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Here’s the American geography lesson you never got as a kid

C.G.P. Grey to the rescue!

 

Michelle Jaworski

Internet Culture

Posted on Jul 4, 2014   Updated on May 31, 2021, 12:34 am CDT

On the Fourth of July, the U.S. celebrates its independence from Great Britain, but 238 years later, how much do we really know about our country?

Most people will probably know the 50 states and Washington, D.C., and a smaller number would list Puerto Rico and Guam as territories, but very few would be able list some of the uninhabited islands the U.S. controls.

C.G.P. Grey shows which territories fall under U.S. jurisdiction in a new video just in time for Independence Day. Much like his famous video explaining the U.K., he breaks down America’s relationship with even the tiniest territories, despite many of them being inhabited.

Not only are they often left out of the map when discussing the U.S.’s territorial reach, many of their citizens are also unable to vote or be represented in Congress. Fixing that problem is a lot more complicated than it looks.

So happy Independence Day, most of you!

Photo via CGP Grey/YouTube

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*First Published: Jul 4, 2014, 12:27 pm CDT