U.S.
LIFE > Symbols
and Celebrations > Holidays > The Fourth of July
Fourth of July
On this day in 1776, the Declaration of Independence
was approved by the Continental Congress, starting
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 number of people living in the colonies. (1776 population from
Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970.)
300 million
On this July 4th, the population milestone our nation soon will be closing in
on.
Fourth of July Cookouts
150 million
Number of hot dogs (all varieties) expected
to be consumed by Americans on this holiday.
(That’s one frankfurter for every two people.) There’s more
than a 1-in-4 chance that the hot dogs made of pork originated in Iowa, as the
Hawkeye State had a total inventory of 15.2 million market hogs and pigs on March
1, 2006. This represents more than one-fourth of the nation’s total. North
Carolina (8.5 million) and Minnesota (5.8 million) were the runners-up. (Data
on hot dog consumption courtesy of the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council.)
Data on hogs and pigs at <http://www.nass.usda.gov>.
7.3 billion pounds
Total production of cattle and calves in
Texas in 2005. Chances are good that the
beef hot dogs, steaks and burgers on your
backyard grill came
from the
Lone Star State, which accounted for over one-sixth of the nation’s total production.
And if they did not come from Texas, they very well may have come from Nebraska
(4.5 billion pounds) or Kansas (4 billion pounds). <http://www.nass.usda.gov>
6
Number of states in which the revenue from
broiler chickens was $1 billion or greater
between December 2004 and November 2005.
There is a good chance
that
one of these states — Georgia, Arkansas, Alabama, North Carolina, Mississippi
or Texas — is the source of your barbecued chicken. <http://www.nass.usda.gov>
Better than 50-50
The odds that the beans in your side dish
of baked beans came from North Dakota,
Michigan or Nebraska, which produced 60
percent of the
nation’s dry, edible
beans in 2005. Another popular July 4th side dish is corn on the cob. Florida,
California and Georgia together accounted for 51 percent of the sweet corn produced
nationally in 2005. <http://www.nass.usda.gov>
Please Pass the Potato Salad
Potato salad and potato chips are popular
food items at July 4th barbecues. One-half
of the nation’s spuds were produced in Idaho or Washington in 2005. <http://www.nass.usda.gov>
More than 68 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.
See Table 1230, 2006 edition: <http://www.census.gov/prod/www/statistical-abstract.html>
Fireworks
$201.9 million
The value of fireworks imported from China in 2005, representing
the bulk of all U.S. fireworks imported ($211 million). U.S.
exports of
fireworks, by comparison,
came to just $14.9 million in 2005, with Australia purchasing
more than any other country ($4.4 million). <http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/>
$17.3 million
The value of U.S. manufacturers’ shipments of fireworks in 2002. <http://www.census.gov/prod/ec02/ec0231i325998t.pdf>
Flags
$5.5 million
In 2005, the dollar value of U.S. imports of American flags; the vast majority
of this amount
($5 million) was for U.S. flags made in China. <http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/>
$993,000
Dollar value of U.S. flags exported in 2005.
Mexico was the leading customer, purchasing
$529,000 worth. <http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/>
$349 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 (2002) data. <http://www.census.gov/prod/ec02/ec0231i314999t.pdf>
Patriotic-Sounding Names
30
Number of places nationwide with “liberty” in
its name. The most populous one is Liberty, Mo. (28,528).
Iowa,
with four,
has more
of these
places than any other state: Libertyville, New Liberty,
North Liberty and West Liberty.
• |
Thirty-two
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 24,847 residents. There
is
also Eagle County, Colo., with a population
of 47,530. |
•
|
Eleven
places have “independence” in
their name. The most populous of these
is Independence, Mo., with 111,023 residents. |
•
|
Five 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 195. |
• |
|
Coming to America
34 million
In 2004, the number of foreign-born residents in
the United States; they accounted for 12 percent
of the
nation’s total population. Another 30 million Americans
were “second-generation,” meaning that
at least one of their parents was born abroad.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/foreignborn_population/003969.html>
53%
As of 2004, the percentage of the nation’s foreign-born population born
in Latin America. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/foreignborn_population/003969.html>
946,000
Number of immigrants granted legal permanent
residence in the United States during fiscal
year 2004. More
than 1-in-4
settled
in California. <http://uscis.gov/graphics/shared/statistics/yearbook/YrBk04Im.htm>
537,000
Number of people who became naturalized U.S.
citizens during fiscal 2004 (Oct. 1, 2003
to Sept. 30, 2004).
Mexico contributed
the highest
number
of naturalized
citizens in 2004 (63,800), followed by India
(38,000), the Philippines (31,400), Vietnam
(27,500) and
China (27,300). <http://uscis.gov/graphics/shared/statistics/publications/NaturalizationFlowReport2004.pdf>
Following is a list of observances typically covered by the Census Bureau Facts
for Features series:
| |
African-American History Month (February) |
Back to School (August) |
| |
Valentine's Day (Feb. 14) |
Labor Day (Sept. 4) |
| |
Women's History Month (March) |
Grandparents Day (Sept. 10) |
| |
Irish-American Heritage Month
(March)/
St. Patrick's Day (March 17) |
Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept.
15-Oct. 15) |
| |
Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month
(May) |
Halloween (Oct. 31) |
| |
Older Americans Month (May) |
American Indian/Alaska Native
Heritage
Month (November) |
| |
Mother's Day (May 14) |
Veterans Day (Nov. 11) |
| |
Father's Day (June 18) |
Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 23) |
| |
The Fourth of July (July 4) |
The Holiday Season (December) |
| |
Anniversary of
Americans
with Disabilities Act (July 26) |
|
Editor’s note: The preceding
data were collected from a variety of sources
and may be subject to sampling variability
and other sources of error. Questions or
comments should be directed to the Census
Bureau’s Public Information
Office: telephone: (301) 763-3030; fax:
(301) 457-3670; or e-mail: <[email protected]>.
