The US Explained

West Virginia is an anomaly. Given its own statehood long after any of its neighbors, indeed even after most of the West Coast, the Mountain State born in the fires of the Civil War had long existed in isolation from the rest of Virginia, indeed from anywhere else around it. Here lies some of the most beautiful scenery in the eastern half of the country, home to America’s newest national park. Scenic small towns, rivers spanned by covered bridges, sit at the foot of tree-covered mountains. To truly know America, you must know the mountain backbone that built it. This is The US Explained, Episode 36 - West Virginia.

Kansas is peaceful, rural, an epitome of the American Heartland, sitting in fact, at the exact center of the country’s Lower 48 states. Its most famous export, The Wizard of Oz, made its very name synonymous with familiarity, comfort, home. It's hard to believe that this was a state born in bloodshed, forged in fire, its very creation deemed a dress rehearsal for the Civil War. This was frontier country, the Wild West. From the badlands of the west to the cities of the east, and the never-ending prairies that lie between, this is the US Explained, episode 35 - Kansas.

Within the massive borders of this West Coast state, sit one major city and several smaller ones, towered over by the lonesome, snowcapped peaks of the Cascades. Here too are a remarkably rural coast, thundering waterfalls, lush forests of the Pacific Northwest home to rich logging country, and one of the most sparsely populated places in the nation, a vast high desert of salt pans, ranchland, and the deepest canyon in the country. This is The US Explained, Episode 34 - Oregon.

At the beginning of the journey of one of the world’s greatest rivers, sits Minnesota. In the country’s icy north, it’s charted an impressive journey of its own, today consistently ranking among the most livable states in the nation. A land of lakes great and small, of farms and forests, prairies and ports, here sit massive mines essential to the industrialization of America, the leafy neighborhoods of two major cities side-by-side, open rows of cornfields, and thousands of tranquil interlocking lakes you can explore by canoe. This is the US Explained, Episode 33 - Minnesota.

The most populous state by far in the nation. One of the largest economies on the planet. Home to an incredibly diversity of both cultures and regions, some of the largest cities in the country, and more national parks than any other state. California is iconic and influential, a place dreamed about, sought out for centuries. Its is an incredible American story. The California episode is out in two parts. The first is already live. I recommend you give it a listen first. I hope you enjoy the story of my home state. This is the US Explained - Episode 32, Part 1 - California.

The most populous state by far in the nation. One of the largest economies on the planet. Home to an incredibly diversity of both cultures and regions, some of the largest cities in the country, and more national parks than any other state. California is iconic and influential, a place dreamed about, sought out for centuries. Its is an incredible American story. The California episode will be released in two parts. The next is already written and will be live within the next few days. I hope you enjoy the story of my home state. This is the US Explained - Episode 32, Part 1 - California.

Wisconsin feels different. America’s Dairyland is, of course, part of the agricultural Midwest, but in this tree-covered state, lake houses and woodland cabins abound. Here are mining and manufacturing towns, major cities and sparsely populated wilderness alike. In a state largely skipped over by the glaciers, sharp hills, gullies and ravines look more Appalachian than Midwestern. This is a state of scenic natural beauty, an industrial giant critical to creating the America we know, and a key player in the country today. Join me for Episode 31 of the US Explained - Wisconsin.

In the heart of America, between the country’s two greatest rivers, stretches a vast expanse of flat farmland and picturesque rolling hills. This is a land of small towns and small cities, yet one key to feeding and fueling the United States. A humble, rural state, often overlooked, yet it picks presidents. Iowa is, in a sense, quintessential Middle America - to experience it is to understand what America imagines itself to be. So come with me to the heart of the Heartland, and let’s explore a place outsiders often forget, overlook, yet one quite deserving of our attention. This is Episode 30 - Iowa.

Where the American South meets the American West, this is a land of cattle ranchers, cowboys, and oilmen, of Cajuns, of border towns where Spanish has been spoken long before this place was ever called Texas, of wide-open starlit skies and of skyscraper-studded cities where people have come from across the country and the world seeking the opportunity that it promises. An independent country that chose to join the United States, Texans retain their strong sense of identity and pride that has made their state, and its distinct regional culture, iconic across the globe. This is that story. Episode 29 - Texas.

Florida - It's a land of swamps and islands, beautiful yet for much of its history remote, a backwater jutting into the Gulf of Mexico. Today though, it's the third most populous state in the country, a global tourist destination, a diverse meeting point of cultures from across the hemisphere, and a state that year after year, decade after decade, has been one of the fastest growing places in America, a place whose name is known the world over. This is its story. Episode 28 - Florida.

Michigan - mountains and mines, wild forests, islands, and lakes sit together with one of the largest cities in the country, a heavily urbanized hive of industry home to millions of people. This is a fascinating state - one that tells the story of America - both its failures and its promise. I hope you'll join me to hear it. Episode 27 - Michigan.

Here in Arkansas the swamps and bayous of the fertile Mississippi Delta meet the country’s largest cluster of mountains between the Rockies and Appalachians. A mostly rural state, it’s home to a number of small cities, some of which have become economically vibrant boomtowns. The Natural State is an all too often overlooked corner of the country, packing a beautiful landscape, important history, kind people, and some really fascinating cities and towns into the Lower 48’s smallest state completely west of the Mississippi. This is Episode 26 - Arkansas

Missouri sits in the middle. For the last forty years, it’s been the average center of the country’s population, and today, more than any other, it can claim to be the state where the north meets the south, and the east meets the west. Roughly halfway between the Rockies and the Appalachians, the Canadian border and the Gulf of Mexico, home to flat expanses of farmland, the forested mountains, hills, and cliffs of the Ozarks, and two major American cities, this is Episode 25 - Missouri.

Maine - The state at the northeastern tip of the United States is an outlier. In the heavily urbanized East Coast, it’s predominantly rural. It takes up half of New England’s land area yet has one of the smallest populations in the country, much of it wilderness that’s far removed from any city or town. Thousands of moose roam wild in the forests that surround beautiful mountains and lakes, while the small fishing villages that line an island-filled coast look like they’ve barely changed since as the decades have gone by. It’s home to one of the only national parks in the eastern US, borders more Canadian provinces than US states, and has the country’s second highest proportion of French speakers after just Louisiana, most of whom live in remote towns along the border. With a strong maritime tradition, a beautiful landscape, and an interesting culture, this is Episode 24 - Maine.

The story of Alabama is in large part the story of America, one that has much to be proud of, with progress and innovation, kind people and a strong regional culture, yet at the same time one that has also been marked by violence, prejudice, poverty, and conflict. Above all it’s a story that is essential to understand. Home to forests and farmland, mountains and beaches, small towns and a number of different cities, this is Episode 23 - Alabama.

The river winds through a canyon, at times more than a thousand feet from top to bottom. But unlike the canyons of the west, its walls are made not of earth and rock, but of glass and steel, a man made wonder showcasing some of the most famous buildings in the world, the birthplace of the skyscraper itself. It’s a town that, sitting in one of the most strategically-placed locations in the country, rose from actual ashes to become among the largest and most iconic cities in the world, an essential conduit for global commerce, transportation, and culture, a classic American metropolis that today is the largest US city in the country’s interior. But Illinois is far from just Chicago. It’s home to vast stretches of productive farmland, wide and mighty rivers, and unglaciated pockets of hills and forests. Numerous other smaller cities help make it one of the populous states in the country. While mostly in the Midwest, Illinois is a large state, and its southern tip is culturally more a part of the South. Regionally and culturally diverse, and home to a huge population, Illinois has long played a leading role in the history, society, and culture of the United States. This is Episode 22 - Illinois.

Famed author William Faulkner said of his home state, “to understand the world, you must first understand a place like Mississippi.” As I take you on this journey through every part of the United States, it would be a mistake to ignore the story of the Magnolia State. The challenges it deals with, such as high poverty, low development and quality of life, and an economy that’s struggled to diversify have brought severe economic difficulties to a state with among the worst histories of racism in the United States. In pretty much any statistic generally related to quality of life in a state, Mississippi typically ranks at or near either the bottom or the top, whichever would be worse in that particular instance. Because of this, it’s a state that’s often looked down upon by outsiders. I don’t want to fall into that trap. In this video, like all my videos in this series, I’ll try to present a fair and non judgemental view of the state, sharing the aspects of Mississippi that make it a unique and special place while still not shying away from a frank discussion of the challenges it deals with. After all, Mississippi has a lot to offer - from friendly people, great music, and delicious food, to beautiful beaches on the Gulf Coast, vast pine and oak forests, and the wide and muddy lower reaches of its namesake, one of the largest and most important rivers in the world. This is Episode 21 - Mississippi.

It’s spanned by vast fields of corn and soybeans, making it one of the most agriculturally productive states in the country. Stunning sand dunes, one of the only national parks in the Midwest, stand hundreds of feet tall over the shore of Lake Michigan, and beautiful forests, hills, and river valleys cover much of the state’s southern half. A former industrial powerhouse, whose limestone and steel built some of the country’s most famous buildings, it's home to a major city, a number of smaller ones, as well as the suburbs of one of the largest metropolises in the world. This is Episode 20 - Indiana.

Among the swamps and bayous, marshes and forests, that sit at the mouth of one of the largest river systems on earth, sits a state unlike any other. It’s a cultural melting pot, sitting in the Deep South, home to one of the largest Black populations in the country, and more culturally connected to and shaped by France than any other state in the US. Its culture, history, geography, and society is vastly different from anywhere else in the country, and a world away from even its neighbors, it occupies an outsized role in the American imagination. This is Episode 19 - Louisiana.

Ohio. It sits between the Great Lakes and the Ohio Valley, where the Midwest, with its flat expanses of farmland meets Appalachia, home to rolling hills, forests, and valleys. One of the largest Amish populations in the country sits in a state famed for its industrial prowess, manufacturing, and business. Major cities sit not far from farms, forests, lakes, and islands. It's home to a huge population and has played an important role in the US throughout history and today. This is Episode 18 - Ohio.

Tennessee. There, black bears roam in the high peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains, paddle wheel steamboats chug up the wide, muddy, winding Mississippi, and in between sit small southern towns and a number of major cities, some growing incredibly quickly, that have had a major influence on American music. It's home to beautiful natural scenery, exciting cities, and played an important role in the country’s history. This is Episode 17 - Tennessee.

It’s part Appalachian, part Southern, and has Midwestern influences. Farms and pastures where some of the world’s top racehorses are trained sit in the same state as bustling port cities on the Ohio River and Appalachian coal mining towns that are among the most impoverished parts of the country. It’s the birthplace of bluegrass and bourbon, and stretches for hundreds of miles from the mountains to the Mississippi. This is Episode 16 - Kentucky

It’s one of the most rural and least populated parts of the country. Covered in forests and mountains, filled with lakes and islands, Vermont is renowned for its scenery and splendor. It’s a land of small farms and towns, tucked into tiny valleys and along the shores of Lake Champlain, a place where covered bridges cross small creeks and rivers, and syrup is harvested from maple trees. Its history, politics, and culture stand out starkly from much of the US and it’s one of just a few states to have been an independent country before joining the union. This is Episode 15 - Vermont.

Within this small chunk of the United States, a piece of land that could fit inside Rhode Island 17 times over, live nearly 700,000 people, more than the entire populations of Vermont or Wyoming. The history of the country has been shaped inside its halls and buildings, and on its streets and parks, and from this tiny district, decisions have been made that have impacted people across the globe. This is Episode 14 - DC.

If there’s one thing you know about Rhode Island, it’s probably that it is very, very small. In fact, 622 different counties, nearly one fifth of all the counties in the United States, take up more land than Rhode Island. The state at its length is 48 miles. That’s barely more than the average American commute to work. Despite this, the state packs a large punch. It’s the second most densely populated state in the country, has hundreds of miles of coastline, and is home to more people than seven other states, including Alaska, a state with an area 400 times the size of it. Revolving around the 39th largest urban area in the country, which takes up nearly half of its land area, it’s one the closest things the US has, other than the District of Columbia, to a city-state. And on top of that all, it’s played a crucial role in the formation and history of the United States. This is Episode 13 - Rhode Island.

It’s hard to characterize North Carolina. It’s a southern state, home to regional barbecue sauces, a bluegrass and country blues tradition, and the NASCAR Hall of Fame. At the same time, it contains vast regional differences, stretching from the mountains in the west to the swamps and islands in the east, with millions of people living in between. It’s home to beautiful scenery, a diverse population, and is a center of banking, education and research that brings in people from around the country and the world. With its spectacular geography, important history and culture, and the major role it plays in the modern United States, this is Episode 12 - North Carolina.

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. 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

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 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.

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.

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. 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 - 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. 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 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.

Delaware. It’s the second smallest state in the US, the 6th most densely populated, and was the first to ratify the US Constitution. Though small, Delaware is a fascinating state, and will be the first place I will cover in this 56 part series on every state, territory, and federal district in the United States.

Carter, Quinn, and Brett bring on Kyle, the host of YouTube's Geography King, to talk geography, road tripping, and his channel.