The US Explained

New York - The US Explained

Throughout US history, the country has been dominated by an urbanized string of cities stretching along the coast of the Northeastern United States. Home to a stunning 52 million people, an enormous chunk of the US population, the Megalopolis, as it’s referred to, has guided and exerted influence over much of American culture, history, politics and business for centuries, and likely will continue to do so as long as it remains the country’s urban core. At the center of this string of humanity sits New York City, far and away the largest urban area in the United States, and one of the most populous and famous on Earth. Outside America’s megacity, the rest of the state of New York, often overlooked for the highly influential metropolis downstate, contains vast and nearly uninhabited mountain wilderness, beautiful lakes and islands, canals and waterfalls, forests and farms, small towns and important industrial cities. Today only three states surpass New York in population, and whether any do in terms of sheer influence is up for debate. With its skyscraper-studded megacity, a global center of business, immigration, entertainment, and culture, and a large, beautiful upstate stretching from Lake Erie to Lake Champlain, this is episode 11 - New York.

Virginia - The US Explained

Virginia. It’s where the North meets the South. It’s home to the wealthiest part of the United States - leafy suburbs of the nation’s capital where business is booming - as well as struggling coal mining towns in the hills and mountains of Appalachia. Tobacco is still grown in much of the state, on farmland where enslaved people once toiled and Civil War soldiers fought. You can still visit the site of the first permanent English colony in the mainland of the Americas, and find families who have lived in the state for hundreds of years, some descendants of the wealthy owners of slave plantations who dominated early American society and made up 7 of the first 12 US presidents. Home to beautiful mountain scenery, a large population, beach towns that draw millions of tourists, a major military presence, and a central role in US history, this is Episode 10 - Virginia

New Hampshire - The US Explained

It’s a land of stunning mountains, vast forests, numerous lakes, and a beautiful coastline. It’s a rural state in an urbanized part of the country, and small towns and cities dot it’s landscape, even as one of the largest urban areas in the US sits not far across state lines. Despite being home to less than two million people, it plays an essential role in electing the US president every four years. This is Episode 9 - New Hampshire.

South Carolina - The US Explained

South Carolina is the first predominantly rural, the first reliably red state I’ve discussed in this series, and the most Republican-leaning state on the entire east coast. It’s the first state in the US Explained that has a national park, and one of the first whose population is not centered around one or two major urban areas, but is instead spread out between several smaller, similar-sized cities. It has one of the most challenging histories of any US state, and by most definitions, is one of the poorest in the country, yet it brings in more tourists each year than all but 6 other states. This is episode 8 - South Carolina.

Maryland - The US Explained

Only eight states are smaller than Maryland, which takes up less land than Rwanda, Equatorial Guinea, or the Solomon Islands. But within that relatively small area, it fits a cross-section of the Eastern United States, home to the peaks and valleys of Appalachia, two of the largest urban areas in the US, and the country’s 9th largest coastline, stretching along the marshes of the country’s largest bay. The traditional border between North and South, today it’s one of six majority-minority states, with people of color making up over half of Maryland’s population, and is the wealthiest state in the union. With its historical and modern significance, large population, and diverse physical environment, this is Episode 7 - Maryland.

Massachusetts - The US Explained

Geographically, it’s a very small state, with a drive from the coast to its Western edge taking just a few hours. Yet few other parts of the country have had as much of a historical and modern impact on the United States as Massachusetts. It takes up less land than seven different counties in the US, and can fit into Alaska 63 times over, but is home to nearly seven million people, and contains the tenth largest urban area in the country, in addition to several of the most prestigious universities on Earth. Boasting a Human Development Index higher than all but one country in the world and one of the most historically significant states in the US, this is Episode 6 - Massachusetts.

Connecticut - The US Explained

Connecticut. By area it’s the third smallest state in the entire United States, yet is home to millions of residents. An old and historic state, it’s today a center of the US financial industry. Despite its small size, Connecticut has a unique culture, divided between New England and the New York metro area. Home to a beautiful coastline, densely populated urban areas, as well as plenty of countryside, Connecticut is the fifth place I will talk about in The US Explained, a 56 part series on every state, territory, and federal district in the country, by order of admission.

Georgia - The US Explained

Georgia - It’s home to tall mountains and vast swamps. Farm after farm as well as one of the largest cities in the country. Long suffering some of the worst racism in the country, it played a central role in the Civil Rights Movement, and is today a center of Black art, music, and business. Georgia is a unique and fascinating state, and is the fourth place I will talk about in The US Explained, a 56 part series on every state, territory, and federal district in the country.

New Jersey - The US Explained

New Jersey. Despite being the fourth smallest state in the union, it is home to nearly 9 million people. While not having a single city whose city limits contain more than 300,000 people, it is the most densely populated state in the US, even more so than far smaller states like Rhode Island and Delaware. And with much of its land divided between two major urban areas, it still manages to contain some very sparsely populated regions. New Jersey, one of the most diverse states in the US, is the third place I will cover in this 56 part series on every state, territory, and federal district in the United States.

Pennsylvania - The US Explained

Pennsylvania, the second state to join the Union, has always played a major role in the United States, and continues to do so as one of the most populous states in the country. With enormous cities and spectacular natural areas, a major regional divide and interesting history, Pennsylvania is a fascinating state and will be the second place I will cover in this 56 part series on every state, territory, and federal district in the United States.