Capital: Washington DC (District of Colombia)

Surface Area: 9,372,614 Km2

Population: 300,987,064 (US Census Bureau, updated on 17 January 2007)

Language: English; there are however major Spanish-speaking population centres in New York, Miami, Chicago and Los Angeles.

Religion: the United States has no official religion, although the Protestant Church has strong roots. Given the diversity of nations and ethnic groups living in the USA, practically all the world's religions are represented.

Currency: US dollar (international symbol: USD)

Voting Rights: universal - 18 and over - voting not compulsory

Administrative Divisions: 50 States plus Washington DC (seat of federal government); the States are divided into counties, and these into districts and boroughs. The States enjoy all powers not explicitly conferred under constitutional law on the Federal Government.

Political System: the United States is a presidential federal republic. The President is given a 4-year mandate and exercises executive power. Presidential elections are held on the first Tuesday of November, with the next elections taking place in November 2008.

Legislative power is shared by the Senate and the House of Representatives; the Senate is made up of 100 members, two for each State, while the House has 435 seats divided among the States in accordance with their population.

The judicial system is made up of regional federal courts (at least one in each State), eleven federal Courts of Appeal, and the Supreme Court (nine lifelong judges). Federal judges are appointed by the President with the approval of the Senate.

Entry: Spanish citizens can enter the USA for tourist or business reasons with a valid passport, for a stay of no longer than 90 days.

In order to remain in the country for more than three months a visa is required, and this can be obtained from the US Embassy in Spain, following a personal interview at the consular offices. The contact details are:

Calle Serrano, 75
28006 Madrid, Spain
Tel: +34 91 587 2200 Fax: +34 91 587 2303
www.embusa.es

The visa application form (DS-156) can be completed online and printed off to be presented on the day of the interview with a consular official. The visa application fee is one hundred dollars ($ 100.00), payable in euros. Payment can be made at any branch of the Banco Santander Central Hispano.

Currency: Up to $ 10,000 can be taken freely through customs. Any larger sums must be declared.

Healthcare: Given the high cost of healthcare in the USA, it is advisable to take out a temporary private medical insurance policy offering the broadest possible cover in order to ensure that you receive appropriate medical care if required.

Important phone numbers: The emergency number for the police, fire and ambulance services is 911, right across the country, with the option of a Spanish-speaking operator. Police (non-emergency): 311 Immigration: 1 (800) 375-5283

For contact information about Spanish diplomatic representation in the USA, visit the website http://www.mae.es/.