Is it Time to Rethink US State Names?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the idea of rethinking the names and borders of U.S. states, exploring historical naming inconsistencies and proposing various humorous and unconventional suggestions for state consolidation and renaming. The scope includes conceptual and theoretical considerations rather than practical proposals.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest merging states with directional names, such as North and South Dakota or North and South Carolina, into single entities.
  • There are proposals to combine Virginia and West Virginia, citing historical context.
  • One participant humorously suggests ceding New Mexico back to Mexico for naming consistency.
  • Another participant questions whether New York, New Jersey, and New Hampshire should be ceded back to England, extending the idea of renaming based on historical ties.
  • Suggestions include renaming Hawaii to "West Los Angeles" and ceding Alaska to Canada to fit a new logical map scheme.
  • Some participants propose a radical renaming scheme, suggesting states be numbered sequentially like streets.
  • There are humorous suggestions to eliminate smaller states like Maryland and Delaware or merge states with similar names or characteristics, such as Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa.
  • Participants share updated maps reflecting their proposed changes, including various territorial adjustments.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

The discussion features multiple competing views and humorous suggestions, with no consensus reached on any specific proposal. Participants engage in playful banter and explore a variety of ideas without settling on a definitive plan.

Contextual Notes

Participants express nostalgia and humor in their suggestions, which may not reflect serious political or geographical considerations. The discussion includes speculative ideas that rely on historical context and personal opinions.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in geography, U.S. history, or humorous takes on state names and borders may find this discussion engaging.

  • #31
I combined Janus' map and mine together, and made a few changes...

http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/1010/newus47rq.gif

Kentucky and Tennessee are fixed, made a slight adjustment to Louisiana so that it isn't so raggedly shaped, recentered some of the state names, and made a straight line boundary for Oregon and Idaho.

Northern Kentucky is still a problem. That river is making the United States awfully unaesthetic...
 
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  • #32
We can always change the river right?
 
  • #33
Of course if you really want to organise the US more logically(and ignore all natural borders), you need to redraw all the borders likes thus:
http://home.earthlink.net/~parvey/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/newus3.gif
 
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  • #34
Evo said:
But you can't do that to Texas. :cry:

Why not, What has Texas ever done for me?
 
  • #35
Janus said:
Of course if you really want to organise the US more logically(and ignore all natural borders), you need to redraw all the borders likes thus:
http://home.earthlink.net/~parvey/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/newus3.gif
:smile:[/URL] Oh dear, I just sprayed my computer.

Now that is a neatly ordered U S of A. I say we start a petition.
 
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  • #36
How about:

http://img481.imageshack.us/img481/7651/newus39ov.gif New States:
Arkianna
Tennetucky
Ohianna
Missouwa
 
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  • #37
Janus said:
Of course if you really want to organise the US more logically(and ignore all natural borders), you need to redraw all the borders likes thus:
http://home.earthlink.net/~parvey/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/newus3.gif
[/URL]

A simplified version of the above into several regions can easily be defined from it...

http://img476.imageshack.us/img476/9480/newus5simplified4iq.gif
 
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  • #38
One could combine Wisconsin and Michigan to Wichigan or Wisconsigan, or Wisconsin and Illinois to Willinois or Wisillnois. :biggrin:

Wyoming and Colorado = Wycolorado? Because. :biggrin: or just Wyorado.
Iowa and Missouri = Iowamo! or just Iomo :rolleyes:

Iowa + Missouri + Illinois = Iomil (sounds like infant formula or a laxative)

Colorado, Kansas or Missouri = Cokamo.

Idaho and Utah = Ida-ut or just Idut.

California + Nevada = Calivada or Calevornia.

California + Arizona = Carizona or Calizonia or Calzona! :rolleyes: :biggrin:

Lousiana + Mississippi + Alamaba = Lamisil :smile:
 
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  • #39
Ivan Seeking said:
...and like Hawaii is really a state... How about calling it...West Los Angeles?
Wouldn't that be wet Los Angeles?

motai said:
there is a slight problem with Alaska. It just doesn't fit in with the new logical map scheme... it should be ceded to Canada.
Don't you mean returned?

Janus said:
http://home.earthlink.net/~parvey/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/newus3.gif
[/URL]
That's just about right, but why not just continue the UT/AZ border across to slice CA/NV instead of doing it vertically? CA doesn't need that top part now that it has the islands.
 
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  • #40
Or turning Illinois, Missouri, and Iowa into a single state; as well as Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky; Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas; and Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama.

Ilmoia
Ohinky
Lamsar
Gatnal

:biggrin:

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/7476/newus69ev.gif
 
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  • #41
You could also circumsize Florida and ship the coasts to Puerto Rico.
 
  • #42
Danger said:
You could also circumsize Florida and ship the coasts to Puerto Rico.
LMAO!




motai said:
Or turning Illinois, Missouri, and Iowa into a single state; as well as Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky; Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas; and Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama.
Ilmoia
Ohinky
Lamsar
Gatnal
:biggrin:
http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/7476/newus69ev.gif
[/URL]


That was somewhat my original plan, but I thought that the states there were too big, and that maybe we would have to combine some others.
 
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  • #43
Astronuc said:
One could combine Wisconsin and Michigan to Wichigan or Wisconsigan, or Wisconsin and Illinois to Willinois or Wisillnois. :biggrin:
Wyoming and Colorado = Wycolorado? Because. :biggrin: or just Wyorado.
Iowa and Missouri = Iowamo! or just Iomo :rolleyes:
Iowa + Missouri + Illinois = Iomil (sounds like infant formula or a laxative)
Colorado, Kansas or Missouri = Cokamo.
Idaho and Utah = Ida-ut or just Idut.
California + Nevada = Calivada or Calevornia.
California + Arizona = Carizona or Calizonia or Calzona! :rolleyes: :biggrin:
Lousiana + Mississippi + Alamaba = Lamisil :smile:

Done... and did the same with other states as well.

Here is Astronuc's rendition (Similar thing done with the other states as well)...

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/7219/newus74hr.gif

States of the U.S. (in this particular version):

Washidaoregon
Montanakota
Minsconsin
Calzona
Utavada
Wyorado
Kamo
Texahomansas
Iomil
Ohinky
Lamisil
Paclva
Teoridga
Missouri
West L.A.
 
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  • #44
Let's just eliminate the East- West borders completely, then we can get

http://home.earthlink.net/~parvey/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/newus4.gif
 
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  • #45
Janus said:
Let's just eliminate the East- West borders completely, then we can get
http://home.earthlink.net/~parvey/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/newus4.gif
[/URL]

:smile: :smile: Thats great. That way each time zone will have two to three states each. Imagine the transportation network in each of the states, it'll be so screwed up :biggrin:.
 
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  • #46
Just think of the cost savings by eliminating all those state governments.

A few edits on Janus's last effort - Wanvorca to Wanavorca.

Utidaz to Utidoz or Utihoz.

Comtwy to Comonawona . . . :biggrin: (old Hawaiin joke) :rolleyes:

or Comontawyo

Danetxokks - Danesokataxes. :smile:

Wimsil or Wimisil - sounds like a Window cleaning product or a fiber product like Metamucil. :biggrin:

Mitohalflingaky :smile:

Pavcla to Pacalava or Paclava :-p :biggrin:
 
  • #47
motai said:
:smile: :smile: Thats great. That way each time zone will have two to three states each. Imagine the transportation network in each of the states, it'll be so screwed up :biggrin:.

Which leads us to our next step: Combine these states by Time Zone (with names to match) and at the same time straighten out those meandering time zone lines.

http://home.earthlink.net/~parvey/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/newus5.gif
 
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  • #48
Janus said:
Which leads us to our next step: Combine these states by Time Zone (with names to match) and at the same time straighten out those meandering time zone lines.
http://home.earthlink.net/~parvey/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/newus5.gif
[/URL]
I'm not sure the West L.A. works anymore. If I didn't think it was such a nice place for vacationing, I'd say just sink it.
 
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  • #49
If you guys decide not to ditch New York after all, I'd like to see New York state renamed New Yorkshire
 
  • #50
How about just rename the whole country Scotland and be done with it :-)
 
  • #51
motai said:
That creates yet another problem... then it wouldn't just be the "United States of America" but rather just "America." If we were to call it just America, then we'd have to include Latin America and South America as well. That, and Canada will have to join as well... something that some people in the US actually want to happen (manifests in the phrase "Canada is just an extension of the US") :bugeye:.
That and we'd have to create memorials and statues for Amerigo Vespucci, just to have it make sense :rolleyes:.
Did you know that "Amerigo" is the old Itallian version of "Henry"? Therefore we should all be living in "North Henrietta".
 
  • #52
Moonbear said:
I'm not sure the West L.A. works anymore. If I didn't think it was such a nice place for vacationing, I'd say just sink it.

Well, if we included it in the Time Zone naming scheme it would be called Hawaii, (as that is the name of its time zone ) and we would be right back where we started!
 
  • #53
Astronuc said:
Just think of the cost savings by eliminating all those state governments.

Those will probably be eaten up in the court battles over which of the existing state capitols will become the capital of the new combined state:rolleyes:
 
  • #54
I'm adding this to the "classics" thread.
 
  • #55
Well, we could fuse them all into one state named, "State," and then we'd just have to drop an s in the name of the country: United State of America. :biggrin:

Oh, let's just give Hawaii to New Zealand then. They're kind of a tiny country, and as long as they let us visit, I think we could do without it.
 
  • #56
Hey guys, while we're at it can Canada cede Alberta to you, in exchange for Alaska of course.
 
  • #57
Smurf said:
Hey guys, while we're at it can Canada cede Alberta to you, in exchange for Alaska of course.
Ooops, did we forget Alaska? :blushing:

So, does this mean that Canada is now part of the US? If you look at where Alaska is, to make things even, looks like we could go either way.
 
  • #58
Alberta would make our country look funny! how dare you propose such riddiculousness!

and anyway, shouldn't you get rid of quebec? they're trying to be their own country anyway aren't they? crazy french...
 
  • #59
Why would Canada be part of the US? You've been ceding territory to Canada this entire thread, now you want to annex all of it? :rolleyes:
 
  • #60
wait a second... i just realized I'm british now!
 

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