A U. S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States that share sovereignty with the federal government (four states use the official title of commonwealth rather than state). Many countries are made up of a number of subnational entities called states (or related terms in languages other than English The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself The federal government of the United States is the central United States Governmental body established by the United States Constitution. Four of the constituent states of the United States officially designate themselves Commonwealths: Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the In Conflict of Laws, domicile (sometimes termed domicil in the U ^[1] However, state citizenship is very flexible, and no government approval is required to move between states (with the exception of convicts on parole). State citizenship usually refers to Citizenship of one of the states of the United States of America. Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system

The United States Constitution allocates power between the two levels of government in general terms. The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme Law of the United States. By ratifying the Constitution, each state transfers certain sovereign powers to the federal government. Under the Tenth Amendment, all powers not explicitly transferred are retained by the states and the people. The Tenth Amendment ( Amendment X) of the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, was ratified on December 15, Historically, the tasks of public education, public health, transportation and other infrastructure have been considered primarily state responsibilities, although all have significant federal funding and regulation as well.

Once again, the Constitution has been amended, and the interpretation and application of its provisions have changed. The general tendency has been toward centralization, with the federal government playing a much larger role than it once did. There is a continuing debate over "states' rights", which concerns the extent and nature of the states' powers and sovereignty in relation to that of the federal government, and their power over individuals. States' rights refers to the idea in US politics and constitutional law, that U

List of states

The following sortable table lists each of the 50 states of the United States with the following information:

1. The common state name
2. The preferred pronunciation of the common state name as transcribed with the International Phonetic Alphabet (see Help:Pronunciation for a key)
3. The United States Postal Service (USPS) two-character state abbreviation^[2]
   (also used as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Standard 3166-2 country subdivision code)
4. The date the state ratified the United States Constitution or was admitted to the Union
5. The United States Census Bureau estimate of state population as of 2007-07-01^[3][4]
6. The state capital
7. The most populous incorporated place or Census Designated Place within the state as of 2006-07-01, as estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau^[5]
8. An image of the official state flag

The 50 United States of America

Official State Name	Common	IPA	USPS	Date	Population	Capital	Most Populous City	Flag
State of Alabama	Alabama	/ˌæləˈbæmə/	AL	181912141819-12-14	04,627,851	Montgomery	Birmingham
State of Alaska	Alaska	/əˈlæskə/	AK	195901031959-01-03	00,683,478	Juneau	Anchorage
State of Arizona	Arizona	/ˌærɪˈzoʊnə/	AZ	191202141912-02-14	06,338,755	Phoenix	Phoenix
State of Arkansas	Arkansas	/ˈɑrkənsɑː/	AR	183606151836-06-15	02,834,797	Little Rock	Little Rock
State of California	California	/ˌkælɪˈfɔrnjə/	CA	185009091850-09-09	36,553,215	Sacramento	Los Angeles
State of Colorado	Colorado	/ˌkɒləˈrædoʊ/	CO	187608011876-08-01	04,861,515	Denver	Denver
State of Connecticut	Connecticut	/kəˈnɛtɪkət/	CT	178801091788-01-09	03,502,309	Hartford	Bridgeport[6]
State of Delaware	Delaware	/ˈdɛləwɛər/	DE	178712071787-12-07	00,864,764	Dover	Wilmington
State of Florida	Florida	/ˈflɔrɪdə/	FL	184503031845-03-03	18,251,243	Tallahassee	Jacksonville[7]
State of Georgia	Georgia	/ˈdʒɔrdʒə/	GA	178801021788-01-02	09,544,750	Atlanta	Atlanta
State of Hawaiʻi Mokuʻāina o Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian)	Hawaii	/həˈwaɪi/, [haʋaiʔi]	HI	195908211959-08-21	01,283,388	Honolulu	Honolulu
State of Idaho	Idaho	/ˈaɪdəhoʊ/	ID	189007031890-07-03	01,499,402	Boise	Boise
State of Illinois	Illinois	/ɪlɪˈnɔɪ/	IL	181812031818-12-03	12,852,548	Springfield	Chicago
State of Indiana	Indiana	/ˌɪndiˈænə/	IN	181612111816-12-11	06,345,289	Indianapolis	Indianapolis
State of Iowa	Iowa	/ˈaɪəwə/	IA	184612281846-12-28	02,988,046	Des Moines	Des Moines
State of Kansas	Kansas	/ˈkænzəs/	KS	186101291861-01-29	02,775,997	Topeka	Wichita
Commonwealth of Kentucky	Kentucky	/kənˈtəki/	KY	179206011792-06-01	04,241,474	Frankfort	Louisville
State of Louisiana État de Louisiane (French)	Louisiana	/luˌiziˈænə/	LA	181204301812-04-30	04,293,204	Baton Rouge	New Orleans
State of Maine	Maine	/ˈmeɪn/	ME	182003151820-03-15	01,317,207	Augusta	Portland
State of Maryland	Maryland	/ˈmɛrələnd/	MD	178804281788-04-28	05,618,344	Annapolis	Baltimore[8]
Commonwealth of Massachusetts	Massachusetts	/ˌmæsəˈtʃuːsɪts/	MA	178802061788-02-06	06,449,755	Boston	Boston
State of Michigan	Michigan	/ˈmɪʃɪgən/	MI	183701261837-01-26	10,071,822	Lansing	Detroit
State of Minnesota	Minnesota	/ˌmɪnɪˈsoʊtə/	MN	185805111858-05-11	05,197,621	Saint Paul	Minneapolis
State of Mississippi	Mississippi	/ˌmɪsɪˈsɪpi/	MS	181712101817-12-10	02,918,785	Jackson	Jackson
State of Missouri	Missouri	/mɪˈzʊəri, mɪˈzʊərə/	MO	182108101821-08-10	05,878,415	Jefferson City	Kansas City[9]
State of Montana	Montana	/mɑnˈtænə/	MT	188911081889-11-08	00,957,861	Helena	Billings
State of Nebraska	Nebraska	/nəˈbræskə/	NE	186703011867-03-01	01,774,571	Lincoln	Omaha
State of Nevada	Nevada	/nəˈvædə/	NV	186410311864-10-31	02,565,382	Carson City	Las Vegas
State of New Hampshire	New Hampshire	/nuˈhæmpʃər/	NH	178806211788-06-21	01,315,828	Concord	Manchester[10]
State of New Jersey	New Jersey	/nuˈdʒɝzi/	NJ	178712181787-12-18	08,685,920	Trenton	Newark[11]
State of New Mexico Estado de Nuevo México (Spanish)	New Mexico	/nuˈmɛksɪkoʊ/	NM	191201061912-01-06	02,499,481	Santa Fe	Albuquerque
State of New York	New York	/nuːˈjɔrk/	NY	178807261788-07-26	19,297,729	Albany	New York[12]
State of North Carolina	North Carolina	/ˌnɔrθˌkɛrəˈlaɪnə/	NC	178911211789-11-21	09,061,032	Raleigh	Charlotte
State of North Dakota	North Dakota	/ˌnɔrθdəˈkoʊtə/	ND	188911021889-11-02	00,639,715	Bismarck	Fargo
State of Ohio	Ohio	/oʊˈhaɪoʊ/	OH	180303011803-03-01	11,466,917	Columbus	Columbus[13]
State of Oklahoma	Oklahoma	/ˌoʊkləˈhoʊmə/	OK	190711161907-11-16	03,617,316	Oklahoma City	Oklahoma City
State of Oregon	Oregon	/ˈɔrɪgən/	OR	185902141859-02-14	03,747,455	Salem	Portland
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania	Pennsylvania	/ˌpɛnsɪlˈveɪnjə/	PA	178712121787-12-12	12,432,792	Harrisburg	Philadelphia
State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations	Rhode Island	/roʊdˈaɪlənd/	RI	179005291790-05-29	01,057,832	Providence	Providence
State of South Carolina	South Carolina	/ˌsɑʊθkɛrəˈlaɪnə/	SC	178805231788-05-23	04,407,709	Columbia	Columbia[14]
State of South Dakota	South Dakota	/ˌsɑʊθdəˈkoʊtə/	SD	188911021889-11-02	00,796,214	Pierre	Sioux Falls
State of Tennessee	Tennessee	/ˌtɛnɪˈsiː/	TN	179606011796-06-01	06,156,719	Nashville	Memphis[15]
State of Texas	Texas	/ˈtɛksəs/	TX	184512291845-12-29	23,904,380	Austin	Houston[16]
State of Utah	Utah	/ˈjuːtɑː/	UT	189601041896-01-04	02,645,330	Salt Lake City	Salt Lake City
State of Vermont	Vermont	/vɚˈmɑnt/	VT	179103041791-03-04	00,621,254	Montpelier	Burlington
Commonwealth of Virginia	Virginia	/vɚˈdʒɪnjə/	VA	178806251788-06-25	07,712,091	Richmond	Virginia Beach[17]
State of Washington	Washington	/ˈwɑʃɪŋtən/	WA	188911111889-11-11	06,468,424	Olympia	Seattle
State of West Virginia	West Virginia	/ˌwɛstvɚˈdʒɪnjə/	WV	186306201863-06-20	01,812,035	Charleston	Charleston
State of Wisconsin	Wisconsin	/wɪsˈkɑnsɪn/	WI	184805291848-05-29	05,601,640	Madison	Milwaukee
State of Wyoming	Wyoming	/waɪˈoʊmɪŋ/	WY	189007101890-07-10	00,522,830	Cheyenne	Cheyenne

Legal relationship

Union as a single nation

Upon the adoption of the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, the states became a confederation, a single sovereign political entity for the purpose of international law – empowered to levy war and to conduct international relations. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The political units and divisions of the United States include The 50 states (four of these being officially styled as Commonwealths) which are typically The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA is a system of phonetic notation based on the Latin alphabet, devised by the International Phonetic ISO 3166-2 is the second part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO ISO 3166-2US is an ISO standard which defines Geocodes it is the subset of ISO 3166-2 which applies to the United States of America. Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This is a list of U The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme Law of the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title) is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Washington DC has been the capital of the United States since 1800 An incorporated place, as defined by the US Census Bureau, is a type of governmental unit incorporated under state law as a city town (except the New England states A census-designated place ( CDP) is a type of place (a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title) is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census The Flags of the US states exhibit a wide variety of regional influences and local histories as well as widely different styles and design principles Alabama (formally the State of Alabama;) is a State located in the southern region of the United States of America. Year 1819 ( MDCCCXIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar in the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year Events 1287 - St Lucia's flood: The Zuider Zee sea wall in the Netherlands collapses killing over 50000 people Montgomery (məntˈgəmɜriː is the Capital, second most populous city and the 4th most populous metropolitan area in the Southern U Birmingham (ˈbɝmɪŋhæm is the largest City in the US state of Alabama and is the County seat of Jefferson County. Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. The State of Arizona ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting Events 842 - Charles the Bald and Louis the German swear the Oaths of Strasbourg in the French and German Phoenix (ˈfiːˌnɪks O'odham Skikik, Yavapai Wasinka, Western Apache Fiinigis, Navajo Hoozdo, Arkansas ( is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Year 1836 ( MDCCCXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap Events 763 BC - Assyrians record a Solar eclipse that will be used to fix the Chronology of Mesopotamian history Little Rock is the Capital and the most populous city of the U California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. For the game see 1850 (board game. 1850 ( MDCCCL) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link Events 1000 - Battle of Svolder, Viking Age. 1379 - Treaty of Neuberg, splitting the Austrian Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West The State of Colorado ( or chiefly by nonresidents) is a state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. Year 1876 ( MDCCCLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman The City and County of Denver (pronounced /ˈdɛnvɚ/ is the Capital and the most populous city of Colorado, in the United States Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. Year 1788 ( MDCCLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. Delaware ( is a state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Year 1787 ( MDCCLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 43 BC - Marcus Tullius Cicero assassinated 1696 - Connecticut Route 108, one of the oldest highways The city of Dover is the capital and second largest city in the U Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the Year 1845 ( MDCCCXLV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1284 - Statute of Rhuddlan incorporated the Principality of Wales into England 1575 - Indian The State of Georgia ( is a state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule Year 1788 ( MDCCLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap Events 366 - The Alamanni cross the frozen Rhine River in large numbers invading the Roman Empire. The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the The Hawaiian language (Hawaiian ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i) is an Austronesian language that takes its name from Hawai'i, the largest island in the tropical The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan. Honolulu is the Capital and most populous Census-designated place (CDP in the U The State of Idaho ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States of America. Year 1890 ( MDCCCXC) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 324 - Battle of Adrianople Constantine I defeats Licinius, who flees to Byzantium. Boise (ˈbɔɪsi is the capital and most populous city of the U The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. Year 1818 ( MDCCCXVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Events 1800 - War of the Second Coalition: Battle of Hohenlinden, French Springfield is the capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 116482 (U Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The State of Indiana ( was the 19th US state admitted into the union Year 1816 ( MDCCCXVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Events 359 - Honoratus, the first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, takes office The State of Iowa ( is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States of America. For the game see 1846 (board game. Year 1846 ( MDCCCXLVI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display Events 1065 - Westminster Abbey is Consecrated. 1308 - The reign of Emperor Hanazono, Emperor of Kansas ( is a Midwestern state in the central region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the American " Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 904 - Sergius III comes out of retirement to take over the papacy from the deposed Antipope Christopher. Topeka ( Kansa: Tó Ppí Kˀé ˌto ˈpːi ˌkˀeɪ Ioway: Dó Pí Kˀé ˌto ˈpʰi ˌkˀeɪ Wichita (ˈwɪtʃɪtaː is the most populous City in the US state of Kansas, and the county seat of Sedgwick County. The Commonwealth of Kentucky ( is a state located in the East Central United States of America. Year 1792 ( MDCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Frankfort is a city in the US commonwealth of Kentucky that serves as the state Capital and the County seat of Franklin County. The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Year 1812 ( MDCCCXII) a leap year started on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule Baton Rouge (French Bâton-Rouge ˌbætən ˈruːdʒ in English, and in French) is the capital city of Louisiana. New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana The State of Maine ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean Year 1820 ( MDCCCXX) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Events 44 BC - Julius Caesar, Dictator of the Roman Republic, is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus, Augusta is the Capital of the US state of Maine, County seat of Kennebec County, and Center of population Portland is the largest city in the US state of Maine and the County seat of Cumberland County. Year 1788 ( MDCCLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap Events 1192 - Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title Annapolis is the capital of the US state of Maryland, as well as the County seat of Anne Arundel County. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Year 1788 ( MDCCLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats the combined army of Pompeian followers and Numidians under Metellus Scipio Michigan ( is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. Year 1837 ( MDCCCXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Events 1340 - King Edward III of England is declared King of France. Minnesota ( Native Americans demonstrated the name to early settlers Year 1858 ( MDCCCLVIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople Saint Paul ( abbreviated St Paul) is the capital and second most populous city in the U Mississippi ( is a state located in the Deep South of the United States Year 1817 ( MDCCCXVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1041 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium elevates her adoptive son to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael V Missouri ( or) is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee Year 1821 ( MDCCCXXI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year Events 612 BC - Killing of Sinsharishkun, King of Assyrian Empire Kansas City Missouri only Items for the metro area Kansas City Kansas or North Kansas City MO should go on their respective pages Montana ( is a state in the Western United States. One-third of the state in the western part contains numerous mountain ranges (approximately 77 named of the northern Year 1889 ( MDCCCLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1519 - Hernán Cortés enters Tenochtitlán and Aztec ruler Moctezuma welcomes him with great a Celebration Helena (ˈhɛlɨnə is the Capital city of the US state of Montana and the County seat of Lewis and Clark County Billings is the largest city in the US state of Montana, located in the south-central portion of the state Nebraska ( is a state located on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States and Year 1867 ( MDCCCLXVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant The City of Lincoln ( Umóⁿhoⁿ: Nískithe Tʰóⁿwoⁿgthoⁿ ˈnĩskiˡðe ˌtʰãwãŋgˡðã meaning "Salt Village" for Salt Creek which was the Nevada ( is a state located in the western region of the United States of America. Year 1864 ( MDCCCLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Las Vegas ( Spanish: "The Meadows" is the most populous City in the state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally New Hampshire ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. Year 1788 ( MDCCLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap Events 524 - Godomar, King of the Burgundians defeats the Franks at the Battle of Vézeronce. The city of Concord (ˈkɒnkərd often mispronounced as " Concorde " is the Capital of the state of New Hampshire in the United States Manchester is the largest city in the US state of New Hampshire and the largest city of northern New England, an area composed of Vermont, New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. Year 1787 ( MDCCLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 218 BC - Second Punic War: Battle of the Trebia - Hannibal 's Carthaginian forces defeat those of the Trenton is the Capital of the US state of New Jersey and the County seat of Mercer County. Newark is the largest city in New Jersey, United States and the County seat of Essex County. New Mexico ( is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States of America. Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting Events 1066 - Harold Godwinson is crowned King of England. 1205 - Philip of Swabia becomes King Santa Fe ( Navajo: Yootó is the Capital of the state of New Mexico. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Year 1788 ( MDCCLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap Events 657 - Battle of Siffin. 811 - Battle of Pliska; Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus Albany is the Capital of the State of New York and the County seat of Albany County. The City of New York North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States Year 1789 ( MDCCLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 164 BC - Judas Maccabaeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family restores the Temple in Jerusalem. Raleigh (pronounced rah-lee) is the Capital of the State of North Carolina and the county seat of Wake County, USA North Dakota ( is a state located in the Midwestern and Western regions of the United States of America. Year 1889 ( MDCCCLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1570 - A Tidal wave in the North Sea devastates the coast from Holland to Jutland, killing more than 1000 Bismarck is the Capital of the US state of North Dakota, the County seat of Burleigh County, and the second most populous city in Fargo is a city in Cass County, North Dakota in the United States. Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads 1803 ( MDCCCIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant Columbus is the Capital and the largest city of the US state of Ohio. Oklahoma ( is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 534 - A second and final revision of the Codex Justinianus is published Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the US state of Oklahoma. Oregon ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Year 1859 ( MDCCCLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 842 - Charles the Bald and Louis the German swear the Oaths of Strasbourg in the French and German Salem (ˈseɪləm is the Capital of the US state of Oregon, and the County seat of Marion County. Portland is a city located in the Northwestern United States, near the Confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern Year 1787 ( MDCCLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian Harrisburg is the Capital of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States of America Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə Rhode Island ( officially named the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, is a state in the New England region of the United States Year 1790 ( MDCCXC) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the South Carolina ( is a state in the southern region ( Deep South) of the United States of America. Year 1788 ( MDCCLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the US state of South Carolina. South Dakota ( is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America. Year 1889 ( MDCCCLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1570 - A Tidal wave in the North Sea devastates the coast from Holland to Jutland, killing more than 1000 The city of Pierre (ˈpɪər "peer") is the Capital of the U Sioux Falls (ˌsuː ˈfɔːlz is the largest city in the US state of South Dakota. Tennessee ( is a state located in the Southern United States. Year 1796 ( MDCCXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Memphis is a City in the southwest corner of Tennessee, and the County seat of Shelby County. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. Year 1845 ( MDCCCXLV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1170 - Thomas Becket: Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury is assassinated inside Canterbury Cathedral by followers of King Henry II The State of Utah (ˈjuːtɔː or) is a western state of the United States. Year 1896 ( MDCCCXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Events 46 BC - Titus Labienus defeats Julius Caesar in the Battle of Ruspina. Salt Lake City is the Capital and the most populous city of the U Vermont ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. Year 1791 ( MDCCXCI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Montpelier (mɒntˈpiːljɚ is a city in the US state of Vermont that serves as the state Capital and Burlington is the largest city in the US state of Vermont and is the shire town ( County seat) of The Commonwealth of Virginia ( is an American state Year 1788 ( MDCCLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians This article is about the city of Richmond the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Virginia Beach (pronounced /vɚˌdʒɪnjəˈbiːtʃ/ is an Independent city located in the South Hampton Roads area and one of the largest cities in Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Year 1889 ( MDCCCLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare Olympia is the Capital of Washington and is the County seat of Thurston County. West Virginia ( is a state in the Appalachian Upland South, and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by Year 1863 ( MDCCCLXIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 451 - Battle of Chalons: Flavius Aetius ' defeats Attila the Hun. Charleston is the Capital of the US state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Wisconsin ( or wɪˈskɑnsɨn (French Ouisconsin) is one of the fifty United States of America, located in the north central part of the United States Year 1848 ( MDCCCXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Madison is the capital of the US state of Wisconsin and the County seat of Dane County. The State of Wyoming ( is a sparsely populated state in the western region of the United States. Year 1890 ( MDCCCXC) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 48 BC - Battle of Dyrrhachium, Julius Caesar barely avoids a catastrophic defeat to Pompey in Macedonia. Cheyenne ( /ʃaɪˈæn/ or /ʃaɪˈɛn/) is the capital of the U The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, also the Articles of Confederation was the governing Constitution of the alliance of thirteen independent and A confederation is a group of empowered states or communities usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution International law is the term commonly used for referring to the system of implicit and explicit agreements that bind together nation-states in adherence to recognized values and standards In part due to the failings of the Confederation, the thirteen states instead formed a Union via the process of ratifying the United States Constitution, which took effect in 1789. The Thirteen Colonies were part of what became known as British America, a name that was used by Great Britain until the Treaty of Paris (1783 recognized the The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme Law of the United States.

Relationship among the states

Under Article IV of the Constitution, which outlines the relationship between the states, the United States Congress has the power to admit new states to the union. Article Four of the United States Constitution relates to the states The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses The states are required to give "full faith and credit" to the acts of each other's legislatures and courts, which is generally held to include the recognition of legal contracts, marriages, criminal judgments, and – at the time – slave status. Article IV, Section 1 of the United States Constitution, commonly known as the Full Faith and Credit Clause, addresses the duties that states States are prohibited from discriminating against citizens of other states with respect to their basic rights, under the Privileges and Immunities Clause. Human rights refers to the "basic Rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled The Privileges and Immunities Clause ( US Constitution, Article IV Section 2 Clause 1 also known as the Comity Clause) prevents a state from treating The states are guaranteed military and civil defense by the federal government, which is also required to ensure that the government of each state remains a republic. Civil defense or civil defence (see spelling differences) is an effort to prepare Civilians for Military attack

U. S. states by date of statehood      1776–1790     1791–1799     1800–1819     1820–1839     1840–1859     1860–1879     1880–1899     1900–1950     1950-

Commerce clause

The Supreme Court of the United States has interpreted the Constitution of the United States such that the commerce clause allows for a wide scope of federal power. Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This is a list of U The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme Law of the United States. Article 1 Section 8 Clause 3 of the United States Constitution, known as the Commerce Clause, states that Congress has the power to regulate commerce with foreign Political federalism is a Political philosophy in which a group of members are bound together (Latin foedus, covenant) with a governing For example, Congress can regulate railway traffic across state lines, but it may also regulate rail traffic solely within a state, based on the theory that wholly intrastate traffic can still have an impact on interstate commerce.

Another source of Congressional power is its "spending power" – the ability of Congress to allocate funds, for example to the Eisenhower Interstate Highway System. The Dwight D Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly called the Interstate Highway System (or simply the Interstate System) The system is mandated and partially funded by the federal government but also serves the interests of the states. By threatening to withhold federal highway funds, Congress has been able to persuade state legislatures to pass a variety of laws. The system of United States Numbered Highways (often called U Although some object on the ground that this infringes on states' rights, the Supreme Court has upheld the practice as a permissible use of the Constitution's Spending Clause. A supreme court, also called a court of last resort or high court, is in some Jurisdictions the highest judicial body within that jurisdiction's

Admission of states into the union

Main article: List of U.S. states by date of statehood

The order in which the original 13 states ratified the constitution, then the order in which the others were admitted to the union

Since the establishment of the United States, the number of states has expanded from 13 to 50. Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This is a list of U The Constitution is rather laconic on the process by which new states can be added, noting only that "New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union", and forbidding a new state to be created out of the territory of an existing state or the merging of two or more states as one without the consent of both Congress and all the state legislatures involved. A constitution is a system for government often Codified as a written document that establishes the rules and principles of an autonomous political entity

In practice, nearly all states admitted to the union after the original thirteen have been formed from U.S. territories (that is, land under the sovereignty of the United States federal government but not part of any state) that were organized (given a measure of self-rule by Congress). Territories of the United States are one type of political division of the United States, administered by the U Territories of the United States are one type of political division of the United States, administered by the U Self-governance is an abstract concept that refers to several scales of Organization. Generally speaking, the organized government of a territory would make known the sentiment of its population in favor of statehood; Congress would then direct that government to organize a constitutional convention to write a state constitution. Alternative meaning Constitutional convention (political custom A constitutional convention is a gathering for the purpose of writing a new Upon acceptance of that Constitution, Congress would then admit that territory as a state. The broad outlines in this process were established by the Northwest Ordinance, which actually predated the ratification of the Constitution. The Northwest Ordinance (formally An Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United States North-West of the River Ohio, and also known as the Freedom

However, Congress has ultimate authority over the admission of new states, and is not bound to follow this procedure. A few U. S. states outside of the original 13 have been admitted that were never organized territories of the federal government:

• Vermont, an unrecognized but de facto independent republic until its admission in 1791
• Kentucky, a part of Virginia until its admission in 1792
• Maine, a part of Massachusetts until its admission in 1820 following the Missouri Compromise
• Texas, a recognized independent republic until its admission in 1845
• California, created as a state (as part of the Compromise of 1850) out of the unorganized territory of the Mexican Cession in 1850 without ever having been a separate organized territory itself
• West Virginia, created from areas of Virginia that rejoined the union in 1863, after the 1861 secession of Virginia to the Confederate States of America

Congress is also under no obligation to admit states even in those areas whose population expresses a desire for statehood. The term Vermont Republic has been used by 20th and 21st century writers to describe the period of the U The Missouri Compromise was an agreement passed in 1820 between the pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in the United States Congress, involving The Compromise of 1850 was a series of bills aimed at resolving the territorial and slavery controversies arising from the Mexican-American War (1846&ndash1848 An unorganized territory is a region of land generally with less self-governmental powers than other regions controlled by a specific government The Mexican Cession is a historical name for the region of the present day southwestern United States that was ceded to the U The Confederate States of America (also called the Confederacy, the Confederate States, and CSA) formed as the government set up from 1861 For instance, the Republic of Texas requested annexation to the United States in 1836, but fears about the conflict with Mexico that would result delayed admission for nine years. Utah Territory was denied admission to the union as a state for decades because of discomfort with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' dominance in the territory, and particularly with the Mormon elite's then practice of polygamy. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the fourth largest Christian denomination in the United States and the largest and most well-known TalkMormon#Latter Day Saint vs Latter-day Saint --> Mormon The term polygamy (a Greek word meaning "the practice of multiple marriage" is used in related ways in Social anthropology, Sociobiology, and Once established, state borders have been largely stable; the only major exceptions are cessions by Maryland and Virginia to create the District of Columbia (Virginia's portion was later returned); a cession by Georgia; expansions by Missouri and Nevada; and Kentucky, Maine, and Tennessee being split from Virginia, Massachusetts, and North Carolina, respectively. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D The District of Columbia, the National capital of the United States, was formed in 1790 from that were ceded to the federal government by the states

Secession

The Constitution is silent on the issue of the secession of a state from the union. Secession (derived from the Latin term secessio is the act of withdrawing from an organization union or especially a political entity The Articles of Confederation had stated that the earlier union of the colonies "shall be perpetual", and the preamble to the Constitution states that Constitution was intended to "form a more perfect union". In 1860 and 1861 eleven southern states seceded, but were brought back into the Union by force of arms during the Civil War. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South Subsequently, the federal judicial system, in the case of Texas v. White, established that states do not have the right to secede without the consent of the other states. In Law, the judiciary or judicial system is the system of Courts which administer Justice in the name of the sovereign or State Texas v White, was a significant case argued before the United States Supreme Court in 1869

States called Commonwealths

Main article: Commonwealth (United States)

Four of the states bear the formal title of Commonwealth: Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Four of the constituent states of the United States officially designate themselves Commonwealths: Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania Four of the constituent states of the United States officially designate themselves Commonwealths: Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania In these cases, this is merely a historically based name and has no legal effect. Somewhat confusingly, two U. S. territories – Puerto Rico and the Northern Marianas – are also referred to as commonwealths, and do have a legal status different from the states (both are unincorporated territories). Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI is a commonwealth in Political union with the United In Law legal status refers to the concept of individuals having a particular place in society relative to the law as it determines the laws which affect them Territories of the United States are one type of political division of the United States, administered by the U

See also List of official names of the states of the USA.

State governments

States are free to organize their state governments any way they like, as long as they conform to the sole requirement of the U. A state government ( provincial government in Canada is the Government of a Subnational entity in States with federal S. Constitution that they have "a Republican Form of Government". In practice, each state has adopted a three branch system of government generally along the same lines as that of the federal government – though this is not a requirement. A system of government is a term that refers to the set of political Institutions by which a Government of a State is organized in order to exert its powers There is nothing that could stop a state from adopting a parliamentary system – with a fusion of powers, as opposed to a separation of powers – if it so chooses. A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which

Despite the fact that each state has chosen to use the federal model to follow, there are some significant differences in some states. One of the most notable is that of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature, which unlike the legislatures of the other 49 states, has only one house. Unicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or Parliamentary chamber The Nebraska Legislature is the supreme legislative body of the State of Nebraska, in the Great Plains region of the United States. While there is only one federal President who then selects a Cabinet responsible to him, most states have a plural executive, with members of the executive branch elected directly by the people and serving as coequal members of the state cabinet alongside the governor. In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. And only a few states choose to have their judicial branch leaders – their judges on the state's courts – serve for life terms.

A key difference between states is that many rural states have part-time legislatures, while the states with the highest populations tend to have full-time legislatures. A part-time job carries fewer hours per week than a Full-time job and usually pays less than a full-time job A permanent full-time job usually has benefits (such as health insurance however temporary full-time jobs usually do not have benefits Texas, the second largest state in population, is a notable exception to this: excepting special sessions, the Texas Legislature is limited by law to 140 calendar days out of every two years. The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of the US state of Texas. In Baker v. Carr, the U. Baker v Carr, 369 US 186 (1962 was a landmark United States Supreme Court case that retreated from the Court's Political question S. Supreme Court held that all states are required to have legislative districts which are proportional in terms of population.

States can also organize their judicial systems differently from the federal judiciary, as long as due process is protected. The United States federal courts are the system of Courts organized under the Constitution and laws of the Federal government of the United States Due process (more fully due process of law) is the principle that a person has a right to receive notice and be heard in an orderly proceeding in order to protect his or her See state court and state supreme court for more information. In the United States, a state court has Jurisdiction over disputes with some connection to a U This article discusses the state supreme courts in the United States Most have a trial level court, generally called a District Court or Superior Court, a first-level appellate court, generally called a Court of Appeal (or Appeals), and a Supreme Court. District courts are a category of Courts which exists in several nations In Common law systems a superior court is a Court of general Competence which typically has unlimited Jurisdiction with regard to civil and Court of Appeal, Court of Appeals, and Appellate Division redirect here for a list of specific courts using those titles see Court of Appeal However, Texas has a separate highest court for criminal appeals. New York state is notorious for its unusual terminology, in that the trial court is called the Supreme Court. Appeals are then taken to the Supreme Court, Appellate Division, and from there to the Court of Appeals. Most states base their legal system on English common law (with substantial indigenous changes and incorporation of certain civil law innovations), with the notable exception of Louisiana, which draws large parts of its legal system from French civil law. Common law refers to law and the corresponding legal system developed through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive Civil law or Romano-Germanic law or Continental law is the predominant system of law in the world.

Possible new states

See also: 51st state , Politics of Puerto Rico , and Political status of Puerto Rico

Today, there are very few U. 51st state, in American political discourse, is a phrase that refers to territories considered candidates for addition to the fifty states Puerto Rico, officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" still treated by the U Puerto Rican Status Referenda have been held four times to determine the political status of the island of Puerto Rico in relation to the United States of America. S. territories left that might potentially become new states. In light of recent events, the most likely candidate may be Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} Puerto Ricans have been U. S. citizens since 1917. Puerto Rico currently has limited representation in the U.S. Congress in the form of a Resident Commissioner, a nonvoting delegate. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses The Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico (Spanish El Comisionado Residente de Puerto Rico) is a non-voting member of the United States House of Representatives elected ^[18] President George H. W. Bush issued a memorandum on November 30, 1992, to heads of executive departments and agencies establishing the current administrative relationship between the Federal Government and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12 1924 served as the forty-first President of the United States from 1989 to 1993 Events 1700 - Battle of Narva — A Swedish army of 8500 men under Charles XII defeats Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) This memorandum directs all Federal departments, agencies, and officials to treat Puerto Rico administratively as if it were a State insofar as doing so would not disrupt Federal programs or operations. The commonwealth's government has organized several referendums on the question of status over the past several decades, though Congress has not recognized these as binding; all shown resulted in narrow victories for the status quo over statehood, with independence supported by only a small number of voters. A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita Status quo is a Latin term meaning the present existing state of affairs or "the state in which" On December 23, 2000, President Bill Clinton signed executive Order 13183, which established the President’s Task Force on Puerto Rico’s Status and the rules for its membership. Events 962 - Byzantine-Arab Wars: Under the future Emperor Nicephorus Phocas, Byzantine troops stormed the city 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States Section 4 of executive Order 13183 (as amended by executive Order 13319) directs the Task Force to "report on its actions to the President . . . on progress made in the determination of Puerto Rico’s ultimate status. " In December 2005, the presidential task force proposed a new set of referendums on the issue; if Congress votes in line with the task force's recommendation, it would pave the way for the first congressionally mandated votes on status in the island, and, potentially, statehood, by 2010. The President's Task Force on Puerto Rico's Status report of December 2007 reiterated and confirmed the proposals of the U. S. government administration made on December 2005 by the President's Task Force. ^[19][20][21]

The intention of the Founding Fathers was that the United States capital should be at a neutral site, not giving favor to any existing state; as a result, the District of Columbia was created in 1800 to serve as the seat of government. The Founding Fathers of the United States are the Political leaders who signed the Declaration of Independence or otherwise participated in the Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D The seat of government is the location of the government for a political entity. The inhabitants of the District do not have full representation in Congress or a sovereign elected government (they were allotted presidential electors by the 23rd amendment, and have a non-voting delegate in Congress). Proportional representation (sometimes referred to as full representation or PR is a category of electoral formula aiming at a close match between the percentage of votes Amendment XXIII was the twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution which permits the District of Columbia to choose Electors A Delegate to Congress is a non-voting member of the United States House of Representatives who is elected from a U The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses Some residents of the District support statehood of some form for that jurisdiction—either statehood for the whole district or for the inhabited part, with the remainder remaining under federal jurisdiction. The American legal system includes both State courts and federal courts. While statehood is always a live political question in the District, the prospects for any movement in that direction in the immediate future seem dim. In United States law, a ruling that a matter in controversy is a political question is a statement by a federal court declining to rule in a case because Instead, an emphasis on continuing Home Rule in the District while also giving the District a vote in Congress is gaining support. Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a State to government at subnational level See also: District of Columbia voting rights

For the remaining permanently inhabited U. Voting rights in the District of Columbia, that is the city of Washington D S. non-state jurisdictions – the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa – the prospects of statehood are remote. The United States Virgin Islands is a group of Islands in the Caribbean that are an Insular area of the United States. Guam ( Chamorro: cha Guåhån) officially the Territory of Guam, is an island in the western Pacific Ocean and is an organized unincorporated The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI is a commonwealth in Political union with the United American Samoa (Amerika Sāmoa or sm ''Sāmoa Amelika'' is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast All have relatively small populations – Guam, with the most inhabitants, has a population less than 35 percent that of Wyoming, the least populous state – and have governments that are heavily reliant on federal funding. If these territories ever sought statehood, they would probably have to combine to maximize their population and territory – possibly with the addition of the former United States Trust Territories: Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands. The Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI was a United Nations trust territory in Micronesia (western Pacific) administered by the United Palau, officially the Republic of Palau (Beluu er a Belau is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, some 500 miles (800  km) east The Federated States of Micronesia is an Island nation located in the Pacific Ocean, north of Papua New Guinea. The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI is a Micronesian nation of islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean

Constitutionally, a state may only be divided into more states with the approval both of Congress and of the state's legislature, as was the case when Maine was split off from Massachusetts. When Texas was admitted to the union in 1845, it was much larger than any other state and was specifically granted the right to divide into as many as five separate states, although no serious attempt in this regard has ever been made. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State.

Origin of states' names

State names speak to the circumstances of their creation. See the lists of U.S. state name etymologies and U.S. county name etymologies. Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This is a list of the These are lists of US county name etymologies. Many US states have counties named after U

Grouping of the states in regions

U. S. Census Bureau regions:
The West, The Midwest, The South and The Northeast. U S WEST Inc was a Regional Bell Operating Company, one of seven "Baby Bells" that were spawned by the Antitrust breakup of AT&T in 1983 The Southern United States &mdashcommonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South &mdashconstitutes a large distinctive The Northeast is a region of the United States. As defined by the U Note that Alaska and Hawaii are shown at different scales, and that the Aleutian Islands and the uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are omitted from this map. The Aleutian Islands (possibly from Chukchi aliat, " Island " are a chain of more than 300 small volcanic islands forming a Volcanic An uninhabited island is an Island that has yet to be (or is not currently populated by Humans Uninhabited islands are often used in movies or stories for shipwrecked The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands or the Leeward Islands are the small Islands and Atolls in the Hawaiian island chain located northwest

States may be grouped in regions; there are endless variations and possible groupings, as most states are not defined by obvious geographic or cultural borders. For further discussion of regions of the U. S. , see the list of regions of the United States. This list of regions of the United States includes official (governmental and non-official areas within the borders of the United States, not including U

Unrecognized States

• The State of Franklin existed for four years not long after the end of the American Revolution, but was never recognized by the union, which ultimately recognized North Carolina's claim of sovereignty over the area. The State of Franklin was an autonomous, Secessionist United States territory created not long after the end of the American Revolution, from North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States A majority of the states were willing to recognize Franklin, but the number of states in favor fell short of the two-thirds majority required to admit a territory to statehood under the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, also the Articles of Confederation was the governing Constitution of the alliance of thirteen independent and The territory comprising Franklin later became part of the state of Tennessee.
• On July 24, 1859, the formation of the proposed State of Jefferson in the Southern Rocky Mountains was defeated by voters. Events 1132 - Battle of Nocera between Ranulf II of Alife and Roger II of Sicily. Year 1859 ( MDCCCLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Provisional Government of the Territory of Jefferson was an extralegal and unrecognized territory of the United States that existed from October 24, On October 24, 1859, voters instead approved the formation of the Territory of Jefferson, which was superseded by the Territory of Colorado on February 28, 1861. Events 69 - Second Battle of Bedriacum, forces under Antonius Primus the commander of the Danube armies loyal to Vespasian, defeat Year 1859 ( MDCCCLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Provisional Government of the Territory of Jefferson was an extralegal and unrecognized territory of the United States that existed from October 24, For the western film see Colorado Territory (film. The Territory of Colorado was an Organized territory of the United States of Events 202 BC - coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty 's rule Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common In 1941, a second State of Jefferson was proposed for the mostly rural area of Southern Oregon and Northern California. Jefferson is a mostly rural area of Southern Oregon and Northern California in the United States. Oregon ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. This proposal has been raised several times since.
• State of Lincoln
  • State of Lincoln is another state that has been proposed multiple times over the years. Lincoln is one of several proposed states of the United States of America (see 51st state) It consists generally of the eastern portion of Washington State and the panhandle or northern portion of Idaho. Idaho State University (ISU is a public University operated by the U Originally proposed by Idaho in 1864 to include just the panhandle of Idaho and again in 1901 to include Eastern Washington. Recent proposals have come up in 1996, 1999 and 2005.
  • Lincoln is also the name of a failed state proposal after the U.S. Civil War in 1869. Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South The southwestern section of Texas was proposed to Congress during the Reconstruction period of the federal government after the Civil War.

State lists

• List of U.S. state capitals
• List of current and former capital cities within U.S. states
• List of U.S. states' largest cities

• List of U.S. states by date of statehood
• List of U.S. states that were never territories
• List of U.S. state name etymologies
• List of state legislatures in the United States

• List of U.S. states by area
• List of U.S. states by elevation
• List of U.S. states by GDP (nominal)
• List of U.S. states by GDP per capita (nominal)
• List of U.S. states by population
• List of U.S. states by population density
• List of U.S. state tax levels
• List of U.S. states by time zone
• List of U.S. states by unemployment rate

• List of U.S. state residents names

• List of U.S. states by traditional abbreviation
• U.S. postal abbreviations
• U.S. state temperature extremes
• Codes: FIPS state code, ISO 3166-2:US

• Lists of U.S. state insignia
  • List of U.S. state amphibians
  • List of U.S. state beverages
  • List of U.S. state birds
  • List of U.S. state butterflies
  • List of U.S. state colors
  • List of U.S. state dances
  • List of U.S. state dinosaurs
  • List of U.S. state fish
  • List of U.S. state flags
  • List of U.S. state flowers
  • List of U.S. state foods
  • List of U.S. state fossils
  • List of U.S. state grasses
  • List of U.S. state insects
  • List of U.S. state license plates
  • List of U.S. state mammals
  • List of U.S. state minerals, rocks, stones and gemstones
  • List of U.S. state mottos
  • List of U.S. state nicknames
  • List of U.S. state reptiles
  • List of U.S. state seals
  • List of U.S. state slogans
  • List of U.S. state soils
  • List of U.S. state songs
  • List of U.S. state sports
  • List of U.S. state tartans
  • List of U.S. state trees
• List of fictional U.S. states

See also

• Extreme points of the United States
• 51st state
• Geography of the United States
• List of regions of the United States
• List of U.S. counties that share names with U.S. states
• List of U.S. state portals
• Organized incorporated territories of the United States
• Political divisions of the United States
• State Quarters
• States' rights
• United States Constitution
• United States Declaration of Independence
  • United States Declaration of Independence (text)
• United States territorial acquisitions
• United States territory

References

External links

• Tables with areas, populations, densities and more (in order of population)
• Tables with areas, populations, densities and more (alphabetical)
• Origin of State Names
• Rick's Search Assistant – Web links & addresses for many state agencies, e. g. , Motor Vehicles, Corporate Records, Attorneys General
• United States Postal Service
• State and Territorial Governments on USA.gov
• StateMaster - statistical database for US States.