From Alaska to Florida, can you identify US state capitals, landmarks, and geography facts? This US States quiz covers all regions and tests knowledge that goes beyond just naming the states. Great for students studying for tests or anyone who loves American geography trivia.
Q: Why is Albany the capital of New York, not NYC?
A: Albany was already an established colonial city when New York State needed a capital.
Albany was granted a charter in 1686 and became the state capital in 1797. New York City served as the first US capital but was never the New York State capital.
Q: When did Hawaii become a US state?
A: August 21, 1959.
Hawaii was the 50th state. Before statehood it was a US territory. Alaska became the 49th state earlier the same year on January 3, 1959.
Q: Why is Alaska the largest state even though it seems far from the mainland?
A: Alaska was purchased from Russia in 1867 and is geographically enormous.
At 663,268 sq miles, Alaska is more than twice the size of Texas. The US purchased it for $7.2 million — about 2 cents per acre.
The five largest US states by area are: 1. Alaska, 2. Texas, 3. California, 4. Montana, 5. New Mexico.
California is the most populous US state with about 39 million residents.
Rhode Island is the smallest US state by area, though Delaware is sometimes considered the first state (it was the first to ratify the Constitution).
Austin is the capital of Texas, not Dallas or Houston.
There are 50 states in the United States of America.