WASHINGTON, Oct 17: The US population hit the historic milestone of 300 million on Tuesday, capping four decades of growth fuelled mainly by Hispanics and other immigrants, the Census Bureau said.

The date and time for the arrival of the 300 millionth resident was based on a calculation by the Census Bureau that takes into account birth rates, death rates and rates of international migration.

It was determined that the 300 million resident clocked in at 7:45 am, and was either a newborn, an immigrant coming across the border or someone flying into the United States.

When the official population clock hit the big figure, bureau employees cheered, clapped and joked about whether the actual resident was male or female.

“It was a historic occasion. I had to be there,” said Anthony Petty, a bureau staffer.

Unlike the pomp and circumstance that greeted the 200-million mark in 1967, federal officials did not organise any major celebrations for Tuesday’s landmark, which comes amid a raging debate on immigration and concerns over the potential environmental impact.

Experts say that one reason the population has grown so much in the past 39 years is because of the large number of immigrants, many of them illegal, coming into the country, especially in the last 15 years. The bureau estimate includes all who reside in the United States— including US citizens and residents, legal and illegal.

“About half of the growth in the US population is due to Hispanics and well over half the growth is due to immigrants and their children,” said William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

He said the growth represents a return to the United States’ immigrant past and a return of its image as a “melting pot”.

Global Insight chief economist Nariman Behravesh said the fact that the US population is growing faster than that of other developed countries was very good news.—AFP