Our country, the United States, is made of smaller parts called states. There are 50 of them.
Key idea
The United States is one country made of 50 states. Each state has its own shape on the map and its own name.
Why it works
A country this big is easier to run in parts. Each state has its own leaders, laws and capital city, and all 50 states together make one country.
Worked example: The two far-away states
Which two states do not touch any of the others?
- Alaska is far to the northwest, next to Canada.
- Hawaii is a chain of islands in the Pacific Ocean.
- The other 48 states all touch at least one other state.
Answer: Alaska and Hawaii.
Common mistake
Some children think a state is a separate country, or that their own state is the whole country. Show the map: your state is one shape, and all 50 shapes together make the United States.
For the grown-up. Find your state on the map, then the states next to it. Texas, California and Alaska are good shapes to learn first because they are big.