# compare american states and european countries **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 17, 2002, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compare-american-states-and-european-countries/143297 "2002-12-17T09:20:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compare-american-states-and-european-countries/143297/41 "2002-12-18T05:49:47Z")
I’ve been trying to think of what European country might compare to Texas, so I wonder if dopers more familiar with Europe might want to compare. With a long coastline of sandy beaches and barrier islands, maritime activity, as in international shipping, commercial fishing, shrimping, pleasure boating and seismic recording, is important to the economy. Oil and gas production is, as well, both on and offshore. Ranching and farming are prevalent throughout almost all of the rural parts of Texas. From the piney woods of East Texas lumber country come south to the Big Thicket, where that major ecosystem encounters two others, the swamps of South Louisiana and the Coastal Plain. As we travel down the Coastal Plain we encounter, depending on which way we go, the beginnings of Mexico’s Gulf Coast or the Hill Country of central Texas that approaches the Edwards Plateau. Beyond that we find either the Davis Mountains in our southwest or move northward into the Great Plains that encompass much of West Texas and the Panhandle. We’ve got a _lot_ of wild, open country. We’ve got ~65 people/mi², but we’ve also got _several_ big cities. So, population densities vary from 3700+/mi.² in Harris County to \<1 in some West Texas counties. So, contrast and compare, Oh \*\* Sofa King\*\*, we’ll see. You gonna piss on Texans again? We’ll piss back. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compare-american-states-and-european-countries/143297/42 "2002-12-18T09:16:00Z")
I’ve lived in Texas and in Europe, and I don’t think there is a comparison. ---
**Author:** ![Pythagras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/45deac/32.png) [@Pythagras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pythagras)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compare-american-states-and-european-countries/143297/43 "2002-12-18T10:18:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > \*\*I’ve lived in Texas and in Europe, and I don’t think there is a comparison. \*\* Texas = Turkey. ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compare-american-states-and-european-countries/143297/44 "2002-12-18T10:23:06Z")
Turkey has a better human rights record - really. ---
**Author:** ![sirtonyh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@sirtonyh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sirtonyh)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compare-american-states-and-european-countries/143297/45 "2002-12-18T10:54:57Z")
Some more equations New York - fun = England Florida = Greece - History France (food) + Spain (history) + Italy (topology) = California Monaco (prices / 1000) = Nevada Colorado - Coors = Austria Texas = nowhere on this planet ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compare-american-states-and-european-countries/143297/46 "2002-12-18T10:57:37Z")
England / stupid licensing laws = Connecticut + fun / money per head \* really stupid licensing laws ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compare-american-states-and-european-countries/143297/47 "2002-12-18T11:31:42Z")
So (Eng. - CT) \* $ = really fun head \* ( stupid licensing laws)² … Damn I hate word problems. I can’t figure out where I want to go. Although I think it’s England, but not the SE bits. _scratches head_ ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2002, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compare-american-states-and-european-countries/143297/48 "2002-12-18T15:23:00Z")
I’d like to modify **sirtonyh** ’s New York-England a bit. (New York) - (fun) - (culture) - (history) + (a few Dutch holdouts) - (the Adirondacks) - (a lot of friggin’ snow) = England ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compare-american-states-and-european-countries/143297/49 "2002-12-19T05:17:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kyla \* > **As for Michigan, I haven’t been anywhere in Europe that looks very much like it does here.** I’ve heard Manchester described as “Euro-Flint.” That’s got to be worth something. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Zamboni)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compare-american-states-and-european-countries/143297/50 "2002-12-19T06:08:56Z")
Ohio=Germany There is a lot of German ancestry in Ohio. Farms and forests in roughly a 2:1 ratio in Ohio. Don’t know about Germany. The hills in the south east part of Ohio are comparable to hills in Germany, I think, maybe, I don’t know. Similar weather, maybe, too. I’m too tired to check. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compare-american-states-and-european-countries/143297/51 "2002-12-19T06:35:20Z")
There’s no shortage of lawyers in Texas. ---
**Author:** ![Netbrian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71e660/32.png) [@Netbrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Netbrian)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compare-american-states-and-european-countries/143297/52 "2002-12-19T06:40:53Z")
I once heard Portland, Oregon described as the most European city in the US. WHAT European city I’m not quite sure. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compare-american-states-and-european-countries/143297/53 "2002-12-19T06:42:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by owlstretchingtime \* > \*\*Turkey has a better human rights record - really. \*\* Please, make your case. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compare-american-states-and-european-countries/143297/54 "2002-12-19T10:34:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ringo \* > \*\*Please, make your case. \*\* I think it was satirical hyperbole. ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compare-american-states-and-european-countries/143297/55 "2002-12-20T11:05:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > \*\*I think it was satirical hyperbole. \*\* The very same. However in all the debate as to whether Turkey is eligible for entry to the EU no one has pointed out that the US would fail the human rights criteria. ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compare-american-states-and-european-countries/143297/56 "2002-12-20T11:16:11Z")
The Title of Euroflint would really belong to Sheffield, with comparible percentage of industry laid off by heavy inland industry. ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compare-american-states-and-european-countries/143297/57 "2002-12-20T17:07:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TwistofFate \* > \*\*The Title of Euroflint would really belong to Sheffield, with comparible percentage of industry laid off by heavy inland industry. \*\* I’ll pass that along. Thanks.😃 ---
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compare-american-states-and-european-countries/143297/58 "2002-12-20T17:22:06Z")
LOL, I would have thought Texas was more culturally like Iraq. This is from a former Texan. Loud-mouthed, arrogant leaders, oil everywhere, wacko far right religious leaders, and a prison population destined for execution. Well, I guess Iraq puts down their prisoners faster. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compare-american-states-and-european-countries/143297.md?page=2)