The ''51st state'', in post-1959 American political discourse, is a phrase that refers to areas or locales that are -- seriously or facetiously -- considered candidates for U.S. statehood, joining the 50 states that presently compose the United States. The phrase has been applied to external territories as well as parts of existing states which would be admitted as separate states in their own right.

What's the best answer to this question: are there 51 states in the united states?
no