How is the shape of a state determined?

Question

ive often wonder how the shape is determined? like texas, is the biggest state on the map, but it isn't the biggest state in population

Answer 1

A state's shape is determinded by how it bacame part of the territory of the United States. Over history, the USA has aquired land sections from Mexico and each new section was given a name. Arizona (where I live) was the last mainland state aquired and the border was drawn from Southern California to Southern New Mexico.

Answer 2

Some states, like Texas were set up as rural places Americans managed to wrest control from the native peoples. Normally a few traders made conections with indigenous groups, set up exchanges, and when armed conflicts started waged war against another group...and so on. Boundaries were then measured when an area became stablized enough to establish homesteads and then a government. Some boundaries are natural, like a river, but most were just lines on a map made up by surveyors hired by landowners, or governments.

Answer 3

I don't really know, but I assume that mountain ridges, rivers, and other natural formations have some say in it. Past that, I would say the square edges on some states are due to how counties are broken up.

Sorry I don't know much!

Answer 4

Since states are admitted to the union by act of Congress, it can be anything. Political reasons are probably the number one answer.

Answer 5

each states land area is determined by when they entered the union to the United States and how large the state is for example:
Alabama:51,705 sq. miles
Alaska:591,004 sq. miles

Answer 6

it should follow the terrain of the area and follow natural boundaries like rivers and other bodies of water and mountains, hills, etc.