Hi
California
Joshua tree
Jo
Giant sequoia
California condor
The watchlist
ThreatenedRoyal Vulture (Gymnogyps californianus)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in United States in GBIF occurrence data (bird).
ThreatenedGopherus agassiziiCritically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in United States in GBIF occurrence data (turtle).
ThreatenedWhite Ash (Fraxinus americana)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in United States in GBIF occurrence data (plant).
ThreatenedRoystonea regiaCritically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in United States in GBIF occurrence data (plant).
ThreatenedTorrey Pine (Pinus torreyana)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in United States in GBIF occurrence data (conifer).
ThreatenedRed abalone (Haliotis rufescens)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in United States in GBIF occurrence data (species).
ThreatenedSouth shield fern (Pelazoneuron kunthii)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in United States in GBIF occurrence data (species).
ThreatenedGreen abalone (Haliotis fulgens)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in United States in GBIF occurrence data (species).
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in United States. GBIF holds 35 verified occurrence records.
Gopherus agassizii
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in United States. GBIF holds 10 verified occurrence records.
White Ash (Fraxinus americana)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in United States. GBIF holds 103 verified occurrence records.
Roystonea regia
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in United States. GBIF holds 20 verified occurrence records.
Species named here are drawn from GBIF occurrence records for United States filtered to the IUCN Red List threatened categories. Species are listed where GBIF holds occurrence records for them in this country. Record counts are not published here because the figure cannot be reproduced from a public GBIF query.
Botanical garden in New York, mapped and named in the open record for United States. OpenStreetMap.
Water and Ocean in the United States.
The United States holds vast fresh water, from the Great Lakes, about a fifth of the world's surface fresh water, to major rivers and the Ogallala aquifer, and 97.6% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank and JMP, 2024). Tap water is broadly safe. The serious caveats are regional: the south west faces a chronic Colorado River shortage, the Ogallala is being drawn down, and lead episodes such as Flint expose infrastructure gaps.
Does the United States have enough fresh water? Yes, with headroom
97.6% of people here have safely managed drinking water at home (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP). Tap water is safe for a visitor nearly everywhere.
How much fresh water does the United States have, per person?
8,437 m³
United States
1,000 m³
the UN “water scarce” line
United States withdraws about 444,290 million cubic metres of fresh water a year (2022). That is 28.2% of the fresh water actually available to it, which FAO counts as medium water stress. Of what is taken, farming takes 40%, homes and towns 13%, industry 47%. Source: FAO AQUASTAT.
What are the rules on United States beaches?
·Tap water: Varies.
✓Plastic rules: No federal ban; bag bans in some states such as California and New York.
✓Solo travel: rated easy on the record for this destination.
✕Marine protection: 19% of the sea is protected. The 30x30 pledge for 2030 is not met yet.
Named on the open map: Agate Beach, Ainsworth Beach, Anglers Bay Beach, Arrowhead Beach, Bay View Beach, Big Shoal Beach, Brooks Beach, Brownells Beach. That is 24 named beaches in the public record for United States, each one a place you can look up before you go. OpenStreetMap.
Where does the sewage go?
97.0%
of people have safely managed sanitation
97.0% of people here use a safely managed sanitation service, meaning waste is contained, emptied and treated rather than reaching the ground or the sea untreated (2024, World Bank / WHO-UNICEF JMP, SDG 6.2.1). That is close to universal coverage.
How is the sea around United States doing?
One cross-section, every answer measured.
Surface
What the coast carries
Regional extremes: hurricanes on the Gulf and Atlantic coasts (Jun–Nov), tornado season in the plains (spring), and wildfire season out west.
Nearshore
Protected water
19% of territorial waters are protected, against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Cleanest
Where the water is cleanest
The upper Great Lakes and Rocky Mountain headwaters.
The record
Measured
The United States holds vast fresh water, from the Great Lakes, about a fifth of the world's surface fresh water, to major rivers and the Ogallala aquifer, and 97.6% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank and JMP, 2024). Tap water is broadly safe.
Sea protected
19%
Against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Threatened species
1931
Mammals, birds, fish and higher plants on the IUCN list.
Cleanest water
here
The upper Great Lakes and Rocky Mountain headwaters.
Is the tap water safe in United States?
97.6% of people have safely managed drinking water at home (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP). Renewable fresh water works out at about 8,437 cubic metres per person a year (World Bank).
How hard is the water supply being pushed?
Of every 10 buckets nature refills, 2 are already taken. Withdrawals run at 15.8% of what the United States renews internally each year (2022, World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT). That is inside the 25% mark generally treated as water stress, so the supply has headroom.
When is the best time to visit United States? Tap your month.
Tap your month.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
.
How much fresh water does United States actually have?
Nature renews about 8,437 cubic metres of fresh water per person per year here. That ranks the United States 150 of 208 countries measured, putting it in the wetter half of the world. The UN treats anything under 1,000 cubic metres as water scarce, and this is above that line. World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT.
The US is one of the world's largest agricultural producers and a net food exporter, so it is comfortably self sufficient in staple grains, meat and dairy. The system is highly industrial and the national diet leans heavily on ultra processed food, and the country still imports large volumes of fresh produce, seafood and coffee.
How often each food is on the plate
Share of people eating each one regularly. These overlap, so they do not add up to 100%.
Maize60%
Wheat51%
Potatoes42%
Apples33%
Wide regional produce24%
What is killing people in the United States? The imported diet.
Cause of death, and the diet behind it.
Non-communicable diseases, all combined77.4%
Diabetes13.7%
Adults living with overweight or obesity. 72.4%.
Can the United States feed itself?
16.6%
Arable land
46.1%
Agricultural land
2,666,120
Farmers
374,521,049
Arable acres
0.9%
Agriculture, share of GDP
Feeding itself
The US is one of the world's largest agricultural producers and a net food exporter, so it is comfortably self sufficient in staple grains, meat and dairy. The system is highly industrial and the national diet leans heavily on ultra processed food, and the country still imports large volumes of fresh produce, seafood and coffee.
Certification
Organic farmland is only about 0.6% of US agricultural land (FiBL, 2020), a small share despite one of the world's largest organic retail markets. Certified organic acreage is concentrated in a handful of states.
Water for crops
The United States holds vast fresh water, from the Great Lakes, about a fifth of the world's surface fresh water, to major rivers and the Ogallala aquifer, and 97.6% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank and JMP, 2024). Tap water is broadly safe.
Why the organic number looks like that. Certified-organic farmland is not separately reported for the United States, and that is a certification gap rather than proof nothing is grown cleanly. What the official land record does show: 46.1% of the country is agricultural land and 16.6% is arable (2023, World Bank). Certification is paid for per farm per year by a foreign body, which prices out smallholders, so the organic number reads worse than the practice.
The plant-based kitchen here is not an import. By tonnage, the largest crops grown in United States are maize, soya beans, wheat, sugar beet and sugarcane (FAO, FAOSTAT crop production, 2024). That is what the land itself puts on a plate.
Buy direct where residents buy: Annandale Farmers Market, Bardstown Farmer's Market, Berkeley Flea Market, Berwyn Indoor Vintage Market, Burdett Hill Market, Burke Farmers Market. Each is a mapped, named marketplace, so the money stays with the seller rather than the importer. OpenStreetMap.
The United States remains one of the world's highest per-person emitters at about 13.62 tonnes of CO2 per person (2024), with a power mix still dominated by natural gas and, to a lesser extent, coal. Renewables such as wind, solar and hydro supplied roughly a fifth of utility-scale electricity in 2023, closer to a quarter once distributed rooftop solar is counted, and are growing quickly.
Pollution
Baseline air is clean, with a PM2.5 annual mean around 7 micrograms per cubic metre (World Bank, 2023), but there is no federal plastic ban, only a patchwork of state bag bans in places such as California and New York. Worsening wildfire seasons now drive severe, if episodic, smoke pollution across large regions.
Water stress
The United States holds vast fresh water, from the Great Lakes, about a fifth of the world's surface fresh water, to major rivers and the Ogallala aquifer, and 97.6% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank and JMP, 2024). Tap water is broadly safe.
What pollutes most here
1The gridThe share of electricity still generated from fossil fuel.79.7%
2IndustryFracking and oil and gas zones, industrial feedlots, and wildfire smoke seasons.named
3AirModelled annual mean against a WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.7.0
4On the recordBaseline air is clean, with a PM2.5 annual mean around 7 micrograms per cubic metre (World Bank, 2023), but there is no federal plastic ban, only a patchwork of state bag bans in places such as California and New York.
What has the United States promised on climate?
Electricity renewable today20.3% (2021)
Land protected, against a 30% target12.9% by 2025
Sea protected, against a 30% target19% by 2025
Measured on delivery, 20.3% of electricity is already renewable (2021, World Bank), so 79.7% of the grid is still to be converted. The pledge on file is measured here against what has actually been delivered, not taken on its own (UNFCCC NDC Registry, CBD Kunming-Montreal Target 3).
The biggest line item
One return flight against a whole year of living.
A resident's entire year13.62 t CO2e
Safe-climate budget, per year2 t CO2e
Sydney return, economy2.83 t CO2e
Singapore return, economy2.8 t CO2e
Johannesburg return, economy2.35 t CO2e
Dubai return, economy2.04 t CO2e
Frankfurt return, economy1.18 t CO2e
How much CO2 does flying to the United States emit?
Tap where you would fly from. One return flight, economy.
Every prompt runs on a machine in a building on somebody’s grid. What that costs the planet depends less on the prompt than on what is burning to power it. Here is what would power one in the United States.
Data centres
4,542
Operational facilities, Cloudscene, July 2026.
Cooling water. Every one of those halls runs on the national grid, which is 20.3% renewable today (World Bank). A data centre is only as clean as the electricity behind it, so the same figure that decides this country's climate score also decides the footprint of the AI running inside it. Cooling water use is not separately published by facility, and no operator here reports it.
The rules. United States has at least 250 colocation and interconnection facilities on the public PeeringDB register, concentrated in Los Angeles (15), New York (13), Atlanta (8), alongside 100 internet exchanges (Equinix Ashburn, Equinix Chicago, Equinix Dallas, Equinix Los Angeles). Named sites include Equinix DC1-DC15,DC21-DC22 - Ashburn, Digital Realty SFO (200 Paul), Equinix DA1 - Dallas, Equinix SV8 - Silicon Valley, Palo Alto.
Where the cables land. 168 landing points · Akutan, AK, Anchorage, AK, Angoon, AK, Bandon, OR
67% residents to 33% visitors across a year. 165,478,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 341,784,857 people who live here (2025, World Bank / UN Tourism).
Where a visitor dollar goes in United States
45,037k
Visitors a year
0.1
Visitors per resident
How deep in debt is the United States?· for every $100 the United States earns in a year, it owes…
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · the 2020 peak
$ 133The worst year on the IMF record. The United States owed $133 for every $100 it earned.
IMF World Economic Outlook, 2020signed, the creditors
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · today
$ 126What is owed now, for every $100 of national income (2026).
IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026signed, the creditors
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · projected 2031
$ 142The IMF's own forecast has this rising to $142 by 2031.
IMF World Economic Outlook projection, 2031signed, the forecast
For every $100 the United States earns in a year, it owes $126 (2026, IMF World Economic Outlook). That is more than a full year of national income, and the interest is paid before anything else.
Where does a tourist dollar actually go in the United States?
Play one tourist dollar around the board. Every square is a measured fact from this page.
START!
1
GO: a visitor lands
$100 goes on the table. 165,478,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 341,784,857 residents, one visitor a year for every 2 residents (World Bank / UN Tourism).
$100 in play
2
The bed
Who owns the largest places to stay in the United States is not published in the records we can check, so this square is left open rather than guessed. Where a listing names its owner, it is shown in the ownership table below.
not published
3
The plate
Food is only 6.9% of everything the United States imports (2024, World Bank), so most of a meal is bought from producers inside the country. Eating what the land here actually grows, maize, soybeans, wheat, sugar beets, sugarcane, potatoes, tomatoes, keeps that money with the grower.
mostly home-grown
4
The power
79.7% of the electricity is fossil (2021, World Bank). Lighting, cooling and hot water are paid for largely in imported fuel.
burns away
5
What actually stays
On the parts that can be measured, the power leaves and the plate stays. It is genuinely a coin toss, decided by what you book.
split
6
Pay the bank first
The United States owes $126 for every $100 it earns (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). The interest is paid before anything else on this board.
$126 per $100
7
A spread hand
The largest single export, mineral fuels and oils, is 16.0% of the total (2023, UN Comtrade). No one shock can take the whole board.
top export 16.0%
8
Community chest
Tourism earns 3.9% of everything the United States makes from exports (2020, World Bank / UN Tourism). That is how much of the economy depends on the game continuing.
3.9% of exports
9
The flight
Getting here is usually the biggest single line on the bill. From Sydney a return economy seat is 2.83 t CO2, on the UK Government's published conversion factors. It is the one part of the trip this board cannot reduce.
2.83 t CO2
10
Back to GO
The economy turns over about US$32,384 billion a year (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). Every lap of this board is a choice about how much of it stays.
US$32,384bn
GDPUS$30,769.7bn
Agriculture, share of GDP0.9%
Visitors a year45,037,000
Visitors per resident0.1
Residents~341,784,857
Agriculture
Farming is 0.9% of the economy. The US is one of the world's largest agricultural producers and a net food exporter, so it is comfortably self sufficient in staple grains, meat and dairy.
Natural materials
The US is a major cotton and wool producer and keeps living craft traditions, including Navajo weaving, Appalachian white oak basketry and a deep denim heritage. Natural fibres remain part of both industry and craft.
Energy
The United States remains one of the world's highest per-person emitters at about 13.62 tonnes of CO2 per person (2024), with a power mix still dominated by natural gas and, to a lesser extent, coal. Renewables such as wind, solar and hydro supplied roughly a fifth of utility-scale electricity in 2023, closer to a quarter once distributed rooftop solar is counted, and are growing quickly.
Who owns the biggest hotels in the United States?
By rooms · company records and press.
Habitat SuitesOwnership not publishednot published
The Charleston Place · ~434 roomsIndependent (locally owned)not published
AC Hotel Savannah Historic District · ~170 roomsMarriott franchise (AC Hotels)mixed
Perry Lane Hotel · ~167 roomsMarriott Luxury Collectionmixed
The DeSoto Savannah · ~246 roomsIndependentnot published
The Spectator Hotel · ~41 roomsIndependentnot published
Hotel Emeline · ~212 roomsIndependentnot published
The Ryder Hotel · ~91 roomsIndependentnot published
The Ranch at Rock Creek · ~29 roomsIndependentnot published
Treebones Resort · ~16 roomsIndependentnot published
Visitors, over time
2015176,865k
2016175,261k
2017174,292k
2018169,325k
2019165,478k
202045,037k
International tourism receipts run at about US$84.20 billion in 2020 (World Bank / UN Tourism). That is 3.9% of everything the country earns from exports.
How much of your money actually stays here?
Tap the holiday you are planning.
All-inclusive resortForeign-owned hotel and tourist restaurantsLocally owned stay and local restaurantsGuesthouse, markets and public transport
Resort guest, villa renter, family, nomad or backpacker. The honest playbook for each, from the same sourced numbers.
Already booked a resort? · the rescue list
Five swaps that move your money back on-island
1. Eat where the country eats Choose kitchens cooking maize, wheat, soy, potatoes, apples and wide regional produce over imported menus. The checked list →
2. Book with a local operator Never the lobby desk. The margin on a tour is the part that stays. Eco tours →
3. Stay somewhere locally owned Ownership decides where the room rate books. Eco stays →
4. Use the transport residents use Domestic flights and car hire are essential; intercity rail is limited and transit quality varies by city
5. Buy the craft, not the souvenir Natural-materials work made here pays the maker directly; imported gifts pay a shipping line.
swipe →
First time here
A continental giant of national parks, geysers and world class biodiversity, paired with an industrial, heavily processed food and energy system.
Best time: Depends on region; late spring and autumn are broadly good
Getting around
Domestic flights and car hire are essential; intercity rail is limited and transit quality varies by city
Transport is where the fare either stays or leaves.
Eating here
The everyday plate is maize, wheat, soy, potatoes, apples and wide regional produce. Plant based products are widely available and growing fast in US supermarkets and cities, with strong vegan brands and menus.
Eating what the country grows is the cheapest way to cut the import bill.
Good to know
Card everywhere, cash less so. Road-trip culture: rent, drive, and tip well.
Rate my hotel. Tap yours for the honest verdict.
Ownership from company records and press.
Habitat SuitesThe Charleston PlaceAC Hotel Savannah Historic DistrictPerry Lane HotelThe DeSoto SavannahThe Spectator HotelHotel EmelineThe Ryder HotelThe Ranch at Rock CreekTreebones Resort
.
Who owns the big hotels
Habitat SuitesOwnership not published
The Charleston PlaceIndependent (locally owned) · 434 rooms
AC Hotel Savannah Historic DistrictMarriott franchise (AC Hotels) · 170 rooms
Perry Lane HotelMarriott Luxury Collection · 167 rooms
The DeSoto SavannahIndependent · 246 rooms
The Spectator HotelIndependent · 41 rooms
Hotel EmelineIndependent · 212 rooms
The Ryder HotelIndependent · 91 rooms
The Ranch at Rock CreekIndependent · 29 rooms
Treebones ResortIndependent · 16 rooms
Ownership is recorded here from each listing's own filings and company records. 2 of the 10 have a named owner, none of them local. That ownership line is what decides how much of a room rate stays in the country.
Society and Governance in the United States.
How well is the United States actually run?
Governance, measured · World Bank WGI
Four measured answers, none of them opinion. Averaged across corruption control, delivery and accountability, the United States scores 73 out of 100 (2024, World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators). That is a state that generally does what it says it will do, which is what makes a climate pledge worth reading.
How well is United States run? · each scored out of 100, higher is better
Clean government, scored 70 of 100
Control of corruption scores 69.9 out of 100 (2024, World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators). That is above the halfway mark of governments measured.
70
Freedom and rights, scored 72 of 100
Voice and accountability, which measures free expression, free media and the ability to choose a government, scores 72.4 out of 100 (2024, World Bank WGI). Citizens here can question their government openly.
72
Government effectiveness, scored 78 of 100
Government effectiveness, which measures the quality of public services and how well policy is actually delivered, scores 77.8 out of 100 (2024, World Bank WGI). Delivery is rated among the strongest measured.
78
Income equality, scored 42 of 100
The Gini index of income inequality reads 41.8 (2024, World Bank). Zero is perfect equality and 100 is one person holding everything. Above 40 is the level usually treated as socially strained, and the United States sits above it.
42
LGBTQ+ status: High (varies by state)Solo female travel: EasyIndustry to avoid: Fracking and oil and gas zones, industrial feedlots, and wildfire smoke seasons
What is daily life in United States really like? Measured
Getting around, breathing, throwing away, learning. The honest checklist.
TransportAirWaterWastePower
✓How you get around Domestic flights and car hire are essential; intercity rail is limited and transit quality varies by city
✓Air quality, measured Modelled annual mean 7.0. The WHO guideline is 5 µg/m³.
✓Where the air is cleanest The rural Mountain West and northern New England
✓Tap water Varies
✓What to drink Municipal systems, mostly treated and safe, but quality and taste vary by city and state.
✓Plastic rules No federal ban; bag bans in some states such as California and New York
✓Sockets and voltage Type A/B, 120V
Made in the United States.
The US is a major cotton and wool producer and keeps living craft traditions, including Navajo weaving, Appalachian white oak basketry and a deep denim heritage. Natural fibres remain part of both industry and craft. Every step of processing done at home is value that stops leaving the country.
What United States actually sells the world
The single biggest thing United States sells the world is mineral fuels and oils, 16.0% of all exports in 2023 (about US$323.17 billion, UN Comtrade). The next four are machinery and mechanical appliances at 11.5%, electrical machinery and electronics at 9.9%, vehicles at 7.6%, aircraft and spacecraft at 6.2%.
Sells now · 16.0% of exports
Mineral fuels and oils
Mineral fuels and oils is 16.0% of everything United States sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$323.17 billion. UN Comtrade.
Sells now · 11.5% of exports
Machinery and mechanical appliances
Machinery and mechanical appliances is 11.5% of everything United States sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$233.01 billion. UN Comtrade.
Sells now · 9.9% of exports
Electrical machinery and electronics
Electrical machinery and electronics is 9.9% of everything United States sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$200.65 billion. UN Comtrade.
Sells now · 7.6% of exports
Vehicles
Vehicles is 7.6% of everything United States sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$152.83 billion. UN Comtrade.
Sells now · 6.2% of exports
Aircraft and spacecraft
Aircraft and spacecraft is 6.2% of everything United States sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$124.91 billion. UN Comtrade.
Could make · grown here already
Maize
Grown in United States and mostly sold raw. Processing it here would keep the margin here.
Could make · grown here already
Wheat
Grown in United States and mostly sold raw. Processing it here would keep the margin here.
Could make · grown here already
Potatoes
Grown in United States and mostly sold raw. Processing it here would keep the margin here.
The maths for an entrepreneur. the United States produces about US$30,770 billion a year, which is roughly US$90,027 per person (2025, World Bank). Farming is 0.9% of that, while food is 6.9% of everything the country imports. The country buys in more food than its own farms contribute to the economy, and every point of that gap is a business someone could build here rather than ship in. With 16.6% of the land arable, the raw material for that is already in the ground.
A living tradition of United States, still practised rather than archived.
Blues
A living tradition of United States, still practised rather than archived.
Gospel
A living tradition of United States, still practised rather than archived.
Country
A living tradition of United States, still practised rather than archived.
BluegrassA living tradition of United States, still practised rather than archived.
RockA living tradition of United States, still practised rather than archived.
Does United States protect its heritage by law?
Partly, and the gaps say as much as the protections.
What is kept alive. The United States is the birthplace of globally influential living music, including jazz, blues, gospel, country, bluegrass, rock and roll and hip hop. Native American song and dance endure across 574 federally recognised tribal nations through powwows and ceremonies, though many were historically disrupted. African American traditions such as spirituals, ring shout, the New Orleans second line and Mardi Gras Indians remain vital, alongside Cajun and Zydeco in Louisiana, Appalachian old-time music and Hawaiian hula and chant.
Who it belongs to. There are 574 federally recognised Native American tribes and some genuinely tribally run tourism, such as on the Navajo Nation and in the New Mexico pueblos. The wider tourism economy is overwhelmingly commercial, and it rests on a history of displacement, so little of the sector is community rooted in the way this index rewards.
Only here. Yellowstone, the world's first national park (1872) and home to about half the planet's active geysers.
Three futures for the United States, every one run forward from measured data.
Where the making actually happens
Named craft workshops on the open map: 2000 Degrees, A.C. Moore, Alamo Earthworks & Paving, Artist and Craftsman Supply, Beary Crafty, Ben Franklin Crafts.
Every measured trend on one line
Run forward at the pace already recorded.
+2%
Forest cover
1995: 33.1 % → 2023: 33.9 %
+89%
Renewable electricity
1995: 10.7 % → 2021: 20.3 %
-31%
CO2 per person
1995: 19.8 t → 2024: 13.6 t
-44%
Tourist arrivals
1995: 79732 k → 2020: 45037 k
-5%
Protected land
2013: 13.6 % → 2025: 12.9 %
-48%
Farm workforce
1995: 2.92 % → 2025: 1.53 %
+43%
Protected sea
2013: 13.3 % → 2025: 19 %
+0%
Agricultural land
1995: 45.9 % → 2023: 46.1 %
+4%
Urban population
1995: 77.2 % → 2025: 80.2 %
-56%
Air pollution
1995: 15.7 µg/m³ → 2023: 7 µg/m³
-20%
Fresh water per person
1995: 10582.9 m³ → 2022: 8437.2 m³
+30%
Adult overweight
1995: 55.9 % → 2022: 72.4 %
+0%
Electricity access
1995: 100 % → 2024: 100 %
+214%
GDP per person
1995: 28691 → 2025: 90027
+28%
Population
1995: 266278 k → 2025: 341785 k
+132%
Renewable energy use
1995: 4.7 % → 2021: 10.9 %
-18%
Energy per person
1995: 7761 kg → 2024: 6361 kg
+17%
Protected area, total
2013: 13.5 % → 2025: 15.8 %
+4%
Life expectancy
1995: 75.6 yrs → 2024: 78.9 yrs
+81%
Cereal yield
1995: 4645 ha → 2024: 8414 ha
+17%
Fertiliser use
1995: 108.8 ha → 2023: 127.8 ha
-13%
Rural population
1995: 22.8 % → 2025: 19.8 %
+104%
Water productivity
1995: 23.7 $/m3 → 2022: 48.4 $/m3
+34%
Health spending
2000: 12.5 % → 2023: 16.7 %
+2%
Forest area
1995: 3029930 km2 → 2023: 3097950 km2
+1%
Electric power use
1995: 12660 kWh → 2024: 12839 kWh
+1%
Emissions: Agriculture
1990: 362.3 e → 2023: 366.8 e
-5%
Emissions: Building
1990: 548 e → 2023: 521.8 e
-19%
Emissions: Electricity/Heat
1990: 2171 e → 2023: 1752 e
-3%
Emissions: Energy
1990: 5168 e → 2023: 5008 e
+52%
Emissions: Industrial Processes
1990: 154.7 e → 2023: 234.9 e
-27%
Emissions: Manufacturing/Construction
1990: 606.8 e → 2023: 444.1 e
World Bank open data, recorded series
How much forest is left?
Forest cover moved from 33.1% to 33.9% across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.LND.FRST.ZS
How clean is the grid?
Renewable electricity moved from 10.7% to 20.3% across 26 recorded years.
World Bank EG.ELC.RNEW.ZS
How much climate pollution per person?
CO2 per person moved from 19.8 t to 13.6 t across 29 recorded years.
World Bank EN.GHG.CO2.PC.CE.AR5
How many people visit?
Tourist arrivals moved from 79732k to 45037k across 25 recorded years.
World Bank ST.INT.ARVL
How much land is protected?
Protected land moved from 13.6% to 12.9% across 12 recorded years.
World Bank ER.LND.PTLD.ZS
How many people still farm?
Farm workforce moved from 2.9% to 1.5% across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SL.AGR.EMPL.ZS
How much sea is protected?
Protected sea moved from 13.3% to 19.0% across 12 recorded years.
World Bank ER.MRN.PTMR.ZS
How much land is farmed?
Agricultural land moved from 45.9% to 46.1% across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.LND.AGRI.ZS
How fast is it urbanising?
Urban population moved from 77.2% to 80.2% across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS
Is the air getting cleaner?
Air pollution moved from 15.7 µg/m³ to 7.0 µg/m³ across 28 recorded years.
World Bank EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3
Is water getting scarcer?
Fresh water per person moved from 10582.9 m³ to 8437.2 m³ across 27 recorded years.
World Bank ER.H2O.INTR.PC
Is diet-related disease rising?
Adult overweight moved from 55.9% to 72.4% across 27 recorded years.
World Bank SH.STA.OWAD.ZS
Who has power?
Electricity access moved from 100.0% to 100.0% across 29 recorded years.
World Bank EG.ELC.ACCS.ZS
Is income rising?
GDP per person moved from 28691 to 90027 across 30 recorded years.
World Bank NY.GDP.PCAP.CD
How fast is it growing?
Population moved from 266278k to 341785k across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SP.POP.TOTL
What share of all energy is renewable?
Renewable energy use moved from 4.7% to 10.9% across 26 recorded years.
World Bank EG.FEC.RNEW.ZS
How much energy does one person use?
Energy per person moved from 7761 kg to 6361 kg across 29 recorded years.
World Bank EG.USE.PCAP.KG.OE
How much land and sea is protected together?
Protected area, total moved from 13.5% to 15.8% across 12 recorded years.
World Bank ER.PTD.TOTL.ZS
How long do people live?
Life expectancy moved from 75.62 yrs to 78.89 yrs across 29 recorded years.
World Bank SP.DYN.LE00.IN
How much does a hectare of cereal produce?
Cereal yield moved from 4645 kg/ha to 8414 kg/ha across 29 recorded years.
World Bank AG.YLD.CREL.KG
How much fertiliser goes on the land?
Fertiliser use moved from 108.81 kg/ha to 127.8 kg/ha across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.CON.FERT.ZS
How many people still live rurally?
Rural population moved from 22.8% to 19.81% across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SP.RUR.TOTL.ZS
How much value per cubic metre of water?
Water productivity moved from 23.66 $/m3 to 48.35 $/m3 across 27 recorded years.
World Bank ER.GDP.FWTL.M3.KD
How much goes on health?
Health spending moved from 12.49% to 16.69% across 23 recorded years.
World Bank SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS
How much forest is there in total?
Forest area moved from 3029930 km2 to 3097950 km2 across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.LND.FRST.K2
How much electricity per person?
Electric power use moved from 12660 kWh to 12839 kWh across 29 recorded years.
World Bank EG.USE.ELEC.KH.PC
How have agriculture emissions moved?
Agriculture emissions moved from 362.3 to 366.83 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have building emissions moved?
Building emissions moved from 548.04 to 521.76 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have electricity/heat emissions moved?
Electricity/Heat emissions moved from 2171 to 1752 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have energy emissions moved?
Energy emissions moved from 5168 to 5008 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have industrial processes emissions moved?
Industrial Processes emissions moved from 154.65 to 234.87 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have manufacturing/construction emissions moved?
Manufacturing/Construction emissions moved from 606.84 to 444.08 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
Worst caseCurrent pathBest case
Worst case
Every measured decline continues at the pace already recorded. The weakest pillar, energy at 2/5, is the one that gives way first.
Computed from: recorded series extended with no policy change
Current path
Every line above is a recorded World Bank series for this country. The current path is simply those series continuing at the pace already measured.
Computed from: recorded series, no policy change assumed
Best case
The pledges are met on their own stated timetables and the weakest pillars are lifted to match the strongest. United States already shows it can do this: water scores 4/5.
Computed from: each published target delivered on its own date
What the best case actually asks for
Lift energy
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of United States's record. The United States remains one of the world's highest per-person emitters at about 14.2 tonnes of CO2 per person (2024), with a power mix still dominated by natural gas and, to a lesser extent, coal. Renewables such as wind, solar and hydro supplied roughly a fifth of utility-scale electricity in 2023, closer to a quarter once distributed rooftop solar is counted, and are growing quickly. Federal climate policy has swung sharply, with the country again withdrawing from the Paris Agreement and rolling back federal climate measures in 2025, though many states retain their own targets. High emissions, fossil dependence and weakened national policy place it in the low band. Lifting it toward the 4/5 the strongest pillars already reach is what the best case turns on.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift organic farming
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of United States's record. Organic farmland is only about 0.6% of US agricultural land (FiBL, 2020), a small share despite one of the world's largest organic retail markets. Certified organic acreage is concentrated in a handful of states. Lifting it toward the 4/5 the strongest pillars already reach is what the best case turns on.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift culture
It scores 3 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of United States's record. There are 574 federally recognised Native American tribes and some genuinely tribally run tourism, such as on the Navajo Nation and in the New Mexico pueblos. The wider tourism economy is overwhelmingly commercial, and it rests on a history of displacement, so little of the sector is community rooted in the way this index rewards. Lifting it toward the 4/5 the strongest pillars already reach is what the best case turns on.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Government and Goals in the United States.
Who is in charge of United States now · office-holders and institutions as published by the state itself; scores from the World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators 2024
Donald Trump
President
Donald Trump is the head of government of United States, in office since 20 January 2025. Every climate, protection and energy pledge on this page is delivered, or not, under this administration.
Public opinion, measured
Voice and accountability, the freedom to question government: 72.4 / 100. Above the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Control of corruption: 69.9 / 100. Above the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Political stability and absence of violence: 64.3 / 100. Above the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Rule of law: 73.5 / 100. Above the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Regulatory quality: 76.2 / 100. Among the strongest measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Donald TrumpPresident
CongressLegislature, bicameral
Next election7 November 2028
Last election5 November 2024
Constitutioncurrent text dates from 1781
Government typeconstitutional federal republic
United States national goals: what has been pledged, and how far it has got · each pledge measured against this country's own recorded delivery
2030
30% of land protected
! behind
Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted by more than 190 parties in December 2022. United States currently protects 12.9% of its land, which is 43% of the way to the pledge. ↗
2030
30% of sea protected
! behind
The marine half of the same 30x30 pledge. United States currently protects 19% of its territorial waters, which is 63% of the way there. ↗
2030
Paris Agreement pledge
on record
United States has a Nationally Determined Contribution lodged with the UNFCCC. The registry holds the current text, its target year and the sectors it covers. ↗
Plastic policy
no national ban
No federal ban; bag bans in some states such as California and New York.
Grid, as it stands
20.3% renewable
Recorded renewable share of electricity output, the number every energy pledge is measured against. ↗
Plain Answers About the United States.
The questions people actually type, answered in full sentences from the sourced data above.
swipe →
Is United States sustainable?
United States scores 62 out of 100 on the Throne Eco Index, across twelve equally weighted pillars. A continental giant of national parks, geysers and world class biodiversity, paired with an industrial, heavily processed food and energy system.
Is the water in United States safe and plentiful?
The United States holds vast fresh water, from the Great Lakes, about a fifth of the world's surface fresh water, to major rivers and the Ogallala aquifer, and 97.6% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank and JMP, 2024). Tap water is broadly safe. The serious caveats are regional: the south west faces a chronic Colorado River shortage, the Ogallala is being drawn down, and lead episodes such as Flint expose infrastructure gaps.
Can United States feed itself?
The US is one of the world's largest agricultural producers and a net food exporter, so it is comfortably self sufficient in staple grains, meat and dairy. The system is highly industrial and the national diet leans heavily on ultra processed food, and the country still imports large volumes of fresh produce, seafood and coffee.
Is it easy to eat plant-based in United States?
Plant based products are widely available and growing fast in US supermarkets and cities, with strong vegan brands and menus. The mainstream diet, however, is dominated by animal products and ultra processed food, so easy whole food plant eating is more a coastal and urban phenomenon than a national norm.
How much of United States is actually protected?
About 13% of US land and 19% of its waters are protected (World Bank, 2025), and marine protection includes some of the largest reserves on Earth, such as Papahanaumokuakea. Federal management through the National Park Service and the wilderness system is well funded and enforced, which lifts this above the land area figure alone.
What wildlife is left in United States?
The US has exceptional biodiversity and endemism, from the Hawaiian islands and the California Floristic Province to the freshwater fish and mussels of the south east. Iconic rewilding successes include grey wolves in Yellowstone, bison recovery and the California condor. It also carries the highest national count of IUCN threatened species in this batch, 1,931 (2023), reflecting both richness and pressure.
Is United States on clean energy?
The United States remains one of the world's highest per-person emitters at about 13.62 tonnes of CO2 per person (2024), with a power mix still dominated by natural gas and, to a lesser extent, coal. Renewables such as wind, solar and hydro supplied roughly a fifth of utility-scale electricity in 2023, closer to a quarter once distributed rooftop solar is counted, and are growing quickly. Federal climate policy has swung sharply, with the country again withdrawing from the Paris Agreement and rolling back federal climate measures in 2025, though many states retain their own targets.
How polluted is United States?
Baseline air is clean, with a PM2.5 annual mean around 7 micrograms per cubic metre (World Bank, 2023), but there is no federal plastic ban, only a patchwork of state bag bans in places such as California and New York. Worsening wildfire seasons now drive severe, if episodic, smoke pollution across large regions.
Does recycling work in United States?
The US recycles about 32% of municipal solid waste (US EPA), a middling rate that has stagnated. Systems vary enormously by city and state, and the past export of waste abroad long inflated apparent performance.
Is the farming in United States organic?
Organic farmland is only about 0.6% of US agricultural land (FiBL, 2020), a small share despite one of the world's largest organic retail markets. Certified organic acreage is concentrated in a handful of states.
Are there natural materials and craft in United States?
The US is a major cotton and wool producer and keeps living craft traditions, including Navajo weaving, Appalachian white oak basketry and a deep denim heritage. Natural fibres remain part of both industry and craft.
Is there living culture in United States?
There are 574 federally recognised Native American tribes and some genuinely tribally run tourism, such as on the Navajo Nation and in the New Mexico pueblos. The wider tourism economy is overwhelmingly commercial, and it rests on a history of displacement, so little of the sector is community rooted in the way this index rewards.
What heritage does United States keep alive?
The United States is the birthplace of globally influential living music, including jazz, blues, gospel, country, bluegrass, rock and roll and hip hop. Native American song and dance endure across 574 federally recognised tribal nations through powwows and ceremonies, though many were historically disrupted. African American traditions such as spirituals, ring shout, the New Orleans second line and Mardi Gras Indians remain vital, alongside Cajun and Zydeco in Louisiana, Appalachian old-time music and Hawaiian hula and chant.
So is the United States actually green? The measured answer
What is working: the record is thin on the headline measures, and the sourced numbers below say why.
What is not: land protected at 12.9% against a 30% mark, renewable electricity at 20.3% against a 100% mark.
Where United States sits on the Eco Index, against its regional neighbours and the 0 destinations scored worldwide.
What is United States particularly good at?
✓Conservation, scored 4/5. About 13% of US land and 19% of its waters are protected (World Bank, 2025), and marine protection includes some of the largest reserves on Earth, such as Papahanaumokuakea. Federal management through the National Park Service and the wilderness system is well funded and enforced, which lifts this above the land area figure alone.
✓Food and farming, scored 4/5. The US is one of the world's largest agricultural producers and a net food exporter, so it is comfortably self sufficient in staple grains, meat and dairy. The system is highly industrial and the national diet leans heavily on ultra processed food, and the country still imports large volumes of fresh produce, seafood and coffee.
✓Water, scored 4/5. The United States holds vast fresh water, from the Great Lakes, about a fifth of the world's surface fresh water, to major rivers and the Ogallala aquifer, and 97.6% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank and JMP, 2024). Tap water is broadly safe. The serious caveats are regional: the south west faces a chronic Colorado River shortage, the Ogallala is being drawn down, and lead episodes such as Flint expose infrastructure gaps.
Where does United States score worst?
✕Wildlife, scored 3/5. The US has exceptional biodiversity and endemism, from the Hawaiian islands and the California Floristic Province to the freshwater fish and mussels of the south east. Iconic rewilding successes include grey wolves in Yellowstone, bison recovery and the California condor. It also carries the highest national count of IUCN threatened species in this batch, 1,931 (2023), reflecting both richness and pressure.
✕Energy, scored 2/5. The United States remains one of the world's highest per-person emitters at about 14.2 tonnes of CO2 per person (2024), with a power mix still dominated by natural gas and, to a lesser extent, coal. Renewables such as wind, solar and hydro supplied roughly a fifth of utility-scale electricity in 2023, closer to a quarter once distributed rooftop solar is counted, and are growing quickly. Federal climate policy has swung sharply, with the country again withdrawing from the Paris Agreement and rolling back federal climate measures in 2025, though many states retain their own targets. High emissions, fossil dependence and weakened national policy place it in the low band.
✕Organic farming, scored 2/5. Organic farmland is only about 0.6% of US agricultural land (FiBL, 2020), a small share despite one of the world's largest organic retail markets. Certified organic acreage is concentrated in a handful of states.
Similar countries doing it better and worse
MexicoScored on the same twelve pillars as United States.72
CanadaScored on the same twelve pillars as United States.63
A note from the lens of mother natureswipe →
Energy, 2/5
The United States remains one of the world's highest per-person emitters at about 13.62 tonnes of CO2 per person (2024), with a power mix still dominated by natural gas and, to a lesser extent, coal. Renewables such as wind, solar and hydro supplied roughly a fifth of utility-scale electricity in 2023, closer to a quarter once distributed rooftop solar is counted, and are growing quickly.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of United States's record, so it is where the score moves first.
Food and farming, 4/5
The US is one of the world's largest agricultural producers and a net food exporter, so it is comfortably self sufficient in staple grains, meat and dairy. The system is highly industrial and the national diet leans heavily on ultra processed food, and the country still imports large volumes of fresh produce, seafood and coffee.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of United States's record, so it is where the score moves first.
Heritage, 3/5
The United States is the birthplace of globally influential living music, including jazz, blues, gospel, country, bluegrass, rock and roll and hip hop. Native American song and dance endure across 574 federally recognised tribal nations through powwows and ceremonies, though many were historically disrupted.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of United States's record, so it is where the score moves first.
The United States Directory.
Everything on Hold The Throne that sits in United States, checked and listed.
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Government effectiveness
77.8 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Rule of law
73.5 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Political stability
64.3 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Voice and accountability
72.4 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Environmental Performance Index
57.2 / 100 · 35 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 35 of 180 countries assessed.
Ecosystem vitality
53.5 / 100 · 73 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 73 of 180 countries assessed.
Biodiversity and habitat
40.7 / 100 · 119 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 119 of 180 countries assessed.
Air pollution
89.1 / 100 · 31 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 31 of 180 countries assessed.
Terrestrial biomes protected
37.8 / 100 · 117 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 117 of 180 countries assessed.
Marine protected areas
76.9 / 100 · 58 of 131
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 58 of 131 countries assessed.
How the United States Is Scored. The Throne Standard.
Every destination on the index is scored the same way, so a 4 in Barbados means exactly what a 4 means in Iceland. No self-declared data and no brochure claims are accepted. Every figure on this page carries its named source and year, and the history on each page names what empire took as plainly as it scores the present.
The 12 pillars every destination is scored on, equally weighted
01
Conservation
Land and sea actually protected, not pledged
02
Wildlife
What survives, what is endemic, what is lost
03
Water
Fresh water per person, and the ocean’s health
04
Food & farming
Whether the place can feed itself
05
Organic & clean
Certified land and pesticide reality
06
Climate & energy
Emissions per person, how the grid is powered
07
Waste
Where the rubbish goes, what comes back
08
Health
What people eat and die of
09
Heritage
Living culture, and what the law keeps standing
10
Ownership
Who owns the economy, how much of a dollar stays
11
Governance
Freedom, honesty, promises kept
12
Future
Measured trends run forward, pledges against pace
What each 0 to 5 pillar score means, in plain words
The institutions above are the ones cited on this page, ranked by how many of its figures they carry. This same sectioned page renders for all 77 scored destinations, each with its own researched history, comparison charts and three-way future. Read the full methodology
Every figure on this page, and where it came from: 36 sources across 16 institutions
World Bank16 FIGURES
Forest area (% of land area) AG.LND.FRST.ZS, 2023 check
Terrestrial protected areas (% of land) ER.LND.PTLD.ZS, 2025 check
Marine protected areas (% of territorial waters) ER.MRN.PTMR.ZS, 2025 check
Renewable electricity output (% of total) EG.ELC.RNEW.ZS, 2021 check
PM2.5 mean annual exposure (micrograms per cubic metre) EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3, 2023 check
CO2 emissions per capita EN.GHG.CO2.PC.CE.AR5, 2024 check
BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC3 FIGURES
UN SDG Global Database, terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_PTD_TERR, United States, 2025 (38.4%), country-reported check
UN SDG Global Database, marine Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_MRN_MPA, United States, 2025 (34.3%), country-reported check
UN SDG Global Database, freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_PTD_FRHWTR, United States, 2025 (30.6%), country-reported check
FAO, Global Forest Resources Assessment3 FIGURES
UN SDG Global Database, forest area (% of land area) AG_LND_FRST, United States, 2025 (33.8%), country-reported check
UN SDG Global Database, forest area under a long-term management plan (%) AG_LND_FRSTMGT, United States, 2025 (68.6%), country-reported check
UN SDG Global Database, forest area inside legally established protected areas (%) AG_LND_FRSTPRCT, United States, 2025 (10.0%), country-reported check
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme2 FIGURES
UN SDG Global Database, population using safely managed drinking water (%) SH_H2O_SAFE, United States, 2024 (97.6%), modelled estimate check
UN SDG Global Database, population using safely managed sanitation (%) SH_SAN_SAFE, United States, 2024 (97.0%), modelled estimate check
CBD1 FIGURE
Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Target 3 check
MexicoScored on the same twelve pillars as United States.72
CanadaScored on the same twelve pillars as United States.63
