Known as the Heart of Dixie, Alabama
became the 22nd state in 1819. The
name Alabama is derived from an
Indian word meaning "thicket
clearers." Alabama has been at the
center of many American battles-between white settlers and Native
Americans, and between the North
and South in the Civil War. The state
also is home to the first of three
Space Camps in the United States.
These camps let kids experience what
it would be like to be in outer space.
The capital is Montgomery and state
flower is the camellia.
The nickname of the 49th state,
Alaska, is the "Last Frontier."
Purchased from Russia for $7 million
in 1867, Alaska is the largest state in
area and is the largest peninsula in
the Western Hemisphere. Mt.
McKinley in the Alaska Range is
North America's highest peak at
20,320 feet and one of the greatest
challenges for mountain climbers.
Juneau is the state's capital, and the
state flower is the pale-blue forgetme-not.
The "Grand Canyon State," Arizona,
was the 48th state to join the U.S. in
1912-- the last of 48 contiguous
(connected) states to join the Union.
The state's name comes from
arizonac, from two Papago Indian
words meaning "place of the young
spring." Arizona has a very dry
climate and is known for its cactus
plants. In fact, the state flower is the
saguaro cactus blossom.
Nicknamed the "Land of Opportunity,"
Arkansas, which joined the Union in
1836, was the 25th state. The early
French explorers of the state gave it
its name, which is probably a phonetic
spelling for the French word for
"downriver" people, a reference to the
Quapaw Indians and the river along
which they settled. Arkansas is the
only state in which diamonds have
been mined, although today the mine
operates only as a tourist attraction.
The state flower is the apple blossom.
Nicknamed the “Golden State,”
California is the third largest state in
area after Alaska and Texas. The
discovery of gold and the immigration
in 1849 of thousands of “forty-niners”
in search of the precious metal helped
California’s admission into the Union
in 1850. Today, California, land of the
giant redwoods, has the highest
population of any state in the nation
and is America’s principal agricultural
state.
It is also the home of Hollywood, the
center of America’s movie and
television industry. Its capital is
Sacramento and the state flower is
the golden poppy.
Called the "Centennial State,"
because it became the 38th state
when the U.S. turned 100 in 1876,
Colorado is most closely associated
with the Rocky Mountains and has
numerous peaks over 14,000 feet.
The state's name comes from a
Spanish word meaning "red" or
"ruddy," the color of much of the
state's terrain. Today, Colorado is
known for its vast cattle ranges,
agricultural acreage, and snowcovered mountains that are ideal for
winter sports. Its capital is Denver and
state flower is the Rocky Mountain
columbine
One of the original 13 states,
Connecticut is known as the
"Constitution State." It gets its name
from an Algonquian word meaning
"land on the long tidal river." Hartford
has been the capital of Connecticut
since 1875 and the state flower is the
mountain laurel.
With the state motto of "Liberty and
Independence," it's no surprise that
Delaware was the first of the original
13 states of the Union; it's often called
the "First" or "Diamond State." The
state's name comes from its original
inhabitants, the Delaware Indians
(also known as the Lenni-Lenape).
William Penn acquired the land that
makes up Delaware to keep his
Pennsylvania colony from being
landlocked. Today, Delaware is one of
the most industrialized states, known
for its chemical research. Dover is the
capital; the state flower is the peach
blossom.
Although New York City and Philadelphia each served briefly as the capital of the
United States, in 1790, Congress chose the District of Columbia as the permanent
seat of government. George Washington helped select the site for the city. Situated
on the Potomac River, Washington, D.C., was originally carved out of land
transferred from Maryland and Virginia (Virginia's portion south of the river was
returned to that state in 1846).
French-born American engineer, architect, and urban designer Pierre-Charles
L'Enfant designed the city's basic plan, which features wide avenues radiating from
the Capitol building through a grid of streets with numerous circles and parks. The
name District of Columbia honors Christopher Columbus, and the city's betterknown name of Washington, honors the first president. Congress first met in
Washington in 1800, although construction of the first phase of the Capitol was not
completed until 1826. Today, millions come to Washington, D.C. each year to see
the Capitol, the White House, the Library of Congress, and the city's many
museums and monuments. The flower is the American beauty rose.
Called the "Sunshine State," Florida is known for its balmy, sunny weather and
beautiful beaches. Ponce de Leon, in search of the elusive fountain of youth, was
the first European to explore Florida. St. Augustine, founded by the Spanish in
1565, is the oldest permanent European settlement in the continental United
States. Statehood for Florida came in 1845. Florida's state flower is the orange
blossom, which is particularly fitting because oranges are a main export of the
state. Because of its shape and location, a long peninsula between the Atlantic
Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, Florida attracts millions of visitors each year to its
many seaside resort areas. Its capital is Tallahassee.
Known today as the "Peach State," Georgia, founded in 1732, is one of the original
13 states. It was named in honor of England's King George II. During the Civil War,
the fall of Atlanta was a crucial turning point in the defeat of the South. Today,
Atlanta, which became Georgia's capital in 1868, is a thriving city with major
national corporations, and it is considered the economic and cultural center of the
Southeast. The state flower is the Cherokee rose.
Although it is sometimes called the "Corn State," Iowa really is a breadbasket for
the U.S., with 90 percent of its land devoted to farming. The main products are corn
and hogs. Named for the Iowa River, which was named for the Iowa, or Ioway,
Indians, Iowa joined the Union in 1846 as the 29th state. The wild rose is the state
flower and the capital is Des Moines.
Known as the "Aloha State" (in
Hawaiian, "aloha" means "hello"),
Hawaii is a group of volcanic islands
in the central Pacific Ocean that
together became the 50th state in
1959. The state's name is possibly
derived from a native Hawaiian word
for homeland, hawaiki or owhyhee.
Today, Hawaii, whose capital is
Honolulu, is often called the
"Crossroads of the Pacific" and is a
popular vacation spot. The colorful
hibiscus is the state flower.
Idaho, the 43rd state, joined the U.S.
in 1890. The state is appropriately
shaped like a logger's boot, and
logging as well as mining are big
industries in the state. But the state is
probably best known for its potatoes.
The state's name is thought to be an
Indian name, Ee-dah-hoe, which
means "gem of the mountains." Idaho
has a rugged landscape with some of
the largest unspoiled natural areas in
the country. Boise is the capital and
the state flower is the syringa.
Named for the Illinois Indians, this
state is known as the "Land of
Lincoln," because it's where the 16th
president was raised. Illinois became
the 21st state in 1818, and its capital
is Springfield. At the northern edge of
the state on Lake Michigan is
Chicago, the nation's third largest city.
The state flower is the native violet.
Known as the "Sunflower State,"
Kansas became the 34th state in
1861. The state's name comes from
the Kansa or Kaw Indians and is a
Sioux Indian term meaning "south
wind people." Within Kansas's
borders is the magnetic center mark
for all of North America. All land
surveys in the U.S., Canada, and
Mexico use this as a reference point.
The geographic center of the 48
contiguous (connected) states is
located in a Kansas pasture. The
native sunflower is the state flower
and the capital is Topeka.
Indiana means "land of the Indians." It
joined the Union in 1816 as the 19th
state. Today, Indiana is a state of
mostly small towns and midsize cities.
Its largest city and capital is
Indianapolis, where the nation's most
famous auto race, the Indianapolis
500, is held each year. The state's
residents are commonly referred to as
"Hoosiers" although no one seems
certain just how the name originated.
The peony is the state flower.
Daniel Boone and other frontiersmen
settled in Kentucky, the "Bluegrass
State," in 1769. Its name comes from
the Iroquois Indian word "Ken-tahten," or "land of tomorrow." Admitted
into the Union in 1792, Kentucky is
the 15th state and the first state west
of the Appalachian Mountains. Today,
Kentucky is associated with coal
mines and horse farms and racing.
America's most prestigious horse
race, the Kentucky Derby, is held in
Louisville annually. The state flower is
the goldenrod, the cardinal is the state
bird and Frankfort is the capital.
Situated in the Deep South,
Louisiana, the "Pelican State," has a
colorful history and was named in
honor of King Louis XIV. A strong
French influence is still evident
throughout the state--its capital city is
named Baton Rouge, French for "red
stick," because the French-Canadian
explorer Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville
visited the area in 1699 and observed
a red cypress post. Today the city of
New Orleans is known for its Mardi
Gras and jazz festivals.
The largest of the New England states
in area, Maine, in 1820, was the 23rd
state to join the Union. Its name
comes from an ancient French
province of the same name. The most
sparsely populated state east of the
Mississippi River, it's appropriately
called the "Pine Tree State," as 90
percent of its land is forest. Not
surprisingly, most of Maine's economy
is related to timber and the production
of paper and paper products although
the millions of tourists who flock each
summer to "Vacationland" are a
significant source of revenue. The
capital is Augusta; the state flower is
the white pine cone and tassel.
One of the original 13 states to join
the Union (in 1788), Maryland is in the
middle of the Eastern Seaboard. It's
believed that Lord Baltimore, who
received a charter for the land in
1632, named the state after Queen
Henrietta Maria, wife of King Charles
I. The Mason and Dixon line was
drawn in the 1760s to settle a dispute
between the Penn and Calvert
families. In addition to marking the
boundary between Pennsylvania and
Maryland, it is the traditional boundary
between the North and the South.
Maryland is known as the "Free
State"; its flower is the black-eyed
susan; and its capital is Annapolis,
home of the U.S. Naval Academy.
One of the six New England states,
and one of the first 13 states in the
Union (it entered in 1788),
Massachusetts is known as the "Old
Colony
State."
The
Pilgrims
established their settlement at
Plymouth in 1620, arriving on the
Mayflower. They were followed shortly
by the Puritans, who established the
Massachusetts Bay Colony. The
Puritans named their colony after a
local Indian tribe whose name means
"a large hill place." The birthplace of
many of the ideals of the American
Revolution, Massachusetts attracted
people who believed in selfgovernment. It's appropriate that the
state flower is the mayflower, also
known as the trailing arbutus.
Michigan was the 26th state, admitted
into the Union in 1837. Called the
"Great Lakes State" because its
shores touch four of the five Great
Lakes, Michigan gets its name from
an Ojibwa (Chippewa) Indian word
meaning "large lake." Michigan has
an unusual geography, as it consists
of two land masses--the sparsely
populated Upper Peninsula and the
mitten-shaped Lower Peninsula,
home to most of the state's residents.
Detroit, its largest city, is known
worldwide as the center of the
American auto industry. The apple
blossom is the state flower, the robin
is the state bird and Lansing is the
capital.
The "Land of 10,000 Lakes,"
Minnesota got its nickname because
there are more than 12,000 lakes
throughout the state. Its name comes
from the Dakota (Sioux) word for the
Minnesota River's "sky-tinted waters."
The Minnesota Territory was formed
in 1849 from what had been part of
the Northwest Territory, and
Minnesota joined the Union in 1858.
The state flower is the pink and white
lady's slipper, and the capital is St.
Paul.
The name "Mississippi" comes from
an Indian word meaning "great
waters" or "father of waters."
Mississippi entered the Union as the
20th state in 1817. Considered part of
the Deep South, Mississippi, with its
rich soil and many rivers, is an
agricultural state. The state flower is
the fragrant magnolia blossom, and
the capital is Jackson.
Missouri is called the "Show Me
State," because its people have a
reputation for believing only what they
see. Its name is an Algonquin Indian
term meaning "river of the big
canoes." Originally home to a number
of Indian tribes, the state entered the
Union in 1821. Today, more than half
the population lives in Missouri's two
major cities--Kansas City and St.
Louis. The dogwood is the state tree,
the bluebird is the state bird and the
capital is Jefferson City.
Montana is known as "Big Sky
Country" because of its vast size and
rolling plains. The members of the
Lewis and Clark expedition were the
first white explorers known to have set
foot in Montana. It joined the United
States in 1889 as the 41st state. The
name Montana comes from the
Spanish word Montana, meaning
"mountainous," although the eastern
part of the state consists of gently
rolling pastureland. The Anaconda
Company had a stranglehold on the
state's copper industry for about 100
years, but today Montana is known as
a tourist destination for those drawn to
its many trout streams and wide open
spaces. Its capital is Helena and the
state flower is the bitterroot.
Nebraska gets its name from an
Indian word meaning "flat water" after
the Platte River that flows through the
state. The Nebraska Territory was
formed in 1854 at the same time as
the Kansas Territory. Nebraska was
admitted into the Union in 1867 as the
37th state. Its nickname, "Cornhusker
State," refers to the way that corn (a
leading product of the state) was
commonly harvested, "husking" it by
hand, before the invention of husking
machinery. Another nickname, the
"Beef State," refers to one of
Nebraska's main industries, cattle.
Omaha has been a major
meatpacking center since the 1880s.
Although Omaha was the territorial
capital, Lincoln, named in honor of the
16th president, is the state capital.
The flower is the goldenrod.
Nevada's name comes from the
Spanish word meaning "snow clad"--a
reference to the snow-covered peaks
of the Sierra Nevada. The discovery
of the Comstock Lode, a massive
deposit of silver, in 1859 brought
many fortune seekers. Statehood
followed shortly afterwards in 1864,
when Nevada was admitted as the
36st state. Nevada is in a mountain
region that includes semiarid
grasslands and sandy deserts, and is
the most arid (dry) state in the nation.
Like oases in the desert, Nevada's
two main cities--Las Vegas and Reno-attract fortune seekers from around
the world hoping to strike it rich in the
many casinos located there. The
capital is Carson City, and the state
flower is the sagebrush.
One of the original 13 states (it
entered the Union in 1788), New
Hampshire was named after the
English county of Hampshire. New
Hampshire is called the "Granite
State" because of its numerous
granite quarries; the nickname may
also reflect the state's attachment to
tradition and its history of a frugal
government. There are no general
sales or individual income taxes,
which fits with the state motto of "Live
free or die." A relatively small state,
New Hampshire plays a major role
every four years in the presidential
election, as it holds the first primary
election. New Hampshire's state bird
is the purple finch and its capital is
Concord.
Italian Giovanni da Verrazano, in
1524, was the first European to
explore the area we know today as
New Jersey. One of the original 13
states (it joined the Union in 1787), it
was named after the island of Jersey
in the English Channel. New Jersey is
referred to as the "Garden State"
because of its fertile farmland.
General George Washington won a
key Revolutionary War battle at
Trenton when he crossed the
Delaware River from Pennsylvania
and surprised the Hessian soldiers
stationed there. Trenton is the state
capital, and the flower is the purple
violet. Atlantic City, a resort town and
home to the Miss America pageant,
attracts visitors from around the world.
In 1540, the Spanish conquistador
Coronado trekked through the area
known today as New Mexico in
search of the fabled seven cities of
gold. New Mexico, called the "Land of
Enchantment," was the 47th state,
entering the Union in 1912. Part of the
"Old West," New Mexico was a place
known for cowboys and cattle drives.
The influence of the Apache Indians
who live there is evident in the artwork
and culture. The Pueblo Indian
presence is also very apparent, most
visibly in the tribe's buildings. The
state also has a large Hispanic
population, as New Mexico was under
Spanish control from the 16th century
until about 1846. The capital city of
Santa Fe, founded in 1610, has the
oldest continually used seat of
government in North America. The
state flower is the yucca.
The Dutch were the first settlers in
New York, establishing Fort Orange
near Albany in 1624 and New
Amsterdam on the island of
Manhattan a year later. After the
English took over in the 1660s, the
colony was renamed New York, after
the Duke of York. One of the original
13 states to join the Union (it entered
in 1788), New York is known as the
"Empire State." The state includes
everything from skyscrapers in
Manhattan to rivers, mountains, and
lakes in upstate New York. Today,
New York has the second highest
population in the nation (after
California), and remains the financial
center of the country. The state flower
is the rose, and the capital is Albany.
The first European settlement in North Carolina is the famous Lost Colony of
Roanoke Island that vanished sometime after 1587. North Carolina is the northern
portion of the original 1629 land grant made by England's King Charles I, which
was named in his honor (Carolus is Latin for Charles). North Carolina joined the
Union in 1789 and is the 12th of the original 13 states. One of its major industries is
tourism, as many Americans travel to the state to enjoy its beautiful beaches. The
capital of the "Tar Heel State" is Raleigh, and the dogwood blossom is the state
flower.
Settled by the English in 1670, South Carolina was based on a plantation culture
with an aristocratic, wealthy society that was dependent on black slave labor. One
of the original 13 colonies, South Carolina was first formed in 1729 when the
Carolina colony was divided in two to form North and South Carolina. The attack on
Fort Sumter in the Charleston harbor launched the Civil War. After the war, the
structure of the state changed. Today, South Carolina is a growing research center
and banking state. It is fitting that the state tree of the "Palmetto State" is the
cabbage palmetto, which also appears on the state flag. The flower is the yellow
jessamine, and the capital is Columbia.
In 1634, Frenchman Jean Nicolet
became Wisconsin's first European
explorer. The French controlled the
area until 1763, when it was ceded to
the British. The state's name is an
English version of a French
adaptation of an Indian name said to
mean "the place where we live." The
Wyoming gets its name from the
Algonquin words for "land of vast
plains." After the Union Pacific
Railroad reached the town of
Cheyenne, the capital, in 1867, the
population began to grow steadily in
the Wyoming Territory, established in
1868. Wyoming was admitted as the
44th state in 1890. The constitution of
the "Equality State" was the first in the
world to grant voting rights to women.
Wyoming was also the first state to
elect a woman governor. People are
spread out across the state in small
farming and ranching towns, and
millions of visitors come to enjoy the
Yellowstone and Grand Teton
national parks each year. The state
flower has the poetic name of Indian
paintbrush. Wyoming is the smallest
state in the Union in population.
Wisconsin Territory was formed in
1836 and was admitted into the Union
as the 30th state in 1848. With the
nickname "America's Dairyland," it's
no surprise that Wisconsin is one of
the top producers of milk, cheese, and
butter in the country. In fact, the loyal
fans of the Green Bay Packers
football team call themselves
"cheeseheads." Milwaukee, the
state's largest city, helps make
Wisconsin one of the largest
manufacturing states in the nation.
The state capital, Madison, is home to
the University of Wisconsin. The
flower of the "Badger State" is the
wood violet and the state bird is the
robin.
Both rural and agricultural, with grain
farms and cattle ranches, North
Dakota gets its name from the Dakota
division of the Sioux Indians who lived
on the plains before the Europeans
arrived. "Dakota" means "friend."
French-Canadian soldier and fur
trader Pierre Gaultier de Varennes
was the first known white explorer to
visit the home of the Dakota in 1738.
North Dakota was one of the last
areas of the frontier to be settled by
non-Native Americans, and even
today, it's not a highly populated
state. North Dakota, whose capital is
Bismarck, joined the Union in 1889 as
the 39th state. Appropriately, the state
flower is the wild prairie rose.
The land we call Ohio today was part
the Northwest Territory that the United
States won by defeating the British in
the Revolutionary War. Ohio was
admitted into the Union as the 17th
state in 1803. The state gets its name
from the river that forms its southern
border. Ohio is an Iroquois word
meaning "great water." The capital of
the "Buckeye State" is Columbus,
and, not surprisingly, the state tree is
the buckeye. Highly populated, Ohio
is situated between the Eastern
Seaboard and the Midwest, and is
known for the fact that eight
presidents were either born or lived
there. The flower is the scarlet
carnation.
The name Oklahoma comes from two
Choctaw Indian words, okla, which
means "people," and humma, which
means "red." In 1889, Congress
opened up 2 million acres for white
settlement (it was previously open
only to Native Americans who were
forced to leave their homelands), and
the first of a number of land runs
began. Some of the state's settlers
were called "Sooners" because they
had already staked their land claims
before the land was officially opened
for settlement. Oklahoma was
admitted as the 46th state in 1907.
Oklahoma's capital is an easy one to
remember--Oklahoma City. The state
flower is the mistletoe, a favorite for
kissing under during the winter
holidays.
Spanish sailors in search of a northwest passage were the first Europeans to see
what is known today as Oregon. Settlers traveling in wagon trains over the Oregon
Trail in the 1840s followed the missionaries who had come in the 1830s. Oregon
was admitted as the 33rd state in 1859. Oregon is a state of great natural beauty
with places such as Crater Lake National Park and the Columbia River Gorge. Its
mountains, covered in forests, make Oregon the leading state in the production of
wood products. The state flower is the Oregon grape, and the capital is Salem. The
origin of the state's name is unknown, but one theory holds that it may have come
from the Wisconsin River, shown in a 1715 French map as "Ouaricon-sint."
Although Swedes and Dutch were the first European settlers, William Penn, a
Quaker, named Pennsylvania in honor of his father by combining the name Penn
and the Latin term sylvania, which translates as "woodlands," to come up with
"Penn's woodlands." Known as the "Keystone State," Pennsylvania is one of the
original 13 colonies (it entered the Union in 1787). Today, two major cities dominate
the state--Philadelphia, home of the Liberty Bell, Constitution Hall, and a thriving
metropolitan area, and Pittsburgh, a busy inland river port. The Amish, a group of
people who live without the use of modern technology, live in the countryside of
Pennsylvania. The capital is Harrisburg and the state bird is the ruffed grouse.
Roger Williams and a group of religious followers founded the town of Providence
in what is today known as Rhode Island after their banishment from the
Massachusetts Bay Colony. Williams believed in the importance of liberty of
conscience, which became an important principle in the founding of Rhode Island
and ultimately in the founding of the United States. Officially called "The State of
Rhode Island and Providence Plantations," Rhode Island is one of the six New
England states and one of the original 13 states of the Union, entering in 1790. It is
the smallest state in area in the country. Rhode Island's flower is the violet, and the
capital is Providence. The exact origin of the state name is unknown.
the pasqueflower, also called the May
Day flower; its blooming is one of the
first signs of spring in South Dakota.
A Great Plains state, South Dakota
was named for the Dakota division of
the Sioux Indians, and is known as
the
Coyote
State.
Admitted
simultaneously with North Dakota
after the Dakota Territory was divided
along the 46th parallel, South Dakota
is mainly a rural state. Today, just less
than 10 percent of its population is
American Indian. South Dakota is
known for two monumental sculptures
carved into the Black Hills--Mount
Rushmore, which honors presidents
Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and
Theodore Roosevelt, and the Crazy
Horse Monument, still under
construction, which honors the Oglala
Sioux war chief. The state flower is
Called the "Volunteer State,"
Tennessee became the 16th state of
the Union in 1796. It was the first
territory admitted as a state under the
federal
Constitution.
Before
statehood, it was known as the
Territory South of the River Ohio. The
name Tennessee is derived from the
name of a Cherokee village, Tanasi.
Today, the capital, Nashville, is known
as a center for country music.
Memphis, the largest city in the state,
is the place where Elvis Presley first
began his legendary musical career.
The state flower is the iris.
The Republic of Texas achieved its
independence from Mexico in 1836,
the same year as the famous siege of
the Alamo in which pioneers Jim
Bowie and Davy Crockett were slain.
The "Lone Star State" was the 28th
state to join the Union, admitted in
1845. The name Texas is a Spanish
name, which comes from an Indian
word meaning "friends" or "allies."
Texas is the second-largest state in
the Union in area, after Alaska.
Although it has a wild, frontier history,
today Texas is a major producer of oil
and has important centers of industry
and finance. A Texas state historian
has said that the state flower, the
bluebonnet, "is to Texas what the
shamrock is to Ireland."
The state known as Utah began when
Brigham Young led a group of
Mormon pilgrims seeking freedom
from religious persecution into the
Great Salt Lake Valley, where they
established a settlement in 1847. The
state gets its name from the Ute, an
Indian tribe who lived there before the
pioneers arrived. The golden spike
completing the first transcontinental
railroad line was driven at
Promontory, Utah, in 1869, leading to
a further influx of settlers. Utah was
admitted as the 45th state in 1896.
The capital, Salt Lake City, is also the
world headquarters for the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and
Mormons make up 70 percent of the
population. The sego lily is the state
flower of the "Beehive State."
In 1609, French explorer Samuel de
Champlain came upon a large lake in
the area we know today as Vermont
and named it after himself. The state's
name comes from two French words
vert (green) and mont (mountain),
which explains Vermont's nickname,
the "Green Mountain State." Ethan
Allen and the Green Mountain Boys
defended their homeland from the
British during the Revolutionary War.
Vermont is one of the six New
England states and became the 14th
state in 1791. Some of Vermont's
major industries are dairy farming and
tourism. One of the most picturesque
states, Vermont has millions of
visitors each year who come to see
the leaves turn colors in the fall and
the snow-covered mountains in the
winter. The state flower is the red
clover and the tree is the sugar
maple. Vermont maple syrup is one of
the state's most popular products.
The Virginia Company founded the
first permanent English colony at
Jamestown in 1607. One of the
original 13 states (it entered the Union
in 1788), Virginia was named for
Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen of
England. Virginia holds an important
place in American history, as it was
home to many of the founding fathers,
including
George
Washington,
Thomas Jefferson, James Madison,
George Mason, and Patrick Henry.
Four of America's first five presidents
were Virginians. During the Civil War,
Richmond, Virginia's capital, was the
capital of the Confederacy. Today,
Virginia is a popular tourist spot where
people can visit historic places such
as Alexandria, Williamsburg, and
Mount Vernon, George Washington's
estate. Dogwood is the state flower
and the cardinal is the state bird of the
"Old Dominion."
In 1853, the Washington Territory was
formed from part of the Oregon
Territory. Named in honor of George
Washington, Washington was the
42nd state to join the Union, in 1889.
Its coastal location and Puget Sound
harbors give it a leading role in trade
with Alaska, Canada, and the Pacific
Rim. The state has two major
mountain ranges--the 7,000-foot
Olympic Mountains surrounded by
temperate rain forest on the peninsula
west of Puget Sound, and the more
majestic Cascade Range, which
boasts the 14,410-foot Mount Rainier
and the volcanic Mount St. Helens,
which erupted twice in the 1980s.
Although the capital is Olympia, most
people live in the metropolitan areas
of Seattle-Everett and Tacoma. The
state tree of the "Evergreen State" is
the western hemlock, and the flower
is the western rhododendron.
In 1861, Virginians in the
northwestern part of the state defied
Virginia's secession from the United
States. The region chose to remain in
the Union and form a new state. West
Virginia was admitted into the Union
in 1863, after conditions requiring the
gradual emancipation of slaves had
been met. The state motto is
"Mountaineers are always free," and
West Virginia lives up to its nickname
of the "Mountain State." With an
average altitude of 1,500 feet above
sea level, it's the highest of any state
east of the Mississippi River. For a
long time, West Virginia was a leading
producer of coal in North America, but
many people left to pursue better
employment opportunities. That trend
has turned around, and now the
state's economy is in a more stable
condition. The capital is Charleston,
and the state flower is the big
rhododendron.