On this day
in 1776, the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress,
setting the 13 colonies on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation. As always,
this most American of holidays will be marked by parades, fireworks and backyard
barbecues across the country.
2.5 million
In July
1776, the estimated number of people living in the newly independent nation.
Source:
Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970 <http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/statab.html>
304
million
The nation’s population on this July Fourth.
Source: Population
clock <http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html>
Fourth
of July Cookouts
More than 1 in 4
The chance that the hot
dogs and pork sausages consumed on the Fourth of July originated in Iowa. The
Hawkeye State was home to 17.6 million market hogs and pigs on March 1, 2008.
This represents more than one-fourth of the nation’s total. North Carolina
(9 million) and Minnesota (6.7 million) were the runners-up.
Source: USDA National
Agricultural Statistics Service <http://www.nass.usda.gov>
6.8
billion pounds
Total production of cattle and calves in Texas in 2007.
Chances are good that the beef hot dogs, steaks and burgers on your backyard grill
came from the Lone Star State, which accounted for about one-sixth of the nation’s
total production. And if the beef did not come from Texas, it very well may have
come from Nebraska (4.7 billion pounds) or Kansas (4.1 billion pounds).
Source:
USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service <http://www.nass.usda.gov>
6
Number
of states in which the revenue from broiler chickens was $1 billion or greater
between December 2006 and November 2007. There is a good chance that one of these
states — Georgia, Arkansas, North Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi or Texas
— is the source of your barbecued chicken.
Source: USDA National Agricultural
Statistics Service <http://www.nass.usda.gov>
About
4 in 10
The odds that your side dish of baked beans originated from North
Dakota, which produced 42 percent of the nation’s dry, edible beans in 2007.
Another popular Fourth of July side dish is corn on the cob. Florida, California,
Georgia and New York together accounted for 60 percent of the sweet corn produced
nationally in 2007.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service <http://www.nass.usda.gov>
Please
Pass the Potato Salad
Potato salad and potato chips are popular food items
at Fourth of July barbecues. More than half (52 percent) of the nation’s
spuds were produced in Idaho or Washington state in 2007.
Source: USDA National
Agricultural Statistics Service <http://www.nass.usda.gov>
More
than three-fourths
Amount of the nation’s head lettuce production
in 2007 that came from California. This lettuce may end up in your salad or on
your burger.
Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service <http://www.nass.usda.gov>
Nearly
3 in 4
The chances that the fresh tomatoes in your salad came from Florida
or California, which combined accounted for 73 percent of U.S. tomato production
last year. The ketchup on your burger or hot dog probably came from California,
which accounted for 96 percent of processed tomato production in 2007.
Source:
USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service <http://www.nass.usda.gov>
Georgia
The
state that led the nation in watermelon production last year (1 billion pounds).
Other leading producers of this popular Fourth of July dessert included California,
Florida and Texas, each with more than 400 million pounds.
Source: USDA National
Agricultural Statistics Service <http://www.nass.usda.gov>
More
than 74 million
Number of Americans who said they have taken part in a
barbecue during the previous year. It’s probably safe to assume a lot of
these events took place on Independence Day.
Source: Statistical Abstract of
the United States: 2008, Table 1213 <http://www.census.gov/prod/www/statistical-abstract.html>
Fireworks
$207
million
The value of fireworks imported from China in 2007, representing
the bulk of all U.S. fireworks imported ($217 million). U.S. exports of fireworks,
by comparison, came to just $14.9 million in 2007, with Japan purchasing more
than any other country ($3.8 million).
Source: Foreign Trade Statistics <http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/>
$17.3
million
The value of U.S. manufacturers’ shipments of fireworks in
2002.
Source: 2002 Economic Census <http://www.census.gov/prod/ec02/ec0231i325998t.pdf>
Flags
$4.7
million
In 2007, the dollar value of U.S. imports of American flags. The
vast majority of this amount ($4.3 million) was for U.S. flags made in China.
Source:
Foreign Trade Statistics <http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/>
$2.4 million
Dollar value of U.S. flags exported
in 2007. Mexico was the leading customer, purchasing $1.2 million worth.
Source:
Foreign Trade Statistics <http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/>
$349.2
million
Annual dollar value of shipments of fabricated flags, banners and
similar emblems by the nation’s manufacturers, according to the latest published
economic census data.
Source: 2002 Economic Census <http://www.census.gov/prod/ec02/ec0231i314999t.pdf>
Patriotic-Sounding
Names
31
Number of places nationwide with “liberty” in their
name. The most populous one as of July 1, 2006, is Liberty, Mo. (29,581). Iowa,
with four, has more of these places than any other state: Libertyville, New Liberty,
North Liberty and West Liberty.
Thirty-one places are named
“eagle” — after the majestic bird that serves as our national symbol.
(Places include cities, towns, villages and census-designated places.) The most
populous such place is Eagle Pass, Texas, with 26,401 residents.
Twelve places
have “independence” in their name. The most populous of these is Independence,
Mo., with 109,400 residents.
Nine places adopted the name “freedom.”
Freedom, Calif., with 6,000 residents, has the largest population among these.
There is one place named “patriot” — Patriot, Ind., with a
population of 192.
And what could be more fitting than spending the Fourth
of July in a place called “America”? There are five such places in the
country, with the most populous being American Fork, Utah, population 25,596.
Sources:
Population estimates <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/010315.html>
and
American FactFinder <www.census.gov>
The British are Coming!
$107.2 billion
Dollar
value of trade last year between the United States and the United Kingdom, making
the British, our adversary in 1776, our sixth-leading trading partner today.
Sources:
Foreign Trade Statistics <http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/statistics/highlights/top/top0712.html>
<http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/>
