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Originally posted by TheBandit795
It's a common misconception that there are 50 continental states in the U.S. and that Hawaii and Alaska are the other two.
Originally posted by Pragmatist Centrist
I'd be willing to bet that no new states are going to be added to the US. Who would want a 51 star flag?
Originally posted by Pragmatist Centrist
I'd be willing to bet that no new states are going to be added to the US. Who would want a 51 star flag?
Originally posted by madnessinmysoul
we may not have more than 50 states, but DC may get state-like representation in congress
there have been proposals to give it a single rep in the house and 1 electoral vote
Originally posted by negativenihil
Originally posted by madnessinmysoul
we may not have more than 50 states, but DC may get state-like representation in congress
there have been proposals to give it a single rep in the house and 1 electoral vote
ugh this is way overdue...
DC - the only place you'll be taxed without any sort of representation.
I want a 51 star.
Originally posted by Pragmatist Centrist
I'd be willing to bet that no new states are going to be added to the US. Who would want a 51 star flag?
[edit on 2-7-2006 by Pragmatist Centrist]
Originally posted by ThunderCloud
In my experience, the number 52 comes up when foreigners count D.C. and Puerto Rico as States.
Even though four States call themselves "commonwealths", they are still States, so they still count towards the 50.
Anyway, the U.S. has 50 States, 1 district, 1 commonwealth, and 3 incorporated territories:
-all 50 States (48 contiguous States, then Alaska and Hawaii)
-1 district, the District of Colombia (as in Washington, D.C.)
-1 commonwealth, Puerto Rico (with a commonwealth legally existing between being a State and being a territory)
-3 incorporated territories (the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa)
-and, finally, about a dozen unicorporated territories (ex: Johnston Atoll, a small, isolated island in the Pacific)
Any U.S. land or water not part of a State are directly governed by the U.S. Congress.
Territories that are 'incorporated' are those that actually have civilians living there; 'unincorporated' territories are usually isolated islands that either no one lives on, or are just used by the U.S. government.
Technically, the 50 States and D.C. are permanant, inseperable parts of the U.S.; Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa technically are supposed to one day make the choice between either becoming U.S. States themselves or independent countries. (They have to take their time to decide, though! Because once you're part of the Union, you can never leave it! The Civil War decided that question! )
Originally posted by Desert Dawg
There are only 44 states in the Continental United States.
Alaska and Hawaii make the total 46.
Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Kentucky are Commonwealths and not states.
The difference is in name only.
These four Commonwealths chose to call themselves Commonwealths instead of states.
It doesn't make too much difference.
The legalities et al are the same and it's only a name.
Just a little trivia for your Thursday morning entertainment....
Originally posted by madnessinmysoul
we may not have more than 50 states, but DC may get state-like representation in congress
there have been proposals to give it a single rep in the house and 1 electoral vote