But, but, doesn’t Mexico have states, too? Wouldn’t you have to count traveling through them.
OK, this one will be obvious for Kentuckians, but I like it:
How do native Kentuckians pronounce the capital city of their state? Is it “loo-iss-ville,” “loo-vuhl,” “loo-ah-ville,” or what?
“Frankfort.”
I was thinking about the (Mexico)-California-Oregon-Washington three state solution as well.
If the Mexico way isn’t valid, the best I can see is four: Texas, New Mexico, Utah (after squeezing your way between Arizona and Colorado without hitting either), Idaho, and into Canada.
Damn. Although strictly speaking, they’d have estados I’m guessing. Sort of like how Mexicans probably don’t refer to el President Americano as Jorge, similarly it would be incorrect to call their regions states. Stretching it a bit thin aren’t I?
Jackelope’s question is an example of a good, intermediate trick question for non-American trivia nights. How long have LA or New York been the capitals of their respective states? Bzzt!
Of course, I always thought that she was in New York, but the island is across the NJ state line. However, someone else told me that the island itself belongs to New York State. So I’m still wondering myself.
She is lovely, isn’t she? I hope to see for myself this fall.
I think Mexico has provinces, administratively speaking. Not that it matters too much in this debate.
Cabbage found the solution I intended. This is an Ex Machina original so I imagined there might be an argument. You have to allow for becoming a theoretical entity the width of the point of contact between Utah and New Mexico. Any corrections in the phrasing of this puzzle are welcome.
Thanks a lot Coldfire. I could not believe what you posted, but according to several sites, you’re right. Fascinating!
No, the official name of the country is Los Estados Unidos de México. As an article I once read observed: “Mexicans may properly consider themselves Americans, North Americans, and citizens of the United States.”
Polycarp–a bird flying south from extreme western Florida would briefly enter Alabama before jetting out over the Gulf of Mexico. (I know this because about four years back I had occasion to drive US 31 from Atmore to Mobile, both in Alabama. My atlas suggested that the road went very briefly into Florida, but I never saw a sign to that effect. Being somewhat compulsive, I emailed the Alabama DOT and got the straight dope on the subject–the road does NOT go through Florida, even a little. But the borderline in those parts is permanently fixed in my brain.)
CalMeacham–It took a while for me to process your question, but you must mean Kentucky/Missouri/Tennessee, in part where there’s that little tiny skin-tag enclave of Kentucky opposite New Madrid. Once at the western edge, once at the eastern edge, and once further east still at the western edge of “mainland” Kentucky.
Is there an “East Side” of Chicago? Explain.
Most of them call it Frankfort.
Where is the southernmost glacier in the northern hemisphere?
Anyone who has been to Israel - which is further East, Haifa, on the Mediterranean, or Eilat, on the Jordanian border?
Haifa, of course, or I wouldn’t be asking…
Dani
You didn’t actually read my spoiler box, did you?
How many capital cities have four As in them?
Not before I answered but I might as well have. My nephew worked in Louisville and married a woman from Kentucky so I’d heard the question before. Also, we learned all of the capitials in school and I can still do them.
There are a lot of mixups about state capitals. Many people will name Baltimore when asked the capital of Maryland, or Reno for Nevada, St. Louis for Missouri and think Kansas City is in Kansas. (There is one in Kansas but that response is a mere quibble.)
Actually, there is a way to do this without performing the amazing feat of vanishing into a single dimension required for the previously posted answer (Texas, New Mexico, Utah (after squeezing your way between Arizona and Colorado without hitting either), Idaho, and into Canada).
State 1: Mississippi (or Alabama)
State 2: Tennessee
State 3: Kentucky
State 4: Ohio and across Lake Ontario into Canada. The northernmost boundary of Ohio actually lies in the lake and is also (of course) the Canadian border.
… except, of course, I meant Lake Erie. :smack:
And which country is Europe’s largest grower of bananas?
Thule, Greenland. My father was stationed at the US military base there for a few months while I was a kid. And I compare about the weather in Central New York. At least the clouds light up in the day time.
The “traveling only by land” condition was supposed to obviate this route. I was trying to convey the idea that from coast to border would be land contiguous. Maybe the puzzle should have said “by foot” because you can hop from New Mexico to Utah but you probably can’t sprint across Erie.
Oh, and no inflatable water shoes either.