We talked about the size of Maine in terms of area, but not too much yet about its population. Maine 2020’s population of 1,360,000 is small but not tiny — it ranks 42nd, so eight states have fewer people. Yet, to give you an idea of that size, consider that…

The One Minute Geographer is starting a series, now and then, about important LINES in American geography. Followers will recall the Magical Meridian about the 100-degree longitude line and the 20-inch rainfall line associated with it. There’s a lot more. Today, lets look at the Fall Line that runs through…

The One Minute Geographer: Africa: Closer Than You Think What part of the United States is closest to Africa? Probably Florida? Maybe Cape Hatteras in North Carolina? No it’s Maine. Really? Yes, West Quoddy Head in Lubec, Maine, which is the easternmost point of the contiguous United States. And the…

The map above shows Portugal in its correct size and latitude overlaid on the Mid-Atlantic region. If you flew due east from Washington DC, you’d arrive near Lisbon. Portugal’s area of 35,600 square miles is about the size of Maine or Indiana. Portugal’s population of 10.2 million people is close…

1) A Huge State Alaska is about one-fifth the size of the continental USA — it’s two-and-a-half times the size of Texas. The dimensions of the state are immense when overlaid on the lower 48. As you can see on the map, northern Alaska would be in Minnesota; Ketchikan, near…

You’ve heard about the almost 1.8 billion-dollar Powerball jackpot won in October 2023. Were you the winner? I didn’t think so. Wasn’t me either. But I had a ticket. Last August (2023) someone in Florida won 1.6 billion dollars in Mega Millions.In November of 2022 someone in California won $2…

(This post listing all of Wyoming’s Top Ten replaces the two previous posts each listing 5.) We’ll start with Wyoming. The next time you travel, if you sit next to someone on a plane from Wyoming you’ll be ready! (LOL do people actually talk to strangers on planes anymore? Everyone…

We are continuing our post about the Top Ten most significant geographical facts about the state of Wyoming. (There’s a link at bottom to to the first 5 if you missed it.) 6. A Lack of Diversity Wyoming has a predominantly white population — 92%. As you can see from…

To Friends and Followers of The One Minute Geographer: I’m starting a new series about the Top Ten most significant geographical facts about each of the fifty states. (My opinion.) I’m a retired geography professor, so we won’t get into any silliness about state dogs and state drinks! I’ll structure…