Are there 50 states

While many U. So, where's that confusion coming from? While the US contains 50 states, it also oversees 14 territories, including a federal district and some island nations.

While Delaware, the first state, was established back in , the "newest," Hawai'i, attained its statehood in Of the 50 states, 48 of them are referred to as being "contiguous," which simply means that they're touching or connected. As of now, the only non-contiguous states are Alaska, which touches Canada, and Hawai'i, which is a chain of islands in the Pacific Ocean. Still, why do people think there are 52 United States of America?

Most often, this mistake stems from people wrongly including Puerto Rico and Washington, D. Search Search. Mapping, Remote Sensing, and Geospatial Data.

Apply Filter. Can I add new entries to the Geographic Names Information System for manmade and administrative features, such as churches, cemeteries, schools, shopping centers, etc.? Upon validation, they will be committed to the database. Does the Geographic Names Information System Database contain entries for obsolete names and historical geographic features that no longer exist? The term "historical" as used in the GNIS specifically means that the feature no longer exists on the landscape.

An abandoned ghost town, for example, still exists so it is not historical. Historical features have no reference to age, size, There are no official definitions of city, town, village, hamlet, neighborhood, etc. All named entities with human habitation are classified as Populated Place, including incorporated places 20 percent of the Nation's communities , unincorporated places the majority , housing developments not yet incorporated, and neighborhoods within What are the official definitions of regions in the United States.

No level of government has official designations for regions. The first states to be ratified were Delaware , New Jersey , and Pennsylvania in Alaska and Hawaii, the only states that are not part of the mainland United States, were the last states admitted in Alaska is the largest state in the United States, spanning over , square miles. On the opposite end, Rhode Island is the smallest state with just 1, square miles. California is the most populous state, with over 39 million residents, and Wyoming is the least populated, with only , residents.

See which parts of the country are the most and least wealthy, which have extended the most rights to transgender people, and more. The United States has seen a steady rise in its cities across all fifty states. The urban population today is larger than it's ever been, in total and in proportion. Discoverthe many cities that help define the U.

All of the fifty states have their own charms and selling points. However, by some metrics, some states are the "most" and some are the "least. See how the states stack up with our lists below. Did you know California's name was taken from a popular Spanish adventure story?

Did you know that the state fruit of New Hampshire is the pumpkin or that the pumpkin is a fruit? Whether you want to impress your friends at trivia night or just want to learn something new, follow the links below for more fun facts about the states. The United States is a lot more than just serious statistics and boring textbook history.

America exists in the day to day through ball games, hamburgers and apple pie, and all that jazz. Learn more about some off the eccentricities and quirky locales that dot the country. Travel in the United States is a nearly trillion-dollar industry. Learn more about travel distances, the ways people travel, and some information about the places they go.

Think you know your U. Take the challenge and see if you can recognize each of these U.