ABSTRACT
The population of the United States totals 220,099,000--the fourth largest in the world. The geographic and demographic characteristics across all 50 states and territories are greatly diverse. One-fourth of the population lives in rural areas (2,500 or less). Seventy-five percent live in urban and suburban areas. The largest cities are losing population, while small and medium-size cities are gaining. Large cities such as Detroit, Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York contain large numbers of poor, unemployed, non-English speaking ethnic minorities. While the GNP is approximately $10,000 per capita, rural and urban variations are widespread. The diversity of conditions thus pose different problems for adequate schooling within as well as across states.
