The Fifty States

The United States of America consists of fifty states, no more, no less. If you are ever confused, you may count the white stars on the national flag to be sure, but it is probably simpler to just remember the number. Fifty. Not forty-one, and not fifty-one. The U.S. has been fifty states since 1959, when Hawaii became part of the country.

Alaska is the biggest state, followed by Texas and then California. Rhode Island is the smallest. Washington D.C. would be the smallest, but as we know, it isn't really a state, but a district set up in by the Congress in 1790 to be the permanent center for the government. If D.C. was a state, there'd be fifty-one. And as we've already discussed, that would be just plain wrong.

STATE                      CAPITAL

Alabama                    Montgomery
Alaska                       Juneau
Arizona                      Phoenix
Arkansas                   Little Rock
California                   Sacramento
Colorado                   Denver
Connecticut                Hartford
Delaware                   Dover
Florida                       Tallahassee
Georgia                     Atlanta
Hawaii                       Honolulu
Idaho                         Boise
Illinois                        Springfield
Indiana                      Indianapolis
Iowa                         Des Moines
Kansas                      Topeka
Kentucky                  Frankfort
Louisiana                   Baton Rouge
Maine                        Augusta
Maryland                   Annapolis
Massachusetts           Boston
Michigan                    Lansing
Minnesota                 St. Paul
Mississippi                 Jackson
Missouri                    Jefferson City
Montana                    Helena
Nebraska                   Lincoln
Nevada                      Carson City
New Hampshire          Concord
New Jersey                 Trenton
New Mexico               Santa Fe
New York                   Albany
North Carolina             Raleigh
North Dakota               Bismarck
Ohio                             Columbus
Oklahoma                     Oklahoma City
Oregon                         Salem
Pennsylvania                  Harrisburg
Rhode Island                 Providence
South Carolina              Columbia
South Dakota                Pierre
Tennessee                     Nashville
Texas                            Austin
Utha                              Salt Lake City
Vermont                         Montpelier
Virginia                           Richmond
Washington                     Olympia
West Virginia                  Charleston
Wisconsin                        Madison
Wyoming                        Cheyenne