# State o the Unitit States

Cairt o the Unitit States
A **U.S. state** (abbreviation o **Unitit States state**) is ony o the 50 federatit states o the Unitit States o Americae that share sovereignty wi the federal govrenment. Acause o this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen baith o the federal entity an o his or her state o domicile. Fower states uise the offeecial title o *commonweel* rather than *state*. State ceetizenship is flexible an no govrenment approval is required tae muive atween states (wi the exception o convicts on parole).

The Unitit States Constitution allocates pouer atween thon twa levels o govrenment. Bi ratifyin the Constitution, the fowk transferred certain limited sovereign pouers tae the federal govrenment frae thair states. Unner the Tenth Amendment, aw pouers no delegatit tae the U.S. govrenment nor prohibitit tae the states are retained bi the states or the fowk. Historically, the tasks o public safety (in the sense o controllin creeme), public eddication, public heal, transportation, an infrastructur hae generally been considered primarily state responsibilities, awtho aw o thir nou hae significant federal fundin an regulation as well (based lairgely upon the Commerce Clause, the Taxin an Spendin Clause, an the Necessary an Proper Clause o the Constitution).

Ower time, the Constitution haes been amendit, an the interpretation an application o its provisions haes chynged. The general tendency haes been toward centralization an incorporation, wi the federal govrenment playin a muckler role nor it ance did. Thare is a continuin debate ower states' richts, that concerns the extent an naitur o the states' pouers an sovereignty in relation tae the federal govrenment as weel as the richts o individual bodys.

Congress micht admit new states on an equal fittin wi existin anes; housomeivver, it haesnae duin sae syne 1959. The Constitution is silent on the quaisten o gin states hae the pouer tae unilaterally lea, or secede frae, the Union, but the Supreme Court haes ruled secession tae be unconstitutional, a poseetion driven in pairt bi the ootcome o the American Ceevil War.

## States

States o the Unitit States o Americae| Name & postal abbreviation | Ceeties | Established | Population  | Total area | Laund area | Watter area | # Reps. |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Caipital | Lairgest | mi2 | km2 | mi2 | km2 | mi2 | km2 |
|  Alabama | AL | Montgomery | Birmingham | 000000001819-12-14-0000Dec 14, 1819 | 4,874,747 | 52,420 | 135,767 | 50,645 | 131,171 | 1,775 | 4,597 | 7 |
|  Alaska | AK | Juneau | Anchorage | 000000001959-01-03-0000Jan 3, 1959 | 739,795 | 665,384 | 1,723,337 | 570,641 | 1,477,953 | 94,743 | 245,384 | 1 |
|  Arizona | AZ | Phoenix | 000000001912-02-14-0000Feb 14, 1912 | 7,016,270 | 113,990 | 295,234 | 113,594 | 294,207 | 396 | 1,026 | 9 |
|  Arkansas | AR | Little Rock | 000000001836-06-15-0000Jun 15, 1836 | 3,004,279 | 53,179 | 137,732 | 52,035 | 134,771 | 1,143 | 2,961 | 4 |
|  Californie | CA | Sacramento | Los Angeles | 000000001850-09-09-0000Sep 9, 1850 | 39,536,653 | 163,695 | 423,967 | 155,779 | 403,466 | 7,916 | 20,501 | 53 |
|  Colorado | CO | Denver | 000000001876-08-01-0000Aug 1, 1876 | 5,607,154 | 104,094 | 269,601 | 103,642 | 268,431 | 452 | 1,170 | 7 |
|  Connecticut | CT | Hartford | Bridgeport | 000000001788-01-09-0000Jan 9, 1788 | 3,588,184 | 5,543 | 14,357 | 4,842 | 12,542 | 701 | 1,816 | 5 |
|  Delaware | DE | Dover | Wilmington | 000000001787-12-07-0000Dec 7, 1787 | 961,939 | 2,489 | 6,446 | 1,949 | 5,047 | 540 | 1,399 | 1 |
|  Florida | FL | Tallahassee | Jacksonville | 000000001845-03-03-0000Mar 3, 1845 | 20,984,400 | 65,758 | 170,312 | 53,625 | 138,887 | 12,133 | 31,424 | 27 |
|  Georgie | GA | Atlanta | 000000001788-01-02-0000Jan 2, 1788 | 10,429,379 | 59,425 | 153,910 | 57,513 | 148,959 | 1,912 | 4,951 | 14 |
|  Hawaii | HI | Honolulu | 000000001959-08-21-0000Aug 21, 1959 | 1,427,538 | 10,932 | 28,313 | 6,423 | 16,635 | 4,509 | 11,678 | 2 |
|  Idaho | ID | Boise | 000000001890-07-03-0000Jul 3, 1890 | 1,716,943 | 83,569 | 216,443 | 82,643 | 214,045 | 926 | 2,398 | 2 |
|  Illinois | IL | Springfield | Chicago | 000000001818-12-03-0000Dec 3, 1818 | 12,802,023 | 57,914 | 149,995 | 55,519 | 143,793 | 2,395 | 6,202 | 18 |
|  Indiana | IN | Indianapolis | 000000001816-12-11-0000Dec 11, 1816 | 6,666,818 | 36,420 | 94,326 | 35,826 | 92,789 | 593 | 1,537 | 9 |
|  Iowa | IA | Des Moines | 000000001846-12-28-0000Dec 28, 1846 | 3,145,711 | 56,273 | 145,746 | 55,857 | 144,669 | 416 | 1,077 | 4 |
|  Kansas | KS | Topeka | Wichita | 000000001861-01-29-0000Jan 29, 1861 | 2,913,123 | 82,278 | 213,100 | 81,759 | 211,754 | 520 | 1,346 | 4 |
|  Kentucky | KY | Frankfort | Louisville | 000000001792-06-01-0000Jun 1, 1792 | 4,454,189 | 40,408 | 104,656 | 39,486 | 102,269 | 921 | 2,387 | 6 |
|  Louisiana | LA | Baton Rouge | New Orleans | 000000001812-04-30-0000Apr 30, 1812 | 4,684,333 | 52,378 | 135,659 | 43,204 | 111,898 | 9,174 | 23,761 | 6 |
|  Maine | ME | Augusta | Portland | 000000001820-03-15-0000Mar 15, 1820 | 1,335,907 | 35,380 | 91,633 | 30,843 | 79,883 | 4,537 | 11,750 | 2 |
|  Maryland | MD | Annapolis | Baltimore | 000000001788-04-28-0000Apr 28, 1788 | 6,052,177 | 12,406 | 32,131 | 9,707 | 25,142 | 2,699 | 6,990 | 8 |
|  Massachusetts | MA | Boston | 000000001788-02-06-0000Feb 6, 1788 | 6,859,819 | 10,554 | 27,336 | 7,800 | 20,202 | 2,754 | 7,134 | 9 |
|  Michigan | MI | Lansing | Detroit | 000000001837-01-26-0000Jan 26, 1837 | 9,962,311 | 96,714 | 250,487 | 56,539 | 146,435 | 40,175 | 104,052 | 14 |
|  Minnesota | MN | St. Paul | Minneapolis | 000000001858-05-11-0000Mey 11, 1858 | 5,576,606 | 86,936 | 225,163 | 79,627 | 206,232 | 7,309 | 18,930 | 8 |
|  Mississippi | MS | Jackson | 000000001817-12-10-0000Dec 10, 1817 | 2,984,100 | 48,432 | 125,438 | 46,923 | 121,531 | 1,508 | 3,907 | 4 |
|  Missouri | MO | Jefferson City | Kansas City | 000000001821-08-10-0000Aug 10, 1821 | 6,113,532 | 69,707 | 180,540 | 68,742 | 178,040 | 965 | 2,501 | 8 |
|  Montana | MT | Helena | Billings | 000000001889-11-08-0000Nov 8, 1889 | 1,050,493 | 147,040 | 380,831 | 145,546 | 376,962 | 1,494 | 3,869 | 1 |
|  Nebraska | NE | Lincoln | Omaha | 000000001867-03-01-0000Mar 1, 1867 | 1,920,076 | 77,348 | 200,330 | 76,824 | 198,974 | 524 | 1,356 | 3 |
|  Nevada | NV | Carson City | Las Vegas | 000000001864-10-31-0000Oct 31, 1864 | 2,998,039 | 110,572 | 286,380 | 109,781 | 284,332 | 791 | 2,048 | 4 |
|  New Hampshire | NH | Concord | Manchester | 000000001788-06-21-0000Jun 21, 1788 | 1,342,795 | 9,349 | 24,214 | 8,953 | 23,187 | 397 | 1,027 | 2 |
|  New Jersey | NJ | Trenton | Newark | 000000001787-12-18-0000Dec 18, 1787 | 9,005,644 | 8,723 | 22,591 | 7,354 | 19,047 | 1,368 | 3,544 | 12 |
|  New Mexico | NM | Santa Fe | Albuquerque | 000000001912-01-06-0000Jan 6, 1912 | 2,088,070 | 121,590 | 314,917 | 121,298 | 314,161 | 292 | 757 | 3 |
|  New York | NY | Albany | New York City | 000000001788-07-26-0000Jul 26, 1788 | 19,849,399 | 54,555 | 141,297 | 47,126 | 122,057 | 7,429 | 19,240 | 27 |
|  North Carolina | NC | Raleigh | Charlotte | 000000001789-11-21-0000Nov 21, 1789 | 10,273,419 | 53,819 | 139,391 | 48,618 | 125,920 | 5,201 | 13,471 | 13 |
|  North Dakota | ND | Bismarck | Fargo | 000000001889-11-02-0000Nov 2, 1889 | 755,393 | 70,698 | 183,108 | 69,001 | 178,711 | 1,698 | 4,397 | 1 |
|  Ohio | OH | Columbus | 000000001803-03-01-0000Mar 1, 1803 | 11,658,609 | 44,826 | 116,098 | 40,861 | 105,829 | 3,965 | 10,269 | 16 |
|  Oklahoma | OK | Oklahoma Ceety | 000000001907-11-16-0000Nov 16, 1907 | 3,930,864 | 69,899 | 181,037 | 68,595 | 177,660 | 1,304 | 3,377 | 5 |
|  Oregon | OR | Salem | Portland | 000000001859-02-14-0000Feb 14, 1859 | 4,142,776 | 98,379 | 254,799 | 95,988 | 248,608 | 2,391 | 6,191 | 5 |
|  Pennsylvanie | PA | Harrisburg | Philadelphia | 000000001787-12-12-0000Dec 12, 1787 | 12,805,537 | 46,054 | 119,280 | 44,743 | 115,883 | 1,312 | 3,397 | 18 |
|  Rhode Island | RI | Providence | 000000001790-05-29-0000Mey 29, 1790 | 1,059,639 | 1,545 | 4,001 | 1,034 | 2,678 | 511 | 1,324 | 2 |
|  Sooth Carolina | SC | Columbia | Charleston | 000000001788-05-23-0000Mey 23, 1788 | 5,024,369 | 32,020 | 82,933 | 30,061 | 77,857 | 1,960 | 5,076 | 7 |
|  Sooth Dakota | SD | Pierre | Sioux Falls | 000000001889-11-02-0000Nov 2, 1889 | 869,666 | 77,116 | 199,729 | 75,811 | 196,350 | 1,305 | 3,379 | 1 |
|  Tennessee | TN | Nashville | 000000001796-06-01-0000Jun 1, 1796 | 6,715,984 | 42,144 | 109,153 | 41,235 | 106,798 | 909 | 2,355 | 9 |
|  Texas | TX | Austin | Houston | 000000001845-12-29-0000Dec 29, 1845 | 28,304,596 | 268,596 | 695,662 | 261,232 | 676,587 | 7,365 | 19,075 | 36 |
|  Utah | UT | Salt Lake City | 000000001896-01-04-0000Jan 4, 1896 | 3,101,833 | 84,897 | 219,882 | 82,170 | 212,818 | 2,727 | 7,064 | 4 |
|  Vermont | VT | Montpelier | Burlington | 000000001791-03-04-0000Mar 4, 1791 | 623,657 | 9,616 | 24,906 | 9,217 | 23,871 | 400 | 1,035 | 1 |
|  Virginie | VA | Richmond | Virginia Beach | 000000001788-06-25-0000Jun 25, 1788 | 8,470,020 | 42,775 | 110,787 | 39,490 | 102,279 | 3,285 | 8,508 | 11 |
|  Washington | WA | Olympia | Seattle | 000000001889-11-11-0000Nov 11, 1889 | 7,405,743 | 71,298 | 184,661 | 66,456 | 172,119 | 4,842 | 12,542 | 10 |
|  Wast Virginie | WV | Charleston | 000000001863-06-20-0000Jun 20, 1863 | 1,815,857 | 24,230 | 62,756 | 24,038 | 62,259 | 192 | 497 | 3 |
|  Wisconsin | WI | Madison | Milwaukee | 000000001848-05-29-0000Mey 29, 1848 | 5,795,483 | 65,496 | 169,635 | 54,158 | 140,268 | 11,339 | 29,367 | 8 |
|  Wyoming | WY | Cheyenne | 000000001890-07-10-0000Jul 10, 1890 | 579,315 | 97,813 | 253,335 | 97,093 | 251,470 | 720 | 1,864 | 1 |

## Further readin

* Stein, Mark, *How the States Got Their Shapes*, New York : Smithsonian Beuks/Collins, 2008. ISBN 978-0-06-143138-8

## Freemit airtins

* Information aboot Aw States Archived 2009-07-24 at the Wayback Machine frae *UCB Libraries GovPubs*
* State Resource Guides, frae the Library o Congress
* Tables wi auries, populations, densities an mair (in order o population) Archived 2003-10-18 at the Wayback Machine
* Tables with areas, populations, densities and more (alphabetical) Archived 2003-08-31 at the Wayback Machine
* State an Territorial Govrenments on USA.gov
* StateMaster – statistical database for US States. Archived 2012-06-16 at the Wayback Machine
* U.S. States: Comparisons, rankins, demographics Archived 2015-10-23 at the Wayback Machine

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