How many states are there in the United States of America?

They made fun of Obama for referring to 57 states in the presidential primaries of 2008, but the reason he came up with that number is that there are 57 states that send delegates to the Democratic National Convention.

What's more, the US Postal Service thinks there are more than 57 states. Just check their website and you'll find the abbreviations for all 59 states.

Of course, if you subtract the four self-styled Commonwealths from the fifty so-called states, that gives us 46.

The Pennsylvania constitution refers to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, but it establishes the elective office of state treasurer. Maybe Pennsylvania is a a semi-state?

I figure we need to pull in the experts on this one. Can anyone find me a phone number for the chairman of the Department of Geography at Pennsylvania Commonwealth University?

(Anyone complaining about this post is invited to send a copy of their complaint to the US Naval Observatory, official keeper of the nation's time. When you take away an hour of sleep in winter and don't let people catch up until late in the year, this is what you get.

Other Bloggers On Related Topics:
57 states - Commonwealth - Daylight Savings Time - Naval Observatory