# Naming the States, I seem to have ended up with too many. Where have I gone wrong? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 3, 2003, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-the-states-i-seem-to-have-ended-up-with-too-many-where-have-i-gone-wrong/216637 "2003-12-03T03:40:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-the-states-i-seem-to-have-ended-up-with-too-many-where-have-i-gone-wrong/216637/1 "2003-12-03T03:40:50Z")
There are 50 states right? Tonight, after watching friends (where ross was naming all the states) we decided to have a go. We’ve managed to end up with 51. So which of the following is not a state? (bear in mind I am not American, and shouldn’t be strung up for making this mistake) Alabama Alaska Albuquerque Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Columbia Conneticut Delaware East Virginia Florida Georgia Hawaii Illinois Indianna Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisianna Maine Maryland Massechusets Michigan Minesota Mississippi Missouri Nebraska Nevada New England New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pensylvania Philadelphia Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennesee Texas Utah Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Witcheta Wyoming ---
**Author:** ![Crescent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Crescent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crescent)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-the-states-i-seem-to-have-ended-up-with-too-many-where-have-i-gone-wrong/216637/2 "2003-12-03T03:43:55Z")
Philadelphia is a city in Pennsylvania. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-the-states-i-seem-to-have-ended-up-with-too-many-where-have-i-gone-wrong/216637/3 "2003-12-03T03:49:51Z")
And Albuquerque and Wichita are cities too… So you’re missing 2 states! ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMule](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc348/32.png) [@MonkeyMule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMule)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-the-states-i-seem-to-have-ended-up-with-too-many-where-have-i-gone-wrong/216637/4 "2003-12-03T03:50:27Z")
THe Following are NOT states: Albuquerque Columbia New England Philadelphia Witcheta Really what are they teaching kids these days? New england covers like 6 states, and Columbia is another country :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Crescent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Crescent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crescent)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-the-states-i-seem-to-have-ended-up-with-too-many-where-have-i-gone-wrong/216637/5 "2003-12-03T03:50:54Z")
Oops… I only glanced at the list when I wrote that. Wichita is a city in Kansas, Columbia is actually the District of Columbia and isn’t a state. Montana is missing, Albequerque is a city in New Mexico and it’s West Virgininia. All in all, I am amazed at how many you got considering how abysmal I would do trying to trying to name the (?) counties(?) in your country. Damn your good. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-the-states-i-seem-to-have-ended-up-with-too-many-where-have-i-gone-wrong/216637/6 "2003-12-03T03:51:42Z")
The actual list: Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota 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 ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-the-states-i-seem-to-have-ended-up-with-too-many-where-have-i-gone-wrong/216637/7 "2003-12-03T03:52:54Z")
From memory, no less. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![IrreverentTone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@IrreverentTone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IrreverentTone)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-the-states-i-seem-to-have-ended-up-with-too-many-where-have-i-gone-wrong/216637/8 "2003-12-03T03:53:21Z")
No teasing here, some days I can’t do as well and I’m a born here type citizen. Columbia is actually District of Columbia, which isn’t actually a state though it’s where Washington, D.C. is located. East Virginia is actually just Virginia. New England is a region and not a state. It’s comprised of a bunch of those East Coast states. Idaho is a state that isn’t on your list. Albuquerque is a city in New Mexico. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-the-states-i-seem-to-have-ended-up-with-too-many-where-have-i-gone-wrong/216637/9 "2003-12-03T03:53:39Z")
Columbia is not a “state”; it is the “District of Columbia”, ruled directly by the US federal government. I think. Also, you left out Virginia and Vermont. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BraheSilver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@BraheSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BraheSilver)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-the-states-i-seem-to-have-ended-up-with-too-many-where-have-i-gone-wrong/216637/10 "2003-12-03T03:53:44Z")
[List of US states](http://en2.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._state) ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-the-states-i-seem-to-have-ended-up-with-too-many-where-have-i-gone-wrong/216637/11 "2003-12-03T03:54:03Z")
These aren’t states, they are cities: Witchita Philadelphia Albuquerque New England isn’t a state, but an area of the country on the eastern seaboard, north of New York. Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont are all in New England. Columbia - I think you mean the District of Columbia, also not a state. East Virginia is just Virginia (no East). 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Crescent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Crescent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crescent)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-the-states-i-seem-to-have-ended-up-with-too-many-where-have-i-gone-wrong/216637/12 "2003-12-03T03:55:06Z")
New Hampshire! Ha! I knew I could figure out what was missing. ---
**Author:** ![ShadiRoxan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@ShadiRoxan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadiRoxan)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-the-states-i-seem-to-have-ended-up-with-too-many-where-have-i-gone-wrong/216637/13 "2003-12-03T03:55:52Z")
Albuquerque-- city in New Mexico Columbia-- capital of South Carolina East Virginia-- it’s just Virginia New England-- this is a region including Maine, New Hampshire, and several other northeastern states Philadelphia-- city in Pennsylvia Witcheta-- city in Kansas You’re missing Arkansas, New Hampshire, Vermont and Virginia ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-the-states-i-seem-to-have-ended-up-with-too-many-where-have-i-gone-wrong/216637/14 "2003-12-03T03:57:25Z")
Also, the country in South America is spelt “Col **o** mbia”. On the other hand, British Columbia is spelt with a “u”, but it’s a Canadian province. ---
**Author:** ![ShadiRoxan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@ShadiRoxan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadiRoxan)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-the-states-i-seem-to-have-ended-up-with-too-many-where-have-i-gone-wrong/216637/15 "2003-12-03T03:58:04Z")
Crap, I just saw you had those. Boy my reading skills are off tonight ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMule](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc348/32.png) [@MonkeyMule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMule)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-the-states-i-seem-to-have-ended-up-with-too-many-where-have-i-gone-wrong/216637/16 "2003-12-03T04:05:40Z")
I myst apoligize, On a lark I tried to name all 50 states, and I got to 30 and had to look at you list **Lobsang**. I totaly tanked on the DC mistake. We never refer to it as anything other then Washinton DC, or DC for shot. Thats what I get for tryong to be a smart ass. Kudos to you my british friend, as you know more about here then I could ever ho[e to know about there 😉 Oh and so you knwo DC is between Maryland and Virgina, and the traffic sucks ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-the-states-i-seem-to-have-ended-up-with-too-many-where-have-i-gone-wrong/216637/17 "2003-12-03T04:07:01Z")
Dang it, Sunspace, I was going to mention the Colombia spelling. A former acquaintance of mine who was a Spanish professor had a dilly of a story about somebody “correcting” her spelling in some paperwork that was handed out at a conference of Spanish teachers… ---
**Author:** ![percypercy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@percypercy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percypercy)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-the-states-i-seem-to-have-ended-up-with-too-many-where-have-i-gone-wrong/216637/18 "2003-12-03T04:12:39Z")
Alberqerque, East Viginia, New England, and Witcheta are not states either. Witchita is a city in Kansas. Alberqerque is a city in New Mexico, and East Virginia should be West Virginia. New England is a name for a group of states. I dunno which ones. I tried myself and forgot New Jersey. hmmm… ---
**Author:** ![jujuju](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@jujuju](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jujuju)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-the-states-i-seem-to-have-ended-up-with-too-many-where-have-i-gone-wrong/216637/19 "2003-12-03T04:17:55Z")
there is a great game to test your knowledge of states and stuff at [yahooligans](http://www.yahooligans.com/content/games/) . Just go down to ‘test your knowledge’. i used to play this at work, and to get ready when my kids start studying that stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-the-states-i-seem-to-have-ended-up-with-too-many-where-have-i-gone-wrong/216637/20 "2003-12-03T04:18:03Z")
Holy crap! That was fast! Thanks guys. On looking up I see I am missing at least New Hampshire (never would have guessed that one) and Vermont (nor that one). Looking up further, to **Airman Door** ’s post I also missed Idaho, Montanna and Virginia (assumed it was two states, east and west) Funnily enough I would do much worse naming English Counties. Especially now that my head is swimming with US states. Off the top of my head there’s Lancashire, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Greater London, Greater Manchester, Birmingham, Lancaster. The ones in the middle I am not sure about, and I am not sure if Devon is a county, or if Cornwall is a county, or if one is inside the other etc… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/naming-the-states-i-seem-to-have-ended-up-with-too-many-where-have-i-gone-wrong/216637.md?page=2)