United States

Geographic Region (ITU/UN)

ISO 3166 Code

US

M49 Code

840

MCC

310
311
312

ITU Member

Yes

ITU-R Region

Overview

The United States of America (USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. / US), is a federal republic composed of 50 states, five major self-governing territories, and various possessions. 

The US has sixteen territories in the Caribbean Sea, the south Pacific Ocean, and the western portion of the north Pacific Ocean. Five of them are permanently inhabited and are classified as unincorporated territories. The other eleven are small islands, atolls, and reefs with no native or permanent population.

The United States Minor Outlying Islands consist of eight areas in the Pacific Ocean; Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Atoll, Palmyra Atoll, and Wake Island, along with Navassa Island in the Caribbean Sea.

United States is a member of the ITU and as such follows radio frequency harmonisation principles according to ITU-R Region-2. The regulatory body governing communications policy is the International Communications and Information Policy (CIP), and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is charged with regulating the country's radio frequency spectrum activities such as planning, allocations, and licencing.