There are 50 states in the United States of America. When the United States was founded, the thirteen original colonies became states. That is why the flag has thirteen stripes. Currently, there are 50 states total in the United States of America and each is represented by a star on the flag. (*Some controversy surrounds four states because they chose to be called Commonwealth States. It is important to note however that Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Kentucky are still states of the US and there is no legal or constitutional difference between them and the other 46 states.) They are listed alphabetically as follows:
The 50 states are:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky*
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts*
- Michigan
- Minessota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania*
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia*
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
The is one Federal District (the District of Columbia) and five territories that have various commonwealth status:- American Samoa
- Guam
- Northern Marianas Islands
- Puerto Rico
- U.S. Virgin Islands
The last of the 50 states added were Alaska and Hawaii in 1959. Residents of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico have had US citizenship since 1917, but in its 3rd plebiscite (referendum) in 1998, there were insufficient votes to support a bid for statehood.