why 52 states

[gingerflaps]

ive been interested in america just latley and trying to learn the states off by heart, the thing is when ever i ask english people how many states there are th/ey all say 52, why do they say 52 when there is only 50

[heathfield]

Politicians in the US often refer to the 5!st state as being Americans living abroad. Washington DC is sometimes looked upon as a state. (Though this has been proposed for many years, it's never come about). Some people in Australia, Canada, and the UK cynically refer to their own country as having become another US state. Then there's Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Marshall Islands - the list proposed by some for additional states goes on and on... No wonder people get confused - they don't know when to stop counting!

[jno]

nonetheless, there are just 50, exactly as you said. I don't know why English people should think otherwise; maybe they teach them odd things in schools these days.

[BenDToy]

Why don't we try asking Americans how many UK countries there are? Or how many English counties there are? Would anyone know? Does anyone know? Do gingerflaps or jno know?

[spudqueen]

Tell these ignorant people to try out this brilliant website. I've learnt all 50 (yes Fifty) US States and all their capitals off this website. http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/web_games.htm

[jno]

nope! Mind you, the English setup with counties, regions, unitary authorities etc is much more complex than the US one. Plus the fact that they keep reorganising things. Does Middlesex still exist? Does Rutland? I've lost track.

Also, the thing about the Unites States is that they really are states - more like England, Scotland etc than Hampshire and Sussex. As well as the federal government they have their own autonomous state governments and set their own sales taxes, for instance and have their own rules about whether you can turn a corner through a red light. So they're a lot easier to add up and to tell apart.

[stewey]

Why all this muddling confusion? There are fifty states in the USA and that's it. Nothing to do with UK counties whatsoever.

[BBWCHATT]

Ginger - Maybe they are thinking of some of these:


St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas, the United States Virgin Islands


*************************
Guam

http://www.gud.uscourts.gov/

*********************************

Puerto Rico is still a non-incorporated territory of United States and is still ruled by Congress under the territorial clause. This was confirmed on December, 2005 on an official document presented to the President by a Task Force Committee named by President Clinton on 2000 and continued under President George W. Bush.

Puerto Rico is part of the US. There are no travel restrictions to other US areas and no customs duties or quotas on shipments between Puerto Rico and the US Mainland. Products manufactured in Puerto Rico are "Made in the USA". The people of Puerto Rico do not vote in national elections. They are represented in Congress by a Resident Commissioner who has a voice in the House of Representatives but no vote. Most federal taxes are not levied in Puerto Rico. No federal income tax is collected from island residents on ordinary income, except in cases of Federal employees.


BBWCHATT
The old lady in Chattanooa, Tennessee, USA

[jno]

bear in mind that some Americans don't even know where America is, let along Berkshire.

http://www.viralvideochart.com/youtube/miss_te en_usa_2007__south_carolina_answers_a_question ?id=lj3iNxZ8Dww

I trust that isn't you, BBW, I'm pretty sure Chattanooga isn't in South Carolina.... is it?

[BBWCHATT]

No jno - Chattanooga is still in Tennessee:)

Chattanooga is this far from South Carolina:

Total Est. Time: 5 hours, 15 minutes
Total Est. Distance: 339.54 miles


http://www.mapquest.com/directions/main.adp?go =1&do=nw&rmm=1&un=m&cl=EN&qq=hltF3hzNT9tNhURP0 HLlhh9UYBmHRqyBceg4Gkon14D8uewLk7pjHQ%253d%253 d&ct=NA&rsres=1&1y=US&1ffi=&1l=&1g=&1pl=&1v=&1 n=&1pn=&1a=&1c=Chattanooga&1s=TN&1z=&2y=US&2ff i=&2l=&2g=&2pl=&2v=&2n=&2pn=&2a=&2c=&2s=SC&2z= &r=f



BBWCHATT
The old lady in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA

[TeriBurress]

There really are only 50 states over here and and a lot of people can't ID them on a map either much less the different parts of England. They don't teach much geography here anymore, do they in England?