2007-08-30 15:05:48 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Geography
Actually, the U.S has THREE geographic centers.
The contiguous (or conterminous - 48 states) geographic center near Lebanon, KS.
The continental (including Alaska - 49 states) geographic center near Castle Rock, SD.
The United States (all 50 of 'em) about 7 miles west of the continental center in SD.
In addition, the U.S. also contains the geographic center of North America, 6 miles west of Balta, ND
2007-08-31 16:37:00 · answer #1 · answered by skeptik 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The 50 United States: 44°58' North, 103°46' West - West of Castle Rock, Butte County, South Dakota.
The 48 Conterminous U.S. States: 39°50' North, 98°35' West - near Lebanon, Smith County, Kansas.
Mean Population Center of the United States
In 2000: 37°41'49" North, 91°48'34" West - 2.8 miles east of Edgar Springs, Phelps County, Missouri.
In 1990: 37°52' North, 91°13' West - 10 miles southeast of Steelville, Crawford County, Missouri.
2007-08-30 22:11:34 · answer #2 · answered by DanE 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
In 1898, a government geodetic survey pinpointed Smith County, Kansas as the geographic center of the USA, or Heart of the Nation. Smith County borders Nebraska, and Lebanon, Kansas, where the marker is, is the halfway point of the state. Actually the nation. Take a ruler and put it over any map and it measures halfway.
When Hawaii and Alaska became states in the 1950s, that threw out Lebanon as the center and it pinpointed northeast of Bell Fourche, South Dakota.
So the people of Lebanon came up with naming their center of the USA as the contiguous center, meaning touching, all states touching.
2007-08-30 22:27:25 · answer #3 · answered by simulwording@yahoo.com 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
One geographic center describes the center of the Lower 48 states, while the other one takes Alaska and Hawai'i into account.
2007-08-31 10:02:35 · answer #4 · answered by Ryan H 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Continental U.S. 48 states vs. all 50 with Alaska and Hawaii figured in.
2007-08-30 23:12:49 · answer #5 · answered by superbird 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
good question not really sure about that one
2007-08-30 22:54:59 · answer #6 · answered by Stymie 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋