Wave the Flag - it's our most Patriotic Day!!

Happy Fourth of July!!

Did you know that:

• In 1776, 2.5 million people lived in the colonies; now the U.S. is approaching nearly 300 million people

• On this national holiday, we will eat 150 million hot dogs - about one hotdog for every two people in this countryIn 2005, $5.5 million worth of US flags were imported, with the majority of that amount coming from China (we imported $5 million worth). In contrast, the US exported less than $1 million worth of US flags, with the majority of those flags going to Mexico

• There are 30 places in the United States with the name "liberty" in them, with the most populated one being Liberty, Missouri with 28,528 people. Other patriotic-type names include Eagle, Michigan; Independence, Missouri; Freedom, California; Patriot, Indiana; and American Fork, Utah.

• If you are having either potato salad or potato chips with your Fourth of July picnic, chances are that the potatoes originated from either Idaho or Washington - half of the spuds within the US came from either of these two states.

• More than $200 million value of fireworks were imported from China in 2005, which represents the bulk of all US fireworks imported ($211 million). In comparison, the US exported almost $15 million worth of fireworks, with Australia purchased more than any other country ($4.4 million)

These facts came from the United States Census Bureau - home to much useful information.