U.S. state

In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, and there are 50 of them. These states are joined together in a political union, where each state has its own government that works within a set area of land. Because of this special sharing of power, people in the United States are citizens of both the country and the particular state where they live. Moving between states is usually free and easy, except for some special cases.

Each state has its own government set up by the people who live there, following rules that make sure everyone has a say. These governments have three parts that work separately: one that makes rules, one that carries them out, and one that makes sure they are fair. States are also split into smaller areas called counties, which help with local matters but are not separate from the state.

States have many important rights and powers under the United States Constitution. They help choose leaders for the country and can agree to changes in the Constitution. States also work together on special projects when needed. Over time, the country has added more states, growing from 13 original ones to 50 today, with each new state having the same rights as the others.

List

Further information on each U.S. state: List of states and territories of the United States

See also: List of U.S. state and territory abbreviations

The 50 states, in alphabetical order, along with each state's flag:

•  Alabama
•  Alaska
•  Arizona
•  Arkansas
•  California
•  Colorado
•  Connecticut
•  Delaware
•  Florida
•  Georgia
•  Hawaii
•  Idaho
•  Illinois
•  Indiana
•  Iowa
•  Kansas
•  Kentucky
•  Louisiana
•  Maine
•  Maryland
•  Massachusetts
•  Michigan
•  Minnesota
•  Mississippi
•  Missouri
•  Montana
•  Nebraska
•  Nevada
•  New Hampshire
•  New Jersey
•  New Mexico
•  New York
•  North Carolina
•  North Dakota
•  Ohio
•  Oklahoma
•  Oregon
•  Pennsylvania
•  Rhode Island
•  South Carolina
•  South Dakota
•  Tennessee
•  Texas
•  Utah
•  Vermont
•  Virginia
•  Washington
•  West Virginia
•  Wisconsin
•  Wyoming

Background

The 13 original states began in July 1776 during the American Revolutionary War, after agreeing to the Lee Resolution and signing the United States Declaration of Independence. Before this, each was a British colony. They joined the first Union of states between 1777 and 1781 by approving the Articles of Confederation, the first U.S. constitution. During this time, these new states created their own state constitutions, some of the earliest written rules for governments in the world.

These early state rules had similar ideas, like being a republican government and splitting power into three parts. Many had two groups making laws and included promises to protect people’s rights. Between 1787 and 1790, all the states agreed to a new national set of rules in the Constitution of the United States. This new constitution helped explain how the country and the states would share power through federalism.

Governments

Main article: State governments of the United States

Further information: Comparison of U.S. state governments

In the United States, each of the 50 states has its own government. These state governments share power with the federal government but also have their own rights. The U.S. Constitution gives states many powers that are not given to the federal government.

Each state has its own constitution that sets up its government. Most states have three branches: an executive led by a governor, a legislature that makes laws, and a court system that interprets laws. Governors are chosen by voters and can approve or reject new laws. State legislatures usually have two groups, but one state has just one group. These legislators are also chosen by voters.

State courts handle most legal cases in the United States. They are organized differently in each state but always protect important rights for citizens. Most states use rules from English law, but one state uses rules from French law.

Local governments, like cities and towns, get their powers from the state governments. The states decide what powers local areas can have.

Relationships

Interstate

Since 1789, every state joining the United States has been treated the same as the original states. States can make agreements with each other, called compacts, to share resources like water or transportation.

Under the U.S. Constitution, each state must respect the laws and court decisions of other states. This includes recognizing most contracts and criminal judgments. States cannot treat people from other states unfairly regarding their basic rights.

With the federal government

Each state is guaranteed a government based on the idea that the people choose their leaders. The U.S. Constitution and federal laws are the highest laws, and state laws cannot go against them.

The U.S. Congress has certain powers, such as declaring war and regulating trade between states. Over time, the federal government has taken on more powers that were once handled by the states.

Each state has two senators in the U.S. Senate and at least one representative in the House of Representatives. Senators serve six-year terms, while representatives serve two-year terms. The number of representatives a state has depends on its population.

With other countries

U.S. states are not independent countries and do not have their own international relations. The federal government handles relationships with other countries, though state leaders sometimes visit other nations to build economic and cultural ties.

Admission into the Union

Main article: Admission to the Union

Since the United States began in 1776, it has grown from 13 states to 50. Each new state joins with the same rights as the others. Congress can allow new states, but cannot create them from parts of existing states without permission from those states and Congress.

Many states formed from areas called territories. These territories were organized and ruled by Congress. People in a territory can ask to become a state. If Congress agrees, they can write a state constitution and hold elections before joining the United States. Some states joined without being organized territories first, like California, which came from land given to the United States by Mexico, and Texas, which was its own country before joining.

Proposed additions

Further information: 51st state

Guam

Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the western Pacific Ocean. People living in Guam have talked a lot about whether it should become a U.S. state.

Puerto Rico

Main articles: Political status of Puerto Rico and Proposed political status for Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is an unincorporated U.S. territory. It calls itself the "Commonwealth of Puerto Rico" in English and "Estado Libre Asociado" in Spanish. People living there do not have full voting rights in the U.S. Congress. They have a special representative in the U.S. House of Representatives who can speak but cannot vote fully.

In 2012, people in Puerto Rico voted in a vote about whether to become a state, become independent, or choose another option. Most people chose to become a state. In 2017, another vote happened, and again, most people chose statehood. In 2020, another vote happened, and people chose to become a state again. The U.S. government still needs to decide what to do about Puerto Rico's status.

Washington, D.C.

Main article: District of Columbia statehood movement

The U.S. capital, Washington, D.C., was created to be a neutral place for the government, not part of any state. It does not have voting rights in the Senate or a full representative in the House. Before 1961, people living there could not vote in presidential elections either. Today, most people in Washington, D.C. want to become a state, and they voted for it in 2016. But Congress still needs to approve it.

Secession from the Union

Main article: Secession in the United States

The U.S. Constitution talks about a "union" but does not say if a state can leave it. Earlier, the Articles of Confederation said the union would be forever. Whether states could leave on their own was a big debate in the country's early years and stayed a hard topic until the American Civil War.

In 1860 and 1861, 11 southern states decided to leave and formed the Confederate States of America. After the Civil War ended in 1865, these states joined the United States again during the Reconstruction era. The federal government did not accept the Confederate states as independent or the legality of their leaving.

Later, the U.S. Supreme Court decided in Texas v. White (1869) that states cannot leave the Union and that any attempt to do so is not legal. The Court said the union is meant to last forever and that states do not have the right to leave on their own.

Name origins

Further information: List of state and territory name etymologies of the United States

The names of the 50 states in the United States come from many different languages. Twenty-four state names come from Native American languages, including Algonquian, Siouan, Iroquoian, and Uto-Aztecan languages, as well as other indigenous languages. Hawaii's name comes from the Polynesian Hawaiian language.

The other 22 state names come from European languages. Some are from Latin, and others are from English, Spanish, and French. Eleven states are named after people, including some named after royalty and one after a President of the United States. The origins of six state names are not fully known or are debated. Some states that got their names from Native American words still end in the letter "s".

Geography

Main article: Geography of the United States

Borders

The borders of the first 13 states were mostly set by old documents called colonial charters. Later, as new states were added, their borders were often decided by leaders in Congress. These borders sometimes followed natural features like rivers or mountain peaks, and were also shaped by where people chose to settle or travel.

Over time, most state borders have stayed the same. Only a few states, like Missouri (Platte Purchase) and Nevada, grew larger after becoming states. Some early states gave up land to the federal government, which later became new areas like the Northwest Territory, Southwest Territory, and Mississippi Territory. In 1791, Maryland and Virginia gave land to create the District of Columbia. Small changes to borders have happened now and then to fix mistakes or make things easier to manage.

Regional grouping

Further information: List of regions of the United States

States can be grouped into regions in many different ways. The United States Census Bureau uses four main regions—Northeast, Midwest, South, and West—for collecting and studying data. Other ways to group states are based on geography or culture rather than official rules.