On December 28, 2000, the US Census Bureau released its preliminary results for the 2000 Census. According to the Bureau, "the nation's resident population on Census Day, April 1, 2000 was 281,421,906, a 13.2 percent rise over the 248,709,873 counted in the 1990 census" -- an increase that exceeded the Bureau's projections. Visitors to the site can examine tables and maps showing population data for states, congressional districts, and US overseas population as well as state population rankings and percentage change since the 1990 Census. The site also provides a press release summarizing the data and background information on congressional apportionment -- the constitutional cause of the census -- as well as a link to educational materials for studying the census in schools (see the January 11, 2000 Scout Report for the Social Sciences).