The Fourth of July: Fun Facts

The Fourth of July, marking America's 237th birthday, is less than a week away. Boost your knowledge about the holiday with some Fourth of July themed fun facts, courtesy of the U.S. Census Bureau.

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

316.2 million

The nation’s estimated population on this July Fourth.

Source: Population clock

Fireworks

The value of fireworks imported from China in 2012, representing the bulk of all U.S. fireworks imported ($227.3 million). U.S. exports of fireworks, by comparison, came to just $11.7 million in 2012, with Israel purchasing more than any other country ($2.5 million).

$231.8 million

The value of U.S. manufacturers’ shipments of fireworks and pyrotechnics (including flares, igniters, etc.) in 2007.

Source: 2007 Economic Census, Series EC0731SP1, Products and Services Code 325998J108 

Flags

$3.8 million

In 2012, the dollar value of U.S. imports of American flags. The vast majority of this amount ($3.6 million) was for U.S. flags made in China.

Source: Foreign Trade Statistics

Dollar value of U.S. flags exported in 2012. Mexico was the leading customer, purchasing $188,824 worth.

Source: Foreign Trade Statistics

$302.7 million

Dollar value of shipments of fabricated flags, banners and similar emblems by the nation’s manufacturers in 2007, according to the latest published economic census statistics.

Source: 2007 Economic Census, Series EC0731SP1, Products and Services Code 3149998231

Patriotic Sounding Place Names

Fifty-nine places have the word "liberty" in the name. Pennsylvania, with 11, has more of these places than any other state. Four of the 59 "liberty" locations are counties, including Liberty County, GA (65,471), Liberty County, FL (8,276), Liberty County, MT (2,392) and Liberty County, TX (76,571).

One place has "patriot" in its name. Patriot, Ind., has an estimated population of 209.

The most common patriotic-sounding word used within place names is "union" with 136. Pennsylvania, with 33, has more of these places than any other state. Other words most commonly used in place names are Washington (127), Franklin (118), Jackson (96) and Lincoln (95).

Sources: TIGER Shapefiles, the Census Bureau's geographic database (Place/MCD/County combined "used within name" count), Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2011 

Early Presidential Last Names

138

Ranking of the frequency of the surname of our first president, George Washington, among all last names tabulated in the 2000 Census. Other early presidential names that appear on the list, along with their ranking, were Adams (39), Jefferson (594), Madison (1,209) and Monroe (567).

Source: Census 2000 Genealogy

The British Are Coming!

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.

Source: Foreign Trade Statistics

Fourth of July Cookouts

Number of all hogs and pigs on March 1, 2013. Chances are that the pork hot dogs and sausages consumed on the Fourth of July originated in Iowa. The Hawkeye State was home to 20.3 million hogs and pigs. North Carolina (8.9 million) and Minnesota (7.8 million) were also homes to large numbers of pigs.

Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

Total estimated production of cattle and calves in Texas in 2012. Chances are good that the beef hot dogs, steaks and burgers on your backyard grill came from the Lone Star State, which accounted for nearly 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 (estimated at5.1 billion pounds) or Kansas (estimated at 3.8 billion pounds).

Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

Number of states in which the value of broiler chicken production was estimated at $1 billion or greater between December 2011 and November 2012. 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

Acreage planted of potatoes in Idaho in 2012, the most in the nation. Washington followed with 165 million acres. The total 2012 potato crop is forecast to exceed 467 million hundredweight (cwt), the highest level since 2000 when 523 million cwt was produced. Potato salad is a popular food item at Fourth of July barbecues.

Source: USDA, National Agriculture Statistics Service, Economic Research Service

Information courtesy of the U.S. Census Bureau