Why the Lower 48 is not the same as the continental United States
In short: The contiguous United States is a precise geographic concept, yet we often confuse it with other terms. While the Lower 48 refers to the 48 adjoining states, the continental U.S. includes Alaska. Understanding these distinctions reveals how geography and political history shape our language across the American territories.
The contiguous United States, or conterminous U.S., comprises the 48 adjoining states and the District of Columbia. This region spans over 3.1 million square miles, making it comparable in size to Australia. If it were an independent country, it would rank fifth globally in total area, trailing Russia, Canada, China, and Brazil. Despite its massive footprint, it contains 99.13 percent of the nation's total population, according to the 2020 U.S. census.
Confusion often arises between the contiguous and continental United States. The latter includes Alaska because it is part of the North American continent. The United States Board on Geographic Names formally defined the continental U.S. as the 49 states on the continent plus the District of Columbia in May 1959, a definition reaffirmed in May 1999. Meanwhile, the term mainland U.S. is even more specific, excluding islands like the Florida Keys or Long Island that are part of states but separated from the primary landmass.
Language varies significantly depending on one's perspective from outside the contiguous core. Residents of Hawaii, which joined the Union on August 21, 1959, often refer to the 49 North American states as the mainland. Alaskans, who saw their territory become the 49th state on January 3, 1959, frequently use the term Outside to describe the contiguous states. In American Samoa, the same region is simply called the states. These labels highlight the unique relationship between the central landmass and the non-contiguous jurisdictions that define the modern American map.
Technical acronyms like CONUS further complicate the landscape. Used by agencies like the Department of Defense and the National Weather Service, CONUS has been defined both as the continental U.S. and as the 48 contiguous states, sometimes leaving the status of the District of Columbia ambiguous. These varying definitions serve as a reminder that geographic terminology is rarely static, evolving alongside administrative needs and the shifting boundaries of the Union.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Contiguous United States
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