"This book explains why and how state boundaries are placed where they are. It begins with general information about boundary placement, colonial boundaries, formation of territories, surveying and Supreme Court rulings. The 50 states are divided into ten regions (New England, Mid-Atlantic, Upper South, Lower South, Great Lakes, North Central, South Central, Rocky Mountain, West, and Noncontiguous). The text for each state begins with an overview of that state's boundaries that becomes more specific as its different boundaries are considered. The appendices include citizen and state nicknames, principal boundary dates, bibliography, and illustrated with over 130 maps."--BOOK JACKET.