How many states are there in america
How many states are there in america
How Many States Are There in the United States?
A map showing the United States.
Located in North America, the United States of America is roughly the same size as Europe. The country is subdivided into states, territories, and minor islands. States are the major subdivisions and are bestowed several powers and responsibilities by the US Constitution.
Number of States In The US
Currently, the US has 50 states as well as a federal district, minor islands, and five main territories. Of these 50 states, 48 of them are contiguous, that is, they are connected directly. These 48 states all exist in the central region of North America between Mexico and Canada. Examples of these states include Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, North Dakota, Wyoming, Oregon, New Jersey, and New Hampshire. The other two states are Alaska and Hawaii. Alaska lies on the northwestern portion of North America while Hawaii is located on an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean.
Delaware is the oldest state in the country. It was established on December 7, 1787. The youngest state is Hawaii which was founded on August 21, 1959. The largest state by total area is Alaska with 665,384 square miles while the smallest is the state of Rhode Island with a total area of only 1,545 square miles. By population, California is the most populous state with about 39,536,653 people while the least populous state is Wyoming with only 579,315 people.
Territories Of The US
Aside from the 50 states, the US owns 14 territories. Of these territories, only five have permanent civilian populations. These five territories are American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and Guam. All of the territories lie on the Pacific Ocean except for the U.S. Virgin Islands, Navassa Island, and Puerto Rico, which are in the Caribbean. Only the territory of Palmyra Atoll is incorporated, that is, the US constitution is applied fully. Of the 14 territories, ten of them are unorganized (do not have an Organic Act) while the remaining four are organized.
Washington, D.C.
As mentioned previously, the US has one federal district that is neither a state nor a territory. The District of Columbia does not have representatives in the Senate although it has representation in the House of Representatives and the Electoral College. The US Congress, as outlined in the constitution, has exclusive jurisdiction over the district. However, it has a mayor and council that makes some decisions under the 1973 District of Columbia Home Rule Act, although Congress can intervene and overturn decisions.
How Many States are in the United States
The United States is made up of a total of 50 states, plus the District of Columbia – or Washington D.C. There are 48 contiguous states, plus Alaska located in the far northwestern part of North America and Hawaii located in the mid-Pacific. The United States also has five major territories and various islands. The United States of America – also known as the USA or the U.S. – is a nation located on the continent of North America. Mexico borders it to the south and Canada to the north.
Unsurprisingly, the thirteen colonies were the first thirteen states to be ratified. The first states to be ratified were Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania in 1787. Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, and New York were ratified in 1788, followed by North Carolina in 1789 and Rhode Island in 1790. Alaska and Hawaii, the only states that are not part of the mainland United States, were the last states admitted in 1959.
Alaska is the largest state in the United States, spanning over 663,300 square miles. On the opposite end, Rhode Island is the smallest state with just 1,212 square miles. California is the most populous state, with over 39 million residents, and Wyoming is the least populated, with only 577,000 residents.
There are four statistical regions of the United States as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. Each area contains multiple states. The first region is the Northeast. The states in this region include: Connecticut, maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, new York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Region 2 is the Midwest. The states in this region include: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
Region 3 is the South. The southern states are: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Misssissippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. Region 4 – the final region – is the West. The western states include: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
How Many States Are in The USA? Contentious Journeys to Statehood
There are 50 states in the United States of America, but that wasn’t always the case. Elementary school students in the early 1950s would have said that there were only 48, and there are activists in the 2020s who want the answer to be 52.
It would seem that being or not being a state wouldn’t be such a complicated concept. You may know the story of Manifest Destiny. First, there were 13 colonies. Then, settlers kept moving farther and farther west to clear unsettled land.
Nowadays, there is growing understanding of the violence, displacement, and genocide of Indigenous peoples that occurred as part of the “manifest destiny” story, and there is growing support for the Land Back movement. Additionally, many of the states that are now part of the U.S. used to be part of other sovereign nation states, and became part of the US through colonial and neocolonial practices. Here are some more controversial stories of how states became part of the USA.
The Mexican-American War Shaped the Southwest
President Polk declared the resulting deaths of American soldiers to be an act of war because it happened on American soil. Congress approved starting a war, but there was controversy even amongst American politicians. Some pointed out that America had actually been the aggressor because the battle happened on land that still belonged to Mexico. After all, an agreement to purchase the land was never reached.
This chain of events set off the Mexican-American War, which lasted for four years. The war ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. After the war, relations between the U.S. and Mexico were still contentious, to say the least. This is the direct reason that parts of Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, California, Utah, and California are now parts of the United States. The Gadsen Purchase, another result of post-war diplomacy, is also the reason for parts of Arizona and New Mexico’s statehood.
Overthrowing the Hawaiian Monarchy
In the 1800s, Hawaii was its own nation, and a royal monarchy ruled it. There were decades of history between the United States and Hawaii working together on certain endeavors for the mutual benefit of both neighboring nations.
During Queen Liliuokalani’s reign, a Congressional Act was passed to force Hawaii’s hand, declaring that Hawaiian sugar would only be lucrative for foreign sugar farmers from America and Europe if Hawaii were part of America. Otherwise, they would stand to lose considerable profits.
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States of the Union
States of the U.S.
There are fifty (50) states and Washington D.C.The last two states to join the Union were Alaska (49th) and Hawaii (50th). Both joined in 1959.
Washington D.C. is a federal district under the authority of Congress. Local government is run by a mayor and 13 member city council. Washington DC is represented in Congress by an elected, nonvoting Delegate to the House of Representatives and residents have been able to vote in Presidential elections since 1961.
Puerto Rico is a commonwealth associated with the U.S. Its indigenous inhabitants are U.S. citizens. Puerto Ricans are unable to vote in U.S. Presidential elections but they do elect a nonvoting resident commissioner to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Dependent areas: American Samoa, Baker Island, Guam, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Islands, Navassa Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Palmyra Atoll, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Wake Island.
Note: from 18 July 1947 until 1 October 1994, the U.S. administered the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, but recently entered into a new political relationship with all four political units: the Northern Mariana Islands is a commonwealth in political union with the U.S. (effective 3 November 1986); Palau concluded a Compact of Free Association with the U.S. (effective 1 October 1994); the Federated States of Micronesia signed a Compact of Free Association with the U.S. (effective 3 November 1986); the Republic of the Marshall Islands signed a Compact of Free Association with the US (effective 21 October 1986)
Source: The CIA Factbook
Detailed information about each of the territories can also be found in that CIA publication.
Links to State Governments
State Governors
The National Governors’ Association provides a list of names and contact details for the governors of the states and territories. There are also links to brief biographies of each of the officials.
The United States: Information & Statistics By State
Click a state in the map below to find facts, statistics, historical information, and more.
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U.S. Capital
The U.S. capital of Washington D.C. is described in the Constitution, and was later built per constitutional law. From then on D.C. has had an interesting life, full of rich history and gorgeous monuments. Learn more about the capital below.
Government
The United States government, from its very beginnings, was built around representing the fifty states both equally (in the Senate) and proportionally (in the House). This balance of protecting the interests of smaller states while also listening to the majority has had lasting impacts on the U.S. system of government. Find out more about these and other important institutions.
History
The history of human societies within the states’ territory stretches back millennia, but the history of the United States itself is quite recent. In the 450 years since the foundation was laid at St. Augustine, the United States has grown and expanded into one of the world’s largest and wealthiest nations. Learn more about the tumultuous journey from then to now with our timelines and articles.
Population and Geography
Perhaps more than in countries with stable long-term populations and settlement patterns, the United States has grown in leaps and bounds. From the waves of immigration, colonial border disputes, and the forced relocation of populations, the United States has developed very different populations across its diverse landscape. Meet the people of the U.S. and see the many places they live, including the territories of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Maps and Flags
Maps and flags both have played important historic roles in economic matters and in matters of identity. Every state has their own flag and their own defined territories. Learn more about the fifty states with our collections of maps and flags below.
Regions
The regions of the U.S. are quite distinct and well-established. Despite having little to no legal meaning, these regions mark important cultural boundaries between areas with common culture and history. The Southwest, for example, has much more influence from the Mexican settlers who lived there before the U.S. acquired it. Explore the different regions, as well as U.S. territories.
National Landmarks
The United States is liberally sprinkled with monuments, parks, and all sorts of impressive structures from Yellowstone, the first national park in the West, to the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. Let Infoplease be your guide to some of America’s greatest landmarks.
Economic and Social Comparisons
As a result of the history and populations of different parts of the country, the economy and cultural values have developed differently between the states. See which parts of the country are the most and least wealthy, which have extended the most rights to transgender people, and more.
U.S. Cities
The United States has seen a steady rise in its cities across all fifty states. The urban population today is larger than it’s ever been, in total and in proportion. Discover the many cities that help define the U.S., and find information on weather, population, facts, history, and landmarks of major U.S. cities.
State Superlatives
All of the fifty states have their own charms and selling points. However, by some metrics, some states are the «most» and some are the «least.» Some states have fewer car accidents than the rest, others have younger populations, and others might report higher happiness. See how the states stack up with our lists below.
State Trivia
Did you know California’s name was taken from a popular Spanish adventure story? Did you know that the state fruit of New Hampshire is the pumpkin (or that the pumpkin is a fruit)? Whether you want to impress your friends at trivia night or just want to learn something new, follow the links below for more fun facts about the states.
Americana
The United States is a lot more than just serious statistics and boring textbook history. America exists in the day to day through ball games, hamburgers and apple pie, and all that jazz. Learn more about some off the eccentricities and quirky locales that dot the country.