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State Flags And Other Useful Information
Click the State Name to go to the State Government Pages and Constitutions
Compiled by Bob Hardison
From Public Domain Sources on the Web
Site Navigation To Research Articles For In-Depth Study
| State Homepage | Admission | State Information |
|---|---|---|
| ALABAMA
|
Admitted December 14, 1819 Order - 22nd Seceded January 11, 1861 4th of 11 states Readmission June 25, 1868 3rd of 11 states |
Home of the Alibamon Indians of the Creek confederacy. First European Permanent Settlement: 1702;Territory by Act of March 3, 1817, effective Aug. 15, 1817; Capitol: Montgomery; National Representatives: 7 seats; Electoral Votes: 9 |
| ALASKA
|
Admitted January 3, 1959 Order - 49th | The Russians adopted the word meaning "great lands" or "land that is not an island" from the Aleutian word alakshak. First European Permanent Settlement: 1784; A district from Oct. 18, 1867, until it became an organized territory Aug. 24, 1912; Capitol: Juneau; Administrative Divisions: 23 Divisions; National Representatives: 1 seat; Electoral Votes: 3 |
| ARIZONA
|
Admitted February 14, 1912 Order - 48th |
The Spanish coined the name either from the Pima Indian word meaning "little spring" or from the Aztec arizuma, meaning "silver-bearing." First European Permanent Settlement: 1776; This region was sometimes called Arizona before 1863, although it was still in the Territory of New Mexico; Capitol: Phoenix; Administrative Divisions: 15 Counties; National Representatives: 5 seats; Electoral Votes: 7 |
| ARKANSAS
|
Admitted June 15, 1836 Order - 25th Seceded: May 6, 1861 9th of 11 States Readmission: June 22, 1868 2nd of 11 States |
Once the territory of the Siouan Quapaw down-stream people, Arkansas is the French derivative of this Indian name. The territory was larger than the state. After statehood the leftover area to the west had post offices that continued for some years to use an Arkansas abbreviation in the postmarks, although they were really in the "Indian Country." First European Permanent Settlement: 1686; Capitol: Little Rock; Administrative Divisions: 75 Counties; National Representatives: 4 seats; Electoral Votes: 6 |
| CALIFORNIA
|
Admitted September 9, 1850 Order - 31st; |
The name of a fictitious earthly paradise in Las Serged de Esplandian, a sixteenth-century Spanish romance. It is believed that Spanish conquistadors named this state.Ceded by Mexico by the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, concluded Feb. 2, 1848, and proclaimed July 4, 1848. From then until statehood, California had a military government until Dec. 20, 1849, and then a local civil government. It never had a territorial form of government.First European Permanent Settlement: 1769; Capitol: Sacramento; Administrative Divisions: 58 Counties; National Representatives: 45 Seats; Electoral Votes: 47 |
| COLORADO
|
Admitted August 1, 1876 Order - 38th |
A Spanish word for "red" the name Colorado first referred to the Colorado River. First European Permanent Settlement: 1858; Capitol: Denver; Administrative Divisions: 63 Counties; National Representatives: 6 seats; Electoral Votes: 8 |
| CONNECTICUT
|
Admitted January 9, 1788 5th of the 13 original States. |
The Algonquin and Mohican Indian word for "long river place." First European Permanent Settlement: 1634; Capitol: Hartford; Administrative Divisions: 8 Counties; National Representatives: 6 seats; Electoral Votes: 8 |
| DELAWARE
|
Admitted December 7, 1787 First of the 13 original States |
This version of the name of Lord De La Warr, a governor of Virginia, was first used to name the Delaware River and later adopted by the Europeans to rename the local Indians, originally called the Lenni-Lenape. First European Permanent Settlement: 1638; Capitol: Dover; Administrative Divisions: 3 Counties; National Representatives: 1 seat; Electoral Votes: 3 |
| FLORIDA
|
Admitted March 3, 1845 Order - 27th Seceded January 10, 1861 3rd of 11 states Readmission June 25, 1868 4th of 11 states |
In his search for the "Fountain of Youth," Ponce de Leon named this region "flowery Easter" or "feast of flowers" on Easter Sunday, 1513. First European Permanent Settlement: 1565; Capitol: Tallahassee; Administrative Divisions: 67 Counties; National Representatives: 19 seats; Electoral Votes: 21 |
| GEORGIA
|
Admitted January 2, 1788 4th of the 13 original States Seceded January 19, 1861 5th of 11 states Readmission June 25, 1868 5th of 11 states Readmitted a second time July 15, 1870 |
Named for King George II of England, who granted James Oglethorpe a charter to found the colony of Georgia in 1732. First European Permanent Settlement: 1733; Capitol: Atlanta; Administrative Divisions: 159 Counties; National Representatives: 10 seats; Electoral Votes: 12 |
| HAWAII
|
Admitted August 21, 1959 Order - 50th |
Commonly believed to be an English adaptation of the native word for "homeland," hawaiki or owhyhee. Hawaii was a peaceful independent kingdom, subjugated by coercion and subterfuge by foreign moneyed planting interests and the US Navy, which needed a mid-Pacific repair and coaling station, the illegality being still under protest by the native peoples. The territorial date Aug. 12, 1898 is that of the formal transfer to the United States, with Sanford B. Dole as first Governor. First European Permanent Settlement: 1820; Capitol: Honolulu; Administrative Divisions: 4 Counties; National Representatives: 2 seats; Electoral Votes: 4 |
| IDAHO
|
Admitted July 3, 1890 Order - 43rd |
A name coined by the state meaning "gem of the mountains" or "light on the mountains." Originally the name Idaho was to be used for the Pike's Peak mining territory in Colorado, and later for the mining territory of the Pacific Northwest. Others believe the name derives from the Kiowa Apache word for the Comanche. First European Permanent Settlement: 1842; Capitol: Boise; Administrative Divisions: 44 Counties; National Representatives: 2 seats; Electoral Votes: 4 |
| ILLINOIS
| Admitted December 3, 1818 Order - 21st |
From the French version of the Alonquin word meaning "men" or "soldiers" Illini. First European Permanent Settlement: 1720; Capitol: Springfield; Administrative Divisions: 102 Counties; National Representatives: 22 seats; Electoral Votes: 24 |
| INDIANA
|
Admitted December 11, 1816 Order - 19th |
"Land of the Indians" The name was coined in 1800 when Congress carved the new state of Ohio from the Northwest Territory, and designated the remaining area as the Indiana Territory. The territorial name was retained when Indiana became a state in 1816. First European Permanent Settlement: 1733; Capitol: Indianapolis; Administrative Divisions: 92 Counties; National Representatives: 10 seats; Electoral Votes: 12 |
| IOWA
|
Admitted December 28, 1846 Order - 29th |
The Sioux word for "one who puts to sleep" or "beautiful land." First European Permanent Settlement: 1788; Capitol: Des Moines; Administrative Divisions: 99 Counties; National Representatives: 6 seats; Electoral Votes: 8 |
| KANSAS
|
Admitted January 29, 1861 Order - 34th |
Derived from the Sioux word for those who lived south the "south wind people" of their territory, which was mainly Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. First European Permanent Settlement: 1727; Capitol: Topeka; Administrative Divisions: 105 Counties; National Representatives: 5 seats; Electoral Votes: 7 |
| KENTUCKY
| Admitted June 1, 1792 Order - 15th |
Originally the term for the Kentucky plains in Clark County, Kentucky is believed to derive from the Indian word meaning "dark and bloody ground", "meadow land," or "land of tomorrow." First European Permanent Settlement: 1774; Capitol: Frankfort; Administrative Divisions: 120 Counties; National Representatives: 7 seats; Electoral Votes: 9 |
| LOUISIANA
|
Admitted April 30, 1812 Order - 18th Seceded January 26, 1861 Readmission June 25, 1868 |
Present-day Louisiana is just a fraction of the territory that was named for the French King Louis XIV by Sieur de La Salle. First European Permanent Settlement: 1699; Capitol: Baton Rouge; Administrative Divisions: 64 Parishes; National Representatives: 8 seats; Electoral Votes: 10 |
| MAINE
| Admitted March 15, 1820 Order - 23rd |
Originally a French territory, Maine was the ancient French word for "province." It is also believed that it refers to the mainland, as distinct from the many islands off the state's coast. First European Permanent Settlement: 1624; Capitol: Augusta; Administrative Divisions: 16 Counties; National Representatives: 2 seats; Electoral Votes: 4 |
| MARYLAND
|
Admitted April 28, 1788 7th of the 13 original States |
Named for Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I of England. First European Permanent Settlement: 1634; Capitol: Annapolis 31,740. 1980 Pop; Administrative Divisions: 23 Counties; 1 Independent city; National Representatives: 8 seats; Electoral Votes: 10 |
| MASSACHUSETTS
|
AdmittedFebruary 6, 1788 6th of the 13 original States |
The name of the Indian tribe that lived near Milton, Massachusetts, meaning "large hill place." First European Permanent Settlement: 1620; Capitol: Boston; Administrative Divisions: 14 Counties; National Representatives: 11 seats; Electoral Votes: 13 |
| MICHIGAN
|
Admitted January 26, 1837 Order - 26th |
Believed to be from the Chippewa word micigama, meaning "great water," after Lake Michigan, although Alouet defined it in 1672 as designating a clearing. First European Permanent Settlement: 1668;Capitol: Lansing; Administrative Divisions: 83 Counties; National Representatives: 18 seats; Electoral Votes: 20 |
| MINNESOTA
|
Admitted May 11, 1858 Order - 32nd |
Named from the Sioux description of the Minnesota River, "sky-tinted water" or "muddy water." First European Permanent Settlement: 1805; Capitol: Saint Paul; Administrative Divisions: 87 Counties; National Representatives: 8 seats; Electoral Votes: 10 |
| MISSISSIPPI
| Admitted December 10, 1817 Order - 20th Seceded January 9, 1861 4th of 11 states Readmission February 23, 1870 10th of 11 states |
Most likely derived from the Chippewa words mici great and zibi river, it was first written by La Salle's lieutenant Henri de Tonti as "Michi Sepe." First European Permanent Settlement: 1699; Capitol: Jackson; Administrative Divisions: 82 Counties; National Representatives: 5 seats; Electoral Votes: 7 |
| MISSOURI
|
Admitted August 10, 1821 Order - 24th |
Meaning "muddy water," this state is named after an Algonquin Indian tribe. First European Permanent Settlement: 1735; Capitol: Jefferson City; Administrative Divisions: 114 Counties; 1 Independent city; National Representatives: 9 seats; Electoral Votes: 11 |
| MONTANA
|
Admitted November 8, 1889 Order - 41st |
Derived from the Latin word meaning "mountainous." First European Permanent Settlement: 1809; Capitol: Helena; Administrative Divisions: 56 Counties; National Representatives: 2 seats; Electoral Votes: 4 |
| NEBRASKA
|
Admitted March 1, 1867 Order - 37th |
Descriptive of the Platte River, Nebraska is from the Omaha or Otos Indian word for "broad water" or "flat river." First European Permanent Settlement: 1823; Capitol: Lincoln; Administrative Divisions: 93 Counties; National Representatives: 3 seats; Electoral Votes: 5 |
| NEVADA
|
Admitted October 31, 1864 Order - 36th |
Spanish word meaning "snow clad." First European Permanent Settlement: 1849; Capitol: Carson City; Administrative Divisions: 16 Counties; 1 Independent city; National Representatives: 2 seats; Electoral Votes: 4 |
| NEW HAMPSHIRE
|
Admitted June 21, 1788 9th of original 13 states |
Captain John Mason named this colony for his home county in England in 1629. First European Permanent Settlement: 1623; Capitol: Concord; Administrative Divisions: 10 Counties; National Representatives: 2 seats; Electoral Votes: 4 |
| NEW JERSEY
|
Admitted December 18, 1787 3rd of original 13 states |
Named after the Isle of Jersey in England by John Berkley and Sir George Carteret. First European Permanent Settlement: 1664; Capitol: Trenton; Administrative Divisions: 21 Counties; National Representatives: 14 seats; Electoral Votes: 16 |
| NEW MEXICO
|
Admitted January 6, 1912 Order - 47th |
Named by the Spanish for the territory north and west of the Rio Grande. First European Permanent Settlement: 1610; Capitol: Santa Fe; Administrative Divisions: 33 Counties; National Representatives: 3 seats; Electoral Votes: 5 |
| NEW YORK
|
Admitted July 26, 1788 11th of 13 original states |
Originally named New Netherland, New York was later named after the Duke of York and Albany, who received a patent to the region from his brother Charles II of England and captured it from the Dutch in 1644. First European Permanent Settlement: 1614; Capitol: Albany; Administrative Divisions: 62 Counties; National Representatives: 34 seats; Electoral Votes: 36 |
| NORTH CAROLINA
|
Admitted November 21, 1789 12th of original 13 states Seceded May 20, 1861 10th of 11 states Readmission June 25, 1868 7th of 11 states |
From the Latin name Carolus, meaning "Charles." The colony was originally given to Sir Robert Heath by Charles I and was to be called Province of Carolana. Carolana was divided into North and South Carolina in 1710. First European Permanent Settlement: 1660; Capitol: Raleigh; Administrative Divisions: 100 Counties; National Representatives: 11 seats; Electoral Votes: 13 |
| NORTH DAKOTA
|
Admitted November 2, 1889 Order - 39th |
From the Sioux word meaning "friend" or "ally." First European Permanent Settlement: 1812; Capitol: Bismark; Administrative Divisions: 53 Counties; National Representatives: 1 seat; Electoral Votes: 3 |
| OHIO
|
Recognized as a state March 1, 1803 Officially admitted to the Union August 7, 1953 by Act of Congress, Retroactive to March 1, 1803 Order - 17th |
From an Iroquois Indian word variously meaning "great," "fine," "good river." First European Permanent Settlement: 1788; Capitol: Columbus; Administrative Divisions: 88 Counties; National Representatives: 21 seats; Electoral Votes: 23 |
| OKLAHOMA
|
Admitted November 16, 1907 Order - 46th |
From the Choctaw Indian word meaning "red man," which was coined by the Reverend Allen Wright, a Choctaw-speaking Indian. First European Permanent Settlement: 1889; Capitol: Oklahoma City; Administrative Divisions: 77 Counties; National Representatives: 6 seats; Electoral Votes: 8 |
| OREGON
|
Admitted February 14, 1859 Order - 33rd |
Though its exact origin is unclear, one theory maintains that it may have been a variation on the name of the Wisconsin River, which was called Ouaricon-sint on a French map dated 1715. Later, the English explorer Major Robert Rogers named a river "called by the Indians Ouragon" in his request to seek a Northwest Passage from the Great Lakes. Another theory derives the word from the Algonquin wauregan, meaning "beautiful water." First European Permanent Settlement: 1811; Capitol: Salem; Administrative Divisions: 36 Counties; National Representatives: 5 seats; Electoral Votes: 7 |
| PENNSYLVANIA
|
Admitted December 12, 1787 2nd of 13 original states |
Named after the colony's founder, the Quaker William Penn. The literal translation is "Penn's woods." First European Permanent Settlement: 1682; Capitol: Harrisburg; Administrative Divisions: 67 Counties; National Representatives: 23 seats; Electoral Votes: 25 |
| RHODE ISLAND
|
Admitted May 29, 1790 13th of 13 original states |
Possibly named by Giovanni de Verrazano, who charted an island about the size of an island of the same name in the Mediterranean. Another theory suggests Rhode Island was named Roode Eylandt by Dutch explorer Adrian Block because of its red clay.First European Permanent Settlement: 1636; Capitol: Providence; Administrative Divisions: 5 Counties; National Representatives: 2 seats; Electoral Votes: 4 |
| SOUTH CAROLINA
|
Admitted May 23, 1788 8th of 13 original states Seceded December 20, 1860 1st of 11 states Readmission June 25, 1868 8th of 11 states |
From the Latin name Carolus, meaning "Charles." The colony was originally given to Sir Robert Heath by Charles I and was to be called Province of Carolana. Carolana was divided into North and South Carolina in 1710. First European Permanent Settlement: 1670; Capitol: Columbia; Administrative Divisions: 46 Counties; National Representatives: 6 seats; Electoral Votes: 8 |
| SOUTH DAKOTA
|
Admitted November 2, 1889 Order - 40th |
From the Sioux word meaning "friend" or "ally." First European Permanent Settlement: 1859; Capitol: Pierre; Administrative Divisions: 67 Counties; National Representatives: 1 seat; Electoral Votes: 3 |
| TENNESSEE
|
Admitted June 1, 1796 Order - 16th Seceded June 8, 1861 11th of 11 states Readmission July 24, 1866 1st of 11 states |
The state of Franklin, or Frankland, from 1784 to 1788, it was finally named after the Cherokee villages called Tanasi on the Little Tennessee River. First European Permanent Settlement: 1769; Capitol: Nashville; Administrative Divisions: 95 Counties; National Representatives: 9 seats; Electoral Votes: 11 |
| TEXAS
|
Admitted December 29, 1845 Order - 28th Seceded February 1, 1861 7th of 11 states Readmission March 30, 1870 11th of 11 states |
Also written texias, tejas, and teysas, Texas is a variation on the Caddo Indian word for "friend" or "ally." First European Permanent Settlement: 1682; Capitol: Austin; Administrative Divisions: 254 Counties; National Representatives: 27 seats; Electoral Votes: 29 |
| UTAH
|
Admitted January 4, 1896 Order - 45th |
Meaning "upper" or "higher," Utah is derived from a name used by the Navajos Utes to designate a Shoshone tribe. First European Permanent Settlement: 1847; Capitol: Salt Lake City; Administrative Divisions: 29 Counties; National Representatives: 3 seats; Electoral Votes: 5 |
| VERMONT
|
Admitted March 4, 1791 Order - 14th |
It is believed Samuel de Champlain coined the name from the French words vert green and mont mountain. Later, Dr. Thomas Young proposed this name when the state was formed in 1777. First European Permanent Settlement: 1724; Capitol: Montpelier; Administrative Divisions: 14 Counties; National Representatives: 1 seat; Electoral Votes: 3 |
| VIRGINIA
|
Admitted June 25, 1788 10th of 13 original states Seceded April 17, 1861 8th of 11 states Readmission January 26, 1870 9th of 11 states |
Named for the Virgin Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth I, by Sir Walter Raleigh, who first visited its shores in 1584. First European Permanent Settlement: 1607; Capitol: Richmond; Administrative Divisions: 95 Counties; 41 Independent cities; National Representatives: 10 seats; Electoral Votes: 12 |
| WASHINGTON
|
Admitted November 11, 1889 Order - 42nd |
Originally named the territory of Columbia, it was changed to Washington in honor of the first U.S. President because of the already existing District of Columbia. First European Permanent Settlement: 1811; Capitol: Olympia; Administrative Divisions: 39 Counties; National Representatives: 8 seats; Electoral Votes: 10 |
| WEST VIRGINIA
|
Admitted June 20, 1863 Order - 35th |
Named when this area refused to secede from the Union in 1863. First European Permanent Settlement: 1727; Capitol: Charleston; Administrative Divisions: 55 Counties; National Representatives: 4 seats; Electoral Votes: 6 |
| WISCONSIN
|
Admitted May 29, 1848 Order - 30th |
A Chippewa/Ojibwa word that was spelled Ouisconsin and Mesconsing by early explorers. Wisconsin was formally named by Congress when it became a state. First European Permanent Settlement: 1766; Capitol: Madison; Administrative Divisions: 72 Counties; National Representatives: 9 seats; Electoral Votes: 11 |
| WYOMING
|
Admitted July 10, 1890 Order - 44th |
The Algonquin word meaning "large prairie place," the name was adopted from Wyoming Valley, Pennsylvania, the site of an Indian massacre. It was widely known from Thomas Campbell's poem "Gertrude of Wyoming." First European Permanent Settlement: 1834; Capitol: Cheyenne; Administrative Divisions: 23 Counties; National Representatives: 1 seat; Electoral Votes: 3 |
