The United States is a federal republic consisting of fifty states, a federal district known as Washington, D.C. (the capital city of the United States of America), 5 major self-governing territories, and various possessions. The forty eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., are in North America between Mexico and Canada, while Alaska is in the far north-western part of North America and Hawaii is an archipelago in the midPacific. Territories of the U.S. are scattered throughout the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
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Powers, Functions and Representation of the States of the United States
The United States is a huge nation which comprises 50 states and a federal district, Washington D.C., which is the capital of the nation. The area of he states is not uniform. While Alaska is the largest state of the country comprising an area of 665,384 square miles, Rhode Island is the smallest and covers an area of just 1,545 square miles. For a better administration, the all the 50 states are divided into counties or county-equivalents. These counties many have some sort of local government for an effective management of affairs; however, they are not sovereign and are subject to the laws of the state. the structure of the counties or county-equivalents differs from one state to the other.
Through their individual constitution, the government of each state of the United States is allocated power by the people. The government of every state in the country comprises three branches and these are the executive, legislature, and the judiciary.
Powers and functions of the US states
The States have a number of powers that are granted to them under the Constitution of the country. One of the most important powers of the states is the ratifying of the constitutional amendments. Some of the functions that come under the control of the state governments are public education and health, local law enforcement, regulating intrastate commerce, and local transportation, to name a few. However, these now receive funding from the federal government and are regulated as well. During, the past few years, the relations between the federal government and the states in the country have undergone some changes. Today, the federal government is playing a much larger role in state affairs as compared to the earlier times. In a nutshell, it can be said that the general tendency in the country is today more towards centralization.
States’ representation in the Congress and bicameral legislature
Every state of the country is well represented in the federal Congress and the bicameral legislature, which comprises the Senate and the House of Representatives. Two Senators represent a particular state in the Senate, while every state is entitled to at least one representative in the House of Representatives. The representatives are elected from the single-member districts. However, unlike the senate, the allotment of seats to the representatives is not uniform across all states. The seats in the House of Representatives are distributed among all states of the country in proportion to the constitutionally mandated decennial census that has been conducted recently. Thus California, which is the most populous state of the country, has 53 representatives, while Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming have just one representative. Another significant role that states play is the selecting of electors. Every state of the nation is entitled to select a number of electors to the to vote in the Electoral College. This is an important body, which elects the President of the United States. The number of electors elected by each state should be equal to the total of representatives and senators from that particular state.
Admitting new states
The Congress has been granted authority by the Constitution of the nation to admit new states into the Union. This authority has frequently been used and a number of new states have been admitted into the Union over the years. During the establishment of the United States in 1776, there were just 13 states in the country. Over the course of the next two years the number has significantly risen and today the United States comprises 50 states. The recent additions to the Union have been the two stats of Hawaii and Alaska. Both these states were admitted to the Union in 1959.
Meanwhile, the Constitution says nothing about the states’ right to secede from the Union. However, the Supreme Court had passed a judgment in this regard shortly after the end of the Civil War. In the Texas v. White case, which was argued before the Supreme Court in 1869, the highest court of the land held that the states couldn’t secede from the Union.
States of the United States of America
S.N.
State
Abr.
Capital
Largest City
State-hood
Population (2019 est.)
Total Area (mi²)
Total Area (km²)
Land Area (mi²)
Land Area (km²)
Water Area (mi²)
Water Area (km²)
Number of Reps.
1
Alabama
AL
Montgomery
Birmingham
Dec 14, 1819
4,903,185
52,420
135,767
50,645
131,171
1,775
4,597
7
2
Alaska
AK
Juneau
Anchorage
Jan 3, 1959
731,545
665,384
1,723,337
570,641
1,477,953
94,743
245,384
1
3
Arizona
AZ
Phoenix
Phoenix
Feb 14, 1912
7,278,717
113,990
295,234
113,594
294,207
396
1,026
9
4
Arkansas
AR
Little Rock
Little Rock
3,017,804
53,179
137,732
52,035
134,771
1,143
2,961
4
5
California
CA
Sacramento
Los Angeles
Sep 9, 1850
39,512,223
163,695
423,967
155,779
403,466
7,916
20,501
53
6
Colorado
CO
Denver
Denver
Aug 1, 1876
5,758,736
104,094
269,601
103,642
268,431
452
1,170
7
7
Connecticut
CT
Hartford
Bridgeport
Jan 9, 1788
3,565,278
5,543
14,357
4,842
12,542
701
1,816
5
8
Delaware
DE
Dover
Wilmington
Dec 7, 1787
973,764
2,489
6,446
1,949
5,047
540
1,399
1
9
Florida
FL
Tallahassee
Jacksonville
Mar 3, 1845
21,477,737
65,758
170,312
53,625
138,887
12,133
31,424
27
10
Georgia
GA
Atlanta
Atlanta
Jan 2, 1788
10,617,423
59,425
153,910
57,513
148,959
1,912
4,951
14
11
Hawaii
HI
Honolulu
Honolulu
Aug 21, 1959
1,415,872
10,932
28,313
6,423
16,635
4,509
11,678
2
12
Idaho
ID
Boise
Boise
Jul 3, 1890
1,787,065
83,569
216,443
82,643
214,045
926
2,398
2
13
Illinois
IL
Springfield
Chicago
Dec 3, 1818
12,671,821
57,914
149,995
55,519
143,793
2,395
6,202
18
14
Indiana
IN
Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Dec 11, 1816
6,732,219
36,420
94,326
35,826
92,789
593
1,537
9
15
Iowa
IA
Des Moines
Des Moines
Dec 28, 1846
3,155,070
56,273
145,746
55,857
144,669
416
1,077
4
16
Kansas
KS
Topeka
Wichita
Jan 29, 1861
2,913,314
82,278
213,100
81,759
211,754
520
1,346
4
17
Kentucky
KY
Frankfort
Louisville
Jun 1, 1792
4,467,673
40,408
104,656
39,486
102,269
921
2,387
6
18
Louisiana
LA
Baton Rouge
New Orleans
Apr 30, 1812
4,648,794
52,378
135,659
43,204
111,898
9,174
23,761
6
19
Maine
ME
Augusta
Portland
Mar 15, 1820
1,344,212
35,380
91,633
30,843
79,883
4,537
11,750
2
20
Maryland
MD
Annapolis
Baltimore
Apr 28, 1788
6,045,680
12,406
32,131
9,707
25,142
2,699
6,990
8
21
Massachusetts
MA
Boston
Boston
Feb 6, 1788
6,892,503
10,554
27,336
7,800
20,202
2,754
7,134
9
22
Michigan
MI
Lansing
Detroit
Jan 26, 1837
9,986,857
96,714
250,487
56,539
146,435
40,175
104,052
14
23
Minnesota
MN
St. Paul
Minneapolis
May 11, 1858
5,639,632
86,936
225,163
79,627
206,232
7,309
18,930
8
24
Mississippi
MS
Jackson
Jackson
Dec 10, 1817
2,976,149
48,432
125,438
46,923
121,531
1,508
3,907
4
25
Missouri
MO
Jefferson City
Kansas City
Aug 10, 1821
6,137,428
69,707
180,540
68,742
178,040
965
2,501
8
26
Montana
MT
Helena
Billings
Nov 8, 1889
1,068,778
147,040
380,831
145,546
376,962
1,494
3,869
1
27
Nebraska
NE
Lincoln
Omaha
Mar 1, 1867
1,934,408
77,348
200,330
76,824
198,974
524
1,356
3
28
Nevada
NV
Carson City
Las Vegas
Oct 31, 1864
3,080,156
110,572
286,380
109,781
284,332
791
2,048
4
29
New Hampshire
NH
Concord
Manchester
Jun 21, 1788
1,359,711
9,349
24,214
8,953
23,187
397
1,027
2
30
New Jersey
NJ
Trenton
Newark
Dec 18, 1787
8,882,190
8,723
22,591
7,354
19,047
1,368
3,544
12
31
New Mexico
NM
Santa Fe
Albuquerque
Jan 6, 1912
2,096,829
121,590
314,917
121,298
314,161
292
757
3
32
New York
NY
Albany
New York
Jul 26, 1788
19,453,561
54,555
141,297
47,126
122,057
7,429
19,240
27
33
North Carolina
NC
Raleigh
Charlotte
Nov 21, 1789
10,488,084
53,819
139,391
48,618
125,920
5,201
13,471
13
34
North Dakota
ND
Bismarck
Fargo
Nov 2, 1889
762,062
70,698
183,108
69,001
178,711
1,698
4,397
1
35
Ohio
OH
Columbus
Columbus
Mar 1, 1803
11,689,100
44,826
116,098
40,861
105,829
3,965
10,269
16
36
Oklahoma
OK
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City
Nov 16, 1907
3,956,971
69,899
181,037
68,595
177,660
1,304
3,377
5
37
Oregon
OR
Salem
Portland
Feb 14, 1859
4,217,737
98,379
254,799
95,988
248,608
2,391
6,191
5
38
Pennsylvania
PA
Harrisburg
Philadelphia
Dec 12, 1787
12,801,989
46,054
119,280
44,743
115,883
1,312
3,397
18
39
Rhode Island
RI
Providence
Providence
May 29, 1790
1,059,361
1,545
4,001
1,034
2,678
511
1,324
2
40
South Carolina
SC
Columbia
Charleston
May 23, 1788
5,148,714
32,020
82,933
30,061
77,857
1,960
5,076
7
41
South Dakota
SD
Pierre
Sioux Falls
Nov 2, 1889
884,659
77,116
199,729
75,811
196,350
1,305
3,379
1
42
Tennessee
TN
Nashville
Nashville
Jun 1, 1796
6,829,174
42,144
109,153
41,235
106,798
909
2,355
9
43
Texas
TX
Austin
Houston
Dec 29, 1845
28,995,881
268,596
695,662
261,232
676,587
7,365
19,075
36
44
Utah
UT
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City
Jan 4, 1896
3,205,958
84,897
219,882
82,170
212,818
2,727
7,064
4
45
Vermont
VT
Montpelier
Burlington
Mar 4, 1791
623,989
9,616
24,906
9,217
23,871
400
1,035
1
46
Virginia
VA
Richmond
Virginia Beach
Jun 25, 1788
8,535,519
42,775
110,787
39,490
102,279
3,285
8,508
11
47
Washington
WA
Olympia
Seattle
Nov 11, 1889
7,614,893
71,298
184,661
66,456
172,119
4,842
12,542
10
48
West Virginia
WV
Charleston
Charleston
Jun 20, 1863
1,792,147
24,230
62,756
24,038
62,259
192
497
3
49
Wisconsin
WI
Madison
Milwaukee
May 29, 1848
5,822,434
65,496
169,635
54,158
140,268
11,339
29,367
8
50
Wyoming
WY
Cheyenne
Cheyenne
Jul 10, 1890
578,759
97,813
253,335
97,093
251,470
720
1,864
1
Federal District
Federal District
Abr.
Established
Population (2019 est.)
Total Area (mi²)
Total Area (km²)
Land Area (mi²)
Land Area (km²)
Water Area (mi²)
Water Area (km²)
Number of Reps.
District of Columbia
DC
Jul 16, 1790
705,749
68
176
61
158
7
18
1
The Federal District of the United States is a unique political subdivision that serves as the capital of the country. It is located in the eastern part of the United States, bordered by Maryland to the north, east, and south, and Virginia to the west. The district covers an area of 68.3 square miles (177 square kilometers) and has a population of over 700,000 people.
Territories of United States of America
Inhabited Territories of the United States
S.N.
Inhabited territories
Abr.
Capital
Acquired
Territorial Status
Population (2015 est.)
Total Area (mi²)
Total Area (km²)
Land Area (mi²)
Land Area (km²)
Water Area (mi²)
Water Area (km²)
Number of Reps.
1
American Samoa
AS
Pago Pago
1900
Unincorporated, unorganized
57,400
581
1,505
76
198
505
1,307
1
2
Guam
GU
Hagåtña
1899
Unincorporated, organized
161,700
571
1,478
210
543
361
935
1
3
Northern Mariana Islands
MP
Saipan
1986
Unincorporated, organized
52,300
1,976
5,117
182
472
1,793
4,644
1
4
Puerto Rico
PR
San Juan
1899
Unincorporated, organized
3,193,694
5,325
13,791
3,424
8,868
1,901
4,924
1
5
U.S. Virgin Islands
VI
Charlotte Amalie
1917
Unincorporated, organized
103,700
733
1,898
134
348
599
1,550
1
Uninhabited Territories
Territories of the United States of America with no indigenous population
S.N.
Name
Acquired
Territorial Status
Land Area (mi²)
Land Area (km²)
1
Baker Island
1856
Unincorporated; unorganized
0.9
2.2
2
Howland Island
1858
Unincorporated, unorganized
0.6
1.6
3
Jarvis Island
1856
Unincorporated, unorganized
2.2
5.7
4
Johnston Atoll
1859
Unincorporated, unorganized
1
2.6
5
Kingman Reef
1860
Unincorporated, unorganized
0.005
0.01
6
Midway Atoll
1867
Unincorporated, unorganized
3
7.8
7
Navassa Island
1858
Unincorporated, unorganized
3
7.8
8
Palmyra Atoll
1898
Incorporated, unorganized
1.5
3.9
9
Wake Island
1899
Unincorporated, unorganized
2.5
6.5
Disputed Territories
Territories claimed but not administered by the United States of America