Category: Spotlight on States

Massachusetts was the 6th state to join the union on February 6, 1788. It was one of the original 13 colonies. Boston is the state capital and its largest city. Massachusetts is the 44th largest state in the U.S. and is bordered by Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

According to the US Census Bureau, the estimated population of Massachusetts is 7,001,399 (July 2023 est.); …

Up next in our Spotlight on States series: Maryland!

The state was named after Queen Henrietta Maria of England, who was married to King Charles I. He granted permission for Maryland to become a colony.

Maryland joined the Union on April 28, 1788, as the seventh state. It’s nicknamed “The Old Line State” in honor of 400 Revolutionary War soldiers who faced off against 10,000 British soldiers. They …

Maine was the 23rd state to join the union on March 15, 1820. Augusta is the state capital and its largest city is Portland. Maine is the 39th largest state in the U.S.; it’s bordered by New Hampshire to the west and the Canadian provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick to the northwest and northeast. The Atlantic Ocean is to the east and south of Maine.

According to …

Up next in our Spotlight on States series: Louisiana!

French explorer Robert de LaSalle named Louisiana in honor of King Louis XIV.

Louisiana was admitted to the Union on April 30, 1812, as the 18th state. It’s nicknamed the “Pelican State” and consists of 64 parishes, which are similar to counties in other states. The term parishes comes from church units set up by the Spanish in 1699.…

Kentucky was the 15th state to join the union on June 1, 1792. Frankfort is the state capital and its largest city is Louisville. Kentucky is the 37th largest state in the U.S. and is bordered by the states of Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The name Kentucky comes from the Iroquois Indian word Ken-tah-ten which means land of tomorrow.

According to the U.S. …

Kansas was admitted to the Union on January 29, 1861, as the 34th state. It’s a landlocked state in the middle of the country and borders Nebraska, Colorado, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Kansas was named after the Kansas River, which was named for the Kansa people.

Topeka is the capital city of Kansas, and the largest city in the state is Wichita. The most populous area of the state, …

Up next in our Spotlight on States series is Iowa!

Iowa was the 29th state to join the union on December 18, 1846. Des Moines is the state capital. Iowa is the 26th largest state in the U.S. and is bordered by the states of Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, Missouri, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

According to the US Census Bureau, the estimated population of Iowa is 3,207,004 (July 2023 …

Up next in our Spotlight on States series is Indiana! Indiana was the 19th state to join the union on December 11, 1816. Indianapolis is the state capital. Indiana is the 38th largest state in the U.S. and is bordered by the states of Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, and Ohio.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the estimated population of Indiana is 6,862,199 (July 2023 est.); it ranks as …

Illinois, known as the Prairie State, became the 21st state on Dec. 3, 1818. It was first organized as a territory in 1809. The state capital is Springfield, and the largest city is Chicago.

According to the US Census Bureau, the estimated population of Illinois was 12,671,821 in 2020. It ranks 6th among states in population and 25th in land area. The state ranks third in the United …

Up next in our Spotlight on States series is Idaho!

Idaho was the 43rd state to join the union on July 3, 1890. Boise is the state capital and the state’s largest city. Idaho is the 14th largest state in the U.S. It is bordered by the states of Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the estimated population of Idaho is …