Summer States No. 50 - Hawaii (FINALE!!!)

     Hello everybody and welcome back to another edition of Nations Made Fun! I'll be your tour guide, Mr. Nations, your tour guide to the wacky world of international history! Today we'll be taking a look at the fiftieth state admitted into the United States, Hawaii. This will be our final Summer States post, so what are we waiting for? Let's get straight into it!

     Hawaii Facts

• Date of Statehood: August 21, 1959
• Capital: Honolulu
• Population: 1,360,301 (2010)
• Size: 10,926 square miles
• Motto: Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ‘Ä€ina i ka Pono (“The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness”)
• Tree: Kukui (Candlenut)
• Flower: Pua Aloalo (Yellow Hibiscus)
• Bird: Nene

     Fun Facts:

• In 1866, after leprosy had begun to quickly spread among the Hawaiian population without a cure, more than 100 victims were forcefully shipped to Kalaupapa on the island of Molokai to live in complete isolation. 
• Mount Waialeale on Kauai is one of the wettest places on earth. It receives 460 inches of rain a year.
• With rich volcanic soil and ideal farming conditions, Hawaii is the only U.S. state that grows coffee.

     Hawaii on a map:

     

     Sources: https://www.history.com/topics/us-states/hawaii

Summer States No. 49 - Alaska

     Hello everybody and welcome back to another installment of Nations Made Fun! I'll be your host, Mr. Nations, your tour guide to this wacky, wacky world! Today we'll be taking a look at the forty-ninth state to be admitted into the United States, Alaska. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's dive straight into it!

     Alaska Facts:

• Date of Statehood: January 3, 1959
• Capital: Juneau
• Population: 710,231 (2010)
• Size: 664,988 square miles
• Motto: North to the Future
• Tree: Sitka Spruce
• Flower: Forget-me-not
• Bird: Willow Ptarmigan

     Fun Facts:

• Russia controlled most of the land that is now Alaska until 1867, when Secretary of State William Seward bought the land for 7.2 million, or about 2 cents an acre.  
• Alaska contains 17 of the 20 highest peaks in the United States.
• The state of Rhode Island can fit into Alaska roughly 420 times.

     Alaska on a map:

     

    Sources: https://www.history.com/topics/us-states/alaska

Summer States No. 48 - Arizona

     Hello everybody and welcome back to another edition of Nations Made Fun! I'll be your host, Mr. Nations, your tour guide to this magnificent world! Today we're going to be taking a look at Arizona, the fort-eighth of the United States. As of today, we will be two posts away from the end of Summer States! Well, what are we waiting for? Let's dive straight into it!

     Arizona Facts:

• Date of Statehood: February 14, 1912
• Capital: Phoenix
• Population: 6,392,017 (2010)
• Size: 113,990 square miles
• Motto: Ditat Deus (“God enriches”)
• Tree: Palo Verde
• Flower: Saguaro Cactus Blossom
• Bird: Cactus Wren

     Fun Facts:

• Formed over 3 to 6 million years ago, the Grand Canyon is 277 miles long, 18 miles wide and 1 mile deep. It attracts 5 million people a year.
• Arizona has the highest percentage of its land dedicated to Indian tribal land.
• Arizona is one of two states that doesn't observe Daylight Saving Time.

     Arizona on a map:

     

     Sources: https://www.history.com/topics/us-states/arizona

Summer States No. 47 - New Mexico

     Hello everybody and welcome back to another edition of Nations Made Fun! I'll be your host, Mr. Nations, your tour guide to international history! Today we'll be taking a look at the twelfth state to be admitted into the United States, North Carolina! Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get straight into it!

     New Mexico Facts:

• Date of Statehood: January 6, 1912
• Capital: Santa Fe
• Population: 2,059,179 (2010)
• Size: 121,590 square miles
• Motto: Crescit Eundo (“It Grows as it Goes”)
• Tree: Piñon Pine
• Flower: Yucca
• Bird: Greater Roadrunner

     Fun Facts:

• Constructed in 1610, the Palace of Governors in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is the oldest seat of government in the United States.
• On July 16th, 1945 in Trinity, New Mexico, the first atomic bomb was tested.
• 1 of 4 people in New Mexico work for the federal government.

     New Mexico on a map:

      

     Sources: https://www.history.com/topics/us-states/new-mexico

     https://www.50states.com/facts/new-mexico.htm

Summer States No. 46 - Oklahoma

     Hello everybody and welcome back to another installment of Nations Made Fun! I'll be your host, Mr. Nations, your tour guide for this massive, massive world! Today we'll be taking a look at Oklahoma, the forty-sixth state in the United States. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's dive straight into it!

     Oklahoma Facts:

• Date of Statehood: November 16, 1907.
• Capital: Oklahoma City
• Population: 3,751,351 (2010)
• Size: 69,899 square miles
• Motto: Labor Omnia Vincit (“Labor Conquers All Things”)
• Tree: Redbud
• Flower: Mistletoe
• Bird: Scissor-Tailed Flycatcher

     Fun Facts: 

• During the course of the day on June 8, 1974, 5 different tornadoes struck Oklahoma City.
• Oklahoma's state capitol building is the only one to be built directly underneath an oil well. A massive oil pool was located under the building, so a well was built to obtain the oil.
• Thirty-nine Indian tribes are headquartered in Oklahoma.

     Oklahoma on a map:

     

     Sources: https://www.history.com/topics/us-states/oklahoma

Summer States No. 45 - Utah

     Hello everybody and welcome back to another installment of Nations Made Fun! I'll be your host, Mr. Nations, your tour guide to the wacky world of international history! Today we'll be taking a look at the forty-fifth state to be admitted to the United States, Utah. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get straight into it!

     Utah Facts:

• Date of Statehood: January 4, 1896
• Capital: Salt Lake City
• Population: 2,763,885 (2010)
• Size: 84,897 square miles
• Motto: Industry
• Tree: Blue Spruce
• Flower: Sego Lily
• Bird: California Seagull

     Fun Facts:

• In the summer of 1848, a swarm of crickets was destroying the Mormon pioneer's newly planted crops. A flock of seagulls came and saved the pioneers by feasting on the unlucky crickets. 
• In 2010, Utah had the youngest population. 33% of all Utah residents were under 18.
• Arches National Park contains over 2,000 natural rock arches. The widest, known as landscape arch, stretches 306 feet from one base to another.

     Utah on a map:

     

     Sources: https://www.history.com/topics/us-states/utah

Summer States No. 44 - Wyoming

     Hello everybody and welcome back to another edition of Nations Made Fun! I'll be your host, Mr. Nations, your tour guide to the world! Today we'll be taking a look at the forty-forth state to be admitted into the United States, Wyoming! Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get straight into it, shall we?

     Wyoming Facts:

• Date of Statehood: July 10, 1890
• Capital: Cheyenne
• Population: 563,626 (2010)
• Size: 97,812 square miles
• Motto: Equal Rights
• Tree: Plains Cottonwood
• Flower: Indian Paintbrush
• Bird: Meadowlark

     Fun Facts:

• In 1949, a huge blizzard blanketed Wyoming, killing 17 people, 55,000 cattle and 105,000 sheep.
• Wyoming is the leading producer of coal in the United States, producing 40% of coal for the U.S. in 2010.
• Wyoming has the smallest population of any country in the U.S., with only 550,000 people in the state.

     Wyoming on a map:

     

     Sources: https://www.history.com/topics/us-states/wyoming

Summer States No. 43 - Idaho

     Hello everybody and welcome back to another installment of Nations Made Fun! I'll be your host, Mr. Nations, your tour guide to this magnificent world! Today we'll be looking at the forty-third state to be admitted to the United States, Idaho! Well, what are we waiting for? Let's dive right into the thick of things into it!

     Idaho Facts:

• Date of Statehood: July 3, 1890
• Capital: Boise
• Population: 1,567,582 (2010)
• Size: 83,568 square miles
• Motto: Esto perpetua (“Let it be perpetual”)
• Tree: Western White Pine
• Flower: Syringa
• Bird: Mountain Bluebird

     Fun Facts:

• The state seal of Idaho is the only one designed by a woman.
• Rigby, Idaho, is widely regarded as the home of television.
• Idaho produces more potatoes and trout than any other state in the United States.

     Idaho on a map:

     

     Sources: https://www.history.com/topics/us-states/idaho

Summer States No. 42 - Washington

     Hello everybody and welcome back to another installment of Nations Made Fun! I'll be your host, Mr. Nations, your tour guide to the wacky world of international history! Today we'll be taking a look at Washington, the forty-second state to be admitted into the United States. Well, what are we waiting for, let's get into it!

     Washington Facts:

• Date of Statehood: November 11, 1889
• Capital: Olympia
• Population: 6,724,540 (2010)
• Size: 71,298 square miles
• Motto: Alki (“Bye and Bye”)
• Tree: Western Hemlock
• Flower: Coast Rhododendron
• Bird: Willow Goldfinch

     Fun Facts:

• Washington is home to many famous people, including musician Jimi Hendrix, entertainer Bing Crosby, and computer pioneer Bill Gates.
• Washington is the leading producer of apples, pears, sweet cherries, red raspberries, and hops. In 2010, the apple harvest alone generated 1.44 billion for the state.
• The Seattle Space Needle located in Seattle was built for the World Fair in 1962 is an iconic part of the city's skyline and features a rotating restaurant on the top.

     Washington on a map:

     

     Sources: https://www.history.com/topics/us-states/washington

Summer States No. 41 - Montana

     Hello everybody and welcome back to another edition of Nations Made Fun! I'll be your history host, Mr. Nations, here to help guide you through the mysterious world of history and geography. Today we'll be taking a look at the forty-first state admitted into the union, Montana. So, what are we waiting for? Let's dive straight into it!

     Montana Facts:

• Date of Statehood: November 8, 1889
• Capital: Helena
• Population: 989,415 (2010)
• Size: 147,039 square miles
• Motto: Oro y Plata (“Gold and Silver”)
• Tree: Ponderosa Pine
• Flower: Bitterroot
• Bird: Western Meadow Lark

     Fun Facts:

• Montana is one of the country's least populated state by density, sitting at around six people per square mile.
• The coldest temperature to ever hit the contiguous United States (excluding Hawaii and Alaska) was in Roger's Pass, Montana on January 20th, 1954. The temperature was -70 Fahrenheit.
• Speaking of temperature, Montana also holds the record for the biggest temperature change in the country, going from 103 degrees to -54 degrees in 24 hours.

     Montana on a map:

     
     Sources: https://www.history.com/topics/us-states/montana

Summer States No. 40 - South Dakota

     Hello everybody and welcome back to another edition of Nations Made Fun! I'll be your host, Mr. Nations, your tour guide to this magnificent world! Today we'll be looking at the fortieth state of the United States, South Dakota. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get straight into it, shall we?

     South Dakota Facts:

• Date of Statehood: November 2, 1889
• Capital: Pierre
• Population: 814,180 (2010)
• Size: 77,116 square miles
• Motto: Under God, the People Rule
• Tree: Black Hills Spruce
• Flower: Pasque
• Bird: Chinese Ring-necked Pheasant

     Fun Facts:

• Bowdle, South Dakota is home to the tallest water tower in the state.
• The largest underground gold mine is the Homestake Mine in Lead.
• The U.S.S. South Dakota was the most decorated battleship during World War II.

     South Dakota on a map: 

          

     Sources: https://www.history.com/topics/us-states/south-dakota

     https://www.50states.com/facts/south-dakota.htm     

Summer States No. 39 - North Dakota

     Hello everybody and welcome back to another installment of Nations Made Fun! I'll be your host and director, Mr. Nations, your tour guide to the mysterious world of international history! Today we'll be taking a look at North Dakota, the thirty-ninth to be admitted to the United States! Well, what are we waiting for? Let's dive straight into it, shall we?

     North Dakota Facts:

• Date of Statehood: November 2, 1889
• Capital: Bismarck
• Population: 672,591 (2010)
• Size: 70,698 square miles
• Motto: Liberty and Union Now and Forever, One and Inseparable
• Tree: American Elm
• Flower: Wild Prairie Rose
• Bird: Western Meadowlark

     Fun Facts:

• The geographical center of North Dakota lies in Rugby, North Dakota.
• North Dakota is the leading producer of about a dozen crops for the U.S.
• Both in 1947 and 1987, a bill was drafted to combine the two states, North and South Dakota to be just Dakota. Both bills were rejected.

     North Dakota on a map: 

     

     Sources: https://www.history.com/topics/us-states/north-dakota

     https://www.50states.com/facts/north-dakota.htm

Summer States No. 38 - Colorado

     Hello everybody and welcome back to another edition of Nations Made Fun! I'll be your host, Mr. Nations, your tour guide to this magnificent world we all live in! Today we'll be taking a look at Colorado, the thirty-eighth state of the United States. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's dive straight into it, shall we?

     Colorado Facts:

• Date of Statehood: August 1, 1876
• Capital: Denver
• Population: 5,029,196 (2010)
• Size: 104,094 square miles
• Motto: Nil sine Numine (“Nothing without the Deity”)
• Tree: Colorado Blue Spruce
• Flower: White and Lavender Columbine
• Bird: Lark Bunting 

     Fun Facts:

• The United States Air Force Academy is located in Colorado.
• Colorado claims to be the home of the cheeseburger because the patent "Cheeseburger" was given to Louis Ballast in 1935.
• The United States Federal Government owns more than a 1/3 of the land in Colorado.

     Colorado on a map:

     

     Sources: https://www.history.com/topics/us-states/colorado

     https://www.50states.com/facts/colorado.htm

Summer States No. 37 - Nebraska

     Hello everybody and welcome back to another edition of Nations Made Fun! I'll be your host, Mr. Nations, your tour guide to the history of the world! Today we'll be taking a look at yet another one of the states of the United States, Nebraska! Well, what are we waiting for? Let's dive straight into it, shall we?

     Nebraska Facts:

• Date of Statehood: March 1, 1867
• Capital: Lincoln
• Population: 1,826,341 (2010)
• Size: 77,349 square miles
• Motto: Equality Before the Law
• Tree: Cottonwood
• Flower: Goldenrod
• Bird: Western Meadowlark

     Fun Facts:

• On June 22, 2003, a record-breaking hailstone fell in Aurora, Nebraska. The 18.75-inch ball of ice created a crater of 14 inches and caused 1.5 million dollars in damage.
• Nebraska has more miles of river than any other state.
• The strobe light was invented by Dr. Harold Edgerton in Aurora, Nebraska.

     Nebraska on a map:

     

     Sources: https://www.history.com/topics/us-states/nebraska

     https://www.50states.com/facts/nebraska.htm

Summer States No. 36 - Nevada

     Hello everybody and welcome back to yet another edition of Nations Made Fun! I'll be your host, Mr. Nations, your tour guide to this gigantic world! Today we're going to be taking a look at the thirty-sixth state of the United States, Nevada! Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get straight into it, shall we?

     Nevada Facts:

• Date of Statehood: October 31, 1864
• Capital: Carson City
• Population: 2,770,551 (2010)
• Size: 110,572 square miles
• Motto: All for Our Country
• Tree: Single-Leaf Piñon and Bristlecone Pine
• Flower: Sagebrush
• Bird: Mountain Bluebird

     Fun Facts:

• The slot machine "Liberty Bell" was invented by Charles Fey in 1899 and would become the basis of all slot machines to come.
• In Death Valley, Nevada, the Kangaroo Rat can live its entire life without drinking a single drop of liquid.
• Nevada is the largest gold-producing state in the nation.

     Nevada on a map:

     

     Sources: https://www.history.com/topics/us-states/nevada

     https://www.50states.com/facts/nevada.htm

Summer States No. 35 - West Virginia

     Hello everybody and welcome back to another edition of Nations Made Fun! I'll be your host, Mr. Nations, your tour guide to this massive world! Today we'll be going over the thirty-fifth state of the United States, West Virginia. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's dive straight into it, shall we?

     West Virginia Facts:

• Date of Statehood: June 20, 1863
• Capital: Charleston
• Population: 1,852,994 (2010)
• Size: 24,230 square miles
• Motto: Montani Semper Liberi (“Mountaineers Are Always Free”)
• Tree: Sugar Maple
• Flower: Rhododendron
• Bird: Cardinal

     Fun Facts: 

• The first sales tax was implemented in West Virginia on July 1st, 1921.
• West Virginia has the oldest average age. The median age is forty.
• The first federal prison exclusively for women was opened in West Virginia in 1926.

     West Virginia on a map:

     

     Sources: https://www.history.com/topics/us-states/west-virginia

     https://www.50states.com/facts/west-virginia.htm

Summer States No. 34 - Kansas

     Hello everybody and welcome back to another edition of Nations Made Fun! I'll be your director, Mr. Nations, your tour guide to the world! Today on Summer States, we'll be taking a look at the thirty-fourth state of the United States, Kansas. Well, what are we waiting for? Let's dive straight into it!

     Kansas Facts:

• Date of Statehood: January 29, 1861
• Capital: Topeka
• Population: 2,853,118 (2010)
• Size: 82,278 square miles
• Motto: Ad astra per aspera (“To the stars through difficulties”)
• Tree: Cottonwood
• Flower: Wild Native Sunflower
• Bird: Western Meadowlark

     Fun Facts:

• Kansas is the leading producer of wheat in the United States.
• During the Civil War, Kansas suffered the highest rate of fatal casualties of any Union State.
• Meade's Ranch located in Osborne County, Kansas is geodetic the center of all of North America.

     Kansas on a map:

        

     Sources: https://www.history.com/topics/us-states/kansas 

Summer States No. 33 - Oregon

     Hello everybody and welcome back to another installment of Nations Made Fun! I'll be your host, Mr. Nations, your tour guide to this magnificent world! Today we'll be taking a look at the thirty-third country of the United States, Oregon! Well, what are we waiting for? Let's dive straight into it!

     Oregon Facts:

• Date of Statehood: February 14, 1859
• Capital: Salem
• Population: 3,831,074 (2010)
• Size: 98,379 square miles
• Motto: She Flies With Her Own Wings
• Tree: Douglas Fir
• Flower: Oregon Grape
• Bird: Western Meadowlark

     Fun Facts: 

• Oregon grows 99% of the country's hazelnuts and is the leading producer of Christmas trees in the United States.
• Eugene, Oregon, was the first city to have one-way streets.
• Oregon's state birthday is on Valentine's Day.

     Oregon on a map:

     

     Sources: https://www.history.com/topics/us-states/oregon

     https://www.50states.com/facts/oregon.htm

Summer States No. 32 - Minnesota

     Hello everybody and welcome back to another edition of Nations Made Fun! I'll be your host and tour guide today to this magnificent world that we live in! Today we'll be looking at the thirty-second state of the United States, Minnesota! Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get straight into it!

     Minnesota Facts:

• Date of Statehood: May 11, 1858
• Capital: St. Paul
• Population: 5,303,925 (2010)
• Size: 86,935 square miles
• Motto: L’Étoile du Nord (“Star of the North”)
• Tree: Red Pine
• Flower: Pink and White Lady Slipper
• Bird: Common Loon

     Fun Facts:

• The first successful open-heart surgery, performed on a five-year-old girl in 1952, took place in Minnesota.
• The Mall of America is the largest shopping mall in the U.S. and garners forty million visitors a year.
• The skyway system in Minneapolis is the largest indoor network of pedestrian tunnels. You can eat, sleep, work, and shop without ever having to go outdoors.

     Minnesota on a map:

     

     Source: https://www.history.com/topics/us-states/minnesota

Summer States No. 31 - California

     Hello everybody and welcome back to another edition of Nations Made Fun! I'll be your host, Mr. Nations, your tour guide to this epic world! Today we're going to be taking a look at the thirty-first state of the United States, California! Well, what are we waiting for? Let's dive straight into it!

     California Facts:

• Date of Statehood: September 9, 1850
• Capital: Sacramento
• Population: 37,253,956 (2010)
• Size: 163,694 square miles
• Motto: Eureka (“I have found it”)
• Tree: California Redwood
• Flower: Poppy
• Bird: California Valley Quail

     Fun Facts: 

• During the 1849 Gold Rush of California, 28,280,711 ounces of fine gold were extracted from rivers and mountains.
• California produces 3.3 million tons of winegrapes over 540,000 acres and accounts for 90% of America's wine.
• With a trunk slightly larger than 102 feet wide, the General Sherman in Sequoia National Park is the largest living tree (by volume) in the world. It's estimated to be somewhere between 1,800 to 2,700 years old.

     California on a map:

     

     Sources: https://www.history.com/topics/us-states/california