The state structure of America / Государственное устройство Америки

The United States is a federal union of fifty states. The original thirteen states were the successors of the thirteen colonies that rebelled against the British rule. Most of the rest have been carved from territory obtained through war or purchase by the U.S. government. The exceptions are Vermont, Texas, and Hawaii; each was an independent republic before joining the union. Early in the country's history, three states were created out of the territory of existing ones: Kentucky from Virginia; Tennessee from North Carolina; and Maine from Massachusetts. West Virginia broke away from Virginia during the American Civil War. The most recent state — Hawaii — achieved statehood on August 21, 1959. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the states do not have the right to secede from the union.

The following regions have similar climate, geography, traditions, and history.

New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire. Rhode Island. Vermont;

Middle Atlantic: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missou North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia;

Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio. South Dakota, Wisconsin;

Southwest: Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas;

West: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada. Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.

The states compose the vast bulk of the U.S. land mass. The only other areas considered integral parts of the country are the District of Columbia, the federal district where the capital, Washington,located; and Palmyra Atoll, an uninhabited but incorporated territory in the Pacific Ocean. The United States possesses five major territories with indigenous populations: Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands in the Caribbean; and American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific. Those born in the territories (except for American Samoa) possess U.S. citizenship.

Rank State Name Date of Union Entry

1. Delaware December 7, 1787
2. Pennsylvania December 12, 1787
3. New Jersey December 18, 1787
4. Georgia January 2, 1788
5. Connecticut January 9, 1788
6. Massachusetts February 6, 1788
7. Maryland April 28, 1788
8. South Carolina May 23, 1788
9. New Hampshire June 21, 1788
10. Virginia June 25, 1788
11. New York. July 26, 1788
12. North Carolina November 21, 1789
13. Rhode Island May 29,1790
14. Vermont March 4, 1791
15. Kentucky June 1, 1792
16. Tennessee June 1, 1796
17. Ohio March 1, 1803
18. Louisiana April 30, 1812
19. Indiana December 11, 1816
20. Mississippi December 10, 1817
21. Illinois December 3, 1818
22. Alabama December 14, 1819
23. Maine March 15, 1820
24. Missouri August 10 1821
25. Arkansas June 15, 1836
26. Michigan January 26 1837
27. Florida March 3, 1845
28. Texas December 29, 1845
29. Iowa December 28, 1846
30. Wisconsin May 29,1848
31. California September 9, 1850
32. Minnesota May 11,1858
33. Oregon February 14, 1859
34. Kansas January 29, 1861
35. West Virginia June 20, 1863
36. Nevada October 31, 1864
37. Nebraska March 1, 1867
38. Colorado August 1, 1876
39. North Dakota November 2, 1889
40. South Dakota November 2, 1889
41. Montana November 8, 1889
42. Washington November 11, 1889
43. Idaho July 3, 1890
44. Wyoming July 10, 1890
45. Utah January 4, 1896
46. Oklahoma November 16, 1907
47. New Mexico January 6, 1912
48. Arizona February 14, 1912
49. Alaska January 3, 1959
50. Hawaii August 21, 1959

Словарь

a successor (s) — преемник, наследник

a purchase — покупка, приобретение

existing — существующий

not to have the right to secede from the union — не иметь права выходить из союза

to compose smth — составлять что-либо

integral parts of smth — неотъемлемые части чего-либо

an incorporated territory — присоединенная территория