50+States

50 States

Alabama (Jason) - Alabama, or “The Yellowhammer State”, became a state on Dec. 14, 1819. The word “Alabama” may come from the Creek Indian word for “tribal town”, but it may also be named after the Alabama River. To the southeast along the Alabama River is the capital, Montgomery. Montgomery, Alabama has a population of around 205,764 people as of 2010. Montgomery comes in second when it comes to the most populated cities in Alabama. The most populated city is Birmingham with 212,237 people and Mobile as third with 195,111 people. Alabama’s major exports are poultry, cattle, and cotton. Some notable people from Alabama are Helen Keller and Jesse Owens. Helen Keller was the first deaf blind person to get a bachelor’s degree in arts. The Second most notable person from Alabama was Jesse Owens who won 4 gold medals at the 1936 summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany where he proved to Hitler that Aryans were not the superior race. Montgomery, Alabama was the birthplace of the Confederate States of America. Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida (Katie) - Florida became the 27th state on March 3, 1845. The first European contact was made in 1513 by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon who named it La Florida, which means "flowery land". Florida's capitol city is Tallahassee, which has a population of 181,376, as of the 2010 census. The three largest citied are 1. Jacksonville, with a population of 821,784, 2. Miami, with a population of 399,457, and 3. Tampa, which has a population of 335,709. Florida's nickname is The Sunshine State, which was officially adopted by the Florida State Legislature in 1970. Florida's economic strengths are tourism (amusement parks), agriculture (70% of all US oranges come from Florida), phosphate mining, and fishing. Johnny Depp, Sean Kingston, Lil Wayne, Maya Rudolph, and Enrique Iglesias are all from Florida. Florida has 1,370 golf courses, which is more than any other state in the US. Georgia Hawaii (Jenny) - The state Hawaii has eight main islands. Hawaii became a state in August 20 1959 and was the last state, which joined the union. The island may have been named by Hawaii Loa, their traditional discoverer. Or may have been named after Hawaii or Hawaiki, the traditional home of the Polynesians. Hawaii's capital is Honolulu. It is also the biggest city before Hilo and Kailua. In 1960 the population was 632,772,last year was the population of Hawaii 1,360,301. Hawaii is also named as "The Aloha State". It is also known for tourism, faring, military and education. The two most popular people from Hawaii are Barack Obama and Nicole Kidman. Both are born in Honolulu.One of the most interesting fact about Hawaii is the time zone. Hawaii has its own time zone (Hawaiian Standard Time). There is no daylight savings time. The time runs two hours behind Pacific Standard Time and five hours behind Eastern Standard Time. Idaho Illinois (Carsyn) - Illinois became a state on December 3, 1818 and is considered "The Prairie State." Illinois came from the word Illini meaning "tribe of superior men." It originated from the Cahokia, Kaskaskia, Michigamea, Moingwena, Peoria and Tamaroa Indian tribes. The capitol city is Springfield which has a population of 116, 250. The three largest cities are Chicago, Aurora, and Rockford. Illinois is known for its Agriculture and produces corn, soybeans, wheat, barley, rye, and oats. Ronald Reagan - the 40th U.S. President - was born in Tampico, Illinois on February 6, 1911. Another notable person who was born in Illinois is Joe Girardi, the manager of the New York Yankees. He was born in Peoria, Illinois on October 14, 1964. The state bird is a cardinal and the state flower is a Native Violet.

Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland (Alex) - Maryland was one of the 13 original colonies of the United States of America. It officially became a state when the United States Constitution was ratified on April 28, 1788. It was named Maryland in honor of King Charles I's wife, Henrietta Maria by the man who had purchased the charter for Maryland. Annapolis is the capitol of Maryland. It is located in the middle of Maryland. It has a population of 36,408 people.

Populations by City 1) Baltimore - 631,366 people 2) Rockville - 59,114 people 3) Frederick - 58,882 people

Total Population of Maryland 5,773,552

Maryland began as an agricultural community, but today, Maryland is known for their manufacturing and fishing. Maryland is famous for having the best crab in the United States. Also, Maryland is known for being technologically advanced, specializing in industries like aerospace and bio-engineering. Billie Holliday and Francis Scott Key were both born in Maryland. Johns Hopkins University, a school well known for its Medical Education, is located in Maryland, along with many other prestigious schools.

Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota

Mississippi (Morgan Abbruzzese): Mississippi became a state on December 10 in the year 1817. It got its name from the word "misi-ziibi" which is a word from the Chippewa Indian tribe. The literal meaning translates into "great river" or "gathering of waters" referring to the Mississippi River located on the Western side of the state. The capital is Jackson with a population of 173,514 people. Jackson is located on the Southwestern part of Mississippi. The three largest cities are Jackson, Gulfport with a population of 71,329 people and Southaven which has a population of 48,982 people. The "Magnolia State" as it is nicknamed is known for its agricultural industry. The main crops include cotton and soy beans; however, mining of petroleum and natural gas also occur here along with the manufacture of meat from various livestock. Two notable celebrities born in this state are Elvis Presley and Oprah Winfrey. And an interesting fact about Mississippi is that the world's first Holiday Inn is located here.

Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada- (Karla Jeggle) Nevada was the 36th state admitted to the Union. It became a state on October 31, 1864. The word Nevada comes from a Spanish word meaning snowcapped. The capital is Carson City, with a population of 55,000. It is the 10th largest city in the state. The three largest citites are Las Vegas (584,000), Henderson (258,000) and Reno (225,000). Nevada's nickname is The Silver State because in the nineteenth century there was so much silver in Nevada, you could literally pick it up off of the ground. The economic strength is mining, because Nevada has an abundance of natural resources such as gold, silver, and copper. Two notable people from Nevada are Pat Nixon (first lady from 1969-1974) and Jack Kramer (considered to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time). An interesting fact is that in 1910 it was illegal to gamble in Las Vegas. The Nevada legislature later approved a legalized gambling bill in 1931. New Hampshire

New Jersey - (Houston Burcham) The three biggest cities by population at Newark 280,000 people, Jersey City 239,000 people, and Paterson 149,000 people. New Jersey nickname is the Garden State. New Jersey was emitted in to the Union December 18, 1787. It was the third state to join the Union. The name New Jersey came an Island in the English Channel that is under British rule. Trenton the capitol is not one of the more populated cities. Trenton is in the middle of the country but it more to the west near Pennsylvania. New Jersey is both big in agriculture and industrialization. The state grows great vegetables along with great blueberries. It greatest industry is Chemical. It also manufactures instruments and electrical goods. Richard Nixon the 37th President was born is New Jersey and Jon Bon Jovi was also born in New Jersey. The Scholastic Rowing Association of America (SRAA) National Championships were in Camden, New Jersey this past spring. I attended this regatta and made it to the semi-finals in the freshman eight boat.

New Mexico New York (Laura Hillebrand) - New York, also called the Empire State, became a state on July 26, 1788. It is named after the 17th century Duke of York, James Stuart, who later became King of England and Scotland. The capitol of New York is Albany which is located in the east of the state. The largest cities are New York City which is also the largest city in the US, Rochester and Buffalo. New York is a large economy mostly because of New York City, the center of finance, banking and communication in the US. It has also world's the largest stock exchange. But upstate New York is also a major agricultural producer. If New York would be an independent nation it would be ranked as the 16th largest economy in the world. Two famous people are Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States and Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd president of the United States. North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania __**Peurto Rico -**__ Puerto Rico is located to the East of Mexico and South of Florida Founded - Puerto Rico was ceded to the US (from Spain) on December 10, 1898 Origin of Name - Spanish explorers (Christopher Columbus) called the island San Juan Bautista, after St. John the Baptist. Because Puerto Rico (Spanish for “rich port”) was a very important city for the island, the name of the Island was changed from San Juan Bautista to Puerto Rico. Capital/Largest Three Cities - *San Juan (Population: 420,326), Bayamon (Population: 207,300), Carolina (Population: 171,300) Main Economic Advantages - Main exports = chemicals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage concentrates, medical equipment Nickname - Isle of Enchantment (Isla del Encanto) Two Famous People - Rita Moreno – (Winner of an Emmy, Grammy, Tony, Academy Award, and an Oscar as Anita in West Side Story) Chita Rivera - (Winner of a Kennedy Center Honors Award and a Presidential Medal of Freedom) Interesting Fact - In the Treaty of Paris, Puerto Rico was incorrectly written “Porto Rico”. Because it was easier for English speakers to pronounce, “Porto Rico” became the official name in 1898. In 1932, US Congress legally changed the name back to the proper “Puerto Rico”. Rhode Island South Carolina (Michael Zelnik): South Carolina became a state on May 23, 1788 when it ratified the Constitution. The state's nickname is "The Palmetto State" because of the state tree, the Sabal Palmetto. When originally founded in 1670, the colony was named Carolina in honor of Charles I. The "South" portion of the name would be added when it was officially recognized as a separate colony from North Carolina. The capitol city is Columbia, relatively located in the center of the state, with a population of 129,272. Along with Columbia, Charleston and North Charleston are the three largest cities in the state. South Carolina is mainly known for its textile industry, but is also third in peach production and fourth in tobacco production, along with many other industries such as asbestos, wood, pulp, steel, chemicals, and machinery. Andrew Jackson, the 7th President of the United States, was born in 1767 on the border between North and South Carolina, and while both states claimed him, Jackson said South Carolina was his native state. Another famous figure from South Carolina was John C. Calhoun. Born in 1782, Calhoun was a statesman for South Carolina and leader of the War Hawks, senators and congressmen who thought fighting Britain in the War of 1812 was necessary. An interesting fact not many people may know, is that there were an astonishing 200 battles in the state during the Revolutionary War. These battles were caused by conflicts between those who wanted independence, and those who wished to remain loyal to King George.

South Dakota

Tennessee (Michael Bates): Tennessee became a state on June 1, 1796. The name comes from the word "Tanasi" which is a Cherokee Village name. The capitol is Nashville which is located in the upper center part of the state and has a population of 1,582,264 people. The three largest cities in Tennessee are Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville. It is nicknamed the volunteer state because of the number of soldiers who served under General Andrew Jackson in the Battle of New Orleans. Major outputs from the state include textiles, cotton, cattle, and electrical power. Some notable people born in Tennessee are Aretha Franklin who is a famous jazz singer and nicknamed the "Queen of Pop". Another person is Alvin C. York who was awarded the medal of honor and was known as the greatest hero of WWI. An interesting fact is that the city of Kingston served as Tennessee's capitol for one day due to negotiation with Cherokee Indians.

Texas (John Yandam): Texas also know as the lone star state was annexed into the US on December 29, 1845. Texas means friends or allies in The Caddo Indians language. It's capital is Austin, but it is not among the top three largest cities in Texas, with only 900,000 people. The largest three cities are Houston with 2 Million people, San Antonio with 1.3 Million people, and Dallas with 1.2 Million people.

Texas' economic strength lies in its oil and natural gas production. Texas also produces a variety of chemicals. Two notable people to come from were President Lyndon B. Johnson and President Dwight David Eisenhower.

Utah Vermont (Mara Egeler) Vermont became a state on March 4, 1791, making it the 14th state to enter the union. It was named by a French explorer named Samuel de Champlaind. He called it Le Vert Mont, which translates to green mountains. The capital is Montpelier, located near the middle of Vermont. Its population is 621,760. Its three largest cities are Burlington, 38,889, South Burlington, 17,904, and Rutland, 16,495. Its nicknamed the green mountain state. Its greatest income is tourism. People go there to take in the natural beauty and go skiing. Two celebrities that lived there were Calvin Coolidge, past president, and Ben and Jerrys, ice cream makers. Its motto is Freedom and Unity. Virginia __Washington__ West Virginia Wisconsin (Betsy Trace)- Wisconsin became a state on May 29th, 1848. The name is Indian but the origin is uncertain. Could be Algonquian and mean “long river”. Could be from “Ouisconsin” the Chippewa/Ojibwa/Anishinab word meaning “grassy place” or “gathering of the waters”. The Capitol city is Madison which has a population of 233,209 and is in the bottom middle to right corner of Wisconsin. The three most populated cities are Milwaukee, Madison, and Green Bay, respectively. The states nickname is the “Badger State”. The Economic strengths of Wisconsin are their dairy products (milk, butter cheese), farming (corn), machinery, paper manufacturing, and beer. Two notable people from Wisconsin are Kurtwood Smith from that 70’s show and Oprah Winfrey. An interesting fact about Wisconsin is if you add up all of its streams and rivers, they’re all 26,767 miles long; more than enough miles to stretch around the globe at the equator.

Wyoming