Title: U.S. state Content: In the United States, a state is a political entity. There are currently 50 of them, and they are bound together in a federation. Each has a government and can make laws over a particular area that the state covers. All states have a shared sovereignty with the U.S. federal government. People who were born or naturalized in states are citizens of both the United States and the state they are in. People can move between states without asking or saying so, unless a court has said they can't. Four states call themselves "commonwealths" in their official names. Washington, D.C. is a federal district and not a state nor in a state. States divide their territory into counties, or something similar with different name, which are not sovereign. Most states give their counties some government authority; a few states give them none. State governments get their power from the people of that state. States have a number of States' rights under the United States Constitution. States and the people that live in them are represented in the United States Congress, in the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each state also selects electors (an equal number to the number of Senators and Representatives from that state) to vote in the Electoral College, which elects the President of the United States. Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States, is considered as a possible 51st state for the future. == States of the United States == The 50 states, in alphabetical order, along with each state's flag: Image:Map of USA with state names.svg|750px|center poly 643 371 666 452 621 458 621 473 606 468 604 374 Alabama poly 152 457 153 540 177 548 205 576 205 589 183 588 158 553 117 547 100 567 12 578 66 547 41 517 52 469 72 449 107 437 Alaska poly 132 396 190 434 229 441 245 325 161 309 157 326 148 326 140 347 151 364 Arizona poly 490 346 489 404 499 419 551 419 566 373 574 353 560 347 Arkansas poly 27 164 91 181 73 243 140 339 138 346 149 363 134 394 91 389 41 334 13 194 California CA poly 257 235 369 248 364 331 247 320 Colorado poly 818 185 819 206 845 195 842 180 Connecticut poly 794 239 799 270 813 270 808 255 Delaware poly 731 453 776 545 757 583 739 584 714 520 688 472 663 485 624 471 624 460 666 454 666 460 Florida poly 644 368 686 364 736 417 730 455 668 457 Georgia poly 219 507 216 552 259 588 339 590 343 557 292 508 Hawaii poly 200 50 180 120 181 136 155 160 157 210 236 226 256 177 226 174 220 147 209 151 202 125 195 92 202 70 Idaho poly 555 221 539 263 563 291 560 304 582 330 595 328 605 291 601 227 591 209 552 215 Illinois poly 603 229 602 312 631 305 650 284 644 222 Indiana poly 461 197 454 215 469 258 535 258 544 244 553 225 540 198 Iowa poly 368 268 361 333 488 336 488 291 481 285 484 277 471 269 Kansas poly 581 343 677 330 697 310 682 289 652 281 633 309 602 313 Kentucky poly 504 488 510 458 498 440 501 421 553 421 555 435 546 461 574 461 585 475 593 499 547 504 Louisiana poly 836 111 850 149 854 157 897 106 887 89 872 60 849 56 Maine poly 732 253 732 263 756 254 778 266 776 275 788 278 798 296 811 268 797 268 793 242 Maryland poly 816 170 817 186 849 182 857 187 878 189 878 171 854 160 Massachusetts poly 544 114 555 131 596 149 613 224 664 219 674 191 647 128 581 85 Michigan poly 448 79 456 143 453 147 461 156 461 196 541 196 541 186 513 168 510 150 520 126 556 96 483 86 478 71 Minnesota poly 568 376 603 373 606 472 585 473 573 459 546 459 556 427 555 415 Mississippi poly 470 259 471 269 486 288 488 345 566 344 561 353 571 353 582 334 559 305 562 294 536 261 Missouri poly 184 49 179 70 194 104 190 127 200 123 209 152 235 154 237 147 342 158 351 75 Montana poly 340 203 337 244 368 247 368 265 475 269 460 217 426 208 Nebraska poly 92 182 180 200 156 324 146 323 141 342 73 244 Nevada poly 829 114 825 168 852 160 835 109 New Hampshire poly 801 207 799 225 806 231 797 240 809 254 823 224 815 218 815 211 New Jersey poly 245 320 347 330 337 436 245 431 242 443 226 439 New Mexico poly 727 177 716 205 789 190 799 204 815 209 815 216 823 221 847 202 821 205 817 185 817 167 803 124 777 128 754 166 New York poly 706 328 666 366 716 357 748 359 768 375 817 333 803 309 North Carolina poly 351 76 345 138 455 144 447 80 North Dakota poly 653 281 679 285 686 292 714 243 710 213 675 224 663 220 645 223 649 275 Ohio poly 347 331 488 337 494 407 430 397 397 388 397 347 345 345 Oklahoma poly 60 79 26 145 26 162 136 188 142 137 157 118 150 104 99 104 73 97 72 83 Oregon poly 708 210 716 255 791 240 804 230 797 223 799 205 788 191 Pennsylvania poly 849 179 855 187 847 195 841 183 Rhode Island poly 686 363 738 418 765 376 749 361 716 356 South Carolina poly 346 138 456 144 452 149 459 157 459 195 456 214 425 207 375 202 341 201 343 182 343 160 South Dakota poly 569 374 667 366 705 327 575 344 Tennessee poly 346 342 337 439 274 432 306 485 331 501 347 484 368 488 407 560 440 572 440 532 507 489 511 457 498 412 483 404 397 389 396 345 Texas poly 182 201 228 209 224 232 256 234 244 321 162 307 Utah poly 803 123 816 168 825 168 828 120 Vermont poly 698 310 677 331 803 308 789 280 775 276 778 267 765 258 753 258 731 277 726 304 Virginia poly 57 76 73 85 73 95 111 102 158 109 168 49 88 25 60 34 Washington poly 763 260 753 259 743 278 732 276 728 297 717 308 700 312 689 297 694 275 709 262 712 241 715 257 734 254 734 262 753 253 761 254 West Virginia poly 522 129 520 140 513 146 513 169 538 184 539 210 549 216 592 210 600 156 593 153 585 143 548 126 538 120 Wisconsin poly 239 148 223 232 337 244 343 157 Wyoming rect 883 272 953 290 Iowa rect 882 291 951 315 Maryland rect 675 33 785 60 New Hampshire rect 867 244 950 269 New Jersey rect 680 88 774 113 Massachusetts rect 871 222 955 243 Connecticut rect 858 340 953 361 West Virginia rect 727 63 780 86 Vermont rect 863 195 954 220 Rhode Island