Borders

The following puzzles are based on the states of the USA.

For a real challenge, try to solve them without using any maps.

The lower 48 states of the United States of America are topologically "connected". This means that it is possible to travel from any point to any other point within that area without leaving the USA. Sometimes, the travel must be over water, but the water travelled over is also part of a some state.

  • It is possible to "disconnect" the lower 48 into two separate pieces, by removing either of two states. Which states are they? 
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  • What is the minimum number of states you must travel thru, without leaving the country, to go coast-to-coast, from the Atlantic Ocean (not the Gulf of Mexico) to the Pacific?

  • If travel is restricted to a straight line between the two coasts, what is the maximum number of states you could visit?

  • The state of Pennsylvania has six neighbors (NY, NJ, DE, MD, WV, OH). It is possible to travel into five of its neigboring states by going due South from some point in Pennsylvania. (A different starting point for each one.) Ohio is the exception, because the entire border runs North-South.

    There is another state with about as many neighbors, each of which may be entered by travelling due South from some point within the mystery state. Which state is this? 

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  • Maine is the only state that has only one neighboring state.
    Which state has the most neighbors? 
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  • Many states have "straight" borders which are straight lines on a Mercator map. (Due to the curvature of the earth, there are actually "Great Circles" or "Rhumb Lines".) All of Colorado's borders are straight. How many other states have borders that are all straight? 
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    Name them: 
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  • Rivers form part of the border of most states. Besides the straight-border states, above, how many other states have no river borders? 
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  • Only one continental state (exculding Hawaii) has a substantial part of its border that is an arc of a circle. Which one? 
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    +++++ rivers only?

    +++++ rivers & straights only?

  • The letter "Q" does not appear anywhere in the name of any state. All other letters appear somewhere within the name of a state.

    The letter "Y" does not begin any state name, but it appears as an initial letter of one of the words in "New York". The letters "X" and "Z" do not appear as initial letters in any state name. What other letters do not appear as initials in the name of any state? (One of the answers may surprise you.) 

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  • What is the largest state (in area) East of the Missisippi River? 
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  • What is the smallest state (in area) West of the Missisippi-Missouri River system, other than Hawaii? 
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  • What is the "tallest" state (from South to North), excluding Alaska? 
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    +++++ Is CA taller than AK?

  • What is the "widest" state (from West to East), excluding Alaska? 
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    +++++ How wide is HI? AK?

  • What is the "shortest" state, from its Southernmost point to its Northernmost point? 
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  • What is the "narrowest" state, from its Westernmost point to its Easternmost point? 
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  • What state has the the "slimmest waist"? i.e. crossing thru the entire state in a straight line, not merely lopping off a corner. ++++[Need better definition] 
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  • What is the smallest state (in area) West of the Missisippi-Missouri River system, other than Hawaii? 
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    +++++ ending letters?

  • Canada and Mexico have long borders with the United States.
    Considering all 50 states (but not U.S. territories), under international law (which recognizes +++ 200 mile offshore +++), how many other countries share a (land or water) border with the USA? 
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    ++++ PR borders Dominican Republic, Brit. Virgin Islands, others.

  • How many countries share a border with Canada? 
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    [[[Techinically, France is one!

  • How many states are "landlocked" -- entirely surrounded by other states? i.e. which states touch no other country or ocean?

    Technically, the state of Connecticut is entirely "surrounded" by other states, because the official territory of New York touches that of Rhode Island. However, Connecticut does touch a part of the Atlantic Ocean known as Long Island Sound. That is why the question is worded as above. ++++

  • The famous "Four Corners" is a point where the states of AZ, NM, CO, and UT come together. Many other state borders have points that could be descrived as "Three Corners". Only one state does not?

    ++++ ??? states surrounded by only two states/oceans? ++++

  • What is the maximum number of neighboring states touching any state?

  • What is the maximum number neighbors any state has, counting as neigbors other states, countries, oceans, or the Gulf of Mexico.

    [AK?? PA=6? AK=6?. ---- any 7??]

  • A few countries of the world are entirely surrounded by one other country. Examples are Lesotho, Vatican City, ...

    Other than Andorra and liechtenstein, how many countries are entirely surrounded by two other countries (with no ocean border).

  • 3?

  • Name 5 countries that are entirely surrounded by one other country except for a border on an ocean or sea?
    ????? Name one on each of five continents (excluding Australia and Antarctica). 

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    N.B. The above was drafted by the author without the aid of maps or drawings. However, detailed maps were carefully consulted to assure accuracy prior to submission of the text.