The United States shares the 4th spot in the index with Germany and Singapore.

The USA performs well on most indicators, including religious faith, which is unusual for a wealthy country.

The USA remains the world's sole global military, economic, and cultural superpower: a position that it has occupied since the end of the Cold War.

Recently, the economy has been buffeted by natural disasters and global credit crunch, the huge cost of reconstruction in Iraq, and a national collapse in the housing market.

National infrastructure is also in need of renewal.

Despite widespread affluence and low overall levels of crime, there are many areas of significant poverty, particularly among African-Americans and Hispanics.

Image: Tourists walk on boardwalks near part of the American portion of Niagara Falls. | Photograph: Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images

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