The Several States: Difference between revisions

Before we start, a brief note on state borders. Apart from a sign on each side and possibly a toll both, there are no practical artificial delineations between the states (though as in other countries, rivers sometimes act as natural borders for states; it's awfully hard to miss the Mississippi). On highways, there is often a visitor's bureau, one on each side, with about 100 pamphlets on tourist activities, and usually a volunteer to give directions to these [[Money, Dear Boy|state revenue enhancing]] locales. The differences in state laws and taxes create scenarios where you see many stores on one side selling things that are either illegal or more expensive on the other side. The most common of these are fireworks, though bulk tobacco products are often found.

 

== New England ==

Located in the far northeastern US, [[Hollywood New England|New England]] is the site of some of America's first colonies. Each one of its states were either among the Thirteen Colonies that seceded from Britain, or broke off from those same colonies. From the beginning, it has always been one of the wealthiest and most urbanized regions of the country, and [[American Political System|its politics]] reflect that—it was a stronghold for the Federalist Party in the early 19th century, it was the first part of the country to industrialize, and it is today one of the most solidly Democratic places in the country. In the War of 1812, New England considered seceding from the rest of the country due to how the war was cutting off trade with Britain and wrecking their economy. Today, the region is best known for higher education and high technology (half of the [[Ivy League]] schools are located here, as is MIT), maple trees, lighthouses, fishing and lobstering, [[Quirky Town]]s (which may or may not be [[Town with a Dark Secret|hiding]] [[Lovecraft Country|something]]), [[Serious Business|the Red Sox]], snow, funny accents, and strong social liberalism; four New England states (out of six nationwide) have legalized gay marriage by name, for example.

 

 

== #49 and 50 ==

The remaining two states aren't a part of the Lower 48 (i.e. the states that are all neatly connected to each other), and are considered separate from the rest of the country. Most maps suggest that they're located just offshore from California (many teachers have had the painful experience of dealing with a child who genuinely believed that Alaska is an island). According to many advertisements, prices may be higher here. [[Truth in Television|They're not kidding.]]

 

The inhabited islands of Hawaii are (west to east) Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Maui, and Hawaii (commonly known as the [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|Big Island]] to avoid confusion.) The islands other than Oahu, where over two-thirds of the population live, and where Honolulu is located, are also known as the "Neighbor Islands," and residents often talk about the dichotomy between "big city" Oahu/Honolulu and the "country" Neighbor Islands. Note that the term "Hawaiian" is ''never'' used within the state to refer to people who are merely residents, but is always used refer to people who are specifically Native Hawaiian (descendants of the people who were already in the islands prior to European contact in 1778.)

 

 

== Non-State Portions of the United States ==

* [[Cuba]]. Following the Spanish-American War, the Spanish colonies of Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Guam were ceded to the US. Cuba was granted independence in 1902, albeit under a US-imposed constitution that essentially turned it into a vassal state; this was rectified in 1934 with the Treaty of Relations, part of [[Franklin D. Roosevelt|FDR's]] Good Neighbor policy towards Latin America.

* Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands: After the end of [[World War II]], the United States was given most of the old Japanese colonies and [[League of Nations]] Mandates in the Pacific to administer "in trust" for the [[United Nations]], with the idea being shepherding these poor territories into a track of peaceful, democratic development and readiness for self-determination. These islands in the South Pacific were eventually given their choice of independence or commonwealth with the United States; of them, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau opted for independence in "free association" with the United States, while the Northern Mariana Islands (as noted above) opted to become a commonwealth.

 

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