If you got to draw the map of the USA

[2952-0-0]

what would you do?

Personally, I would:

merge the two Dakotas
force WV into VA
give Puerto Rico statehood
expand Hawaii into all the US territories in the North Pacific (Midway, Guam, Micronesia)
give American Samoa statehood

[ilikeverin]

We've had a bazillion threads on this... somewhere...

[Bugs]

I wouldn't merge any states, but I would divide some.  If California, Texas and possibly New York were made into two states each, dividing the population relatively equally, they couldn't dominate the electoral college as much.  Having California vote for the loser as they did in 2000 is rare indeed. 

[zachman]

Merge the Northern Rocky states into Montaminghokota Territory.

[A18]

Merge the Northeast into "New Canada"

[YRABNNRM]

Merge the Northeast into "New Canada"

Oh please.

[Tory]

Divide Texas into three states: East, South and West, and the North.

Cut California in NoCal and SoCal.

Merge Oregon and Washington

Merge Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.

Merge the Dakotas

Merge Delaware and Maryland

Merge West Virginia and Kentucky

Cut Louisiana in two, with a north and south.

Merge Vermont into New York

[Siege40]

As a Canadian we keep things relatively small. 13 Provinces or Territories. The U.S should have... about 20. Impractical but I hate having to try and remember 50 capitals.

So does Canada get New Canada?

Siege

[A18]

New Canada is to Canada as New Mexico is to Mexico

But feel free to take them.

[YRABNNRM]

Just for fun...



Sorry for slow loading.

[ilikeverin]

Merge Indiana, Michigan, and Minnesota, rename it to 'The Best State', and proclaim the capitol to be Fort Wayne.

Also, combine Wyoming, Utah, and Idaho, and put the name (and name of capitol) up for bid for corporations.

[badnarikin04]

Just for fun...



Sorry for slow loading.

No offense, but that map is ugly.

The sight of it pains me for some straange reason.

[YRABNNRM]

Just for fun...



Sorry for slow loading.

No offense, but that map is ugly.

The sight of it pains me for some straange reason.

I said it was just for fun...

[Alcon]

Merge Oregon and Washington

Argh, no! Western Oregon and western Washington, maybe...but otherwise NO.

[Bono]

Merge Oregon and Washington

Argh, no! Western Oregon and western Washington, maybe...but otherwise NO.

Would that also merge eastern Oregon and Eastern Washington?

[Bono]

Merge Indiana, Michigan, and Minnesota, rename it to 'The Best State', and proclaim the capitol to be Fort Wayne.

Would Gary be kicked out?

[Platypus]

New England

Merge VT, NH and Maine. (-2)
Keep Massachusetts the same. (=0)
Merge RI and Connecticut. (-1)
Split NY into Upstate NY (name it Niagara, maybe?) and Long Island/NYC/the south of the state (keep it as New York). (+1)
Keep NJ the same. (=0)

Total -2 states

Midatlantic and South

Split Pensylvania, all but bottom southeast corner staying as Pennsylvania, lower southeast corner forming a new state (maybe...Liberty?). (+1)
Merge Maryland and Delaware, and make DC subject to Maryland state laws, but still otherwise autonomous (-1)
Keep Virginia the same. (=0)
Keep West Virginia the same (=0)
Cut the western third of North Carolina off, and the eastern thrird of Tennessee of, and create Jefferson. (+1)
Keep Georgia the same. (=0)
Split Florida from just south of Orlando in a diagonal to just north of Tampa. (+1)
Keep Alabama the same. (=0)
Merge Mississippi with the remainder of Tennessee. (-1)
Keep Louisiana the same. (=0)
Keep Arkansas the same. (=0)

Total +1

Midwest

Split Missouri into two, following the river about a 1/5th of the state deep, leaving the non-river part as an independent state called...?, and merging the remaining area with southern Illinois, calling the new state Missouri, and leaving the rest of Illinois as Illinois. (+1)
Keep Indiana the same. (=0)
Merge Kentucky with the southwestern corner of Ohio. (=0)
Split the rest of Ohio into two, loosely based on a southwest-northeast line. (+1)
Keep Michgian the same, but move the peninsular to Wisconsin, which will otherwise be kept the same (=0)
Keep Iowa the same. (=0)
Keep Minnesota the same. (=0)

Total +2

Plains, Coasts and Mountains

Merge the Dakotas. (-1)
Cut of Nebraska's west and give it to Wyming, merge the remainder of Nebraska with Kansas (-1).
Keep Oklahoma the same. (=0)
split Texas into three; ome, the north above the bottom bit of NM excluding that little bit that touches the border, one based on th far east of the state incorporatring Houston, Dallas, Forth Worth etc,., and one with the remainder, primarily the southwest and center. (+2)
Merge New Mexico and Eastern Arizona. (-1)
Keep Colorado the same. (=0)
Merge Wyoming with it's new bit of Nebraska, and Western Montana (in a direct line with its current western border). (=0)
Merge the remainder of Montana with Idaho. (-1)
Merge Western Arizona with southern Nevada and the southernmost 1/6th of California. (=0)
Merge the rest of Nevada with Utah. (-1)
Split the remainder of California into two; the northern half and the 'middle' 2/6ths (+1)
Keep Oregon the same. (=0)
Keep Washinton the same. (=0)
Keep Alaska the same. (=0)
Kee Hawaii the same. (=0)

Total -2

Other

Give Puerto Rico statehood (+1)

Grand Total=50 states+DC

[2952-0-0]

I would also give FL the Virgin Islands.

[ilikeverin]

Merge Indiana, Michigan, and Minnesota, rename it to 'The Best State', and proclaim the capitol to be Fort Wayne.

Would Gary be kicked out?

Oh yes, I forgot about that.  Yes.  Gary is added to Illinois.  Detroit stays in 'The Best State', though

[muon2]

For completeness on this thread, I'll link to my effort from another thread earlier this year.

[Tory]

Just for fun...



Sorry for slow loading.

That map looks a lot like the one I made. I didn't post mine though.

[Alcon]

Merge Oregon and Washington

Argh, no! Western Oregon and western Washington, maybe...but otherwise NO.

Would that also merge eastern Oregon and Eastern Washington?

No. They would sink into what I would name "Lake Alcon is the Coolest Person Ever."

[muon2]

The problem I have with that map, muon's that is.  It doesn't accurately depict the views of Eastern Idahoans, and Western Wyomingites, parts of Nevada, Colorado, and Arizona.  If you were to split them all off into ideologies, certain areas of those states would be incorporated into Utah.

As far as I can tell, I would agree with the rest of that map.  Especially I liked the part in merging eastern Oregon and Washington with Idaho, because they are very much alike.

I appreciate your comments. I will freely admit that other than a week in Boise two years ago, and some colleagues from Idaho Falls, I have had little personal contact with ID. In my map I avoided an unnecessary split of states. UT was difficult, because it remained under my 2.5 M population threshold (but not by 2010), but i didn't have a clear guide as to what counties should be attached to UT from AZ, NV, ID or WY. I'm open to suggestions.

[muon2]

Thanks for the ideas, Ill try to incorporate them.  However, your split leaves Clark and Fremont counties isolated from the rest. I'd guess that if they are more like the bordering area in MT and Yellowstone, WY, so I'll put them there.

Boise was very nice in August, but I didn't see much outside the city. Most of my time was near the State University, but I did take a day to see the Capitol, which was refreshing. It is one of the few Caputols I've been that really seemed to understand that it was the people's building.

[muon2]

Second question on your selection of counties: Is Twin Falls really part of North Utah? I wouldn't have guessed it, but I'll rely on your local expertise.