List of states and territories of the United States

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"States of America" redirects here. For the sovereign states of the Americas, see List of sovereign states and dependent territories in the Americas.
A map of the United States showing its 50 states and District of Columbia

The United States of America is a federal republic[1] consisting of 50 states, a federal district (Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States), five major territories, and various minor islands.[2][3] The 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C., are in central North America between Canada and Mexico; the two other states, Alaska and Hawaii, are in the northwestern part of North America and an archipelago in the mid-Pacific, respectively, while the territories are scattered throughout the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

States are the primary subdivisions of the United States, and possess a number of powers and rights under the United States Constitution, such as regulating intrastate commerce, running elections, creating local governments, and ratifying constitutional amendments. Each state has its own constitution, grounded in republican principles, and government, consisting of three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.[4] All states and their residents are represented in the federal Congress, a bicameral legislature consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each state is represented by two Senators, while Representatives are distributed among the states in proportion to the most recent constitutionally mandated decennial census.[5] Additionally, each state is entitled to select a number of electors to vote in the Electoral College, the body that elects the President of the United States, equal to the total of Representatives and Senators in Congress from that state.[6] Article IV, Section 3, Clause 1 of the Constitution grants to Congress the authority to admit new states into the Union. Since the establishment of the United States in 1776, the number of states has expanded from the original 13 to the current total of 50, and each new state is admitted on an equal footing with the existing states.[7]

As provided by Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, Congress exercises "exclusive jurisdiction" over the federal district, which is not part of any state. Prior to passage of the 1973 District of Columbia Home Rule Act, which devolved certain Congressional powers to an elected mayor and council, the district did not have an elected local government. Even so, Congress retains the right to review and overturn laws created by the council and intervene in local affairs.[8] As it is not a state, the district does not have representation in the Senate. However, since 1971, its residents have been represented in the House of Representatives by a non-voting delegate.[9] Additionally, since 1961, following ratification of the 23rd Amendment, the district has been entitled to select three electors to vote in the Electoral College.

In addition to the 50 states and federal district, the United States has sovereignty over 14 territories. Five of them (American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) have a permanent, nonmilitary population, while nine of them do not. With the exception of Navassa Island, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, which are located in the Caribbean, all territories are located in the Pacific Ocean. One territory, Palmyra Atoll, is considered to be incorporated, meaning the full body of the Constitution has been applied to it; the other territories are unincorporated, meaning the Constitution does not fully apply to them. Ten territories (the Minor Outlying Islands and American Samoa) are considered to be unorganized, meaning they have not had an Organic Act enacted by Congress; the four other territories are organized, meaning they have had an Organic Act that has been enacted by Congress. The five inhabited territories each have limited autonomy and a non-voting delegate in Congress, in addition to having territorial legislatures and governors, but residents cannot vote in federal elections.

California is the most populous state, with 38,332,521 residents (2013 estimate); Wyoming is the least populous, with an estimated 582,658 residents. The District of Columbia, with an estimated 646,449 residents as of 2012, has a higher population than the two least populous states (Wyoming and Vermont). The largest state by area is Alaska, encompassing 665,384 square miles (1,723,340 km2), while the smallest is Rhode Island, encompassing 1,545 square miles (4,000 km2). The first state to ratify the current Constitution was Delaware, which it did on December 7, 1787, while the newest state is Hawaii, which was admitted to the Union on August 21, 1959. The largest territory in terms of both population and size is Puerto Rico, with 3,725,789 residents as of the 2010 Census and a total area of 5,325 square miles (13,790 km2).

States[edit]

See also: U.S. state

The table below lists the 50 states, with their current capital, largest city, the date they ratified the constitution or were admitted to the Union, population and area data, and number of representative(s) in the United States House of Representatives (Each state is entitled to at least one representative. Current law limits the number of representatives to 435, which are then apportioned among states every ten years according to their relative population. Each state is also entitled to two U.S. Senators.)

States of the United States of America
Name & postal abbreviation Cities Established
[A]		 Population
[B][10]		 Total Area[C][11] Land Area[C][11] Water Area[C][11] Reps.
Capital Largest[D][12] mi2 km2 mi2 km2 mi2 km2
 Alabama AL Montgomery Birmingham
Dec 14, 1819
4,863,300
 52,420 135,767 50,645 131,171 1,775 4,597
7
 Alaska AK Juneau Anchorage
Jan 3, 1959
741,894
 665,384 1,723,337 570,641 1,477,953 94,743 245,384
1
 Arizona AZ Phoenix
Feb 14, 1912
6,931,071
 113,990 295,234 113,594 294,207 396 1,026
9
 Arkansas AR Little Rock
Jun 15, 1836
2,988,248
 53,179 137,732 52,035 134,771 1,143 2,961
4
 California CA Sacramento Los Angeles
Sep 9, 1850
39,250,017
 163,695 423,967 155,779 403,466 7,916 20,501
53
 Colorado CO Denver
Aug 1, 1876
5,540,545
 104,094 269,601 103,642 268,431 452 1,170
7
 Connecticut CT Hartford Bridgeport
Jan 9, 1788
3,576,452
 5,543 14,357 4,842 12,542 701 1,816
5
 Delaware DE Dover Wilmington
Dec 7, 1787
952,065
 2,489 6,446 1,949 5,047 540 1,399
1
 Florida FL Tallahassee Jacksonville
Mar 3, 1845
20,612,439
 65,758 170,312 53,625 138,887 12,133 31,424
27
 Georgia GA Atlanta
Jan 2, 1788
10,310,371
 59,425 153,910 57,513 148,959 1,912 4,951
14
 Hawaii HI Honolulu
Aug 21, 1959
1,428,557
 10,932 28,313 6,423 16,635 4,509 11,678
2
 Idaho ID Boise
Jul 3, 1890
1,683,140
 83,569 216,443 82,643 214,045 926 2,398
2
 Illinois IL Springfield Chicago
Dec 3, 1818
12,801,539
 57,914 149,995 55,519 143,793 2,395 6,202
18
 Indiana IN Indianapolis
Dec 11, 1816
6,633,053
 36,420 94,326 35,826 92,789 593 1,537
9
 Iowa IA Des Moines
Dec 28, 1846
3,134,693
 56,273 145,746 55,857 144,669 416 1,077
4
 Kansas KS Topeka Wichita
Jan 29, 1861
2,907,289
 82,278 213,100 81,759 211,754 520 1,346
4
 Kentucky[E] KY Frankfort Louisville
Jun 1, 1792
4,436,974
 40,408 104,656 39,486 102,269 921 2,387
6
 Louisiana LA Baton Rouge New Orleans
Apr 30, 1812
4,681,666
 52,378 135,659 43,204 111,898 9,174 23,761
6
 Maine ME Augusta Portland
Mar 15, 1820
1,331,479
 35,380 91,633 30,843 79,883 4,537 11,750
2
 Maryland MD Annapolis Baltimore
Apr 28, 1788
6,016,447
 12,406 32,131 9,707 25,142 2,699 6,990
8
 Massachusetts[F] MA Boston
Feb 6, 1788
6,811,779
 10,554 27,336 7,800 20,202 2,754 7,134
9
 Michigan MI Lansing Detroit
Jan 26, 1837
9,928,300
 96,714 250,487 56,539 146,435 40,175 104,052
14
 Minnesota MN St. Paul Minneapolis
May 11, 1858
5,519,952
 86,936 225,163 79,627 206,232 7,309 18,930
8
 Mississippi MS Jackson
Dec 10, 1817
2,988,726
 48,432 125,438 46,923 121,531 1,508 3,907
4
 Missouri MO Jefferson City Kansas City
Aug 10, 1821
6,093,000
 69,707 180,540 68,742 178,040 965 2,501
8
 Montana MT Helena Billings
Nov 8, 1889
1,042,520
 147,040 380,831 145,546 376,962 1,494 3,869
1
 Nebraska NE Lincoln Omaha
Mar 1, 1867
1,907,116
 77,348 200,330 76,824 198,974 524 1,356
3
 Nevada NV Carson City Las Vegas
Oct 31, 1864
2,940,058
 110,572 286,380 109,781 284,332 791 2,048
4
 New Hampshire NH Concord Manchester
Jun 21, 1788
1,334,795
 9,349 24,214 8,953 23,187 397 1,027
2
 New Jersey NJ Trenton Newark
Dec 18, 1787
8,944,469
 8,723 22,591 7,354 19,047 1,368 3,544
12
 New Mexico NM Santa Fe Albuquerque
Jan 6, 1912
2,081,015
 121,590 314,917 121,298 314,161 292 757
3
 New York NY Albany New York City
Jul 26, 1788
19,745,289
 54,555 141,297 47,126 122,057 7,429 19,240
27
 North Carolina NC Raleigh Charlotte
Nov 21, 1789
10,146,788
 53,819 139,391 48,618 125,920 5,201 13,471
13
  North Dakota ND Bismarck Fargo
Nov 2, 1889
757,952
 70,698 183,108 69,001 178,711 1,698 4,397
1
 Ohio OH Columbus
Mar 1, 1803
11,614,373
 44,826 116,098 40,861 105,829 3,965 10,269
16
 Oklahoma OK Oklahoma City
Nov 16, 1907
3,923,561
 69,899 181,037 68,595 177,660 1,304 3,377
5
 Oregon OR Salem Portland
Feb 14, 1859
4,093,465
 98,379 254,799 95,988 248,608 2,391 6,191
5
 Pennsylvania[G] PA Harrisburg Philadelphia
Dec 12, 1787
12,784,227
 46,054 119,280 44,743 115,883 1,312 3,397
18
 Rhode Island[H] RI Providence
May 29, 1790
1,056,426
 1,545 4,001 1,034 2,678 511 1,324
2
 South Carolina SC Columbia Charleston
May 23, 1788
4,961,119
 32,020 82,933 30,061 77,857 1,960 5,076
7
 South Dakota SD Pierre Sioux Falls
Nov 2, 1889
865,454
 77,116 199,729 75,811 196,350 1,305 3,379
1
 Tennessee TN Nashville
Jun 1, 1796
6,651,194
 42,144 109,153 41,235 106,798 909 2,355
9
 Texas TX Austin Houston
Dec 29, 1845
27,862,596
 268,596 695,662 261,232 676,587 7,365 19,075
36
 Utah UT Salt Lake City
Jan 4, 1896
3,051,217
 84,897 219,882 82,170 212,818 2,727 7,064
4
 Vermont VT Montpelier Burlington
Mar 4, 1791
624,594
 9,616 24,906 9,217 23,871 400 1,035
1
 Virginia[I] VA Richmond Virginia Beach
Jun 25, 1788
8,411,808
 42,775 110,787 39,490 102,279 3,285 8,508
11
 Washington WA Olympia Seattle
Nov 11, 1889
7,288,000
 71,298 184,661 66,456 172,119 4,842 12,542
10
 West Virginia WV Charleston
Jun 20, 1863
1,831,102
 24,230 62,756 24,038 62,259 192 497
3
 Wisconsin WI Madison Milwaukee
May 29, 1848
5,778,708
 65,496 169,635 54,158 140,268 11,339 29,367
8
 Wyoming WY Cheyenne
Jul 10, 1890
585,501
 97,813 253,335 97,093 251,470 720 1,864
1

Federal district[edit]

Federal district of the United States
Name Established Population
[B][10]		 Total Area[C][11] Land Area[C][11] Water Area[C][11] Reps.
mi2 km2 mi2 km2 mi2 km2
 District of Columbia
Jul 16, 1790
681,170
 68 176 61 158 7 18 1[J]

Territories[edit]

A map showing the location of each territory controlled by the United States. The United States is marked in blue, inhabited territories are marked in green, and uninhabited territories are marked in orange.

Inhabited territories[edit]

Inhabited territories of the United States
Name & abbreviation Capital Acquired
[13]		 Territorial status Population
[K][10]		 Total Area[C][14] Land Area[C][14] Water Area[C][14] Reps.
mi2 km2 mi2 km2 mi2 km2
 American Samoa AS Pago Pago[15]
Apr 17, 1900
Unincorporated, unorganized
55,519
 581 1,505 76 198 505 1,307 1[J]
 Guam GU Hagåtña[16]
Apr 11, 1899
Unincorporated, organized
159,358
 571 1,478 210 543 361 935 1[J]
 Northern Mariana Islands[L][17] MP Saipan[18]
Nov 3, 1986
Unincorporated, organized
53,883
 1,976 5,117 182 472 1,793 4,644 1[J]
 Puerto Rico[M] PR San Juan[19]
Apr 11, 1899
Unincorporated, organized
3,725,789
 5,325 13,791 3,424 8,868 1,901 4,924 1[N]
 U.S. Virgin Islands[20] VI Charlotte Amalie[21]
Mar 31, 1917
Unincorporated, organized
106,405
 733 1,898 134 348 599 1,550 1[J]

Uninhabited territories[edit]

Territories of the United States with no permanent population
Name Acquired
[13]		 Territorial status[22] Land Area[O]
mi2 km2
Baker Island[23] 1856
Unincorporated, unorganized
 0.9 2.2
Howland Island[23] 1858
Unincorporated, unorganized
 0.6 1.6
Jarvis Island[24] 1856
Unincorporated, unorganized
 2.2 5.7
Johnston Atoll[25] 1859
Unincorporated, unorganized
 1 2.6
Kingman Reef[26] 1860
Unincorporated, unorganized
 0.005 0.01
Midway Atoll[P][28] 1867
Unincorporated, unorganized
 3 7.8
Navassa Island[Q][30] 1858
Unincorporated, unorganized
 3 7.8
Palmyra Atoll[R][31] 1898
Incorporated, unorganized
 1.5 3.9
Wake Island[S][32] 1899
Unincorporated, unorganized
 2.5 6.5

Disputed territories[edit]

Main article: List of territorial disputes § Central America and the Caribbean
Territories claimed but not administered by the United States
Name Acquired
[13]		 Territorial status[33] Population
[33]		 Area Administered by[33] Also claimed by[33]
mi2 km2
Bajo Nuevo Bank (Petrel Island)[13] 1869
Unincorporated, unorganized
(disputed sovereignty)
 0 56 145[34][T]  Colombia  Jamaica
 Nicaragua
Serranilla Bank[13] 1880
Unincorporated, unorganized
(disputed sovereignty)
 0 463 1,200[35][U]  Colombia  Honduras
 Nicaragua

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

Notes

  1. ^ As defined by the United States Constitution. The original 13 states existed as states before the ratification of the constitution under the Declaration of Independence and Articles of Confederation.
  2. ^ a b 2016 estimate
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Area figures are rounded to the nearest whole number.
  4. ^ The largest city is the city in a state with the largest population in the city proper; metropolitan areas are not considered in this number.
  5. ^ The state of Kentucky is known officially as the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
  6. ^ The state of Massachusetts is known officially as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
  7. ^ The state of Pennsylvania is known officially as the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
  8. ^ The state of Rhode Island is known officially as the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.
  9. ^ The state of Virginia is known officially as the Commonwealth of Virginia.
  10. ^ a b c d e Represented by a non-voting delegate to the House of Representatives.
  11. ^ 2010
  12. ^ The Northern Mariana Islands are officially known as the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
  13. ^ Puerto Rico is officially known as the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
  14. ^ Represented by a non-voting resident commissioner in the House of Representatives.
  15. ^ The uninhabited territories contain no water area.
  16. ^ Although Midway Atoll lacks a permanent, indigenous population, around 40 United States Fish and Wildlife Service staff and service contractors live on the island at any given time.[27]
  17. ^ Navassa Island is claimed by Haiti.[29]
  18. ^ Although Palmyra Atoll lacks a permanent, indigenous population, between four and 20 nature conservatory employees, United States Fish and Wildlife Service staff and researchers live on the island at any given time.[27]
  19. ^ Although Wake Island lacks a permanent, indigenous population, the island is populated by around 150 military and civilian contractors, who staff the Wake Island Airfield as well as communications facilities.[32]
  20. ^ This is the approximate figure for the land area of the bank, and does not include the surrounding territorial waters
  21. ^ This figure includes the total land area of the Serranilla Bank and the water area of its lagoon, but not any surrounding territorial waters

Footnotes

  1. ^ Onuf, Peter S. (1983). The Origins of the Federal Republic: Jurisdictional Controversies in the United States, 1775–1787. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 978-0-8122-1167-2. (Subscription required (help)). 
  2. ^ "Common Core Document of the United States of America: Submitted With the Fourth Periodic Report of the United States of America to the United Nations Committee on Human Rights concerning the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights". U.S. Department of State, via The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs. 
  3. ^ "U.S. Insular Areas: application of the U.S. Constitution" (PDF). Government Accountability Office. November 1997. 
  4. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions About the Minnesota Legislature". Minnesota State Legislature. 
  5. ^ Burnett, Kristin D. "Congressional Apportionment (2010 Census Briefs C2010BR-08)" (PDF). U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration. 
  6. ^ Elhauge, Einer R. "Essays on Article II: Presidential Electors". The Heritage Foundation. 
  7. ^ "Doctrine of the Equality of States". Justia Law. Retrieved June 16, 2017. 
  8. ^ "DC Home Rule". Council of the District of Columbia. Archived from the original on November 17, 2011. 
  9. ^ Tarr, David R.; Benenson, Bob, eds. (2012). Elections A to Z (4th ed.). Sage Publications. p. 165. ISBN 9780872897694. 
  10. ^ a b c "Table 1. Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2016" (Microsoft Excel). 2016 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. January 2017. Retrieved March 5, 2017. 
  11. ^ a b c d e f "2010 Census of Population and Housing" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. September 2012. p. 41. Retrieved July 8, 2013. 
  12. ^ "State and Local Government Finances and Employment" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. 2012. p. 284. Retrieved July 8, 2013. 
  13. ^ a b c d e "Acquisition Process of Insular Areas". Office of Insular Affairs. Archived from the original on April 14, 2012. Retrieved July 9, 2013. 
  14. ^ a b c "2010 Census of Population and Housing" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. September 2012. p. 1. Retrieved July 8, 2013. 
  15. ^ "American Samoa". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved July 9, 2013. 
  16. ^ "Guam". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved July 9, 2013. 
  17. ^ "Proclamation 5564--Placing into full force and effect the Covenant With the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Compacts of Free Association With the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands". National Archives and Records Administration. November 3, 1986. 
  18. ^ "Northern Mariana Islands". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved July 9, 2013. 
  19. ^ "Puerto Rico". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved July 9, 2013. 
  20. ^ "Purchase of the United States Virgin Islands, 1917". U. S. Department of State. 
  21. ^ "Virgin Islands". The World Factbook. Retrieved July 9, 2013. 
  22. ^ "11025: Nationality". Higher Education Statistics Agency. Retrieved July 9, 2013. 
  23. ^ a b "Baker Island". Office of Insular Affairs. Archived from the original on April 19, 2012. Retrieved July 9, 2013. 
  24. ^ "Jarvis Island". Office of Insular Affairs. Archived from the original on February 7, 2012. Retrieved July 9, 2013. 
  25. ^ "Johnston Island". Office of Insular Affairs. Archived from the original on March 14, 2012. Retrieved July 9, 2013. 
  26. ^ "Kingman Reef National Wildlife Refuge". United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved July 9, 2013. 
  27. ^ a b "United States Pacific Islands Wildlife Refuges". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved October 10, 2014. 
  28. ^ "Midway Atoll". Office of Insular Affairs. Archived from the original on February 4, 2012. Retrieved July 9, 2013. 
  29. ^ Colon, Yves (September 25, 1998). "U.S., Haiti Squabble Over Control of Tiny Island". Miami Herald. Webster University. 
  30. ^ "Navassa Island". Office of Insular Affairs. Archived from the original on February 4, 2012. Retrieved July 9, 2013. 
  31. ^ "Palmyra Atoll". Office of Insular Affairs. Archived from the original on January 11, 2012. Retrieved July 9, 2013. 
  32. ^ a b "Wake Island". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved October 10, 2014. 
  33. ^ a b c d Lewis, Martin W. (March 21, 2011). "When Is an Island Not An Island? Caribbean Maritime Disputes". GeoCurrents. Retrieved 2017-06-16. 
  34. ^ "US Minor Outlying Islands - Bajo Nuevo Bank". Geocaching. June 6, 2017. 
  35. ^ "Cayo Serranilla" (in Spanish). Eco Fiwi. Retrieved June 16, 2017. 

References[edit]

External links[edit]

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