US States and Governance

What is a State?

• A state is a governmental organization in charge of a territory and the people who live there.
• The United States is a federal state composed of 50 constituent units, also called states.

Statehood

• Statehood is the process whereby a country gains a status of independence that is recognized by other states.
• Statehood can also refer to a territory becoming a state of the US.

List of 50 States

• Delaware is known as the "First State" because it was the first of the 13 original colonies to ratify the Constitution of the US.

Alabama to Wyoming

• Each state has its own capital city, flag, and nickname, as well as unique facts and trivia.
• Alabama is known as the "Heart of Dixie" and is the biggest state in the old South.
• Alaska is the biggest and northernmost state.
• Arizona is known as the "Grand Canyon State" and has deserts full of saguaro cactus.
• Arkansas is known as the "Natural State" and has the only active diamond mines in the US.
• California is known as the "Golden State" and is home to Hollywood and Silicon Valley.
• ... (all 50 states are listed with their corresponding facts)

How Many States are There in the USA?

• There are 50 states in the USA.
• Washington, DC is not a state, but rather the seat of the federal government.
• There are also five unincorporated territories in the US: Puerto Rico, Guam, Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the US Virgin Islands.

Memorizing States on a Map

• Size: Remembering the biggest and smallest states can help identify over 10% of the total states.
• Shape: Being creative, one can memorize states based on what they look like.
• Panhandles: Oklahoma has a long panhandle that makes the state look like a cooking pot.
• Unique location: Alaska is the northernmost state and Hawaii the southernmost.
• Region: The map of the states is color-coded by region.