The United States was founded after the American Revolution and 1783 Treaty of Paris. In effect, thirteen founding colonies gained independence from Britain and expanded across the North American continent. The country is bordered by the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and Canada and South America make up its northern and southern borders. From its founding, the United States is a constitutionally-based federal republic with strong democratic traditions. The country is almost 10,000,000 sq km with 319,000,000 citizens.