How many states are there in South America? Administrative divisions of the United States

US states on the map

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What is a “state” and how many are there in the USA?

The United States of America is a federation of 50 states ( US states).

A state is the main political and territorial unit of the United States. There have been 50 of them since 1959. Each of them has its own flag and motto.
Word "state"(state) appeared during the colonial period (around 1648). This word was sometimes used to describe individual colonies. It began to be used everywhere after the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The state has its own constitution, legislative, executive and judicial powers.

Each US state is divided into districts - administrative-territorial units of the second level. They are smaller than a state but larger than or equal to a city. The exception is the five counties (boroughs) within the City of New York. According to the Census Bureau, there are 3,140 counties in the country.

The third level of administrative-territorial division is city municipalities and townships, which govern local life settlements. According to the National League of Cities, in 2002 there were 19,429 urban municipalities and 16,504 townships in the United States.

50 US states borrowed their names from many languages. The names of half of them came from languages North American Indians. The remaining states received names from European languages: Latin, English and French.

In addition to the states, the country includes and is governed by administrative-territorial units with the status federal district or federal territory - the District of Columbia and a number of islands.

District of Columbia(The District of Columbia, D.C.) is not part of any state. The capital of the country, Washington, is located there.

The island territories of the United States include: Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa.

51st state

There is such a term as the “51st state.” This term refers to territories that apply to receive US state status in addition to the already existing fifty states. Among possible candidates for the title of "fifty-first state" - the District of Columbia, Northern Virginia, Puerto Rico. The issue of granting statehood to New York City has also been raised repeatedly.

There is one curious fact in history. In 2012, Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, in support of American colonization of the Earth's satellite, said: "When we have 13,000 Americans living on the moon, they can petition to become a state." However, in accordance with Article II of the Outer Space Treaty space, Luna and others celestial bodies are not subject to national appropriation, either by claim of sovereignty, by use or occupation, or by any other means.

How they are part of the United States

In order for any territory to become part of the United States, a lengthy procedure is required. The territory must adopt its own constitution. The Constitution must satisfy the US Congress, which decides to accept the territory into the United States.

States cannot secede from the United States unilaterally.

51 US states

Today the United States of America unites 50 states. The concept of "Forty-ninth State" was used when Hawaii and Alaska joined the Union of America in 1959. There are already territorial applicants for status American state under the term "The Fifty-first State."

Often, this term is used in cases where people believe that a certain state has undergone Americanization and is significantly influenced by US politics, economics and culture. This term is used in relation to countries such as Mexico, Iraq, Australia, Great Britain, Georgia, Israel.

Columbia region

The District of Columbia as a whole has about 600 thousand people. The main reason Maintaining state status by residents of this district is the possibility of electing those deputies to the US Congress who are residents of Colombia, are elected from the states, but do not have the opportunity to represent their interests. On at this stage development of relations between the district and Washington, only one person is delegated to the representative Chamber, who has no voting rights at all. Such relations are specified in the US Constitution and operate in accordance with it. The issue of possible entry into US state status and the fate of the Colombian district has been repeatedly brought up for discussion in Congress. The last attempt regarding the district's fate in relation to the "51 US states" was a vote in the fall of 1993. The project was not accepted. Colombian Political Party included in the program for implementing plans one of the first items to include the issue of consideration at Congress of granting statehood to the district.

Puerto Rico

The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is a completely free state located in the Caribbean Sea and occupying the Antilles. It has only territorial dependence on the United States and is under its control in the status of an “unincorporated” territory. The connection to America is the presence of American citizenship, defense and currency. The scope of the American Constitution throughout Puerto Rico is limited, and self-government reigns here. The island's population is about 3.5 million inhabitants. In Congress, the interests of Puerto Ricans are represented by one delegate who does not have the right to vote. Representatives of self-government participate in the primaries and cannot nominate their representatives to the elected College.

Since it is missing the legislative framework in relation to territorial status, this question raised by the island's Progressive Party and discussed in the US. In 2000, Clinton ordered the creation of a special commission whose task was to determine the status of Puerto Rico. At the electoral level in the district, the majority voted in favor of changing the political structure and transition to the status of 51 US states. Now this decision must be confirmed by the American Congress.

New York city

The issue of granting statehood to New York City has been considered more than once. The city includes the five large boroughs of Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Staten Island, and is also a global financial center. It was for economic reasons that one of the members of the City Council presented to Congress a proposal to secede from the state of New York and assign the title of “51 states.”

Superior

Enough already a long period, almost since the half of the 19th century, repeated attempts have been made to create the state of Superior, which would consist of the Upper Peninsula of Lake Michigan and a possible part of the state of Wisconsin. Like-minded people of this branch confidently say that the government of the state of the same name does not pay due attention to the problems of the residents of this territory.

Pacifica

Several options are possible for merging the Pacific Ocean territories into a single state. The unincorporated territories of Guam and the Virgin Islands may merge with Puerto Rico to form the "Prusvi" commonwealth. The Mariana Islands and American Samoa, together with Puerto Rico, could unite into “Greater Hawaii.” Also, the option of uniting Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, along with the sovereign states of Palau, the Marshall Islands and Micronesia, is possible. The last three are in the status of “free association” at this time.

The United States of America plays a leading role in the world community. Researchers call this state an empire that influences politics Western countries. Tourists who plan to visit the American states should familiarize themselves with the history of its formation.

The United States of America is not difficult to find on a map - it is located on a continent called North America and occupies a considerable part of it. A state in the USA is a territorial unit, through their annexation over a number of years the United States of America was formed.

Anyone who seriously studies this state can accurately answer the question of how many states there are in the United States. To be precise, today the United States consists of 50 states. Colombia, which is sometimes included in common list like the 51st state - actually federal district, an independent federal unit. In addition to this, the United States has several island territories, which also have sovereignty; they are not subordinate to any state. Each state is divided into districts governed by city municipalities. Rural areas may consist of townships.

Each state is a federation and they all have equal rights. There is nothing unusual in this; a similar structure can be found in other large states. The interesting thing is that all states are equal, but they have their own branches of government and their own constitution. Therefore, each state may have different penalties for the same crime.

Names of US states, detailed alphabetical list

When studying the USA, questions may arise from a person who knows well English language. The thing is that the word “state” can be translated not only as “states”, but also as “state”. In the mid-17th century, when the United States was in its formation stage, individual colonies were considered states.

Each state has not only its own capital, but also a flag and motto. Next we list the US states and their capitals.

Moreover, the state capital is not necessarily the most Big City. The word "state" began to be used in modern meaning since 1776, after the Declaration of Independence. At that time, the United States consisted of 46 states. Although you can still find indications that these were separate states. For example, California's official flag reads "Republic of California."

Confederate States of America

There was a period in US history when the state was practically divided into two parts. And although this lasted only 4 years, the fact remains that in 1861 the Confederate States of America (CSA) appeared. This is a self-proclaimed independent state, which was also called "Confederation" or "Dixie". It existed until 1865. What caused it to happen?

It is sometimes believed that the Confederacy was formed as a result of the abolition of slavery in the United States, which is why Civil War. This is not entirely correct, because CSA appeared after presidential elections Abraham Lincoln won. As a result of this, 6 southern states announced their withdrawal from the United States. A month later, Texas joined them. And when Abraham Lincoln announced that he intended to preserve the Union, 4 more states announced their accession to the Confederacy.

It is sometimes believed that the Confederacy included not 11, but 13 American states. This is partly correct. The fact is that Kentucky and Missouri turned out to be “border states” between the United States and the United States. For some time there were two governments, one on the side of the United States, and the second supporting the Confederacy. Basically, the CSA included states that did not want to give up the slave system. Maryland, although it was a slave state, martial law was introduced in it in time, so it remained part of the United States. Delaware remained neutral until the very end of the war. In 1865, the Confederacy, having suffered defeat in military operations, ceased to exist. In these states, the constitution was changed and slavery was abolished.

Texas is a state in the southern USA. It is in second place in terms of territory (only Alaska is larger) and in second place after California in terms of population. At first, this territory belonged to Mexico, and then there was a separate state that existed for almost 10 years - from 1836 to 1845. It appeared as a result of the war in northeastern Mexico.

There are several reasons why problems in Mexico led to the war. On the one hand, there is the dictatorship of the Mexican president, on the other, the adoption of a new constitution in the country, thanks to which slavery was abolished in 1835. As a result, Texas gained independence in 1836. The state was recognized by the international community as a separate state. But hostilities did not stop.

Clashes between Mexico and Texas continued for another 10 years. And only as a result of the US victory in the war with Mexico (1846-1848) was the issue of territorial claims settled - Texas received freedom. But most Texans already wanted to join the United States. Texas is the only independent state within the United States recognized by other countries. Although separatist movements seeking independence for this state of America are still active. They believe that Texas was annexed by the United States.

Kingdom and Republic

These are the islands located in Pacific Ocean. They are located 3,700 km from the American mainland. This is the very last state to become part of the United States, and this happened already in the 20th century - in 1959. But at first it was a kingdom, and then a separate republic. Why did islands located far from the United States become part of this state as one of the states?

In the 18th century, Hawaii had several parastatals. Then King Kamehameha I managed to unite the islands by force and found a single kingdom. Since 1810, one dynasty has ruled here for 85 years. In 1893, a coup d'état took place in Hawaii with the support of American sailors. But the United States refused to annex the islands, considering that this was contrary to the popular will of the Hawaiians. As a result of the coup, a republic appeared instead of a kingdom. But in 1898 they came under US protectorate, and already in the middle of the 20th century they became one of the states. It is considered to be the “sugar” state of the USA.

The most amazing states of the USA

Which American states can be highlighted and what is worth paying attention to? It is difficult to find a definite answer to this question, because each of them has a “zest”. The absence of a state language is also distinctive feature America.

Many state names have unusual origins.

1. As the researchers note, 25 or 26 names have Indian roots.
2. The name of the northernmost state of Alaska is taken from the Eskimo language.
3. Only 20 states have names of European origin: 11 are English, 6 are Spanish and 3 are French.
4. There is an assumption that Rhode Island is a Dutch place name.

But what about the Americans, didn’t they really give a name to a single state? It turns out that there is still one, and we're talking about about Washington state. It is named after President D. Washington.

There are states that are distinguished by their extraordinary beauty.

1. Florida is the southernmost part of North America. It is often called the "Sunshine State".
2. Oregon is full of contrasts and variety of landscapes. It could easily compete with the panoramas presented in the film “The Lord of the Rings”.
3. Michigan is distinguished by its natural beauty. In addition, there are many large lakes here.
4. Colorado is famous for its rocky mountains and unusually beautiful canyons. This state is often called the home of wonderful national parks.
5. stands out for its richness of flora and fauna.
6. Arizona is home to amazingly beautiful canyons. Hundreds of thousands of tourists visit them every year.

The United States was founded in 1776 when 13 English colonies signed the Declaration of Independence. From that moment on, England lost power over them. In order to regain the colonial territories, troops had to be sent in. This sparked the war that gave the United States its independence. But some of the colonies still remained loyal to the English crown. In 1787, the Constitution was adopted, which was ratified by 9 of the 13 states. For late XVIII and throughout the 19th century other states were annexed. In the 20th century, the remaining five became part of the United States: Oklahoma (1907), New Mexico (1912), Arizona (1912), Alaska (1959) and (1959).

Why is the District of Columbia (Washington) not part of any state?

The District of Columbia is the capital city of Washington, DC, and its surrounding area. Attempts were made repeatedly to make it a separate state, but American legislators never came to a clear decision. Last time this issue was brought up for discussion in Congress in 1993. But the project was rejected. This is also due to the fact that only one person is delegated to the House of Representatives from the district. And even he without the right to vote.

Conclusion

Can we say that the number of US states will remain the same tomorrow? There is no specific answer to this question. This figure has been unstable for more than 100 years. Today, several territories and states would not refuse to join the United States as individual states. The most likely candidate is Puerto Rico. It is quite possible that a 51st state under this name will soon appear. The Philippines, Haiti, and Yucatan are also contenders.

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The United States of America is one of the largest countries around the world. The territory of the state is divided into entities, including one federal district - Columbia and 49 administrative units. Each of them has a capital, but it is not always the largest city. In addition, the United States includes 14 islands. Let's take a closer look at how many states there are in the USA.

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Division of the country

A reasonable question arises: how many states are there in the USA? The very concept of state is part of the country divided administratively and territorially . Thus, in total we have 50 US states, each of which has its own constitution, can establish its own laws and has all the levels of government that the country as a whole provides. These include the judicial, executive and legislative systems.

Important! There is a big misconception among uninitiated people that countries are part of America.

This is not so, the sonorous names, Florida and Texas, are not separate states at all, but only territory big country, but having the ability to make most independent decisions, while being subordinate to the general Congress.

In addition, you yourself states have territorial divisions. They include districts. If you can immediately tell how many states there are in the USA, then the average person cannot immediately name the number of districts. Sometimes counties are much larger than the average city, rarely smaller.

For example, in New York, the districts are part of the metropolis. According to the latest data, there are 3,140 such districts. The state of Texas has the largest number of counties, with 254, and the smallest is in Denver, here only three districts.

The local population is governed by representatives of the local municipality, there is another name, township.

State Features

The states are named after the Indian tribes that lived in this territory. They also contain Latin, French, and English words. Each of the names has state abbreviations. For example:

• AL - Alabama;
• NE – Nebraska;
• TX – Texas;
• Columbia also has an abbreviation: DC - District of Columbia.

The capital of the United States, Washington, is not located in the district, but in Colombia, which has a different federal status. The number of US states has not yet been changed, the list of which consists of 50 names.

Islands within the country

Land located in coastal areas belongs to the state to which they are closer and who managed to capture them. So, the Aleutian Islands are part of the United States. They are located on the coast of Alaska and have more than 110 islands. In addition to the Aleutians, there are other islands in North America, for example, four Virgin Islands, the entire Alexander Archipelago, Alcatraz, the Samoan Archipelago and others.

Attention! In total, the United States has 66 islands of varying sizes.

22 of them have an area of ​​more than a thousand square kilometers, while the rest reach sizes of less than a thousand, but more than two hundred square kilometers.

To Washington in different time capitals were other cities. Among them:

• Lancaster;
• Trenton;
• NY;
• Baltimore;
• Philadelphia.

Age of America

The official name that worn since the 18th century by the country America – United States of America. The abbreviation USA is most often used. This is a multinational state; many peoples have not yet lost the traditions and customs of their ancestors.

On this moment American Indians constitute only one percent of the country's total population. This is when dividing along racial lines. Most of all are whites – 84%, Africans make up only 13%.

The USA as a country was formed in 1776, so the age of America is significantly young.

Important! The United States was formed as a result of the fact that 13 British colonies located on the territory of one country declared their independence.

ABOUT original composition countries still have a visual reminder in the form of stripes on official flag of the USA. In addition to the stripes, the canvas depicts stars on a blue background; by counting them, you can find out how many states there are in the country.

States were formed by expanding territory and increasing population. The last one to join is the state of Hawaii in 1959.

Many territories want to become part of a powerful power, which the United States has been for many years. There are several contenders for the title of “51st state,” including the District of Columbia and New York. They want to separate the Big Apple administratively, but for now these are just plans. Procedure for joining the USA very complex and lengthy. First, the territory develops its constitution, and then Congress must adopt it. None of the states can withdraw unilaterally.

Columbia region

Residents of this district, in the center of which the US capital is located, have repeatedly petitioned Congress to grant their territory statehood. Last and unsuccessful attempt was made in 1993. Then the Congress participants application was rejected.

You can understand the residents of the district. The population of the territory numbers more than 600 thousand people, but to choose from deputies from local residents They can not. Only one person from a district can be in the representative House, but he still has will not have the right to vote A.

Such measures have been in effect since the adoption of the country's Constitution. The number of states will not change from decision taken, because Colombia is already part of them, since it is a territorial unit of a large country.

New York and Puerto Rico

The city is very large in area and is the largest financial center in the world. It consists of five boroughs: Staten Island, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. One politician proposed making the city a state, largely for economic reasons.

Puerto Rico is an independent entity within the unincorporated territories of the United States. Located Commonwealth of the Caribbean in the Antilles. The dependence of residents on the American Constitution is not complete; Puerto Rico has its own government, but territorially it depends on the United States. Residents of the Commonwealth have American citizenship and are dependent on American currency and defense.

Puerto Rico can only have one delegate in Congress and, like the representative from Colombia, has no voting rights. The status of the island, whose population is more than 3.5 million people, is not determined by law. Since 2000, by order of the current president, a commission was created that should look into this issue and, if possible, Add Puerto Rico to the 51st US state.