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George Brown offers SEO Expert guest speaking in:

Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States of America. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida
and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland waterways.
The state ranks 23rd in population with almost 4.6 million residents in 2006.

From the American Civil War until World War II, Alabama, like many Southern states, suffered economic hardship, in part because of continued dependence on
agriculture. Despite the growth of major industries and urban centers, white rural interests dominated the state legislature until the 1960s, while urban
interests and African Americans were under-represented. Following World War II, Alabama experienced growth as the economy of the state transitioned from
agriculture to diversified interests in heavy manufacturing, mineral extraction, education, and technology. In addition, the establishment or expansion of
multiple military installations, primarily those of the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force, added to state jobs.

George Brown SEO | Search Engine Optimization guest speaker and expert in Alaska 

Alaska is the largest state of the United States by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the
east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait. Approximately half of
Alaska’s 698,473 residents live within the Anchorage metropolitan area. As of 2009, Alaska remains the least densely populated state of the U.S.

The U.S. Senate approved the purchase of Alaska from the Russian Empire on March 30, 1867, for $7.2 million at about two cents per acre ($4.74/km²). The land went through several administrative changes before becoming an organized territory on May 11, 1912, and the 49th state of the U.S. on January 3, 1959.

George Brown SEO | Search Engine Optimization guest speaker and expert in Arizona 

Arizona is a state of the United States of America located in the southwestern region of the United States. The capital and largest city is Phoenix. The second largest city is Tucson, followed in size by the eight Phoenix metropolitan area cities of Mesa, Glendale, Chandler, Scottsdale, Gilbert, Tempe, Peoria, Surprise and then by Yuma in Yuma County.
 

Arizona is the 48th state and last of the contiguous states admitted to the Union, achieving statehood on February 14, 1912 – the 50th anniversary of Arizona’s recognition as a territory of the United States. Arizona is noted for its desert climate, exceptionally hot summers, and mild winters, however it also features pine forests and mountain ranges in the northern high country, with cooler weather than in the lower deserts.

Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquin name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares a border with
six states, with its eastern border largely defined by the Mississippi River. diverse geography ranges from the mountainous regions of the Ozarks and the
Ouachita Mountains, which make up the U.S. Interior Highlands, to the eastern lowlands along the Mississippi River. The capital and most populous city is
Little Rock, located in the central portion of the state.

California is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by land area, after Alaska and Texas; it is also the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil. California is located on the West Coast of the United States, bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the northeast, Arizona to the southeast, the Mexican state of Baja California to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Its four largest cities are Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, and San Francisco. The state is home to the nation’s second and sixth largest census statistical areas as well as eight of the nation’s fifty most populous cities. California has a varied climate and geography, and a diverse population.

California’s geography ranges from the Pacific coast to the Sierra Nevada mountain range in the east, to Mojave desert areas in the southeast and the
Redwood–Douglas fir forests of the northwest. The center of the state is dominated by the Central Valley, one of the most productive agricultural areas
in the world. California is the most geographically diverse state in the nation, and contains the highest (Mount Whitney) and lowest (Death Valley) points in the
contiguous United States. Almost 40% of California is forested, a high amount for a relatively arid state.

Beginning in the late 18th century, the area known as Alta California was colonized by the Spanish Empire. In 1821, Mexico, including Alta California, became the First Mexican Empire, beginning as a monarchy, before shifting to a republic. In 1846 a group of American settlers in Sonoma declared the independence of a California Republic. As a result of the Mexican-American War, Mexico ceded California to the United States. It became the 31st state admitted to the union on September 9, 1850.

Colorado is a state that encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains. Colorado is part of the Mountain States, the Western United States, and the Southwestern United States. The High Plains of eastern Colorado may be considered part of the Midwestern United States.

Colorado is nicknamed the “Centennial State” because it was admitted to the Union as the 38th state in 1876, the centennial year of the United States Declaration of Independence. Colorado is bordered on the north by Wyoming and Nebraska, on the east by Nebraska and Kansas, on the south by Oklahoma and New Mexico, and on the west by Utah. The four states of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah meet at one common point known as the Four Corners. Colorado is one of only three U.S. states with no natural borders, the others being neighboring Wyoming and Utah.

The Connecticut River is the largest river in New England, flowing south from
the Connecticut Lakes in northern New Hampshire, along the border between New
Hampshire and Vermont, through western Massachusetts and central Connecticut
discharging into Long Island Sound at Old Saybrook and Old Lyme, Connecticut. It
has a total length of 407 miles (655 km), and a drainage basin extending over
11,250 square miles (29,100 km2). The mean freshwater discharge into Long Island
Sound is 19,600 cubic feet (560 m3) per second.

The river is tidal up to Windsor Locks, Connecticut, approximately 60 miles (97
km) from the mouth. The source of the river is the Fourth Connecticut Lake in
New Hampshire. Some tributaries include the Ashuelot, West, Miller’s, Deerfield,
White, and Chicopee rivers. The Swift River, a tributary of the Chicopee, has
been dammed and largely replaced by the Quabbin Reservoir which provides water
to Boston.

The river carries a heavy amount of silt, especially during the spring snow
melt, from as far north as Quebec. The heavy silt concentration of the river
forms a large sandbar near its mouth on Long Island Sound and has historically
provided a formidable obstacle to navigation. The difficulty of navigation on
the river is the primary reason that it is one of the few large rivers in the
region without a major city near its mouth. The Connecticut River estuary and
tidal wetlands complex is listed as one of the 1,759 wetlands of international
importance under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. 

George Brown SEO | Search Engine Optimization
guest speaker and expert in Delaware 

The State of Delaware is located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic
region of the United States. The state takes its name from Thomas West, 3rd
Baron De La Warr, a British nobleman and Virginia’s first colonial governor,
after whom (what is now called) Cape Henlopen was originally named.

Delaware is located in the northeastern portion of the Delmarva Peninsula and is
the second smallest state in area (after Rhode Island). Estimates in 2007 rank
the population of Delaware as 45th in the nation, but 6th in population density,
with more than 60% of the population in New Castle County. Delaware is divided
into three counties. From north to south, these three counties are New Castle,
Kent, and Sussex. While the southern two counties have historically been
predominantly agricultural, New Castle County has been more industrialized.

The state ranks second in civilian scientists and engineers as a percentage of
the workforce and number of patents issued to companies or individuals per 1,000
workers. The history of the state’s economic and industrial development is
closely tied to the impact of the Du Pont family, founders and scions of E. I.
du Pont de Nemours and Company, one of the world’s largest chemical companies.

Before its coastline was first explored by Europeans in the 16th century,
Delaware was inhabited by several groups of Native Americans, including the
Lenape in the north and Nanticoke in the south. It was initially colonized by
Dutch traders at Zwaanendael, located near the present town of Lewes, in 1631.
Delaware was one of the thirteen colonies participating in the American
Revolution and on December 7, 1787, became the first state to ratify the
Constitution of the United States, therefore becoming known as The First State. 

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guest speaker and expert in Florida 

The state of Florida is located in the southeastern region of the United
States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the
27th state admitted to the United States. Much of the land mass of the state is
a large peninsula with the Gulf of Mexico to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean to
the east.

It is nicknamed the “Sunshine State” because of its generally warm
climate—subtropical in the northern and central regions of the state, with a
true tropical climate in the southern portion. The state has four large urban
areas, a number of smaller industrial cities, and many small towns. The United
States Census Bureau estimates that the state population was 18,328,340 in 2008,
ranking Florida as the fourth most populous state in the U.S. Tallahassee is the
state capital, Jacksonville is the largest city, and the Miami metropolitan area
is the largest metropolitan area. 

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guest speaker and expert in Georgia 

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. Georgia was
established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. Georgia was the
fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788. It
declared its secession from the Union on January 21, 1861, and was one of the
original seven Confederate states. It was the last state to be restored to the
Union, on July 15, 1870. With an estimated 9,829,211 residents as of July 1,
2009, Georgia is the ninth most populous state. From 2007 to 2008, 14 of
Georgia’s counties ranked among the nation’s 100 fastest-growing, second only to
Texas. Georgia is known as the Peach State and the Empire State of the South.
Atlanta is the capital and the most populous city.

Georgia is bordered on the south by Florida; on the east by the Atlantic Ocean
and South Carolina; on the west by Alabama; and on the north by Tennessee and
North Carolina. The northern part of the state is in the Blue Ridge Mountains, a
mountain range in the vast Appalachian Mountains system. The central piedmont
extends from the foothills to the fall line, where the rivers cascade down in
elevation to the continental coastal plain of the southern part of the state.
The highest point in Georgia is Brasstown Bald, 4,784 feet (1,458 m); the lowest
point is sea level.

With an area of 59,425 square miles (153,909 km2), Georgia is ranked 24th in
size among the 50 U.S. states. Georgia is the largest state east of the
Mississippi River in terms of land area, although it is the fourth largest
(after Michigan, Florida, and Wisconsin) in total area, a term which includes
expanses of water which are part of state territory. 

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guest speaker and expert in Hawaii 

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states (August 21, 1959), and is the only
state made up entirely of islands. It occupies most of an archipelago in the
central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of
Japan, and northeast of Australia. Hawaii’s natural beauty, warm tropical
climate, inviting waters and waves, and active volcanoes make it a popular
destination for tourists, surfers, biologists, and volcanologists alike. Due to
its mid-Pacific location, Hawaii has many North American and Asian influences
along with a vibrant native culture. Hawaii has over a million permanent
residents along with many visitors and U.S. military personnel. Its capital is
Honolulu on the island of Oahu.

The state encompasses nearly the entire volcanic Hawaiian Island chain, which
comprises hundreds of islands spread over 1,500 miles (2,400 km). At the
southeastern end of the archipelago, the eight “main islands” are (from the
northwest to southeast) Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, L?nai, Kahoolawe, Maui,
and Hawaii. The last is by far the largest and is often called “The Big Island”
to avoid confusion with the state as a whole. The archipelago is
physiographically and ethnologically part of the Polynesian sub region of
Oceania.

In standard American English, Hawaii is generally pronounced. In the Hawaiian
language, it is generally pronounced.

Recently, Hawaii has garnered additional attention as the location where U.S.
President Barack Obama was born and spent much of his youth. Obama is the only
president to hail from the state.

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guest speaker and expert in Idaho 

The state of Idaho is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United
States of America. The state’s largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are
called “Idahoans.” Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890 as the 43rd
state.

Idaho is a mostly mountainous state, with an area larger than all of New
England. It is landlocked, surrounded by the states of Washington, Oregon,
Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Montana and the Canadian Province of British Columbia.
However, the network of dams and locks on the Columbia River and Snake River
make the city of Lewiston the farthest inland seaport on the west coast of the
continental United States.

According to the US Census Bureau, in 2009 the population for Idaho was
estimated to be 1,545,801. The state’s postal abbreviation is ID. Idaho’s
nickname is the Gem State because nearly every known gem has been found there.
In addition, Idaho is one of only two places in the world where star garnets can
be found (the other is the Himalaya Mountains, in India), and is the only place
six pointed star garnets have been found. The state motto is Esto Perpetua
(Latin for “Let it be forever”).

Illinois, the 21st state admitted to the United States of America, is the most
populous and demographically diverse Midwestern state and the fifth most
populous state in the nation. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial
cities and great agricultural productivity in central and western Illinois, and
natural resources like coal, timber, and petroleum in the south, Illinois has a
broad economic base. Illinois is an important transportation hub; the Port of
Chicago connects the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River via the Illinois
River. Illinois is often viewed as a microcosm of the United States; an
Associated Press analysis of 21 demographic factors found Illinois the “most
average state”, while Peoria has long been a proverbial social and cultural
bellwether. 

The State of Indiana is a U.S. state, the 19th admitted to the Union. It is
located in the Great Lakes Region, and with approximately 6.3 million residents,
is ranked 16th in population and 17th in population density. Indiana is ranked
38th in land area, and is the smallest state in the continental US west of the
Appalachian Mountains. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis, the largest
of any state capital east of the Mississippi River.

Indiana has several metropolitan areas with populations greater than 100,000 as
well as a number of smaller industrial cities and small towns. It is home to
several major sports teams and athletic events including the NFL’s Indianapolis
Colts, the NBA’s Indiana Pacers, the Indianapolis 500 motorsports race (which is
the largest single-day sporting event in the world). Residents of Indiana are
known as Hoosiers, but the origin of the term is unknown. Many explanations are
given, including the humorous ones of James Whitcomb Riley stating that Indiana
pioneers would yell out “Who’s there?” in the wilderness or “Whose ear?” after a
brawl. The state’s name means “Land of the Indians”, or simply “Indian Land”.
This name dates back to at least the 1768 and was first used by Congress when
the Indiana Territory was incorporated in 1800, before which it had been part of
the Northwest Territory.

Prior to this, Indiana had been inhabited by varying cultures of indigenous
peoples and historic American Indians for thousands of years. Angel Mounds State
Historic Site, one of the best preserved ancient earthwork mounds sites in the
United States, can be found in Southwestern Indiana near Evansville.

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guest speaker and expert in Iowa 

Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often
referred to as the “American Heartland.” It derives its name from the Ioway
people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the
time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New
France. After the Louisiana Purchase, settlers laid the foundation for an
agriculture-based economy in the heart of the Corn Belt. Iowa is often known as
the “Food Capital of the World”, but Iowa’s economy, culture, and landscape are
diverse. In the mid and late 20th century, Iowa’s agricultural economy
transitioned to a diversified economy of advanced manufacturing, processing,
financial services, biotechnology, and green energy production. Iowa has been
listed as one of the safest states in which to live. Des Moines is Iowa’s
capital and largest city. 

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guest speaker and expert in Kansas 

The State of Kansas is located in the Midwestern United States. It is named
after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the
Kansa tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe’s name (natively kk?:ze) is
often said to mean “people of the wind” or “people of the south wind,” although
this was probably not the term’s original meaning. Residents of Kansas are
called “Kansans.”

Historically, the area was home to large numbers of nomadic Native Americans who
hunted bison. It was first settled by European Americans in the 1830s, but the
pace of settlement accelerated in the 1850s, in the midst of political wars over
the slavery issue. When officially opened to settlement by the U.S. government
in 1854, abolitionist Free-Staters from New England and pro-slavery settlers
from neighboring Missouri rushed to the territory to determine if Kansas would
become a free state or a slave state. Thus, the area was a hotbed of violence
and chaos in its early days as these forces collided, and was known as Bleeding
Kansas. The abolitionists eventually prevailed and on January 29, 1861, Kansas
entered the Union as a free state. After the Civil War, the population of Kansas
grew exponentially, when waves of immigrants turned the prairie into productive
farmland. Today, Kansas is one of the most productive agricultural states,
producing many crops, and leading the nation in wheat, sorghum and sunflower
production most years. 

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guest speaker and expert in Kentucky 

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United
States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is
a Southern state. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a
commonwealth (the others being Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts).
Originally a part of Virginia, in 1792 it became the 15th state to join the
Union. Kentucky is the 37th largest state in terms of total area, the 36th
largest in land area, and ranks 26th in population.

Kentucky is known as the “Bluegrass State”, a nickname based on the fact that
native bluegrass is present in many of the pastures throughout the state, based
on the fertile soil. It made possible the breeding of high-quality livestock,
especially thoroughbred racing horses. It is a land with diverse environments
and abundant resources, including the world’s longest cave system, Mammoth Cave
National Park; the greatest length of navigable waterways and streams in the
Lower 48 states; and the two largest man-made lakes east of the Mississippi
River. It is also home to the highest per capita number of deer and turkey in
the United States, the largest free-ranging elk herd east of Montana, and the
nation’s most productive coalfield. Kentucky is also known for thoroughbred
horses, horse racing, bourbon distilleries, bluegrass music, automobile
manufacturing, tobacco, and college basketball.

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guest speaker and expert in Louisiana 

The state of Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the
United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New
Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions
termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties. The largest
parish by population is Jefferson Parish, and the largest by land area is
Cameron Parish.

Some Louisiana urban environments have a multicultural, multilingual heritage,
being so strongly influenced by an admixture of 18th century French, Spanish and
African cultures that they are considered to be somewhat exceptional in the U.S.
Before the American influx and statehood at the beginning of the 19th century,
the territory of current Louisiana State had been a Spanish and French colony.
In addition, the pattern of development included importing numerous Africans in
the 18th century, with many from the same region of West Africa, thus
concentrating their culture. 

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guest speaker and expert in Maine 

Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States,
bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, New Hampshire to the southwest,
and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the
northeast. Maine is the northernmost portion of New England and is the
easternmost state in the contiguous United States. It is known for its
scenery—its jagged, mostly rocky coastline, its low, rolling mountains, and its
heavily forested interior—as well as for its seafood cuisine, especially
lobsters and clams.

The original inhabitants of the territory that is now Maine were
Algonquian-speaking peoples. The first European settlement in Maine was in 1604
by a French party. The first English settlement in Maine, the short-lived Popham
Colony, was established by the Plymouth Company in 1607. A number of English
settlements were established along the coast of Maine in the 1620s, although the
rugged climate, deprivations, and conflict with the local peoples wiped out many
of them over the years. As Maine entered the 18th century, only a half dozen
European settlements still survived. Patriot and British forces contended for
Maine’s territory during the American Revolution and the War of 1812. Maine was
an exclave of Massachusetts until 1820, when as a result of the growing
population and a political agreement regarding slavery, it became the 23rd state
on March 15 under the Missouri Compromise.

Maine is the only U.S. state to have a name that is one syllable long, and the
only state which borders exactly one other state. 

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guest speaker and expert in Maryland 

The State of Maryland is an American State located in the Mid Atlantic region
of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia and the District of
Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its
east. Maryland is comparable in overall area with the European country of
Belgium. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Maryland has the highest median
household income of any state, having surpassed New Jersey in 2006; Maryland’s
median household income was $68,080 in 2007. For 2009, Maryland ranked first—for
the third year in a row—as the U.S. state with the highest median income for
2008, with a median income of $70,545. Maryland was the seventh state to ratify
the United States Constitution, and three nicknames for it, the Old Line State,
the Free State, and the Chesapeake Bay State are occasionally used.

Maryland is a major center for life sciences research and development. With more
than 350 biotechnology companies located there, Maryland is the third-largest
nexus in this field in the United States.

Institutions and government agencies with an interest in research and
development located in Maryland include the Johns Hopkins University, the Johns
Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, more than one campus of the University
System of Maryland, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Institute of Mental
Health (NIMH), the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Howard Hughes
Medical Institute, the Celera Genomics company, Human Genome Sciences (HGS),the
J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), and MedImmune – recently purchased by
AstraZeneca. 

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guest speaker and expert in Massachusetts 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the
northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to
the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at
its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. Most of its population of 6.6 million lives in
the Boston metropolitan area. The eastern half of the state consists of urban,
suburban, and rural areas, while Western Massachusetts is mostly rural.
Massachusetts is the most populous of the six New England states and ranks third
among U.S. states in GDP per capita.

Massachusetts has been significant throughout American history. Plymouth was the
second permanent English settlement in North America. Many of Massachusetts’s
towns were founded by colonists from England in the 1620s and 1630s. During the
eighteenth century, Boston became known as the “Cradle of Liberty” for the
agitation there that led to the American Revolution and the independence of the
United States from Great Britain. It was also a center of the temperance
movement and abolitionist activity before the American Civil War. In 2004,
Massachusetts became the first U.S. state to legally recognize same-sex
marriage. The state has contributed many prominent politicians to national
service, including the Adams family and the Kennedy family.

Originally dependent on fishing, agriculture, and trade with Europe,
Massachusetts was transformed into a manufacturing center during the Industrial
Revolution. During the twentieth century, the state’s economy shifted from
manufacturing to services. Today, the state is a leader in higher education,
health care, high technology, and financial services. 

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guest speaker and expert in Michigan 

The State of Michigan is located in the Great Lakes Region of the United
States of America. The name Michigan is a French adaptation of the Ojibwe word
mishigama, meaning “large water” or “large lake”.

Michigan is the eighth most populous state in the United States. It has the
longest freshwater shoreline of any political subdivision in the world, being
bounded by four of the five Great Lakes, plus Lake Saint Clair. In 2005,
Michigan ranked third among US states for the number of registered recreational
boats, behind California and Florida. Michigan has 64,980 inland lakes and
ponds. A person in the state is never more than six miles (10 km) from a natural
water source or more than 87.2 miles (140.3 km) from a Great Lakes shoreline. It
is the largest state by total area east of the Mississippi River.

Michigan is the only state to consist entirely of two peninsulas. The Lower
Peninsula, to which the name Michigan was originally applied, is often dubbed
“the mitten” by residents, owing to its shape. When asked where in Michigan one
comes from, a resident of the Lower Peninsula may often point to the
corresponding part of his or her hand. The Upper Peninsula (often referred to as
“The U.P.”) is separated from the Lower Peninsula by the Straits of Mackinac, a
five-mile (8 km)-wide channel that joins Lake Huron to Lake Michigan. The Upper
Peninsula is economically important for tourism and natural resources. 

George Brown SEO | Search Engine Optimization
guest speaker and expert in Minnesota 

The state of Minnesota is located in the Midwestern United States. The
twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with
5.27 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the
Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state on May
11, 1858. Known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes”, the state’s name comes from a
Dakota word for “sky-tinted water”. Those waters, together with forests, parks,
and wilderness areas, offer residents and tourists a variety of outdoor
recreational opportunities.

Nearly sixty percent of Minnesota’s residents live in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul
metropolitan area known as the “Twin Cities”, the center of transportation,
business and industry, education and home to an internationally known arts
community. The remainder of the state consists of western prairies now given
over to intensive agriculture; deciduous forests in the southeast, now cleared,
farmed and settled; and the less populated North Woods, used for mining,
forestry, and recreation. The large majority of residents are of German or
Nordic descent, but ethnic diversity has increased in recent decades.
Substantial influxes of African, Asian, and Latin American immigrants have
joined the descendants of European immigrants and the original Native American
inhabitants.

The state is known for its moderate to progressive politics and social policies,
civic involvement, and high voter turnout. Minnesota ranks among the healthiest
states, and has a highly literate population. 

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guest speaker and expert in Mississippi 

The state of Mississippi is located in the Southern United States. Jackson is
the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the
Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, which namesake is
from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi (“Great River”). The state is heavily forested
outside of the Mississippi Delta area, and its catfish aquaculture farms produce
the majority of farm-raised catfish consumed in the United States. The state
symbol is the magnolia grandiflora tree. 

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guest speaker and expert in Missouri 

The state of Missouri is located in the Midwestern United States bordered by
Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska.
Missouri is the 18th most populous state with a 2009 estimated population of
5,987,580. It comprises 114 counties and one independent city. Missouri’s
capital is Jefferson City. The four largest urban areas are St. Louis, Kansas
City, Springfield, and Columbia. Missouri was originally acquired from France as
part of the Louisiana Purchase and became defined as the Missouri Territory.
Part of the Missouri Territory was admitted into the union as the 24th state in
August 10, 1821.

Missouri mirrors the demographic, economic and political makeup of the nation
with a mix of urban and rural culture. It has long been considered a political
bellwether state. With the exceptions of 1956 and 2008, Missouri’s results in
U.S. presidential elections have accurately predicted the next President of the
United States in every election since 1904. It has both Midwestern and Southern
cultural influences, reflecting its history as a border state. It is also a
transition between the Eastern and Western United States, as St. Louis is often
called the “western-most Eastern city” and Kansas City the “eastern-most Western
city.” Missouri’s geography is highly varied. The northern part of the state
lies in dissected till plains while the southern part lies in the Ozark
Mountains a (dissected plateau), with the Missouri River dividing the two. The
confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri River rivers is located near St.
Louis.

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guest speaker and expert in Montana 

The state of Montana is located in the Western United States. The western
third of the state contains numerous mountain ranges; other island ranges are
found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the
Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state’s name,
derived from the Spanish word montaña (mountain).

Montana has several nicknames, none official, including: “The Treasure State”
and “Big Sky Country,” and slogans that include “Land of the Shining Mountains,”
and more recently, “The Last Best Place.” The state ranks fourth in area, but
44th in population, and therefore has the third lowest population density in the
United States. The economy is primarily based on ranching, wheat farming, oil
and coal in the east; lumber, tourism, and hard rock mining in the west.
Millions of tourists annually visit Glacier National Park, the Battle of Little
Bighorn site, and three of the five entrances to Yellowstone National Park.
Montana is bordered by the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and
Saskatchewan on the north, Idaho on the west, Wyoming on the south and North
Dakota and South Dakota on the east. 

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guest speaker and expert in Nebraska 

Nebraska is a state located on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United
States. The state’s capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha.

Once considered part of the Great American Desert (actually highly biodiverse
prairie land), Nebraska is now a leading farming and ranching state.

Nebraska is the only U.S. state with a unicameral legislature. 

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guest speaker and expert in NevadaNevada is a state located in the
western region of the United States. The capital is Carson City and the largest
city is Las Vegas. The state’s nickname is Silver State, due to the large number
of silver deposits that were discovered and mined there. “Sagebrush State” and
“Battle Born State” are its alternative nicknames. In 1864, Nevada became the
36th state to enter the union, and the phrase “Battle Born” on the state flag
reflects the state’s entry on the Union side during the American Civil War. Its
first nonnative settlement was called Mormon Station.

Nevada is the seventh-largest state in area, and geographically covers the
Mojave Desert in the south to the Great Basin in the north. It is the most arid
state in the Union. Approximately 86% of the state’s land is owned by the U.S
federal government under various jurisdictions both civilian and military. As of
2008, there were about 2.6 million residents, with over 85% of the population
residing in the metropolitan areas of Las Vegas and Reno. The state is well
known for its easy marriage and divorce proceedings, entertainment, legalized
gambling and, in eight out of its 16 counties, legalized active brothels. 

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guest speaker and expert in New Hampshire 

New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United
States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of
Hampshire. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and
the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the
north. New Hampshire ranks 44th in land area, 46th in total area of the 50
states, and 41st in population.

It became the first post-colonial sovereign nation in the Americas when it broke
off from Great Britain in January 1776, and was one of the original thirteen
states that founded the United States of America six months later. In June 1788,
it became the ninth state to ratify the United States Constitution, bringing
that document into effect. New Hampshire was the first U.S. state to have its
own state constitution.

It is known internationally for the New Hampshire primary, the first primary in
the quadrennial U.S. presidential election cycle. Concord is the state capital,
while Manchester is the largest city in the state. It has no general sales tax,
nor is personal income (other than interest and dividends) taxed at either the
state or local level.

Its license plates carry the state motto: “Live Free or Die.” The state nickname
is “The Granite State”, in reference to its geology and its tradition of
self-sufficiency. To accentuate this, many state agencies and New Hampshire
license plates carry the image of the Old Man of the Mountain, a former granite
stone face in the White Mountains. Several other official nicknames exist but
are rarely used.

Among prominent individuals from New Hampshire are founding father Nicholas
Gilman, Senator Daniel Webster, Revolutionary War hero John Stark, editor Horace
Greeley, founder of the Christian Science religion Mary Baker Eddy, poet Robert
Frost, and author Dan Brown. New Hampshire has produced one president, Franklin
Pierce.

New Hampshire’s major recreational attractions include skiing, snowmobiling and
other winter sports, hiking and mountaineering, observing the fall foliage,
summer cottages along many lakes and the seacoast, motor sports at the New
Hampshire Motor Speedway, and Motorcycle Week, a popular motorcycle rally held
in Weirs Beach near Laconia in June. The White Mountain National Forest links
the Vermont and Maine portions of the Appalachian Trail, and boasts the Mount
Washington Auto Road, where visitors may drive to the top of 6,288-foot (1,917
m) Mount Washington.

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guest speaker and expert in New Jersey 

The New Jersey Transit Corporation (usually shortened to New Jersey Transit,
NJ Transit or NJT) is a statewide public transportation system serving the state
of New Jersey and Orange and Rockland counties in New York. It operates bus,
light rail, and commuter rail services throughout the state, notably connecting
to major commercial and employment centers both within the state and in the
adjacent cities of New York, Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware.

Covering a service area of 5,325 square miles (13,790 km2), NJ Transit is the
nation’s largest statewide public transit system and the nation’s third largest
provider of bus, rail and light rail transit by ridership, linking major points
in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.

New Jersey Transit also acts as a purchasing agency for many private operators
in New Jersey, with numerous private operators receiving equipment from New
Jersey Transit (primarily buses) for route service within the state not
controlled by New Jersey Transit. 

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guest speaker and expert in New Mexico 

New Mexico is a state located in the southwestern region of the United
States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the
sixth- most sparsely inhabited U.S. state. Inhabited by Native American
populations for many centuries, it has also been part of the Imperial Spanish
viceroyalty of New Spain, part of Mexico, and a U.S. territory. Among U.S.
states, New Mexico has the highest percentage of Hispanics at 44 percent (2008
estimate), being descendants of Spanish colonists and recent immigrants from
Latin America. It also has the third-highest percentage of Native Americans
after Alaska and Oklahoma, and the fifth-highest total number of Native
Americans after California, Oklahoma, Arizona, and Texas. The tribes in the
state consist of mostly Navajo and Pueblo peoples. As a result, the demographics
and culture of the state are unique for their strong Hispanic, Mexican, and
Native American cultural influences. 

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guest speaker and expert in New York 

New York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the
United States and is the nation’s third most populous. The state is bordered by
New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and
Vermont to the east. The state has a maritime border with Rhode Island east of
Long Island, as well as an international border with the Canadian provinces of
Ontario to the west, and Quebec to the north. New York is often referred to as
New York State to distinguish it from New York City.

New York City, which is geographically the largest city in the state and most
populous in the United States, is known for its history as a gateway for
immigration to the United States and its status as a financial, cultural,
transportation, and manufacturing center. According to the U.S. Department of
Commerce, it is also a destination of choice for many foreign visitors. Both
state and city were named for the 17th century Duke of York, James Stuart,
future James II and VII of England and Scotland.

New York was inhabited by the Algonquin, Iroquois, and Lenape Native American
groups at the time Dutch and French nationals moved into the region in the early
17th century. First claimed by Henry Hudson in 1609, the region came to have
Dutch forts at Fort Orange, near the site of the present-day capital of Albany
in 1614. The Dutch colonized the Albany and Manhattan areas in 1624. The British
took over Manhattan and the colony by annexation in 1664.

The borders of the British colony, the Province of New York, were roughly
similar to those of the present-day state. About one third of all of the battles
of the Revolutionary War took place in New York. New York became an independent
state on July 9, 1776, and enacted its constitution in 1777. The state ratified
the United States Constitution on July 26, 1788 to become the 11th state. 

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guest speaker and expert in North CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state
located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the Southern United States. The state
borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and
Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is
Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte.

Spanish colonial forces were the first Europeans to make a permanent settlement
in the area, when the Juan Pardo-led Expedition built Fort San Juan in 1567.
This was sited at Joara, a Mississippian culture regional chiefdom near
present-day Morganton in the western interior. This was 20 years before the
English established their first colony at Roanoke Island. North Carolina became
one of the English Thirteen Colonies, and was originally known as Province of
Carolina.

On May 20, 1861, North Carolina was one of the last of the Confederate states to
declare secession from the Union, to which it was restored on July 4, 1868. The
state was the location of the first successful controlled, powered and sustained
heavier-than-air flight, by the Wright brothers, at Kill Devil Hills, about 6.4
miles (10.3 km) from Kitty Hawk on December 17, 1903. It is a fast-growing state
with an increasingly diverse economy and population. As of July 1, 2009, the
population was estimated to be 9,380,884 (a 16.7% increase since April 1, 2000).
Recognizing eight Native American tribes, North Carolina has the largest
population of Native Americans of any state east of the Mississippi River.

North Carolina has a wide range of elevations, from sea level on the coast to
6,684 feet (2,037 m) in the mountains. The coastal plains are strongly
influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. Most of the state falls in the humid
subtropical zone. More than 300 miles (500 km) from the coast, the western,
mountainous part of the state has a subtropical highland climate.

As of 2008, North Carolina was the third-fastest growing state in the United
States and the fastest growing state east of the Mississippi River according to
the 2008 Census. 

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guest speaker and expert in North DakotaThe North Dakota House of
Representatives is the lower house of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly and
is larger than the North Dakota Senate.

North Dakota is divided into between 40 and 54 legislative districts apportioned
by population as determined by the decennial census. The 2000 redistricting plan
provided for 47 districts. As each district elects 2 Representatives to the
House, there are currently 94 Representatives in the House.

Representatives serve 4-year terms. Elections are staggered such that half the
districts have elections every 2 years. Originally, the North Dakota
Constitution limited members of the North Dakota House of Representatives to
two-year terms, with the all representatives standing for reelection at the same
time. That practice continued until 1996, when the voters approved a
constitutional amendment that changed the term for representatives to four-years
with staggered terms. The amendment went into effect July 1, 1997, and was first
applied in the 1998 elections. 

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guest speaker and expert in Ohio 

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by
area in the U.S., it is the 7th-most populous with nearly 11.5 million
residents. The state’s capital is Columbus. The Anglicized name ‘Ohio’ comes
from the Iroquois word ohi-yo’, meaning ‘great river’. The state, originally
partitioned from the Northwest Territory, was admitted to the Union as the 17th
state (and the first under the Northwest Ordinance) on March 1, 1803. Although
there are conflicting narratives regarding the origin of the nickname, Ohio is
historically known as the ‘Buckeye State’ (relating to the Ohio Buckeye Tree)
and Ohioans are also known as ‘Buckeyes.’

The government of Ohio is composed of the executive branch, led by the Governor;
the legislative branch, which comprises the Ohio General Assembly; and the
judicial branch, which is led by the Supreme Court. Currently, Ohio occupies 18
seats in the United States House of Representatives. Ohio is known for its
status as both a swing state and a bellwether in national elections.

The population density of Ohio ranks ninth among all U.S. states. Nonetheless,
Ohio currently has a negative net population migration, and an increasing rate
of unemployment. 

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guest speaker and expert in Oklahoma 

Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States
of America. With an estimated 3,687,050 residents in 2009 and a land area of
68,667 square miles (177,847 km²), Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and
20th-largest state. The state’s name is derived from the Choctaw words okla and
humma, meaning “red people”, and is known informally by its nickname, The Sooner
State. Formed by the combination of Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory on
November 16, 1907, Oklahoma was the 46th state to enter the union. Its residents
are known as Oklahomans, and its capital and largest city is Oklahoma City.

A major producer of natural gas, oil and agriculture, Oklahoma relies on an
economic base of aviation, energy, telecommunications, and biotechnology. It has
one of the fastest growing economies in the nation, ranking among the top states
in per capita income growth and gross domestic product growth. Oklahoma City and
Tulsa serve as Oklahoma’s primary economic anchors, with nearly 60 percent of
Oklahomans living in their metropolitan statistical areas. The state holds a
mixed record in education and healthcare, and its largest universities
participate in the NCAA and NAIA athletic associations, with two collegiate
athletic departments rated among the most successful in American history.

With small mountain ranges, prairie, and eastern forests, most of Oklahoma lies
in the Great Plains and the U.S. Interior Highlands—a region especially prone to
severe weather. In addition to having a prevalence of German, Irish, British and
Native American ancestry, more than 25 Native American languages are spoken in
Oklahoma, the most of any state. It is located on a confluence of three major
American cultural regions and historically served as a route for cattle drives,
a destination for southern settlers, and a government-sanctioned territory for
Native Americans. Part of the Bible Belt, widespread belief in evangelical
Christianity makes it one of the most politically conservative states, though
Oklahoma has more voters registered with the Democratic Party than with any
other party. 

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guest speaker and expert in OregonOregon is a state in the Pacific
Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with
Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and
Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon’s
northern and eastern boundaries respectively. The area was inhabited by many
indigenous tribes before the arrival of traders, explorers and settlers who
formed an autonomous government in Oregon Country in 1843; the Oregon Territory
was created in 1848, and Oregon became the 33rd state on February 14, 1859.
Salem is the state’s capital and third-most-populous city; Portland is the most
populous. Portland is the 30th-largest U.S. city, with a population of 582,130
(2009 estimate) and a metro population of 2,241,841 (2009 estimate), the
23rd-largest U.S. metro area.

The valley of the Willamette River in western Oregon is the most densely
populated and agriculturally productive region of the state, and is home to
eight of the ten most populous cities. Oregon’s 2000 population was about 3.5
million, a 20.3% increase over 1990; it is estimated to have reached 3.8 million
by 2008. Oregon’s largest for-profit private employer is Intel, located in the
Silicon Forest area on Portland’s west side. The state has 199 public school
districts, with Portland Public Schools as the largest. There are 17 community
colleges, and seven publicly financed colleges in the Oregon University System.
Oregon State University in Corvallis and the University of Oregon in Eugene are
the two flagship universities of the state, while Portland State University has
the largest enrollment.

Major highways include Interstate 5 which runs the entire north-south length of
the state, Interstate 84 that runs east-west, U.S. Route 97 that crosses the
middle of the state, U.S. Route 101 that travels the entire coastline, and U.S.
Route 20 and U.S. Route 26 that run east-west, among many other highways.
Portland International Airport is the busiest commercial airport in the state
and is operated as part of the Port of Portland, the state’s busiest port. Rail
service includes Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway freight service, Amtrak
passenger service, as well as light rail and street car routes in the Portland
metro area.

Oregon enjoys a diverse landscape including a scenic and windswept Pacific
coastline, the volcanoes of a rugged and glaciated Cascade Mountain Range, dense
evergreen forests, and high desert across much of the eastern portion of the
state. The towering Douglas firs and redwoods along the rainy Western Oregon
coast provide a dramatic contrast with the lower density and fire prone pine
tree and juniper forests covering portions of the Eastern half of the state. The
eastern portion of the state also includes semi-arid scrublands, prairies,
deserts, and meadows. These drier areas stretch east from Central Oregon. Mount
Hood is the highest point in the state at 11,249 feet (3,429 m). Crater Lake
National Park is the only national park in Oregon.

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guest speaker and expert in Pennsylvania The Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania is a state located in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions
of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West
Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to
the north, and New Jersey to the east. The state’s four most populous cities are
Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown and Erie. The state capital is Harrisburg.

Pennsylvania has 51 miles (82 km) of coastline along Lake Erie and 57 miles (92
km) of shoreline along the Delaware Estuary. 

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guest speaker and expert in Rhode IslandThe State of Rhode Island and
Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island, is a state in
the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by
area. Rhode Island borders Connecticut to the west and Massachusetts to the
north and east, and it shares a water boundary with New York’s Fishers Island to
the southwest.

Despite the name, most of Rhode Island is on the mainland United States. The
name Rhode Island and Providence Plantations derives from the merger of two
colonies, Providence Plantations and Rhode Island. Providence Plantations was
the name of the colony founded by Roger Williams in the area now known as the
City of Providence. Rhode Island, the other colonial settlement, was founded in
the area of present-day Newport, on Aquidneck Island, the largest of several
islands in Narragansett Bay.

Rhode Island was the first of the thirteen original colonies to declare
independence from British rule and the last to ratify the United States
Constitution.

Rhode Island’s official nickname is “The Ocean State,” a reference to the
state’s geography, since Rhode Island has several large bays and inlets that
amount to about 30% of its total area. Its land area is 1,045 square miles (2706
km2), but its total area is significantly larger (in the United States, all
seawater and ocean floors that are more than three nautical miles from land
belong to the Federal Government.) 

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guest speaker and expert in South CarolinaSouth Carolina is a state in
the United States that borders Georgia to the south and North Carolina to the
north. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South
Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence from the British
Crown during the American Revolution.

The colony was originally named in honor of King Charles I, as Carolus is Latin
for Charles.

South Carolina was the first state to vote to secede from the Union and was the
founding state of the Confederate States of America.

According to an estimate by the United States Census Bureau, the state’s
population in 2009 was 4,561,242 and ranked 24th among the U.S. states. South
Carolina contains 46 counties and its capital is Columbia. 

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guest speaker and expert in South Dakota 

South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United
States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes.
Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2,
1889. The state has an area of 77,116 square miles (199,730 km2) and an
estimated population of just over 800,000. Pierre is the state capital and Sioux
Falls, with a population of just over 150,000, is South Dakota’s largest city.

South Dakota is bordered by the states of North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa,
Nebraska, Wyoming, and Montana. The state is bisected by the Missouri River,
dividing South Dakota into two geographically and socially distinct halves,
known to residents as “East River” and “West River”. Eastern South Dakota is
home to most of the state’s population, and fertile soil in this area is used to
grow a variety of crops. West of the Missouri, ranching is the predominant
agricultural activity and the economy is more dependant on tourism and defense
spending. The Black Hills, a group of low pine-covered mountains, is located in
the southwest part of the state. The Black Hills are of great religious
importance to local American Indians and also the location of Mount Rushmore, a
major tourist destination. Other attractions in the southwest include Badlands
and Wind Cave national parks, Custer State Park, the Crazy Horse Memorial, and
historic Deadwood. South Dakota experiences a temperate continental climate,
with four distinct seasons and precipitation ranging from moderate in the east
to semi-arid in the west. The ecology of the state features species typical of a
North American grassland biome.

Humans have inhabited the area for several millennia, with the Sioux becoming
dominant by the early 19th century. In the late 1800s, white settlement
intensified after a gold rush in the Black Hills and the construction of
railroads in the east. This settlement triggered a number of Indian Wars, ending
with the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890. Key events in the 20th century included
the Dust Bowl, increased federal spending during the 1940s and 50s, and
continuing changes in agriculture. While several Democratic senators have
represented South Dakota for multiple terms at the federal level, the state
government is largely dominated by the Republican Party, whose nominees have
carried South Dakota in the last eleven presidential elections. Historically
dominated by an agricultural economy and a rural lifestyle, South Dakota has
recently sought to diversify its economy to attract and retain residents.
However, it is still largely rural and has the fifth-lowest population density
among U.S. states. South Dakota’s history and rural character still strongly
influence the culture of the state. 

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guest speaker and expert in TennesseeThe state of Tennessee is located in
the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,214,888, making it the
nation’s 17th-largest state by population, and covers 42,169 square miles
(109,220 km2), making it the 36th-largest by total land area. Tennessee is
bordered by Kentucky and Virginia to the north, North Carolina to the east,
Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi to the south, and Arkansas and Missouri to the
west. The Appalachian Mountains dominate the eastern part of the state, and the
Mississippi River forms the state’s western border. Tennessee’s capital and
second largest city is Nashville, which has a population of 626,144. Memphis is
the state’s largest city, with a population of 670,902. Nashville has the
state’s largest metropolitan area, at 1,521,437 people.

The State of Tennessee is rooted in the Watauga Association, a 1772 frontier
pact generally regarded as the first constitutional government west of the
Appalachians. What is now Tennessee was initially part of North Carolina, and
later part of the Southwest Territory. Tennessee was admitted to the Union as
the 16th state on June 1, 1796. In the early 19th-century, Tennessee was home to
some of American history’s most colorful political figures, among them Davy
Crockett, Andrew Jackson, and Sam Houston. Tennessee was the last state to leave
the Union and join the Confederacy at the outbreak of the U.S. Civil War in
1861, and the first state to be readmitted to the Union at the end of the war.
Tennessee furnished more soldiers for the Confederate Army than any other state,
and more soldiers for the Union Army than any other Southern state. Tennessee
has seen some of the nation’s worst racial strife, from the formation of the Ku
Klux Klan in Pulaski in 1866 to the assassination of Martin Luther King in
Memphis in 1968. In the 20th century, Tennessee transitioned from an agrarian
economy to a more diversified economy, aided at times by federal entities such
as the Tennessee Valley Authority. In the early 1940s, Oak Ridge, Tennessee was
established to house the Manhattan Project’s uranium enrichment facilities,
helping to build the world’s first atomic bomb.

Tennessee has played a critical role in the development of rock and roll and
early blues music. Beale Street in Memphis is considered by many to be the
birthplace of the blues, with musicians such as W.C. Handy performing in its
clubs as early as 1909.[9] Memphis was also home to Sun Records, where musicians
such as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison,
and Charlie Rich began their recording careers, and where rock and roll took
shape in the 1950s. The 1927 Victor recording sessions in Bristol generally mark
the beginning of the country music genre, and the rise of the Grand Ole Opry in
the 1930s helped make Nashville the center of the country music recording
industry.

Tennessee’s major industries include agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism.
Tobacco, cotton, and soybeans are the state’s primary agricultural crops, and
major manufacturing exports include chemicals, transportation equipment, and
electrical equipment. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the nation’s most
visited national park, is headquartered in the eastern part of the state, and a
section of the Appalachian Trail roughly follows the Tennessee-North Carolina
border. Other major tourist attractions include Elvis Presley’s Graceland in
Memphis and the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga. 

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guest speaker and expert in Texas 

Texas is the second-largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the
largest state in the contiguous United States. The name, meaning “friends” or
“allies” in Caddo, was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the
region of their settlement in East Texas. Located in the South Central United
States, Texas is bordered by Mexico to the south, New Mexico to the west,
Oklahoma to the north, Arkansas to the northeast, and Louisiana to the east.
Texas has an area of 268,820 square miles (696,200 km2), and a growing
population of 24.7 million residents.

Houston is the largest city in Texas and the fourth-largest in the United
States, while San Antonio is the second largest in the state and seventh largest
in the United States. Dallas–Fort Worth and Greater Houston are the fourth and
sixth largest United States metropolitan areas, respectively. Other major cities
include Dallas, El Paso, and Austin—the state capital. Texas is nicknamed the
Lone Star State to signify Texas as an independent republic and as a reminder of
the state’s struggle for independence from Mexico. The “Lone Star” can be found
on the Texas State Flag and on the Texas State Seal today.

Due to its size and geologic features such as the Balcones Fault, Texas contains
diverse landscapes that resemble both the American South and Southwest. Although
Texas is popularly associated with the Southwestern deserts, less than 10% of
the land area is desert. Most of the population centers are located in areas of
former prairies, grasslands, forests, and the coastline. Traveling from east to
west, one can observe terrain that ranges from coastal swamps and piney woods,
to rolling plains and rugged hills, and finally the desert and mountains of the
Big Bend.

The term “six flags over Texas” came from the several nations that had ruled
over the territory. Spain was the first European country to claim the area of
Texas. France held a short-lived colony in Texas. Mexico controlled the
territory until 1836 when Texas won its independence, becoming an independent
Republic. In 1845 it joined the United States as the 28th state. The state’s
annexation set off a chain of events that caused the Mexican–American War in
1846. A slave state, Texas declared its secession from the United States in
early 1861, joining the Confederate States of America during the American Civil
War. After the war and its restoration to the Union, Texas entered a long period
of economic stagnation.

One Texas industry that thrived after the Civil War was cattle. Due to its long
history as a center of the industry, Texas is associated with the image of the
cowboy. The state’s economic fortunes changed in the early 1900s, when oil
discoveries initiated an economic boom in the state. With strong investments in
universities, Texas in the mid twentieth century developed a diversified
economy, including many high tech industries. Today it has more Fortune 500
companies than any other U.S. state. With a growing base of industry, the state
leads in many industries, including agriculture, petrochemicals, energy,
computers and electronics, aerospace, and biomedical sciences. It leads the
nation in export revenue since 2002 and has the second-highest gross state
product. Texas’ GDP per capita (nominally) is ranked 23rd in the nation, which
is below the national average. 

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guest speaker and expert in Utah 

Utah is a western state of the United States. It was the 45th state admitted
to the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah’s 2,736,424 people
live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast
expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the sixth most
urbanized in the U.S. The name “Utah” is derived from the name of the Ute tribe
and means “people of the mountains” in the Ute language. Utah is bordered by
Arizona on the south, Colorado on the east, Wyoming on the northeast, Idaho on
the north and Nevada on the west. It also touches a corner of New Mexico.

Utah is one of the most religiously homogeneous states in the Union. Between 41%
and 60% of Utahns are reported to be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints (also known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church), which greatly
influences Utah culture and daily life.

The state is a center of transportation, information technology and research,
government services, mining, and a major tourist destination for outdoor
recreation. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s population estimates, Utah was
the fastest growing state in the United States as of 2008. St. George, Utah, was
the fastest growing metropolitan area in the United States from 2000–2005. 

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guest speaker and expert in Vermont 

Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United
States of America. The state ranks 43rd by land area, 9,250 square miles (24,000
km2), and 45th by total area. It has a population of 621,270, making it the
second least-populated state. The only New England state with no coastline along
the Atlantic Ocean, Vermont is notable for Lake Champlain (which makes up 50% of
Vermont’s western border) and the Green Mountains, which run north to south. It
is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York
to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the north.

Originally inhabited by Native American tribes (Abenaki and Iroquois), much of
the territory that is now Vermont was claimed by France but became a British
possession after France’s defeat in the French and Indian War. For many years,
the surrounding colonies disputed control of the area (referred to at the time
as the New Hampshire Grants) especially New Hampshire and New York. Settlers who
held land titles granted by these colonies were opposed by the Green Mountain
Boys militia, which eventually prevailed in creating an independent state, the
Vermont Republic, founded during the Revolutionary War and lasting for 14 years;
Vermont is thus one of 17 U.S. states (along with Texas, Hawaii, the brief
California Republic, and each of the original Thirteen Colonies) to have, at one
point, existed as its own sovereign government. In 1791, Vermont joined the
United States as the fourteenth state, and the first outside the original
Thirteen Colonies.

It is the leading producer of maple syrup in the United States. The state
capital is Montpelier, and the largest city and metropolitan area is Burlington.
No other state has a largest city as small as Burlington, or a capital city as
small as Montpelier. 

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guest speaker and expert in Virginia 

The Commonwealth of Virginia is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the
Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the “Old Dominion” and sometimes
the “Mother of Presidents” because it is the birthplace of eight U.S.
presidents. The geography and climate of the state are shaped by the Blue Ridge
Mountains and the Chesapeake Bay, which are home to much of its flora and fauna.
The capital of the Commonwealth is Richmond; Virginia Beach is the most populous
city and Fairfax County the most populous political subdivision. The state
population is nearly eight million.

The area’s history begins with several indigenous groups, including the
Powhatan. In 1607 the London Company established the Colony of Virginia as the
first permanent New World English colony. Land from displaced Native American
tribes and slave labor each played significant roles in the colony’s early
politics and plantation economy. Virginia was one of the Thirteen Colonies in
the American Revolution and joined the Confederacy in the American Civil War,
during which Richmond was the Confederate capital and the state of West Virginia
separated. Although traditionally conservative and historically part of the
South, both major national parties are competitive in modern Virginia.

The state government, home to the oldest legislature in the Americas, has been
repeatedly ranked most effective by the Pew Center on the States. It is unique
in how it treats cities and counties equally, manages local roads, and prohibits
its Governors from serving consecutive terms. Virginia’s economy has many
sectors: agriculture in places like the Shenandoah Valley; federal agencies in
Northern Virginia, including the Department of Defense and CIA; and military
facilities in Hampton Roads, home to the region’s main seaport. The growth of
the media and technology sectors have made computer chips the state’s leading
export, with the industry based on the strength of Virginia’s public schools and
universities. Virginia does not have a major professional sports franchise, but
is home to several prominent collegiate sports programs. 

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guest speaker and expert in Washington 

Washington is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.
Washington was carved out of the western part of Washington Territory which had
been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty as settlement of the Oregon
Boundary Dispute. It was admitted to the Union as the forty-second state in
1889. The United States Census Bureau estimated the state’s population was
6,664,195 in 2009.

Nearly 60% of Washington’s residents live in the Seattle metropolitan area, the
center of transportation, business, and industry, and home to an internationally
known arts community. The remainder of the state consists of deep rain forests
in the west, mountain ranges in the center, northeast and far southeast, and
eastern semi-deserts given over to intensive agriculture.

Washington was named after George Washington, the first President of the United
States, and is the only U.S. state named after a president. Washington is
commonly called Washington State or occasionally the State of Washington to
distinguish it from the U.S. capital (and because its proper name is the State
of Washington). However, Washingtonians (residents of Washington) and many
residents of neighboring states normally refer to the state simply as
“Washington”, while usually referring to the nation’s capital as “Washington,
D.C.” or simply “D.C.” 

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guest speaker and expert in West Virginia 

West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Mid-Atlantic regions of the
United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest,
Ohio to the northwest, and Pennsylvania and Maryland to the northeast. The
capital and largest city is Charleston.

West Virginia became a state following the Wheeling Conventions, breaking away
from Virginia during the American Civil War. The new state was admitted to the
Union on June 20, 1863, and was a key Civil War border state. West Virginia was
the only state to form by seceding from a Confederate state, and was one of only
two states formed during the American Civil War (the other one being Nevada,
which separated from Utah Territory).

The Census Bureau considers West Virginia part of the South, as most of the
state is south of the Mason-Dixon Line. The northern panhandle extends adjacent
to Pennsylvania and Ohio with the West Virginia cities of Wheeling and Weirton
being just across the border from the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, while
Bluefield is less than 70 miles (110 km) from North Carolina and Harper’s Ferry
is considered to be a part of the Washington metropolitan area. The unique
position of West Virginia means that it is often included in a wide variety of
geographical regions, including the Upland South, the Southeastern United States
and often the Northeastern United States. Notably, it is the only state which
entirely lies within the area served by the Appalachian Regional Commission,
which is a common definition of “Appalachia”. For these reasons, West Virginia
is often considered simultaneously the northernmost Southeastern state, the
southernmost Northeastern state, the westernmost Mid-Atlantic state and the
easternmost Midwestern state.

The state is noted for its mountains and diverse topography, its historically
significant logging and coal mining industries, and its political and labor
history. It is one of the most densely karstic areas in the world, making it a
choice area for recreational caving and scientific research. The karst lands
contribute to much of the state’s cool trout waters. It is also known for a wide
range of outdoor recreational opportunities, including skiing, whitewater
rafting, fishing, hiking, mountain biking and hunting. 

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guest speaker and expert in Wisconsin 

The state of Wisconsin is one of the fifty U.S. states. Located in the
north-central United States, Wisconsin is considered part of the Midwest. It is
bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south,
Lake Michigan to the east, Upper Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to
the north. Wisconsin’s capital is Madison, and its largest city is Milwaukee. As
of 2008 the state has an estimated 5.6 million residents. 

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guest speaker and expert in Wyoming 

Wyoming is a state in the Western United States. The majority of the state is
dominated by the mountain ranges and rangelands of the Rocky Mountain West,
while the easternmost section of the state includes part of a high elevation
prairie region known as the High Plains. While the tenth largest U.S. state by
area, Wyoming is the least populous, with a U.S. Census estimated population of
544,270 in 2009. This is a 5.9% increase since 2000. The capital and the most
populous city of Wyoming is Cheyenne.