The United States features so many wonderful first and notable places and events, and each of the states has a different story to tell. The following is a list of some of notable state facts to help you learn more about your state, and others. Use this and the supplemental resources to expand your knowledge of the fifty states and US history.
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Alabama
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Alabama is the 22nd state and entered into the United States on December 14, 1819
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Huntsville, Alabama is known as the Rocket Capitol of the world
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Alabama’s state gemstone is the Star Blue Quartz
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Residents of Alabama are referred to as Alabamians
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The official nut of Alabama state is the pecan
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Alaska
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Alaska was first established in 1784 by fur traders and Russian whalers
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The city of Juneau was named in honor of Joe Juneau who discovery of gold ignited the gold rush era
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Alaska produces 25% of the United States oil
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The official tree of Alaska is the Sitka spruce
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Since 1972, dog mushing has been Alaska’s official state sport
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Arizona
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Arizona is home to the Arizona trout, a fish that is only
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Copper production in the state of Arizona exceeds all other states
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Arizona’s fashion statement of choice if the bola tie – it is the official state neckwear
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Grand Canyon National Park is located in Arizona
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The world’s largest solar telescope is located in Arizona, at the Kitts Peak National Observatory in Sells, AZ
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Arkansas
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Chosen in 1929, Arkansas’s state bird is the mockingbird
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Legendary country music singers and song writer, Johnny Cash, was born in Kingsland Arkansas
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The diamond is Arkansas’s official state gem
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Adopted in 1985, the official state instrument is the fiddle
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The state’s official insect is the honeybee
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California
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California raises more turkeys than any other state
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The Hollywood Bowl is the world’s biggest outdoor amphitheater
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Death Valley is the driest, hottest place in the US. Temperatures exceed 115 degrees
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San Francisco Bay is the largest landlocked harbor
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Los Angeles, CA has the 4th largest economy in the US when compared to other states
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Colorado
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Colorado is home to The US Air Force Academy
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Colorado is called the Centennial state
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Colorado, Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico all meet at the same point, in the southwest corner
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The first rodeo was held in Deer Trail, Colorado on July 4, 1869
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The federal US government owns over one-third of all the land in Colorado
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Connecticut
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Established in 1764, Connecticut has the oldest newspaper in the US still being printed, The Hartford Courant
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The headquarters of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) is located in Connecticut
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English settlers in Connecticut first arrived in 1636. They settled plantations in Hartford, Wethersfield, and Windsor
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The New Hartford, Connecticut “Town Bicentennial Emblem” was created by seven year old James Thorsell
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PEZ Candy is made in Orange, Connecticut
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Delaware
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The country’s first scheduled steam powered railroad began in New Castle in 1831
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The Delaware state bug is the lady bug
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The American holly can reach up to 60 feet and is the state’s official tree
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The Mason-Dixon Line and the Maryland/Delaware boarder both run through the town of Delmar. The lines are marked by a stone crown marker erected in 1768
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A dozen concrete towers were built along the coast of Delaware during WWII to protect the state’s coastline
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Delaware has the second smallest total area out of all the 50 states. It is 1,982 square miles
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Florida
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Orlando, FL hosts more visitor than any other amusement park city in the US
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All US space shuttle missions launch out of Cape Canaveral, FL
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Gatorade was originally named for the University of Florida Gators, where the sports drink was developed
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Lake Okeechobee is the largest lake in the state of Florida
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Fort Lauderdale has 185 local waterways and is commonly called the Venice of America
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Georgia
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The official state fish of Georgia is the largemouth bass
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This state is the namesake of King George the Second of England
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This is the largest state to the est of the Mississippi River
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Georgia boasts the largest infantry training center in the world. It is located in For Benning
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Georgia was the first state to have a college in the world to offer grant degrees to women at Wesleyan College in Macon.
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Hawaii
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Hawaii is made up of eight main island: Kauai, Maui, Manai, The Big Island of Hawaii, Niihau, Oahu, Molokai, and Kahoolawe
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1/3 of the world’s commercial supply of pineapples are harvested in Hawaii
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Hawaii was formed thousands of years ago when under-sea volcanoes erupted
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Hawaii was added to the United States union in August of 1959
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Honolulu, Hawaii is the 11th largest metro area in the US
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Idaho
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The early economy of Idaho City, Idaho was developed largesly around gold mining in the 1860’s
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Hell’s Canyon, located in Idaho, is the deepest gorge in the US
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Established by Pres. Theodore Roosevelt, Caribou National Forest was created in 19007 and now covers more than 1 million acres
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Idaho is the 13th largest state in the US
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The beautiful mountain bluebird is the official state bird of Idaho
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Illinois
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Illinois is home to the first aquarium, which opened in Chicago in 1983
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It is also the birth place of the skyscraper, also built in Chicago, but in 1885
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This is the first state to ratify the thirteenth Amendment and abolish slavery in 1865
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Illinois has a special place in the heart of Ray Croft. The first McDonald’s was set up in Des Plaines, Illinois
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Indiana
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The famous explorers Lewis and Clark started their exploration of th eNorthwest Territory in Fort Vincennes, Indiana
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Many of the rivers in Indiana low west and south, eventually emptying into the Mississippi River; except for one, Maumee River flows north east and empties into Lake Erie
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In 1847, Indiana’s first major railway connected Madison and Indianapolis
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Indiana is nicknamed The Hoosier State
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The Indiana state flower, adopted in 1957, is the peony
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Iowa
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Iowa is home to the largest cereal in the world, Quaker Oats
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This is the only state that has both east and west borders formed by water; the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.
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Iowa State University is the oldest land grant college in the country
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The mighty oak is the state tree of Iowa
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Iowa is famous for it production of corn, cattle, poultry/eggs, pigs, and dairy
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Kansas
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Kansas had the first female mayor; Susan Madra Salter, elected in 1887 in Argonia, Kansas
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This state has the largest population of wild grouse, also called prairie chickens, in North American
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Fort Leavenworth, established in 1827, is the oldest military outpost in continuous use, west of the Mississippi River
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Helium was discovered at the University of Kansas in 1905
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Kansas is known as the sunflower state
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Kentucky
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Kentucky was the first western frontier state and the 15th state in the union
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The Kentucky state motto is “United we stand, divided we fall”
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Kentucky’s agriculture is largely based on cattle, horses, dairy products, pigs, tobacco, soybeans, and corn
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Kentucky is also called the Bluegrass State
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Ken-Tah-Ten is an Iroquoian word meaning “land of tomorrow”
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Louisiana
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This state is most famous for its “Mardi Gras” celebration in New Orleans. The festival is held right before the start of Lent
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Louisiana is named after King Louis XIV, and the state still holds true to its French roots
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Louisiana State does not have counties, instead, it has political divisions called parishes
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The Louisiana state tree is the cypress, which flourishes in the states many bayous
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New Orleans may be a popular city in Louisiana, but the state’s capitol is Baton Rouge
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Maine
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Maine produces 99% of the country’s blueberries
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Maine’s capitol is Augusta and it is the most eastern capitol in the states
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The official state bird of Maine is the chickadee
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Maine lobsters are highly sought after for their flavor and are noted for their contributions to the culinary arts
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Maine’s official state animal is the moose
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Maryland
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Maryland is home to the country’s first dental school
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It is said that the national anthem, written by Francis Scott Key, was penned while Key watch the bombardment of Fort McHenry, located in Baltimore Harbor
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Baltimore Harbor is home to the National Aquarium
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The Maryland State House, the oldest state capitol to remain in continuous use by the state legislation
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Top create Washington D.C. As the current national capitol that we know today, Maryland had to give up some of it’s state land
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Massachusetts
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Boston, MA opened the first commuter subway system in the nation in 1897
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The National Basketball Hall of Fame is in Springfield, MA. The city was also where the first basketball game was played
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Massachusetts includes the two largest cities in New England – Worcester and Boston
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The islands of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, off the coast of MA, were formed by glaciers during the ice age.
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Michigan
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The state’s official stone can be found along the shores of Lake Michigan; it’s called Petoskey
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The Michigan state reptile is the painted turtle
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Michigan includes the world’s longest freshwater shoreline
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The state has over 11,000 inland lakes
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Minnesota
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Minnesota is home to the Mall of America, which is larger than 75 football fields
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The Minnesota Sculpture Garden is the country’s largest urban garden of its type
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Though popular in New York, the Monarch butterfly is the state butterfly of Minnesota
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The walleye is the state fish of Minnesota
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Mississippi
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Elvis Presley, the King of Rock ‘n Roll, was born on January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi
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Mississippi is the state in which the first nuclear sub was constructed
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Mississippi is sometimes called the Magnolia State
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The official state song is called ‘Go Mississippi’
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Missouri
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Coined as the ‘Show Me State’, Missouri got its name in 1899 from a speech by Congressman Willard Duncan Vandiver
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St. Louis, Missouri has two nicknames; the “home of the blues” and “the gateway to the west”
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The honey bee is Missouri’s official state insect
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Missouri, meaning “town of the long canoes”, was originally a tribal word
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Missouri was the first state to free slaves in 1865
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Montana
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There is only one North American gem included in the Crown Jewels of England, The Montana Yogo Sapphire
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Montana state has the most different species, more than any other state
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Yellowstone National Park, located in Wyoming and southern Montana was the first national park
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Montana is sometimes referred to as the Treasure State
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Nebraska
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This state used to be called the Great American Desert. It was also once called the Tree Planter’s State
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The Reuben sandwich was invented in Nebraska
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This state has more miles of river than any state
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The state capitol of Nebraska is Lincoln, Nebraska
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Nevada
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Even though most of this state is desert, the Sierra Mountain Range and the Ruby Mountains are covered in snow for more than six months a year
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Nevada has more mountain ranges than any state, with the highest point being Boundary Peak at 13,145
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Nevada produces the most gold in the US and is second in production to South America
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The Hoover Dam, once the largest dam in the world, is located in Nevada
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New Hampshire
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This state started the first legal lottery in1963
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New Hampshire has the second oldest in-use constitution in the, US. I was instated in 1784
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The very first, free public library in the country is located in Petersburgh, NH, in 1833
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The legendary Captain John Smith named New Hampshire after Hampshire, England
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New Jersey
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Each county in New Jersey is designated as metro areas; this is the only state in which this is the case
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This state has the most dense highway and railway system in the country
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The Miss America Pageant is held in Atlantic City, New Jersey
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The first established Indian reservation is located in New Jersey
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The Monopoly board games is modeled after Atlantic City, NJ
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New Mexico
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New Mexico is a “four corner state”; bordered by Utah, Colorado, and Arizona
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New Mexico’s state flower is the yucca plant; whose fibers can be used to create baskets, rope, and much more
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This state is home to the Navajo, the country’s largest Native American group.
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Sheep and cows outnumber people in New Mexico; there are approximately a dozen people per mile.
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New York
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Dairy farming is the most important agricultural activity in NY; there are more than 18,000 cattle farms in this state
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While New York City is the most popular destination city, The New York state government is located in Albany, NY
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New York City includes more than 720 miles of subway track
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The Adirondack National Park is larger than Yosemite, Yellowstone, Glacier, Grand Canyon, and Olympic Parks combine
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North Carolina
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The first min-golf course was built in Fayetteville, NC
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Pepsi was invented in North Carolina
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Many believe that NC was the first to declare independence from England with the Mecklenburg Declaration of 1775
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Legendary baseball player Babe Ruth was born in North Carolina
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North Dakota
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Dakota is a Sioux, Native American word for friend/allies
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North Dakota is the national leader in sunflower growth
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The American Elm can reach 120 feet or more, and is the state tree of North Dakota
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During their expedition, explorers Lewis and Clark encountered their first grizzly bear in North Dakota
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Ohio
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Ohio established the country’s first ambulance transportation service in 1865 in Cincinnati
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Cincinnati also boasts the county’s first professional fire dept.
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The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is located in Cleveland, Ohio
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The Wright Brothers, the inventors of the first modern airplane, were from Dayton, Ohio
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Oklahoma
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Boise City in OK was the only city in the country to be bombed during WWII. It happened on July 5, 1943 – a bomber from Dalhart Army Air Base dropped 6 practice bombs on the city
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The first capitol of Oklahoma was Guthrie, but a majority vote later moved it to Oklahoma City.
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The capitol of the Cherokee Nation is located in Tahlequah, OK
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Oklahoma is located in “Tornado Ally”
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Oregon
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Oregon is the only state flag with two different designs, one on each side
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Crater Lake in Oregon is the deepest lake in the US; was was created from the remnants of an ancient volcano
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This state was founded on Valentine’s Day
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Portland, Oregon is called the City of Roses
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The Oregon Trail is the longest route used during westward expansion
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Pennsylvania
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Hershey, Pennsylvania is the chocolate capital of the United States, and features Hershey Park, a chocolate themed amusement park
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Many say that Betsy Ross made America’s first flag in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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The Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia, PA in 1776
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The Liberty Bell is on display in Pennsylvania
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Rhode Island
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This is the smallest US state; 1,214 sq. miles
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Rhode Island was the last of the original 13 colonies to become a state
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Rhode Island did not ratify the 18th Amendment on prohibition
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The first circus in the country was held in 1774 in Newport, Rhode Island
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South Carolina
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SC became a state on March 23. 1788. It was the 8th state to enter the union
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The 1st Civil Ware battle took place at Fort Sumter in South Carolina
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Columbia is the capital of South Carolina
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The state slogan is “Smiling faces. Beautiful places.”
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South Dakota
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Bell Fourche, SD is the geographical center of the US and is marked by a monument called “Stone Johnnie”
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Sturgis, South Dakota holds one of the largest motorcycle rallies in the country
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The Mammoth Site of Hot Springs features the largest collection of Columbian and woolly mammoth bones in-situ in the world
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The most decorated WWII battleship is the U.S.S. South Dakota
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Tennessee
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Tennessee is called the Volunteer State, given for the state’s volunteer soldiers’ involvement in the War of 1812
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Hattie Caraway, the first woman to become a US State Senator, was born in Bakersville, TN
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Nashville, TN’s Grand Ole Opry is the longest running live radio program in continuous use, in the world. It began in 1925
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Elvis Presley’s home, Graceland, is in Memphis, TN and is open to the public as a museum.
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Texas
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Texas is commonly called the Lone Star State
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Texas is the national leader in wool production and export
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Between 1836 and 1845, Texas was its own independent nation
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Texas makes up 7.4% of the nation’s total land area – 267,339 sq. miles
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Utah
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The Great Salt Lake spans 2,100 sq. miles and averages 13 feet in depth
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The Latter Day Saint/Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City took more than 40 years to build
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The state symbol is the beehive, which is a representation of industry and thrift
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Utah is a Native American word from the Ute tribe meaning “people of the mountains”
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Vermont
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This was the first state to enter the union after the Constitution was ratified
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Montpelier, VT makes more maple syrup than anywhere else in the US
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Vermont was the first state to make adult slavery illegal
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Vermont is the smallest state in terms of population
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Virginia
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This state was named in honor of Queen Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen
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Virginia is commonly called the “birthplace of a nation”
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Virginia is the final resting place for seven US presidents: Jefferson, Kennedy, Madison, Monroe, Taft, Tyler, and Washington
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The American Revolution came to an end after the surrender of Cornwallis in Yorktown, VA
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Washington
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This is the only state named in honor of a US president
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Washington is the national leader in apple production
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The highest point in the state is Mount Rainier
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The state capital is Olympia, WA, but the largest city is Seattle
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West Virginia
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West Virginia is called the Mountain State
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The state motto is “Mountaineers Are Always Free”
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75% of this state is covered in forest
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15% of US coal production is produced in West Virginia
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Wisconsin
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Devil’s Lake is Wisconsin’s oldest, most famous state park, and receives more visitors than any other park in the state
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This state is the US dairy capital
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Wisconsin produces the most milk in the US
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Wyoming
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Wyoming was the first state to grant women the right to vote
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Devils Tower was the first national monument, designated in 1906
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Wyoming is the least densely populated state in the US
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Most of Yellowstone National Park is within the Wyoming state boundaries
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