As a West Virginia I founded very offensive that you said we always find our way to the bottom of the list, when it comes to overdoses and obesity we are at the top
This kinda reminds me of the u.s as a whole but the opposite. We’re number one in everything either good or bad. Number one in COVID cases, infant mortality rate, space travel, technology, medical research, gdp, amount of people vaccinated, biggest House sizes, amount of guns, amount of money brought home, strongest military, cost of healthcare, technological innovation, artificial intelligence, robotics, media, movies, billionaires, Olympic sports, higher education (I guess?), we’re the most generous people (wtf since when?), amount of roads, amount of dogs, beef and cheese production, natura gas output, oil production, nuclear power output, cosmetic surgery (eww), fast food, obesity. Basically number one in everything. Btw I got most of this from google lol
Both New Mexico and West Virginia have Majority GOP-Church parties running things. The reason for the poor conditions in both states is that the GOP-Church gave the Rich, the well heeled tons of tax breaks and reduced greatly welfare programs that help people. This is also why the GOP-Church Party will not go for the fewer states unless they are allowed to control the elections in each state. An example for you, Atlas Pro, is Dakota. Dakota had originally been slated to be admitted as one state. The GOP, thinking having 2 states would help them ironclad their iron hold on the senate, voted to split Dakota up to north and south. The GOP WILL NOT be willing at all to give that up....
As a german i can say that we redrawn a lot of borders at municipality level. As a european i can only say that trying to move a border usually results in a few decades of war
@@meatilicious1900 'We should've never drawn that straight line, I can assure you the man who drew that line has been shamed' *mustache gets ripped off*
tbh redrawing state boundaries will be a huge mess for sure but making sure every state government has control over various necessary resources like rivers and flat land etc will ensure better long term stability.
@@ishathakorbut doesn't take all of the settlement distribution. Chicago, for example. It sits on top of the divide between the Mississippi and Great Lakes watersheds. In fact it was founded because it was an easy portage between the two. Then there's the political division which can't be ignored. Chicago is what keeps Illinois blue. And any division of Texas that had Houston as its largest city would have a lot of conservatives freaking out. It would be messy
The Utah would rather create a Mormon theocracy then merge with Nevada, that’s the problem with this vid in theory it would work, but you can’t ignore that watch state has its own cultural and rivalry.
@@notchuckproductions5029 I used to live in Utah years ago and I couldn’t agree with you more lol Also, I’m waiting for Utah to legalise polygamy again on the basis that if two men or two women can get married then one man and 3 wives should be legal. If the definition of marriage is no longer 1 man and 1 woman then who’s to say its limited to just 2 people. From a legal standpoint the case can be made without much effort.
The Mormon thing is slightly overstated in these comments, speaking as a Non-Mormon Utahn. It is a real and present force, but it's not all-encompassing unless you're in some rural areas. Also, Nevada has a heavy Mormon population. The reason why Utah wouldn't want Nevada is because it would instantly be a huge strain on our economy and tax funds. Nevada has a terrible economy outside Vegas and lots of reliance on welfare, Utah has a very good one. Also, Vegas relies on a pretty permissive government, while Utah has a heavy handed conservative government in regards to gambling, alcohol, tobacco, prostitutiøn, and m@rijuana (yes, influenced by, but not controlled by, Mormon culture).
the use of water for pretty is how people in Las Vegas can afford to be alive in Las Vegas. without Bellagio fountains, stupid golf courses, and water parks, we would have no source of water but having it shipped in in exchange for whoring us out in the literal sense rather than the much more metaphorical sense. much of upper Nevada is farming and mining. the new cutting up would destroy my people
This wouldn't really be a problem in my eyes, I'd just assume the two separate sides would sort of become two different cities, like Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington
Chapters/Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 3:35 Example 1: West Virginia 6:06 Example 2: Nevada 9:14 Example 3: Ogallala 13:47 Part 1: The Fewer States of America 21:48 Part 2: The More States of America 24:29 Part 3: The African States of America 29:57 Part 4: The Natural States of America 32:21 Outro (you could put these in the description and it will split up the like timeline bar at the bottom of the video)
Im less likely to scream at the loss of size and more likely to scream at the loss of our 4 largest rivers and sharing every one of our aquifers with other states. Theres no way we would be able to sustain the San Antonio-Dallas-Houston triangle on such a small amount of water. Houston and Dallas are in the US largest 5 metropolitan cities. San Antonio is our 23 largest and the 2nd fastest growing metropolitan city in the nation. As of 2030 they are expecting the population to reach 24 million. And that number does not take into account the population outside of the triangle.
I think following the natural terrain is a great idea. Not just for boundaries but for building the electrical grid, irrigation technology and roads ways.
I think you made this thought experiment fun. I personally favor the watershed divisions because fresh water is the most underappreciated yet irreplaceable natural resource.
Except when you get sea level rise and create a new type of salt river. That freshwater might not be fresh anymore. Northern states might have a better sources than southern states because ppl are also dealing with temperature and things around the coasts. Regardless, mountains are safer bet.
I think the mountain ranges that divide drainage basins make better political boundaries than trying to use the rivers themselves as the border. A lot of the time, economic and social communities exist across both sides of a rivet. Plus you avoid the whole issue of changing the boundary line when the river changes its course if both sides of the river are in the same political unit.
I'd say the main problem with these hypothetical border changes would be less representation in Congress and literally everyone in the state would need to be fine with being forced into a different state.
get rid of the ancient absurdly complex indirect voting system and just use proportional voting system with small voting districts divided by population (that you cannot change politically without waiting 10 years to avoid gerrymandering).
Not gonna lie, it is pretty funny to hear (at around 30 min mark) how praire people/mountain people/etc are all very different when you show pictures of what basically amounts to the same city with a different matte painting in the background.
Yeah I kinda noticed that. Like a city like Nashville honestly has more in common with a city like Jacksonville than it does another mountain city like Denver. Where Jacksonville is also more similar to Nashville than another coastal city like Seattle. I think something left out is that we created regional identity. Both Nashville and Jacksonville are southern even if their topography is so different. And so their cultures like food, religion, and music are very similar.
@@ander936 agreed, I live in the south too. I’m originally from the Midwest though. And both regions have regional identities. We’ve also made state identities. Good luck trying to merge any part of Ohio and Michigan or Florida and Georgia.
The water based map would be amazing, dividing by bio-regions would also be cool, honestly your map you made or the water based map I think would be much better than what's currently being used
[Your Name] [Your Address] [City, State, ZIP Code] [Email Address] [Phone Number] [Date] [Congressional Representative's Name] [Office Address] [City, State, ZIP Code] Dear Representative [Last Name], I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. I am writing to you today as a concerned citizen to advocate for a unique approach to addressing some of the complex issues surrounding the management of our national borders. I believe that it is crucial to reconsider our border boundaries in a way that takes into account the natural divisions created by watershed districts, as declared by the United States Geological Survey. Our national borders hold immense significance, shaping our identity, security, and the way we manage our resources. By aligning these borders with watershed districts, we can harness the power of nature to promote sustainable resource management, ecological preservation, and environmental conservation. Watersheds are not merely geographical boundaries; they are vital ecological units that transcend political divisions. They delineate areas where rainfall and snowmelt flow into common streams, rivers, and eventually the sea. By redefining our borders along these lines, we can better manage and protect our natural resources. This alignment can ensure the preservation of fragile ecosystems and promote sustainable practices that benefit our environment. One of the key advantages of adopting watershed-based democracy is its potential to strengthen American democracy. By engaging local communities in the management of their natural resources within these watershed districts, we empower citizens to actively participate in decisions that impact their environment. This fosters a sense of responsibility and ownership, enhancing our democratic fabric. It encourages citizens to become stewards of their local ecosystems, which in turn, contributes to the broader goals of ecological sustainability and resource management. I kindly request that you consider this proposal and explore its feasibility with fellow members of Congress. While I understand that redrawing borders is a complex and sensitive matter, I believe that it merits serious consideration due to its potential long-term benefits for our nation, including improved resource management, ecological sustainability, environmental preservation, and the strengthening of American democracy. Thank you for your time and dedication to serving our community and our country. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this proposal and any actions you might take to explore this idea further. Sincerely, [Your Name]
I find it interesting how the 20-some states map is roughly similar to a native US tribes map. Just goes to show how rivers, climate and geography shape languages and cultures in the long run.
@@byrongsmithI understand the sentiment but I disagree. A video like this is more like a platform on which to stand and get a discussion rolling. You can't achieve justice without an understanding the factual, historical context.
@@loganwilcox4037 "You can't achieve justice without an understanding the factual, historical context." Agreed. And it's the glaring absence of this that makes this video so disappointing.
As a European, reading the comments is fascinating because I had no idea that state loyalties ran so deep. We get this outwards perception of an overtly nationalistic US, proud of the flag, anthem, all the pomp and ceremony of being American - not of being a Minnesotan, or an Ohioan, or so on.
@@All.Natural.Dirt. i heard that Ohio almost went to war against Michigan? I dont remember well but i happened in the 1700s or 1800s. The reason? Border problems.
We are both its like a family my room your room touch my shit i mess with yours but if you mess with one of us and your not family we will unit together under one cause... mostly
The only way I could see something like this happening would be due to some sort of SEVERE decades long drought. State borders won’t changed until every other possibility has been exhausted
[Your Name] [Your Address] [City, State, ZIP Code] [Email Address] [Phone Number] [Date] [Congressional Representative's Name] [Office Address] [City, State, ZIP Code] Dear Representative [Last Name], I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. I am writing to you today as a concerned citizen to advocate for a unique approach to addressing some of the complex issues surrounding the management of our national borders. I believe that it is crucial to reconsider our border boundaries in a way that takes into account the natural divisions created by watershed districts, as declared by the United States Geological Survey. Our national borders hold immense significance, shaping our identity, security, and the way we manage our resources. By aligning these borders with watershed districts, we can harness the power of nature to promote sustainable resource management, ecological preservation, and environmental conservation. Watersheds are not merely geographical boundaries; they are vital ecological units that transcend political divisions. They delineate areas where rainfall and snowmelt flow into common streams, rivers, and eventually the sea. By redefining our borders along these lines, we can better manage and protect our natural resources. This alignment can ensure the preservation of fragile ecosystems and promote sustainable practices that benefit our environment. One of the key advantages of adopting watershed-based democracy is its potential to strengthen American democracy. By engaging local communities in the management of their natural resources within these watershed districts, we empower citizens to actively participate in decisions that impact their environment. This fosters a sense of responsibility and ownership, enhancing our democratic fabric. It encourages citizens to become stewards of their local ecosystems, which in turn, contributes to the broader goals of ecological sustainability and resource management. I kindly request that you consider this proposal and explore its feasibility with fellow members of Congress. While I understand that redrawing borders is a complex and sensitive matter, I believe that it merits serious consideration due to its potential long-term benefits for our nation, including improved resource management, ecological sustainability, environmental preservation, and the strengthening of American democracy. Thank you for your time and dedication to serving our community and our country. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this proposal and any actions you might take to explore this idea further. Sincerely, [Your Name]
There's no need to go as far as redrawing the states when, while it may not be easy, better cooperation between states & watershed areas would solve all the problems drawing new states would accomplish. It seems much more practical than hacking up the states.
Its strange because a large part of eastern California is part of the great basin but the USGS still put those parts in the "California" and not the "Great Basin" resource region.
A lot of cities that are located on rivers suffer because one part of the city is in another state (Omaha, Kansas City) so a map, based on metro populations and geographic features would be an interesting one to see
Yeah that's what I though when he suggested splitting Texas in two along the Colorado river. Austin would have to be some kind of trans state unitary authority or perhaps it's own district like the District of Columbia is now
@@sumreensultana1860 gotta test them some where! I'm kidding of course nuke testing destroyed or rendered useless thousands of acres of wilderness. That being said I would love to see a hydrogen bomb like Castle Bravo or Tsar Bomba tested and recorded in 4K. If we could manage to not wreck shit but alas reality exists
I love how in almost every scenario, New England was it's own entity. If I had Twitter I would send you a map of the two United States. New England and Not New England.
@@maninredhelm Can confirm, even in CT (the closest New England state to the rest of the country) going beyond New York (the only state neighboring New England) is extremely rare... and usually is done via plane. We even call Philadelphia the south up here!
Mistakes were made! The boundary between Massachusetts and Connecticut was intended to be straight, but the surveyors were off and the settlers wouldn't move so there is an adjustment, the Southwick Jog, and it only took 150 years or so to make a peaceful agreement!
@@martinsriber7760 And the Spanish. And the Portuguese. And the Dutch. And the Belgians. And the Germans. And the Italians. And the Swedish. And the Danish. And the Russians. Am I leaving anyone out? Courland (Latvia) maybe? Edit: I guess Scotland gave it a go with the Darien Scheme now that I think about it...
old man: Hey Sykes! Got this fresh new idea to spice up our border drawing. another old man: Mmm, yeah Picot? Hit me with it. old man: *pulls out ruler, seductively*
People are like "The USA is weird. They have weird laws." It's because every state has its own government and laws. And every state can tell the US government to "go pound sand" on a lot of issues. There is a lot of independence in this Union. Lol
In Canada it's similar. Each province regulates its own healthcare system, its own education system, its own natural resources, its own infrastructures, etc. The Federal government basically only controls the country's military, foreign relations and navigable rivers and bridges
Yep and most landlocked countries (barring Africa, UK map drawing skills) are mountain countries ontop of it. So it makes sense for most to be landlocked. It was their own choice since they got chances to join Spain, Italy, Germany etc. but decided to be on their own. The US went: Mhm this square here is 90% barren and landlocked, I shouldn't but... IT'S NOW A STATE! New state: Help we need help! The only place in Europe with daily water regulation and where buyign water can be expensive compared to the rest of the countries is Spain, but that former island has alot of history of explaining why (platetectonics). And considerign their mergign with Europe created a mountain anyhow so it would be ankward for them to merge with France. Aside from complety different culture.
@@Dave_Sisson One of the examples of a good border of a country colonized by the british is New Zealand, you never hear any problems coming from New Zealand :)
In Southern Nevada, we recycle our water. So yeah, our tap water is our toilet water. Also here in Vegas, the city pays you not have grass. So we got a lot of R O C K S
In Tucson Az we don't have anything remotely resembling grass anywhere. We also don't have real trees. I may hate it but it is better than being like Phoenix who is just wasting all of our state's limited water
I realise this video is mainly a thought experiment, just wanted to add one anecdotal point as to why the Ogallala/Big State method wouldn't be as cut and dry as it was presented. Namely, this is just because the Great Plains states are far from one and the same. Even though they're often panned together as "the flyover states" and do have similarly structured economies, the values of the state's vary greatly. Nebraska for example has a relatively high tax rate which has fed back into it having good scores for education, infrastructure, etc. while the same can't be said for nearby Kansas, South, or North Dakota (e.g. the Kansas Experiment) Additionally the map included Denver in this state which has a wildly different cultural landscape than the Ogallala/Missouri/Great Plains at large. Ultimately I think, perhaps unfortunately, the time has passed for any major state remaps like this; as each state has it's own culture and state laws that vary greatly even between neighboring states.
@@imadeyoureadthis9124 the map on the time stamp. Toledo is the coast of Lake Erie close to the Michigan border. In that map that I’m talking about they did loose it.
This was very very interesting. You covered a lot of well thought out bases. I look forward to watching more of your videos. I love this stuff! It's pretty wild that your Great Basin state is almost exactly what the Mormon pioneers proposed as their State of Deseret (not to be confused with 'desert') around 1849-ish, if I remember correctly. It was never officially recognized by the United States Government but it existed theoretically for about two years while they created settlements all over the damn place. From Canada to Mexico, Oregon and California to Colorado. (The first permanent year-round inhabitants of Las Vegas: Mormons!) The water situation in the Great Basin is pretty friggin worrisome, that's for sure. Oof . . .
The obvious issue in this purely academic exercise is that none of the elected officials in these state governments would willingly give up any of the power they have. Once a politician is elected into office, their main and seemingly only focus is getting re-elected and staying in power.
Actually if you broke up California they would get more delegates and be able to have a more fair say on political elections. I mean how is it that a few small states dominate the narrative 50% of the population lives in New York and California?
@@PresidentFlip I’m not going to doubt the voracity of your number. My statement was made by seeing maps like this. So perhaps 18% may be accurate, but it certainly misrepresented the density of blue votes and why more representation of dense states is required for fairness.
@@RobinSentell I agree, and the electoral college so badly distributes these votes. It’s a fair point to make, though, when people (conservatives) speak in favor of diluting these dense votes by saying elections would be swayed by CA and NY (which they wouldn’t)
"I redrew the borders based on rivers and mountains" Me: Ok, ok, this sounds good Florida: *gains all of former Georgia* Me: This is absolutely terrible, horrible idea
The borders have become as much a part of politics as any geographical feature. Most people I know that have moved out of state did so primarily to find a more desirable political climate.
7/10 states/governates State of German America.... State of British Americans..... Plus Land factoring Do an equation factors all of it then you can efficiently Draw borders There are many factors
@@مريمداودي-ي4ص I don't think we'd want borders that would change when enough people of a given ethnicity move to modify that distribution. You'd also have to be careful not to turn it into another version of segregation.
Sounds like we should just go with about 13 districts... Then we could set up some type of annual games and have the districts compete with each other.
@@Mohojo Yeah, I thought the use of annex sounded a bit out of place for a legitimate purchase of land because today it's almost always used when referring to countries taking land without permission.
@@golden_gloo Annex as a term is intended for any form of land acquisition, and in my experience at least, the entire point of the word is to have a term that is completely neutral regarding the method of acquisition. It doesn't say it was right, it doesn't say it was wrong, it just says it was. Very useful for something that will by it's very nature almost always be a sensitive topic.
You have to remind people that live near Pittsburgh and Philadelphia that we are actually part of the same state. We're so separated we are completely different in every measurable way for people that live within the US. You'd think we'd have some great rivalry, but we deal with each other so little and don't want to pay to travel the 5 hours between us that we each have stronger rivalries with other cities much closer to us.
Yes, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia are as different as night and day. For example, here in Pittsburgh are the Steelers, winners of six Super Bowls. Philadelphia has won only once. We rule, they suck!
I keep saying Denver is at the intersection of like, all the natural systems. We're somewhere in that mess where three watershed borders happen; we're on the border of desert and not-desert; we're on the border of mountains and prairie. It's no wonder our weather is just "HAHAHAHA hold my beer" so often.
As a person who is from a country that has grappled with changing a major part of their identity for a while. I can't see any State in the union willingly giving up their statehood to merge with one another or to split into smaller states. The one thing I was thinking while watching this video is - that states would get up in arms and harp about their history and significance to the union. Even if it meant being still suffering from the many issues you highlighted. Add into the account that some people in those states already feeling powerless as is (just look on how extreme their views are getting) and suggesting a map change (even if it for their survival), would most likely earn you a passionate rant 'at best'. There's one thing I'm certain of, is that people are afraid of change.
I'm from the Northwest of America and I'd definitely prefer if our states (washington and oregon) had merged. I'm not the only one with that opinion either from what I've seen. (granted I live in what is essentially a border town, so a bit biased I guess)
@@brandon9172 I can see as the generations move further from historical events, younger generations, and especially the people who move around, that there will be less ties to their "home state". idk if we'd ever change our borders, but i love changing things up, i'd like to see a map that takes into account what borders the native americans would prefer too. either to claim as their own or share it with all
One problem I saw with the USGS water map was that northern NYS, specifically Clinton and Essex county were part of the Atlantic basin and not the Great Lake basin. So while it’s true that half of southern Essex County might be part of the Hudson River much more of it drains into Lake Champlain and thus into the Great Lakes system. But then it was a tiny map and the actual map could be correct.
Important to remember, California became a state before any of its neighboring territories, so they got to draw the border exactly how they wanted to without regard for any pre-existing territories (compared to say, New Mexico and Arizona, which were basically already drawn by the borders of the states around them, and we just decided the "shitty desert parts in the middle" could be states too)
very interesting perspective, I enjoyed this! I liked the water-basin map the best and it made the most sense, however, I would still prefer more states than that. like those should be districts, but then several states within them separated by major rivers, so we can still have a more localized-government system that is more in-touch with it's constituents
The main issue with redrawing these borders is you have to do it in a way where you don't politically disenfranchise half the country. Which truthfully is exactly what either side would seek to do with these borders.
If the state borders were to be redrawn, we would need to collect teams of geographers, economist, and sociologist to scientifically draw the new borders. However, politicians must not be allowed to interfere.
This already happens with the electoral boundaries. Very few countries do as much gerrymandering as the US to deliberately redraw counties into electorates. This is partly because if the electorates were kept to their original boundaries, key swing areas in or near cities would turn blue and the Republicans would be unlikely to get a House or Senate majority.
@@NicolaiParsons It works both ways. If you split coastal California from the central valley, there may never be another democrat president in your lifetime. If you split Texas along the Smith-Sanchez line, there would never be another republican president in your lifetime.
Same with the NJ and NY, the upstate part doesn't make sense to separate on the maps so it is just two states merging, with possibility of a few others on map.
@@RK-cj4oc its a literal fact? All of americas land had people living there before European colonizers arrived, and if you want to exclude that as it wasnt technically America yet, "Hawaii bacame a state" is reeeally leaving a lot unsaid.
Honestly I doubt ANY state would be willing to give up ANY land in their state borders. Edit: the States are all very much, uh prideful and don't like each other very well.
Im from Pittsburgh and I fully support using a shot of our city for "forest people" I personally call us the "Hill Folk" but there are so many woods covering such a comparably high percentage of the region that the connection to forest people really works.
@@RyguyK456 That may be the broad dictionary definition, but when talking about political science and international relations or law, annexation has a narrower, more nuanced definition that generally implies the use of force. When we say a territory was annexed by a country, we almost always mean it was taken unilaterally. Annexation is specifically differentiated from cession, which is when territory is given up voluntarily, as by treaty, which is most certainly what occurred in the case of Alaska. In any case, and with any definition, these words refer to the transfer of territory from one country to another and as such are completely unrelated to *statehood*. Alaska transferred from Russia to the U.S. in 1867, and whether it was annexed or ceded, that was more than 90 years prior to the 1959 proclamation of statehood referred to in the video where the word "annexed" is used.
The midwest states are different states because we were settled at different times, have different cultures, different people, and different politics. It's like saying all the Balkan countries should unite because they're in the same area
Agreed. We'd wind up having to make equal amounts republican vs democrat states just like we did slave vs free states before the Civil War. It's a sad state we find ourselves in right now.
No matter what you do, if you redraw the borders of Colorado too much you'll break what makes it work. The plains in proximity to the mountains are what makes it work, and even if you go quite far into the rockies, you still get people who identify with the state and are similar to others in the rest of the state. Same thing if you go East of Denver for a while, down south to Colorado Springs, or north to Fort Collins (Even Cheyenne, if we're feeling bold). These people would all agree we're more similar than anywhere around us, and none of the proposed borders acknowledge that fully.
this video was so fun! my fave possibility was the USGS map; if you absorbed those skinny border states into the neighboring states, that seemed the most functional option to me. thanks for all the work you out into this, it seemed like a lot of hard work but it was so interesting!
The water resource regions? That one should be used for rights, regulations, and projects involving water use... but since the existing state borders are mostly politically inclined, imagine all the chaos that would ensue if the borders unanimously switched to those water ones lol
@@Razor_Gaming Ohio is the punching bag of the US. Mostly because most people outside of Ohio know them by their trash sports teams. I've been there before and I didn't really think it was any worse than a lot of places I've been to.
I'm in Southern Indiana, and I recall when I was much younger there was talk about redrawing Illinois and Indiana splitting them horizontally instead of vertically. The reason is the northern areas of both States are similar in urban areas, economy, and politics, and the southern areas have primarily small towns and agriculture in common, as well as politics. Of course this went nowhere because the functional dividing line is not that clear-cut.
Very true. The North and South of US 40 split. One can even tell by the slight change in speech pattern and accent. You could almost extend that through Ohio.
I'm from northern Indiana and we are more industrial then Southern Indiana but I live in a very farm based community and I love being a hooiser. The idea of being stuck with Chicago disgust me.
31:20 you forgot the Sabine River. You need to add the areas west of the Sabine River to Texas. Those areas have a strong Texan identity that wouldnt accept that border. I suggest also find a way to make the areas around Amarillo part of Texas because those areas also have a strong Texan identity.
I'm from Mississippi, and my family is mostly of Irish background. Also the Scottish were the biggest group to move into the Appalachian mountains. My family was dirt poor, and traveled with bands of Native Americans, as they tried going west to get rich from all the gold out west. They got to Mississippi, found good farm land and just stayed.
@@pansagi can agree as well (former west virginian here). Shenandoah only flows along the eastern most point of the eastern panhandle ending at Harpers Ferry, WV.
I guess I have two comments - Three if you include “Wow, thanks, cool video!” 1. You’ve tried two different ways of using rivers - basically either using rivers as boundaries or using them as the “common ground” a community forms round. In reality, rivers can be both, largely depending on how wide, navigable and/or crossable they are. Someone with local knowledge of how the major rivers function in different places would probably be a good person to advise where rivers mainly divide people and where they bring them together. 2. Cities. One of the really crazy things about US geography especially (we have examples here in Europe too of course) is where major urban communities are split by state lines and can lack joined up government and administration. For example, suburbs of NYC that are in Connecticut or New Jersey - cities like St Louis or Memphis which have suburbs on the “wrong” side of the river - Gary, Indiana, which is a satellite of Chicago. At least one factor in redrawing state boundaries should be creating coherent municipal urban boundaries too.
Good point on the municipal boundaries! There's a few municipalities that are broken up by major rivers, including a few that you mentioned which are split by the Mississippi. Do you simply avoid using that river to draw boundaries at all in that state, or build in a seemingly random bulge to keep cities together?
@@rachelorlando6296 Agreed, but how often does that happen with modern major rivers? Aren't most rivers dredged these days, to stay the same course? Either way, can a line be drawn based on where a river was in a particular year? Wouldn't a river bank still be visible?
Large population states would never give up their power in the House. Small states would never give up their power in the Senate. Neither would ever allow the partition of any one or small set of states. It's not about resources or natural barriers. It's always about political divisions (even with drastic changes over decades).
Small states also have disproportionate power in the House. Each state is guaranteed at least one Representative. Well, some of those low-population states have their single Rep representing fewer people than a Rep in a state like California or Texas, so once again, small-population states get to dominate politically.
I’m sure someone is gonna reply to this saying something like “But Russia is way bigger.” It’s really not. It’s smaller in population and only a bit bigger in size.
@@WindrunnerB4 _"only a bit"_ is of course an understatement, if you add a whole Australia to the US it still would be less than Russia, but you're right in terms of population. Also most of these subjects are within the european territory which brings us way back to medieval times and separate principalities.
@@GURken Well, Russian european part is a big mosaics of historical states/republics - the Sibirean part cut into REALLY big chuncks like Alaska (which is not a coincidence if you think about it).
I think I really cool idea of a video would be a dive into how Canadian borders don't work. Everyone always generally believes Canada is tightly united but, as a Canadian, I have seen first hand how the country is heavily divided. I would love to see a well educated dive into my home country and more awareness brought to the struggles of having such a diverse country!
@@danielcorrigan8805 its funny that there was a movement for the Province to join the US, it basically would have resulted in a giant middle finger on the globe.
Nevada is basically the Monaco to California's France. It's a convenient way to keep businesses out of the reach of California's government while still dealing relying on its population economically.
The difference is that Nevada does everything on the cheap and has nowhere near the hospital capacity for either its population or for the number of people in the state at any given moment (tourists). If there were a major health disaster in Las Vegas, especially, people would probably be transported to California and Arizona for longer-term treatment.
@@christopheralberti I have been and it’s still not a forest and y’all have buildings that are 30 stories high.... like are we really gonna say Pittsburgh is in a forest like the Amazon. C’mon now sis
Well Utah at least I know wanted to be larger. We would've covered all of Nevada. As we repeatedly applied and failed for statehood due to the Civil War and everyone hating us, the borders shrank. Today though, I wouldn't want a state combination, as I feel like there would be a horrible clash of culture. Also we don't want to waste our water on the Nevada desert.
Biggest, glaring problem here is that by basing states on geographical features is that those features change over time. For an example, look at the states bordering the Mississippi river where many of their borders no longer exactly follow the river due to the river drifting over time.
The 20 watershed states is the best idea in my opinion! Water is a serious problem across the country and if the state bordesr are going to be rearranged, I think this is the best way to do it.
As a louisianian id be happy with anything that could potentially give us some protection from hurricanes. Bonus if it could help diversify our economy which is over reliant on oil and gas.
West Virginia was actually very successful at one point in its history. No, it's never been near the richest of the country, but people lived well, we had industry in timber and manufacturing. We were growing rapidly along with the rest of the country. We never seemed to fully recover from the great depression. The areas that did, mostly along the Ohio River, dried up after manufacturing left after the 80s (that area is like an extension of the rust belt).
[Your Name] [Your Address] [City, State, ZIP Code] [Email Address] [Phone Number] [Date] [Congressional Representative's Name] [Office Address] [City, State, ZIP Code] Dear Representative [Last Name], I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. I am writing to you today as a concerned citizen to advocate for a unique approach to addressing some of the complex issues surrounding the management of our national borders. I believe that it is crucial to reconsider our border boundaries in a way that takes into account the natural divisions created by watershed districts, as declared by the United States Geological Survey. Our national borders hold immense significance, shaping our identity, security, and the way we manage our resources. By aligning these borders with watershed districts, we can harness the power of nature to promote sustainable resource management, ecological preservation, and environmental conservation. Watersheds are not merely geographical boundaries; they are vital ecological units that transcend political divisions. They delineate areas where rainfall and snowmelt flow into common streams, rivers, and eventually the sea. By redefining our borders along these lines, we can better manage and protect our natural resources. This alignment can ensure the preservation of fragile ecosystems and promote sustainable practices that benefit our environment. One of the key advantages of adopting watershed-based democracy is its potential to strengthen American democracy. By engaging local communities in the management of their natural resources within these watershed districts, we empower citizens to actively participate in decisions that impact their environment. This fosters a sense of responsibility and ownership, enhancing our democratic fabric. It encourages citizens to become stewards of their local ecosystems, which in turn, contributes to the broader goals of ecological sustainability and resource management. I kindly request that you consider this proposal and explore its feasibility with fellow members of Congress. While I understand that redrawing borders is a complex and sensitive matter, I believe that it merits serious consideration due to its potential long-term benefits for our nation, including improved resource management, ecological sustainability, environmental preservation, and the strengthening of American democracy. Thank you for your time and dedication to serving our community and our country. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this proposal and any actions you might take to explore this idea further. Sincerely, [Your Name]
From the 60s-80s, Charleston had one of the highest median incomes in the nation. The Kanawha Valley was extremely economically-diversified, with government (state capital functions), the coal and chemical industries, manufacturing and the service industries these sectors fed--all thriving. It wasn't always a victim of its geography.
IDK how true this is, but I was under the impression that most immigrants coming into the US through Mexico nowadays are not themselves Mexicans, but people travelling through Mexico from Central America (i.e. people from Honduras or Guatemala)
@@pollymonopoly8803 Mexico needs to be more strict on they’re border control but they’re peaceful motto with the whole world is making a mess outta them...
I live in kentucky and I would love if west virginia became apart of us. I took a trip to go see some ghost towns in west virginia and I loved it so much! I would go back and travel the entire place if I could looking for old and abandoned stuff. The people are also the nicest ive ever met!
@@semi-skimmedmilk4480 I think his first statement was unrelated to the other. Maybe he can't travel there right now because of work or school but he wouldn't mind the addition of West Virginia to Kentucky even though it would have no bearing on his ability to travel there.
@@semi-skimmedmilk4480 I'm do not know where you are, but I think there would be a lot of political pressure from KY against that change. WVA is very much a low income, high poverty state along with heavy ecological damage from generations of coal mining. I think the idea of KY absorbing WVA would be very similar to Germany absorbing the former East Germany. Germany was finally able to do it, and I heartily applaud them for it, but I can't see it happening unless the federal government ploughs massive financial support.
@@sifridbassoon it is bad enough that KY has Ditch Mitch and Rand the short bus rider. We would also have the grifter Manchin if we joined with WV, the only state that has fewer people now than 20 years ago. At least we would not have the Sin lady from AZ.
i would love to se you do this to México there are so many diferent ecosystems, and now that we are having a really hard drought, it would be interesting to se a diferent configuration of the states mainly on the north and central región that actually has a higher industialization compared to the south of the country, greetings from guadalajara love your content
@@SharuezPJL Why do so many people think that the cartels run Mexico? That's never been the case and i'm sick of people thinking it's true. Yes, some states have a very high presence of cartels in them, but that doesnt mean they govern the land.
The Germans came in several waves. In colonial times when the King of the UK was also King of Hanover, many Germans came over founding places like “Germantown” PA and others became the Pennsylvania”Dutch” Later, after the revolutions of 1848 they went to both the cities like St Louis, Milwaukee… New York even had a neighborhood call Klein Deutschland on the west side and the farm lands
It was a lot easier to make Indian state divisions though, we just made a state out of people that mostly share common language. Like Gujrat for Gujrati speaking people, Tamilnadu for Tamil speaking peeople etc.
@@OkarinHououinKyouma Yeah there a lot of different criterion were used. Like the greater Indian Punjab at 1947 was divided into Himachal Pradesh (the hilly part of Punjab), Punjab (the Sikh part of Punjab) and Haryana (the mostly Hindu part of Punjab). United provinces was divided into Uttarakhand (the hilly part along Himalayas) and Uttar Pradesh (on the Gangetic plains). Indian part of Bengal was divided into Bihar (the Hindi speaking part), Odisha (the Odia speaking part), and West Bengal (the Bengali speaking part). Then Bihar was divided into Jharkhand (the hilly part with mostly minerals) and Bihar (the remaining part on the Gangetic plains). Central provinces was divided into Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh based on geography Ig. The northeast was divided based on language, tribe, etc. The south was divided based on language (much simpler).
@@adarshmohapatra5058 and even then some of those states present problems, like how difficult is to manage Uttar Pradesh due to its huge population. Dividing countries is extremely hard.
But the US has no official language at the national level and only 28 states have official languages, with English being one of them in all cases. Only Hawaii has a non-English language as an official, de jure language of the state, so that may not be the best plan for the US.
Fun fact, the straight line that separates Canada and the US is called the 49th parallel and was negotiated by John Quincy Adams during his term as secretary of state.
We should have taken the west coast of Canada way back when. That way you could drive from Washington to Alaska without crossing an international border. Also, it should have been 54^40’ or at least 52. What was England going to do? We already beat them twice lol hahahaha lol Actually the real reason its at 49* is because above that line were large numbers of Frenchman. We fought the French and Indian war and drove them north of 49*. Some were moved to Louisiana but that was before the Louisiana purchase took place lol.
@@prepperjonpnw6482 Actually during the war for independece you didnt beat them. You were getting destroyed most of the war the only reason you won was your allies and that UK didnt want to fight cause it was destroying their economy. So basically you were getting carried by your allies and UK just didnt care at the end cause of its economy. If you are talking about the war of 1812 it was the British who won the war and they didnt consider USA as a threat. They were fighting napoleon at that time.
@@theold4734 Yeah, people act as if Britain couldn't have handled the Rebels on their own in a one on one fight 😅 If the British used their full capability vs America... RIP the US 😂
Love your Natural States of America map. The problem with using Rivers as boundaries is large cities are often situated ON the rivers meaning, like your example of Austin & N/S Texas, a city would be split across multiple states, which would cause problems for municipal & metropolitan governance. I'd consider using the *watersheds* of the rivers and then creating the map the way you did. I'd be curious to see what that looks like. Maybe I'll make it! 🙂
he wasn't using rivers as boundaries. he was using watersheds has boundaries. not that it matters anyway. you'll face the same problem of split cities no matter how you redraw the map. besides, we already have cities that split between state borders, so nothing would really change except which cities they would be.
Why? Itd change nothing for those still living in challenging climates. Even if West Virginia started calling itself Virginia again... it wouldnt change the reality of anything for those living in current west virginia! It still be that same challenging landscape impossible to build a city on. West Virginians already have the ability to freely travel and do commerce through all states! This brain dead academic believes words change reality just like the rest of them. And to think that these are the "professional" deciding on things in America is quite frightening. Why do it? Seriously? Where is your brain?
@Tales Railton Yeah, all of our internal boarders are natural./Sim, todas as nossas fronteiras internas são naturais. E eu posso dizer só pelo seu nome que você é Br também!
@@Leyrann Sometimes the things you want are owned by someone else, but if you have a stronger army than said person there's an easy solution to that problem
@@chaosXP3RT the strong state identities stop this. The states themselves would have to do it, not the federals, and each state government is heavily effected by inertia. You might get past that natural process in one, but two is harder, three really hard, and past that it's basically impossible.
As a West Virginia I founded very offensive that you said we always find our way to the bottom of the list, when it comes to overdoses and obesity we are at the top
Lol
This kinda reminds me of the u.s as a whole but the opposite. We’re number one in everything either good or bad. Number one in COVID cases, infant mortality rate, space travel, technology, medical research, gdp, amount of people vaccinated, biggest House sizes, amount of guns, amount of money brought home, strongest military, cost of healthcare, technological innovation, artificial intelligence, robotics, media, movies, billionaires, Olympic sports, higher education (I guess?), we’re the most generous people (wtf since when?), amount of roads, amount of dogs, beef and cheese production, natura gas output, oil production, nuclear power output, cosmetic surgery (eww), fast food, obesity. Basically number one in everything. Btw I got most of this from google lol
Funny,...but also sad.
As a New Mexican, we're right there with you... On both ends of those lists... Plus in our case, first in car thefts. But, our home is our home!
Both New Mexico and West Virginia have Majority GOP-Church parties running things. The reason for the poor conditions in both states is that the GOP-Church gave the Rich, the well heeled tons of tax breaks and reduced greatly welfare programs that help people. This is also why the GOP-Church Party will not go for the fewer states unless they are allowed to control the elections in each state. An example for you, Atlas Pro, is Dakota. Dakota had originally been slated to be admitted as one state. The GOP, thinking having 2 states would help them ironclad their iron hold on the senate, voted to split Dakota up to north and south. The GOP WILL NOT be willing at all to give that up....
As a german i can say that we redrawn a lot of borders at municipality level. As a european i can only say that trying to move a border usually results in a few decades of war
Lesson learned...well, by some.
✌️😎
Well, the US is already due for a good old civil war.
@@kitkat47chrysalis95 Ez, use a trench mace
after all germany was just trying to be effective
Thing is were moving and effect our states borders not other countries
you can tell the map is well made because the lines are very squiggly
Map map map men men
Map men map men map map map men men men men
Map men fan. Very good
'So well just draw the line here disregarding all ethnic borders and divisions, can I _please_ have a sandwich?'
@@meatilicious1900 'We should've never drawn that straight line, I can assure you the man who drew that line has been shamed'
*mustache gets ripped off*
To me, as a Canadian, this whole video feels like "12 Creative Ways to Start another Civil War."
Or not
"12 creative ways to save the USA in the long-term"
Yup. You see very clearly.
They want power, and they believe they are entitled to it.
tbh redrawing state boundaries will be a huge mess for sure but making sure every state government has control over various necessary resources like rivers and flat land etc will ensure better long term stability.
@@ishathakorbut doesn't take all of the settlement distribution. Chicago, for example. It sits on top of the divide between the Mississippi and Great Lakes watersheds. In fact it was founded because it was an easy portage between the two.
Then there's the political division which can't be ignored. Chicago is what keeps Illinois blue. And any division of Texas that had Houston as its largest city would have a lot of conservatives freaking out. It would be messy
I think the biggest news here is we're going to have Dust Bowl 2.0 coming up in the 2030s. Fitting
Funny how that works right? Just in time for its 100 year anniversary
Don’t forget about the civil war in the next couple decades
Interstellar told us this too
@@alexsigmon3158 Couple of years.
History repeata itself
As a former Nevadan, I find it hilarious that in 2014 we scored 51 out of 50 in education.
Wait HOW?!
@@ziraydejesus8108 The District of Columbia (D.C) is my guess. It's not a state but it's not a part of any state either.
@@ziraydejesus8108 They let Nevada do the math. :)
As a product of the Nevada education system I am not at all surprised in the slightest.
Most of these problems are due corruption
The irony of combining Nevada with Utah can't be overstated. Las Vegas: the casino capital of America. Utah: gambling is still illegal there.
The Utah would rather create a Mormon theocracy then merge with Nevada, that’s the problem with this vid in theory it would work, but you can’t ignore that watch state has its own cultural and rivalry.
@@notchuckproductions5029 I used to live in Utah years ago and I couldn’t agree with you more lol
Also, I’m waiting for Utah to legalise polygamy again on the basis that if two men or two women can get married then one man and 3 wives should be legal. If the definition of marriage is no longer 1 man and
1 woman then who’s to say its limited to just 2 people. From a legal standpoint the case can be made without much effort.
The Mormon thing is slightly overstated in these comments, speaking as a Non-Mormon Utahn. It is a real and present force, but it's not all-encompassing unless you're in some rural areas. Also, Nevada has a heavy Mormon population. The reason why Utah wouldn't want Nevada is because it would instantly be a huge strain on our economy and tax funds. Nevada has a terrible economy outside Vegas and lots of reliance on welfare, Utah has a very good one. Also, Vegas relies on a pretty permissive government, while Utah has a heavy handed conservative government in regards to gambling, alcohol, tobacco, prostitutiøn, and m@rijuana (yes, influenced by, but not controlled by, Mormon culture).
the use of water for pretty is how people in Las Vegas can afford to be alive in Las Vegas. without Bellagio fountains, stupid golf courses, and water parks, we would have no source of water but having it shipped in in exchange for whoring us out in the literal sense rather than the much more metaphorical sense. much of upper Nevada is farming and mining. the new cutting up would destroy my people
@@prepperjonpnw6482
Damn, legal polygamy? 😳 😏
Dividing states by rivers means that many cities will lie in two states, which can be problematic, when it comes to finances.
Watershed was divided by mountain
Not river
River will be in the middle of the watershed(mostly)
This wouldn't really be a problem in my eyes, I'd just assume the two separate sides would sort of become two different cities, like Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington
Chapters/Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
3:35 Example 1: West Virginia
6:06 Example 2: Nevada
9:14 Example 3: Ogallala
13:47 Part 1: The Fewer States of America
21:48 Part 2: The More States of America
24:29 Part 3: The African States of America
29:57 Part 4: The Natural States of America
32:21 Outro
(you could put these in the description and it will split up the like timeline bar at the bottom of the video)
13:47 FSA
This is amazing.
Good idea
Not all heroes wear capes
thats's how the segments work?! woah
This looked like so much work
I could definitely use some of your edibles after this 😅
@@AtlasPro1 a scoop of special coconut oil in your coffee might be a little more up your alley for this kind of work.
@@AtlasPro1 LMAOOOOOIO
@@dhayes907 just dosed today;)
@@AtlasPro1 😌😌😌🌿🌿🤪
19:06, **Texans screaming internally as Missouri becomes twice the size of former Texas**
Funny thing is this Texas would still have a much larger population than Greater Missouri
Im less likely to scream at the loss of size and more likely to scream at the loss of our 4 largest rivers and sharing every one of our aquifers with other states. Theres no way we would be able to sustain the San Antonio-Dallas-Houston triangle on such a small amount of water. Houston and Dallas are in the US largest 5 metropolitan cities. San Antonio is our 23 largest and the 2nd fastest growing metropolitan city in the nation. As of 2030 they are expecting the population to reach 24 million. And that number does not take into account the population outside of the triangle.
@@santanas1879 that is way too many people in one place. Lol the idea of living in a big city with other people disgusts me.
@Southeastern777 Learning disorder girl here. I'm not seeing the connection between the original comment Texas and Alaska???
The entirety of the video I’m sweating with anger when he messes with Texas’ borders
I think following the natural terrain is a great idea. Not just for boundaries but for building the electrical grid, irrigation technology and roads ways.
I think you made this thought experiment fun. I personally favor the watershed divisions because fresh water is the most underappreciated yet irreplaceable natural resource.
Except when you get sea level rise and create a new type of salt river. That freshwater might not be fresh anymore.
Northern states might have a better sources than southern states because ppl are also dealing with temperature and things around the coasts.
Regardless, mountains are safer bet.
I think the mountain ranges that divide drainage basins make better political boundaries than trying to use the rivers themselves as the border. A lot of the time, economic and social communities exist across both sides of a rivet. Plus you avoid the whole issue of changing the boundary line when the river changes its course if both sides of the river are in the same political unit.
bro u ever heard of rain, all we need to replace freshwater reserves is a fuckton of fresh rain
+1 This!
Soil?
I'd say the main problem with these hypothetical border changes would be less representation in Congress and literally everyone in the state would need to be fine with being forced into a different state.
@@SerErryk huh
I think it would still be better. A full reset of the state governments with a more logical area to govern and a more cohesive state identity.
@@aaron-yw3ck
Nah.
get rid of the ancient absurdly complex indirect voting system and just use proportional voting system with small voting districts divided by population (that you cannot change politically without waiting 10 years to avoid gerrymandering).
@@ajuc005 Ellectoral College avoids mob governing, so do no remove it.
Not gonna lie, it is pretty funny to hear (at around 30 min mark) how praire people/mountain people/etc are all very different when you show pictures of what basically amounts to the same city with a different matte painting in the background.
Yeah I kinda noticed that. Like a city like Nashville honestly has more in common with a city like Jacksonville than it does another mountain city like Denver. Where Jacksonville is also more similar to Nashville than another coastal city like Seattle.
I think something left out is that we created regional identity. Both Nashville and Jacksonville are southern even if their topography is so different. And so their cultures like food, religion, and music are very similar.
@@jtom2958 yeah we’re in the south have I blanket identity I’m proud of, and it makes our states quite brotherly.
@@ander936 agreed, I live in the south too. I’m originally from the Midwest though. And both regions have regional identities. We’ve also made state identities. Good luck trying to merge any part of Ohio and Michigan or Florida and Georgia.
Salt Lake City and the Great Plains looks unbelievably different to me. That much flatness looks like an alien world.
@@gg-eo6ez I made it a mountain city considering it’s elevation and the fact it’s at the foot of the Rockies..
The water based map would be amazing, dividing by bio-regions would also be cool, honestly your map you made or the water based map I think would be much better than what's currently being used
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State, ZIP Code]
[Email Address]
[Phone Number]
[Date]
[Congressional Representative's Name]
[Office Address]
[City, State, ZIP Code]
Dear Representative [Last Name],
I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. I am writing to you today as a concerned citizen to advocate for a unique approach to addressing some of the complex issues surrounding the management of our national borders. I believe that it is crucial to reconsider our border boundaries in a way that takes into account the natural divisions created by watershed districts, as declared by the United States Geological Survey.
Our national borders hold immense significance, shaping our identity, security, and the way we manage our resources. By aligning these borders with watershed districts, we can harness the power of nature to promote sustainable resource management, ecological preservation, and environmental conservation.
Watersheds are not merely geographical boundaries; they are vital ecological units that transcend political divisions. They delineate areas where rainfall and snowmelt flow into common streams, rivers, and eventually the sea. By redefining our borders along these lines, we can better manage and protect our natural resources. This alignment can ensure the preservation of fragile ecosystems and promote sustainable practices that benefit our environment.
One of the key advantages of adopting watershed-based democracy is its potential to strengthen American democracy. By engaging local communities in the management of their natural resources within these watershed districts, we empower citizens to actively participate in decisions that impact their environment. This fosters a sense of responsibility and ownership, enhancing our democratic fabric. It encourages citizens to become stewards of their local ecosystems, which in turn, contributes to the broader goals of ecological sustainability and resource management.
I kindly request that you consider this proposal and explore its feasibility with fellow members of Congress. While I understand that redrawing borders is a complex and sensitive matter, I believe that it merits serious consideration due to its potential long-term benefits for our nation, including improved resource management, ecological sustainability, environmental preservation, and the strengthening of American democracy.
Thank you for your time and dedication to serving our community and our country. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this proposal and any actions you might take to explore this idea further.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
Agreed.
We’d have to name the southeast state Howdy Arabia and I absolutely would not stay here.
Narrator is an influencer undermining our republic ! By unifying state govts into fewer federally regulated units , it'll facilitate corporate control of more and more ! HELP! Cargill©®™ _qua_ Congress !
I find it interesting how the 20-some states map is roughly similar to a native US tribes map. Just goes to show how rivers, climate and geography shape languages and cultures in the long run.
Agreed. I was hoping to hear more about that in this video.
The absence of this topic makes this thought experiment disconnected from history, let alone any defensible notion of justice.
@@byrongsmithI understand the sentiment but I disagree. A video like this is more like a platform on which to stand and get a discussion rolling. You can't achieve justice without an understanding the factual, historical context.
Great observation, this pattern is even more noticeable at the state/county level.
@@loganwilcox4037 "You can't achieve justice without an understanding the factual, historical context."
Agreed. And it's the glaring absence of this that makes this video so disappointing.
"Leave border drawing to geographers, not politians"
-Kyle, Geography King
*laughs in european*
That goes with most things tbh, leave most things to the decision of a professional not a politician.
@@alfredorotondo laughs in Canadian... eh lol
and anthropologists
Are you kidding. Any division of the United States would be at It's core highly political.
As a European, reading the comments is fascinating because I had no idea that state loyalties ran so deep. We get this outwards perception of an overtly nationalistic US, proud of the flag, anthem, all the pomp and ceremony of being American - not of being a Minnesotan, or an Ohioan, or so on.
As an Ohioan I look forward to our inevitable future expansion. Be ready, be prepared, be scared, because we are coming.
As a Minnesotan I feel called out 😂 but yeah as detailed in the video states are to the US as countries are to Europe in many ways.
@@All.Natural.Dirt. i heard that Ohio almost went to war against Michigan? I dont remember well but i happened in the 1700s or 1800s. The reason? Border problems.
@@adrian_hook How can you still live there? all the social problems,poverty, hunger, etc JESUS CHRIST!
We are both its like a family my room your room touch my shit i mess with yours but if you mess with one of us and your not family we will unit together under one cause... mostly
The only way I could see something like this happening would be due to some sort of SEVERE decades long drought. State borders won’t changed until every other possibility has been exhausted
You can also just get a bunch of people to call their representatives
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State, ZIP Code]
[Email Address]
[Phone Number]
[Date]
[Congressional Representative's Name]
[Office Address]
[City, State, ZIP Code]
Dear Representative [Last Name],
I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. I am writing to you today as a concerned citizen to advocate for a unique approach to addressing some of the complex issues surrounding the management of our national borders. I believe that it is crucial to reconsider our border boundaries in a way that takes into account the natural divisions created by watershed districts, as declared by the United States Geological Survey.
Our national borders hold immense significance, shaping our identity, security, and the way we manage our resources. By aligning these borders with watershed districts, we can harness the power of nature to promote sustainable resource management, ecological preservation, and environmental conservation.
Watersheds are not merely geographical boundaries; they are vital ecological units that transcend political divisions. They delineate areas where rainfall and snowmelt flow into common streams, rivers, and eventually the sea. By redefining our borders along these lines, we can better manage and protect our natural resources. This alignment can ensure the preservation of fragile ecosystems and promote sustainable practices that benefit our environment.
One of the key advantages of adopting watershed-based democracy is its potential to strengthen American democracy. By engaging local communities in the management of their natural resources within these watershed districts, we empower citizens to actively participate in decisions that impact their environment. This fosters a sense of responsibility and ownership, enhancing our democratic fabric. It encourages citizens to become stewards of their local ecosystems, which in turn, contributes to the broader goals of ecological sustainability and resource management.
I kindly request that you consider this proposal and explore its feasibility with fellow members of Congress. While I understand that redrawing borders is a complex and sensitive matter, I believe that it merits serious consideration due to its potential long-term benefits for our nation, including improved resource management, ecological sustainability, environmental preservation, and the strengthening of American democracy.
Thank you for your time and dedication to serving our community and our country. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this proposal and any actions you might take to explore this idea further.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
@@avatarsingularity4088But nobody is wants this for the US
@@angelaburress8586 yes we do
There's no need to go as far as redrawing the states when, while it may not be easy, better cooperation between states & watershed areas would solve all the problems drawing new states would accomplish. It seems much more practical than hacking up the states.
I love how all these states combine, and then there’s just CALIFORNIA.
The configuration of our mountains makes it so that it really doesn’t make much sense to include anyone else. 🤷🏻♂️
Yeah California is it's own drainage basin. It made me laugh too tho lol!
They did this on purpose. They made sure all their water resources were within the state boundaries during their admission to the union
Its strange because a large part of eastern California is part of the great basin but the USGS still put those parts in the "California" and not the "Great Basin" resource region.
Thats because California isnt America put a part of China.
> Starts talking about Rivers borders
"Ah he must be near the end of the episode"
*Checks Timestamp*
👀
lol
A lot of cities that are located on rivers suffer because one part of the city is in another state (Omaha, Kansas City) so a map, based on metro populations and geographic features would be an interesting one to see
Yeah that's what I though when he suggested splitting Texas in two along the Colorado river. Austin would have to be some kind of trans state unitary authority or perhaps it's own district like the District of Columbia is now
Agree. So part 1 is the best option. The only problem was the great basin has too low of population. The solution is make it part of California.
Divided by rivers it is classist
It could actually help, because all states that have part of the CSA see visitors, who spend money and produce tax revenue.
Just make two cities - see Albury-Wodonga
As a land surveyor this would be an absolute nightmare to accomplish
Having lived there I can say that since 85% of Nevada is Federal Land that no one can live on anyway it's really not a concern.
Yeah they would literally test nukes
@@sumreensultana1860 gotta test them some where! I'm kidding of course nuke testing destroyed or rendered useless thousands of acres of wilderness. That being said I would love to see a hydrogen bomb like Castle Bravo or Tsar Bomba tested and recorded in 4K. If we could manage to not wreck shit but alas reality exists
Makes it a great place for astrophotography and star gazing.
You might even see the occasional TR3-B flying triangle that's in the news nowadays.
@@jeffreyhill1011 Right!? I agree on both counts.
Also we already are forbidden by law to plant a lawn we literally recycle everyone’s pee and drink it
I love how in almost every scenario, New England was it's own entity. If I had Twitter I would send you a map of the two United States. New England and Not New England.
That's pretty much how New Englanders see it.
and New York State's North Country must be included in New England
New England and New Europe perhaps? LOL
@@gildedbear5355 New Brexit 😂
@@maninredhelm
Can confirm, even in CT (the closest New England state to the rest of the country) going beyond New York (the only state neighboring New England) is extremely rare... and usually is done via plane. We even call Philadelphia the south up here!
Atlas Pro has gone on to making full length documentaries by this point...
Borders are beautiful and important invisible divisions to tell someone where you live and you can identify with.
no one:
atlas pro: *sees a straight line on a map*
Yeah we are going to have a problem with that
No one? You might be surprised how many people have problem with straight line borders.
@Alexa Tri Yeah, that's what British and French thought as well.
They are the bane of my existence.
Mistakes were made! The boundary between Massachusetts and Connecticut was intended to be straight, but the surveyors were off and the settlers wouldn't move so there is an adjustment, the Southwick Jog, and it only took 150 years or so to make a peaceful agreement!
@@martinsriber7760 And the Spanish. And the Portuguese. And the Dutch. And the Belgians. And the Germans. And the Italians. And the Swedish. And the Danish. And the Russians. Am I leaving anyone out? Courland (Latvia) maybe? Edit: I guess Scotland gave it a go with the Darien Scheme now that I think about it...
Some old men: draws straight line on map
Atlas pro: *and i took that personally*
old man: Hey Sykes! Got this fresh new idea to spice up our border drawing.
another old man: Mmm, yeah Picot? Hit me with it.
old man: *pulls out ruler, seductively*
People are like "The USA is weird. They have weird laws."
It's because every state has its own government and laws. And every state can tell the US government to "go pound sand" on a lot of issues. There is a lot of independence in this Union. Lol
In a weird way the U.S is closer to feudalism or HRE with how powers are delegates between Federal (Kingdom) and states (duchies)
That doesn't in any way excuse the weird laws.
@@beaverones41 I will plow my fields with an elephant if I damn well please, thank you very much.
@@MrKrumpetz I am guessing that is supposed to be a demonstration of freedom? The thing is that the weird laws are often a restriction of freedom.
In Canada it's similar. Each province regulates its own healthcare system, its own education system, its own natural resources, its own infrastructures, etc. The Federal government basically only controls the country's military, foreign relations and navigable rivers and bridges
5:27 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗵𝗶𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀.
Other Countries : "Smooth Curvy and Aligned to Geography"
USA: "square"
Yep and most landlocked countries (barring Africa, UK map drawing skills) are mountain countries ontop of it. So it makes sense for most to be landlocked. It was their own choice since they got chances to join Spain, Italy, Germany etc. but decided to be on their own. The US went: Mhm this square here is 90% barren and landlocked, I shouldn't but... IT'S NOW A STATE! New state: Help we need help! The only place in Europe with daily water regulation and where buyign water can be expensive compared to the rest of the countries is Spain, but that former island has alot of history of explaining why (platetectonics). And considerign their mergign with Europe created a mountain anyhow so it would be ankward for them to merge with France. Aside from complety different culture.
Well Canada and Australia did much the same and have similar problems with unnatural internal borders.
Even the county lines can be just squares - Iowa, for example
@@Dave_Sisson One of the examples of a good border of a country colonized by the british is New Zealand, you never hear any problems coming from New Zealand :)
@@rrb101567 Damn, all those Kiwis must’ve been lying.
In Southern Nevada, we recycle our water. So yeah, our tap water is our toilet water. Also here in Vegas, the city pays you not have grass. So we got a lot of R O C K S
Don't have to worry about mowing the lawn. just put down some nice soft surface to play on like sand. Or artificial turf.
@@A.Martin We normally just put rocks and dirt, it fits the aesthetic easily instead of putting turf. We will put turf in our small backyards though
I like the rocks personally
In Tucson Az we don't have anything remotely resembling grass anywhere. We also don't have real trees. I may hate it but it is better than being like Phoenix who is just wasting all of our state's limited water
If everyone uses rocks then you can still have a good looking neighborhood in the town
As an Ohioan I’ve never in my life felt such dread as when you floated the idea of combining with West Virginia
as a kentuckian, id hate to share a state with either of you
As an Oregonian I really don’t care
As a Floridian I don’t care *now get along*
as a wvian... please
I say combine West Virginia and Ohio and rename the whole thing East Indiana
I realise this video is mainly a thought experiment, just wanted to add one anecdotal point as to why the Ogallala/Big State method wouldn't be as cut and dry as it was presented. Namely, this is just because the Great Plains states are far from one and the same.
Even though they're often panned together as "the flyover states" and do have similarly structured economies, the values of the state's vary greatly.
Nebraska for example has a relatively high tax rate which has fed back into it having good scores for education, infrastructure, etc. while the same can't be said for nearby Kansas, South, or North Dakota (e.g. the Kansas Experiment)
Additionally the map included Denver in this state which has a wildly different cultural landscape than the Ogallala/Missouri/Great Plains at large.
Ultimately I think, perhaps unfortunately, the time has passed for any major state remaps like this; as each state has it's own culture and state laws that vary greatly even between neighboring states.
I work in WV and its absolutely remarkable how non-flat that state is. Ive done a lot of traveling and there is just NO flat land there at all.
Every kid walks uphill and down hill in snow to get to school
Yeah we just living on stilts out here
Yeah it’s crazy
@@jonathanmartin3767 No, That's "Uphill both ways".
"I work in WV" ... great, it's nice to know there's still at least one.
17:15 Never let Ohians see this map of "Greater Ohio" - it'll get to their heads.
They lost Toledo though and Michigan still kept the UP 😂
@@jtom2958 ohio didnt even lose toledo look at a map
@@imadeyoureadthis9124 the map on the time stamp. Toledo is the coast of Lake Erie close to the Michigan border. In that map that I’m talking about they did loose it.
@@jtom2958 atleast it has kfc
@@imadeyoureadthis9124 true
Watersheds: *exists*
Canada and the US: *STRAIGHT LINE*
Mississippi River watershed covers 42% give or take of a continental United States
look up the mess that is the northwest angle
Sounds like it's time for Canada's annexation ;)
@@stvdagger8074 And Elm point or whatever its called. Just...why.
blame Britain
This was very very interesting. You covered a lot of well thought out bases. I look forward to watching more of your videos. I love this stuff!
It's pretty wild that your Great Basin state is almost exactly what the Mormon pioneers proposed as their State of Deseret (not to be confused with 'desert') around 1849-ish, if I remember correctly. It was never officially recognized by the United States Government but it existed theoretically for about two years while they created settlements all over the damn place. From Canada to Mexico, Oregon and California to Colorado. (The first permanent year-round inhabitants of Las Vegas: Mormons!) The water situation in the Great Basin is pretty friggin worrisome, that's for sure. Oof . . .
The obvious issue in this purely academic exercise is that none of the elected officials in these state governments would willingly give up any of the power they have. Once a politician is elected into office, their main and seemingly only focus is getting re-elected and staying in power.
Actually if you broke up California they would get more delegates and be able to have a more fair say on political elections. I mean how is it that a few small states dominate the narrative 50% of the population lives in New York and California?
@@RobinSentell New York and Cali together only have 18% of the total population
@@PresidentFlip I’m not going to doubt the voracity of your number. My statement was made by seeing maps like this.
So perhaps 18% may be accurate, but it certainly misrepresented the density of blue votes and why more representation of dense states is required for fairness.
@@RobinSentell I agree, and the electoral college so badly distributes these votes. It’s a fair point to make, though, when people (conservatives) speak in favor of diluting these dense votes by saying elections would be swayed by CA and NY (which they wouldn’t)
@@PresidentFlip They’re already diluted. My vote is worth very little compared to North Dakota due to population size.
"I redrew the borders based on rivers and mountains"
Me: Ok, ok, this sounds good
Florida: *gains all of former Georgia*
Me: This is absolutely terrible, horrible idea
I don't wanna be in Florida :(
You don’t like Florida man?
@@NCC1371 He's like a polar bear, fun to look at, absolutely horrible to share a pen with
@@LeavingGoose046 lol
@@LeavingGoose046 As a Northern Floridian, all you really need to do is avoid South Florida in order to avoid the Florida Man.
The borders have become as much a part of politics as any geographical feature. Most people I know that have moved out of state did so primarily to find a more desirable political climate.
7/10 states/governates
State of German America....
State of British Americans.....
Plus Land factoring
Do an equation factors all of it then you can efficiently Draw borders
There are many factors
Although Asian states might secede
Really? You must be from someplace warm and sunny.
@@مريمداودي-ي4ص I don't think we'd want borders that would change when enough people of a given ethnicity move to modify that distribution. You'd also have to be careful not to turn it into another version of segregation.
Oof, I felt that sentiment in my soul
Alaska was not annexed, it was purchased from Russia, called Sewards Folly. Hawaii was annexed, the only state to have had its own monarchy
Hawaii: a kingdom vibing in the middle of the ocean
US: *They're mine, mine, mine, mine, MINE!*
First reply
Supreme Ruler, what the H E C K *(no swearing on my Christian Minecraft server, even tho I’m not Christian)* are you doing here?
Based US 😎
Hawaii: *category 9 bruh moment*
Sup Kim
Sounds like we should just go with about 13 districts... Then we could set up some type of annual games and have the districts compete with each other.
I think that ended horribly in the books tho...
Agenda 2030....
And then out of nowhere a girl from the measly West Virginia District 13 starts the revolution
Lol, winner!
And change Capitol to being much more centralized
Just a little thing: the US bought alaska in 1867 and it joined the union in 1959. there is no way the ussr could have done that in 1959
Annexed means it was added to something. When he said it was annexed he is saying it was added to the Union as before it was a territory.
@@Mohojo Yeah, I thought the use of annex sounded a bit out of place for a legitimate purchase of land because today it's almost always used when referring to countries taking land without permission.
@@golden_gloo it is normally used for that, so I totally understand.
@@golden_gloo Annex as a term is intended for any form of land acquisition, and in my experience at least, the entire point of the word is to have a term that is completely neutral regarding the method of acquisition. It doesn't say it was right, it doesn't say it was wrong, it just says it was. Very useful for something that will by it's very nature almost always be a sensitive topic.
Russia punching the air cos they had a chance to conquer Seattle
Nothing but respect to the amount of effort put into these videos, well explained, beautifully designed and really interestingly put
You have to remind people that live near Pittsburgh and Philadelphia that we are actually part of the same state. We're so separated we are completely different in every measurable way for people that live within the US. You'd think we'd have some great rivalry, but we deal with each other so little and don't want to pay to travel the 5 hours between us that we each have stronger rivalries with other cities much closer to us.
Yes, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia are as different as night and day.
For example, here in Pittsburgh are the Steelers, winners of six Super Bowls.
Philadelphia has won only once.
We rule, they suck!
@@jjjjquest9999 Really? Football is your measuring stick? Like you had anything to do with the success or failure of a sports team.
@@larrybrophy4681 They are joking.
“people” from Pittsburg shouldn’t even be considered human, much less Pennsylvanian
@@fort809 says the "human" that can't even spell correctly?
I keep saying Denver is at the intersection of like, all the natural systems. We're somewhere in that mess where three watershed borders happen; we're on the border of desert and not-desert; we're on the border of mountains and prairie. It's no wonder our weather is just "HAHAHAHA hold my beer" so often.
As a person who is from a country that has grappled with changing a major part of their identity for a while. I can't see any State in the union willingly giving up their statehood to merge with one another or to split into smaller states. The one thing I was thinking while watching this video is - that states would get up in arms and harp about their history and significance to the union. Even if it meant being still suffering from the many issues you highlighted. Add into the account that some people in those states already feeling powerless as is (just look on how extreme their views are getting) and suggesting a map change (even if it for their survival), would most likely earn you a passionate rant 'at best'.
There's one thing I'm certain of, is that people are afraid of change.
Which country?
@@oliverrainer5771 Probably Australia given the name
True
I'm from the Northwest of America and I'd definitely prefer if our states (washington and oregon) had merged. I'm not the only one with that opinion either from what I've seen. (granted I live in what is essentially a border town, so a bit biased I guess)
@@brandon9172 I can see as the generations move further from historical events, younger generations, and especially the people who move around, that there will be less ties to their "home state". idk if we'd ever change our borders, but i love changing things up, i'd like to see a map that takes into account what borders the native americans would prefer too. either to claim as their own or share it with all
One problem I saw with the USGS water map was that northern NYS, specifically Clinton and Essex county were part of the Atlantic basin and not the Great Lake basin. So while it’s true that half of southern Essex County might be part of the Hudson River much more of it drains into Lake Champlain and thus into the Great Lakes system. But then it was a tiny map and the actual map could be correct.
Can we get a downloadable version of your "Natural States of America" map? It's very neat.
EDIT: Nevermind, I just saw it on your Twitter profile.
I posted it over on Twitter @theatlaspro
@@AtlasPro1 aawwwa...................
DON'T SPAM
😂😂😂
@@waitwut.2749 the hell-
Interesting how California's watershed is almost exactly along it's borders, straight though they are.
They wanted _all_ their mountains for those sweet, sweet mineral rights.
@@E4439Qv5 for the water I think, they use all their water then steal it from the neighbours too. (Colorado river)
They took all the good stuff when they left Mexico.
Important to remember, California became a state before any of its neighboring territories, so they got to draw the border exactly how they wanted to without regard for any pre-existing territories (compared to say, New Mexico and Arizona, which were basically already drawn by the borders of the states around them, and we just decided the "shitty desert parts in the middle" could be states too)
We chose our own borders. That’s why they don’t look weird.
"It's time for the US to begin a new era of optimization" Have you seen what our politicians are doing?
Government is the most inefficient thing possible.
Its not meant to be efficient, just read the Constitution.
@@TheSkyGuy77 I've read it plenty of times, sounds like they wanted a small, strong, and efficient government. You must be an anarcho-capitalist.
Makes me want something smaller :/
@@tylerwhaley4872 they wanted radical change to be difficult. Just depends whether you call that inefficient.
@@d_all_in i wouldn't call that inefficient
very interesting perspective, I enjoyed this! I liked the water-basin map the best and it made the most sense, however, I would still prefer more states than that. like those should be districts, but then several states within them separated by major rivers, so we can still have a more localized-government system that is more in-touch with it's constituents
The main issue with redrawing these borders is you have to do it in a way where you don't politically disenfranchise half the country. Which truthfully is exactly what either side would seek to do with these borders.
If the state borders were to be redrawn, we would need to collect teams of geographers, economist, and sociologist to scientifically draw the new borders. However, politicians must not be allowed to interfere.
This already happens with the electoral boundaries. Very few countries do as much gerrymandering as the US to deliberately redraw counties into electorates. This is partly because if the electorates were kept to their original boundaries, key swing areas in or near cities would turn blue and the Republicans would be unlikely to get a House or Senate majority.
@@brucemccall370:
Under no circumstance should politicians, or former politicians,
be allowed active participation in ongoing discussions.
@@NicolaiParsons yep. The land of freedom is obsessed with making sure as few peoples vote actually matters
@@NicolaiParsons It works both ways. If you split coastal California from the central valley, there may never be another democrat president in your lifetime. If you split Texas along the Smith-Sanchez line, there would never be another republican president in your lifetime.
Love how New England is always preserved
yes
The Queen wouldn’t allow it
Same with the NJ and NY, the upstate part doesn't make sense to separate on the maps so it is just two states merging, with possibility of a few others on map.
"Now all the land on the continent was claimed by someone." I mean... that never stopped them before.
Edgy.
@@RK-cj4oc its a literal fact? All of americas land had people living there before European colonizers arrived, and if you want to exclude that as it wasnt technically America yet, "Hawaii bacame a state" is reeeally leaving a lot unsaid.
@@RK-cj4oc Dude, even ignoring the indigenous peoples, 1/3 of the US is land they stole from Mexico in a war. Plus, y'know, Hawaii...
@@andrewcleary9952 Owh mexico's land? that Mexico stole from natives? Yeah it is almost like every civilization steals land from each other.
@@RK-cj4oc that's an extremely shody excuse for genocide
Honestly I doubt ANY state would be willing to give up ANY land in their state borders.
Edit: the States are all very much, uh prideful and don't like each other very well.
Im from Pittsburgh and I fully support using a shot of our city for "forest people"
I personally call us the "Hill Folk" but there are so many woods covering such a comparably high percentage of the region that the connection to forest people really works.
Nice to see I'm not the only one who immediately noticed it! LOL
Is it true that folks call Pittsburgh "The Paris of Appalachia"?
Nah that was just a Seth Myer's joke. Everything else in that bit was spot on though
Eh, I really really wouldn’t suggest combining Ohio and Michigan. You might start a civil war.
Go blue
@@Gigika313 muck fichigan.
He combined Pittsburgh into Ohio. Michigan? OSU Michigan is overrated. Pittsburgh-Clwveland? World War 3.
See? ☝
@@NCC1371 up your.
Alaska was not "annexed" Alaska residents voted to become the 49th state. I know, I was there :P
@Jon Manriquez It was sold to the US but was a territory before becoming a state, like most other states in the US.
However, Hawaii was, indeed, annexed/stolen by the profit-minded descendants of missionaries.
Becoming a part of something else is by definition being “annexed”
@@RyguyK456 That may be the broad dictionary definition, but when talking about political science and international relations or law, annexation has a narrower, more nuanced definition that generally implies the use of force. When we say a territory was annexed by a country, we almost always mean it was taken unilaterally. Annexation is specifically differentiated from cession, which is when territory is given up voluntarily, as by treaty, which is most certainly what occurred in the case of Alaska. In any case, and with any definition, these words refer to the transfer of territory from one country to another and as such are completely unrelated to *statehood*. Alaska transferred from Russia to the U.S. in 1867, and whether it was annexed or ceded, that was more than 90 years prior to the 1959 proclamation of statehood referred to in the video where the word "annexed" is used.
@Jon Manriquez it was bought in the 19th century and became a state a century later so its different
The midwest states are different states because we were settled at different times, have different cultures, different people, and different politics. It's like saying all the Balkan countries should unite because they're in the same area
Michigan: “Can I have Toledo?”
Ohio: “No.”
Keep it.
Toledo belongs to the Glorious Buckeye State and will for all time. We stole it fair and square from crazy ass Michiganders.
@@nikburton9264 stole it try stabbed a guy for it and Michigan was like we don’t want those problems
Holy toledo! The fire in this comment section
Why would anyone want Toledo. The only way I'd be more confused is if someone wanted Youngstown.
31:20 uhhh... Tennessee? You doing okay there bud?
Probably where he is from 😀
@@greenearth9945 nah.. probably a late minute fix of some sort
@@Yurinsm yes, you can see a blurred white text behind it. Most likely just a typo/mistake or a name change.
Tennessee wilding
Haha! Glad I wasn't the only one who noticed! Tennessee is just a little antsy, should be fine.
With Washington DC politics being so disfunctional and unable to do almost anything useful, redrawing state borders is laughable.
This isnt for the current america. Might even be countries some day after the fall of this empire
@@GhostScout42 florida doesn't deserve independence
@@wizzotizzo 🤣
Agreed. We'd wind up having to make equal amounts republican vs democrat states just like we did slave vs free states before the Civil War. It's a sad state we find ourselves in right now.
No matter what you do, if you redraw the borders of Colorado too much you'll break what makes it work. The plains in proximity to the mountains are what makes it work, and even if you go quite far into the rockies, you still get people who identify with the state and are similar to others in the rest of the state. Same thing if you go East of Denver for a while, down south to Colorado Springs, or north to Fort Collins (Even Cheyenne, if we're feeling bold). These people would all agree we're more similar than anywhere around us, and none of the proposed borders acknowledge that fully.
this video was so fun! my fave possibility was the USGS map; if you absorbed those skinny border states into the neighboring states, that seemed the most functional option to me. thanks for all the work you out into this, it seemed like a lot of hard work but it was so interesting!
The water resource regions? That one should be used for rights, regulations, and projects involving water use... but since the existing state borders are mostly politically inclined, imagine all the chaos that would ensue if the borders unanimously switched to those water ones lol
I wanna see the water map become a reality, if only to name the states True Missouri, and Ohio Prime
Ohio. 🤢🤢🤢
@@AndrewDasilvaPLT >:(
@@AndrewDasilvaPLT what's wrong with ohio?
@@Razor_Gaming Ohio is the punching bag of the US. Mostly because most people outside of Ohio know them by their trash sports teams. I've been there before and I didn't really think it was any worse than a lot of places I've been to.
@@ggg21201 oh ok. Im from maryland and the only thing i know about ohio is the 3 c's (columbus, cincinnati, cleveland)
I'm in Southern Indiana, and I recall when I was much younger there was talk about redrawing Illinois and Indiana splitting them horizontally instead of vertically. The reason is the northern areas of both States are similar in urban areas, economy, and politics, and the southern areas have primarily small towns and agriculture in common, as well as politics. Of course this went nowhere because the functional dividing line is not that clear-cut.
Very true. The North and South of US 40 split. One can even tell by the slight change in speech pattern and accent. You could almost extend that through Ohio.
Wish they would
North illiana
South illiana
Gets rid of Chicago from my area
@@newbkillz7989 Illiana is the worst thing I've read in terms of state combos and I fear that's not gonna be beaten.
I'm from northern Indiana and we are more industrial then Southern Indiana but I live in a very farm based community and I love being a hooiser. The idea of being stuck with Chicago disgust me.
Northern Illiana would do like Illinois does now and Chicago would get all the funding while all the small rural towns went to rot.
31:20 you forgot the Sabine River. You need to add the areas west of the Sabine River to Texas. Those areas have a strong Texan identity that wouldnt accept that border. I suggest also find a way to make the areas around Amarillo part of Texas because those areas also have a strong Texan identity.
I'm from Mississippi, and my family is mostly of Irish background. Also the Scottish were the biggest group to move into the Appalachian mountains. My family was dirt poor, and traveled with bands of Native Americans, as they tried going west to get rich from all the gold out west. They got to Mississippi, found good farm land and just stayed.
The old fuck it this will do attitude truly what built America
He mixed up British and English with his flag use, so we'll never know what he means. Scottish is British, but it is definitely not English.
Fellow Irish!
My family has mostly US and Irish background but we've lived here for so many generations that most of the Irish is gone
@@jeremiahevans4175 so the alcoholism has almost gone away?
Hey, don't mock West Virginia's geography
Mountain Mama will remember your sins
I've been told the song is more western Virginia as opposed to West Virginia
As someone who lives in WV he's not wrong...
@@pansagi can agree as well (former west virginian here).
Shenandoah only flows along the eastern most point of the eastern panhandle ending at Harpers Ferry, WV.
Pansagi dammm now my idea of the song is corrupted
Is she a god of some cult?
I guess I have two comments - Three if you include “Wow, thanks, cool video!”
1. You’ve tried two different ways of using rivers - basically either using rivers as boundaries or using them as the “common ground” a community forms round. In reality, rivers can be both, largely depending on how wide, navigable and/or crossable they are. Someone with local knowledge of how the major rivers function in different places would probably be a good person to advise where rivers mainly divide people and where they bring them together.
2. Cities. One of the really crazy things about US geography especially (we have examples here in Europe too of course) is where major urban communities are split by state lines and can lack joined up government and administration.
For example, suburbs of NYC that are in Connecticut or New Jersey - cities like St Louis or Memphis which have suburbs on the “wrong” side of the river - Gary, Indiana, which is a satellite of Chicago.
At least one factor in redrawing state boundaries should be creating coherent municipal urban boundaries too.
Yea I always thought New York and New Jersey should be lumped in with New England but what do I know.
Good point on the municipal boundaries!
There's a few municipalities that are broken up by major rivers, including a few that you mentioned which are split by the Mississippi. Do you simply avoid using that river to draw boundaries at all in that state, or build in a seemingly random bulge to keep cities together?
Rivers change their course over time, and so make for poor state boundaries.
@@rachelorlando6296 Agreed, but how often does that happen with modern major rivers? Aren't most rivers dredged these days, to stay the same course?
Either way, can a line be drawn based on where a river was in a particular year? Wouldn't a river bank still be visible?
Also cultural, ethnic groups.....
Large population states would never give up their power in the House. Small states would never give up their power in the Senate. Neither would ever allow the partition of any one or small set of states. It's not about resources or natural barriers. It's always about political divisions (even with drastic changes over decades).
Small states also have disproportionate power in the House. Each state is guaranteed at least one Representative. Well, some of those low-population states have their single Rep representing fewer people than a Rep in a state like California or Texas, so once again, small-population states get to dominate politically.
when you accidentally try to split america into ethnostates
OOPS 😬
Lmao
@Hernando Malinche very bad idea, wtf are you on about dude
American Reich when
@Hernando Malinche maybe 200 years ago but there is not much of a difference anymore now. but either way thats not a good reason lmao.
*Atlas Pro:* "The US has too many states"
*Russia with its 85 subjects:* _sweats nervously_
I’m sure someone is gonna reply to this saying something like “But Russia is way bigger.” It’s really not. It’s smaller in population and only a bit bigger in size.
@@WindrunnerB4 _"only a bit"_ is of course an understatement, if you add a whole Australia to the US it still would be less than Russia, but you're right in terms of population. Also most of these subjects are within the european territory which brings us way back to medieval times and separate principalities.
@@GURken your right. I checked and somehow the first time I mentally subtracted 2,000,000 square miles from Russia. Sorry about that.
@@GURken Well, Russian european part is a big mosaics of historical states/republics - the Sibirean part cut into REALLY big chuncks like Alaska (which is not a coincidence if you think about it).
and Russia 11 time zones
I think I really cool idea of a video would be a dive into how Canadian borders don't work. Everyone always generally believes Canada is tightly united but, as a Canadian, I have seen first hand how the country is heavily divided. I would love to see a well educated dive into my home country and more awareness brought to the struggles of having such a diverse country!
Also I feel like Atlas Pro would jump at the fact that we have so many straight line borders. I mean have you SEEN Saskatchewan?
@@danielcorrigan8805 Yeah that's what made me think about it! Most of our borders weren't based on geography or culture at all.
@@danielcorrigan8805 its funny that there was a movement for the Province to join the US, it basically would have resulted in a giant middle finger on the globe.
@@danielcorrigan8805 Manitoba Saskatchewan border makes me 🤢🤮
I would like to see that too because I know very little about Canada
Nevada is basically the Monaco to California's France. It's a convenient way to keep businesses out of the reach of California's government while still dealing relying on its population economically.
The difference is that Nevada does everything on the cheap and has nowhere near the hospital capacity for either its population or for the number of people in the state at any given moment (tourists). If there were a major health disaster in Las Vegas, especially, people would probably be transported to California and Arizona for longer-term treatment.
Atlas Pro: "Now we know better."
Me "Is this a crossover?"
I wish!
*“Forest* *People”* then continues to show a clip of a large city with only a couple of bushes😂😂😂
As a Virginian forest people is pretty accurate. Trees are everywhere on the east coast.
@@Darkdjinn79 I am also a Virginian... and the picture still didn’t reflect a “forest” lol like what.
Large City?? The clip is Pittsburgh which is more like a 'big, small town'
It shows Pittsburgh, where I love, and if youve ever been you'd understand. We have a lot of trees and forests even in the urban areas.
@@christopheralberti I have been and it’s still not a forest and y’all have buildings that are 30 stories high.... like are we really gonna say Pittsburgh is in a forest like the Amazon. C’mon now sis
It's wild how much stuff today is done out of tradition etc instead of efficiency.
Well Utah at least I know wanted to be larger. We would've covered all of Nevada. As we repeatedly applied and failed for statehood due to the Civil War and everyone hating us, the borders shrank.
Today though, I wouldn't want a state combination, as I feel like there would be a horrible clash of culture. Also we don't want to waste our water on the Nevada desert.
one of the weirdest things about everything is how tradition is almost always objectively bad
@@alanivar2752 Confirmed. Christmas trees, as a German tradition, are almost always objectively bad.
@@WasatchWind based anti-germanism
@@Kenfren Good Heavens, look at the time!
**DESTROY EUROPE** INTENSIFIES
Me, a Michigander, loving that someone finally allowed us to anex Sandusky
Me, a Michigander: Gimme all the lakes.
Cedar point is all that matters!!!
Toledo War 2: Electric Boogaloo.
Gotta get all that cedar point tourism money
You better hand over the UP to us Wisconsinites though.
Biggest, glaring problem here is that by basing states on geographical features is that those features change over time. For an example, look at the states bordering the Mississippi river where many of their borders no longer exactly follow the river due to the river drifting over time.
The 20 watershed states is the best idea in my opinion! Water is a serious problem across the country and if the state bordesr are going to be rearranged, I think this is the best way to do it.
As a louisianian id be happy with anything that could potentially give us some protection from hurricanes. Bonus if it could help diversify our economy which is over reliant on oil and gas.
When you accidentally create Panem from
The Hunger Games.
Yeah, you’d be a hit in The Capitol.
XD he's making the hunger games a reality
XD he's making the hunger games a reality
XD he's making the hunger games a reality
XD he’s making the hunger games a reality
XD he's making the hunger games a reality
West Virginia was actually very successful at one point in its history. No, it's never been near the richest of the country, but people lived well, we had industry in timber and manufacturing. We were growing rapidly along with the rest of the country.
We never seemed to fully recover from the great depression. The areas that did, mostly along the Ohio River, dried up after manufacturing left after the 80s (that area is like an extension of the rust belt).
West Virginia was also heavily dependent on non-sustainable practices, providing raw materials for now outdated processes and technologies. 31:10
I think states like West Virginia would benefit from attracting remote employees that aren't tied to the big cities.
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State, ZIP Code]
[Email Address]
[Phone Number]
[Date]
[Congressional Representative's Name]
[Office Address]
[City, State, ZIP Code]
Dear Representative [Last Name],
I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. I am writing to you today as a concerned citizen to advocate for a unique approach to addressing some of the complex issues surrounding the management of our national borders. I believe that it is crucial to reconsider our border boundaries in a way that takes into account the natural divisions created by watershed districts, as declared by the United States Geological Survey.
Our national borders hold immense significance, shaping our identity, security, and the way we manage our resources. By aligning these borders with watershed districts, we can harness the power of nature to promote sustainable resource management, ecological preservation, and environmental conservation.
Watersheds are not merely geographical boundaries; they are vital ecological units that transcend political divisions. They delineate areas where rainfall and snowmelt flow into common streams, rivers, and eventually the sea. By redefining our borders along these lines, we can better manage and protect our natural resources. This alignment can ensure the preservation of fragile ecosystems and promote sustainable practices that benefit our environment.
One of the key advantages of adopting watershed-based democracy is its potential to strengthen American democracy. By engaging local communities in the management of their natural resources within these watershed districts, we empower citizens to actively participate in decisions that impact their environment. This fosters a sense of responsibility and ownership, enhancing our democratic fabric. It encourages citizens to become stewards of their local ecosystems, which in turn, contributes to the broader goals of ecological sustainability and resource management.
I kindly request that you consider this proposal and explore its feasibility with fellow members of Congress. While I understand that redrawing borders is a complex and sensitive matter, I believe that it merits serious consideration due to its potential long-term benefits for our nation, including improved resource management, ecological sustainability, environmental preservation, and the strengthening of American democracy.
Thank you for your time and dedication to serving our community and our country. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this proposal and any actions you might take to explore this idea further.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
id call it part of the rust belt
From the 60s-80s, Charleston had one of the highest median incomes in the nation. The Kanawha Valley was extremely economically-diversified, with government (state capital functions), the coal and chemical industries, manufacturing and the service industries these sectors fed--all thriving. It wasn't always a victim of its geography.
IDK how true this is, but I was under the impression that most immigrants coming into the US through Mexico nowadays are not themselves Mexicans, but people travelling through Mexico from Central America (i.e. people from Honduras or Guatemala)
It is true. In 2014, children from Central America to the us-mexico border surpassed the Mexican children spotted at the border for the first time.
Not wrong ngl but it’s also Mexicans
Also people from the middle east. They fly to Mexico or South America and then make the same journey.
@@pollymonopoly8803 I hadn’t heard that before; that’s interesting
@@pollymonopoly8803 Mexico needs to be more strict on they’re border control but they’re peaceful motto with the whole world is making a mess outta them...
Brilliant. I think we all would agree. Thank you.
There's a very old saying in the Mountain West: "Whiskey is for drinkin'; water's for fightin' over."
He lost me when he said "get rid of golf courses".... GO TO HELL ATLAS PRO.
I live in kentucky and I would love if west virginia became apart of us. I took a trip to go see some ghost towns in west virginia and I loved it so much! I would go back and travel the entire place if I could looking for old and abandoned stuff. The people are also the nicest ive ever met!
You're literally the same country... you can travel there easily?
@@semi-skimmedmilk4480 I think his first statement was unrelated to the other. Maybe he can't travel there right now because of work or school but he wouldn't mind the addition of West Virginia to Kentucky even though it would have no bearing on his ability to travel there.
@@Razor-gx2dq ahh I see! That does actually make sense. Pursuant to that being true, Mr W.T. Burton, I apologise for the sarky comment!
@@semi-skimmedmilk4480 I'm do not know where you are, but I think there would be a lot of political pressure from KY against that change. WVA is very much a low income, high poverty state along with heavy ecological damage from generations of coal mining. I think the idea of KY absorbing WVA would be very similar to Germany absorbing the former East Germany. Germany was finally able to do it, and I heartily applaud them for it, but I can't see it happening unless the federal government ploughs massive financial support.
@@sifridbassoon it is bad enough that KY has Ditch Mitch and Rand the short bus rider. We would also have the grifter Manchin if we joined with WV, the only state that has fewer people now than 20 years ago. At least we would not have the Sin lady from AZ.
i would love to se you do this to México there are so many diferent ecosystems, and now that we are having a really hard drought, it would be interesting to se a diferent configuration of the states mainly on the north and central región that actually has a higher industialization compared to the south of the country, greetings from guadalajara love your content
Nuevo León: the REAL 51st US state 😈
@@jordanwutkee2548 Hell no
Nos urge un rearreglo en mexico en especial en la region de la laguna en coahuila y durango, no tenemos agua.
you cant tho... the mexican government cant even do it... the cartels decide what territories belong to mexico
@@SharuezPJL Why do so many people think that the cartels run Mexico? That's never been the case and i'm sick of people thinking it's true. Yes, some states have a very high presence of cartels in them, but that doesnt mean they govern the land.
The Germans came in several waves. In colonial times when the King of the UK was also King of Hanover, many Germans came over founding places like “Germantown” PA and others became the Pennsylvania”Dutch”
Later, after the revolutions of 1848 they went to both the cities like St Louis, Milwaukee… New York even had a neighborhood call Klein Deutschland on the west side and the farm lands
It was a lot easier to make Indian state divisions though, we just made a state out of people that mostly share common language. Like Gujrat for Gujrati speaking people, Tamilnadu for Tamil speaking peeople etc.
@@OkarinHououinKyouma Yeah there a lot of different criterion were used.
Like the greater Indian Punjab at 1947 was divided into Himachal Pradesh (the hilly part of Punjab), Punjab (the Sikh part of Punjab) and Haryana (the mostly Hindu part of Punjab). United provinces was divided into Uttarakhand (the hilly part along Himalayas) and Uttar Pradesh (on the Gangetic plains). Indian part of Bengal was divided into Bihar (the Hindi speaking part), Odisha (the Odia speaking part), and West Bengal (the Bengali speaking part). Then Bihar was divided into Jharkhand (the hilly part with mostly minerals) and Bihar (the remaining part on the Gangetic plains). Central provinces was divided into Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh based on geography Ig. The northeast was divided based on language, tribe, etc. The south was divided based on language (much simpler).
@@adarshmohapatra5058 and even then some of those states present problems, like how difficult is to manage Uttar Pradesh due to its huge population. Dividing countries is extremely hard.
@@rodrisuarez7218 and there's also other things, like the andra-telangana split
**ahem** Pakistan and Bangladesh would like a word.
But the US has no official language at the national level and only 28 states have official languages, with English being one of them in all cases. Only Hawaii has a non-English language as an official, de jure language of the state, so that may not be the best plan for the US.
Fun fact, the straight line that separates Canada and the US is called the 49th parallel and was negotiated by John Quincy Adams during his term as secretary of state.
54° 40' !
We should have never given up that fight.
Shame he couldn’t get us the whole parallel
We should have taken the west coast of Canada way back when. That way you could drive from Washington to Alaska without crossing an international border. Also, it should have been 54^40’ or at least 52. What was England going to do? We already beat them twice lol hahahaha lol
Actually the real reason its at 49* is because above that line were large numbers of Frenchman. We fought the French and Indian war and drove them north of 49*. Some were moved to Louisiana but that was before the Louisiana purchase took place lol.
@@prepperjonpnw6482 Actually during the war for independece you didnt beat them. You were getting destroyed most of the war the only reason you won was your allies and that UK didnt want to fight cause it was destroying their economy. So basically you were getting carried by your allies and UK just didnt care at the end cause of its economy.
If you are talking about the war of 1812 it was the British who won the war and they didnt consider USA as a threat. They were fighting napoleon at that time.
@@theold4734
Yeah, people act as if Britain couldn't have handled the Rebels on their own in a one on one fight 😅
If the British used their full capability vs America... RIP the US 😂
Love your Natural States of America map. The problem with using Rivers as boundaries is large cities are often situated ON the rivers meaning, like your example of Austin & N/S Texas, a city would be split across multiple states, which would cause problems for municipal & metropolitan governance. I'd consider using the *watersheds* of the rivers and then creating the map the way you did. I'd be curious to see what that looks like. Maybe I'll make it! 🙂
Please do - I would be very interested in seeing that map.
he wasn't using rivers as boundaries. he was using watersheds has boundaries. not that it matters anyway. you'll face the same problem of split cities no matter how you redraw the map. besides, we already have cities that split between state borders, so nothing would really change except which cities they would be.
kansas city is doing just fine
@@saintnicole3209 Which half?😆
@@alaunaenpunto3690 Omaha and Council Bluffs are one metropolitan area, but really 2 completely separate cities.
First watch of yours. Good work, great information. Keep it up.
Why? Itd change nothing for those still living in challenging climates. Even if West Virginia started calling itself Virginia again... it wouldnt change the reality of anything for those living in current west virginia! It still be that same challenging landscape impossible to build a city on. West Virginians already have the ability to freely travel and do commerce through all states! This brain dead academic believes words change reality just like the rest of them. And to think that these are the "professional" deciding on things in America is quite frightening. Why do it? Seriously? Where is your brain?
Brazil uses natural barriers to make his internal divisions. Maybe be interesting for a further video
@Tales Railton Yeah, all of our internal boarders are natural./Sim, todas as nossas fronteiras internas são naturais. E eu posso dizer só pelo seu nome que você é Br também!
Actually some borders are lines, like the Amazonas/Acre, Amazonas/Pará and Mato Grosso/Pará. But it's a way better division than America's
Well however you get to a better layout for your states i do not recommend following the method Europe used.
Centuries of near constant war
We should look at why we had all those wars, and then just divide the states without actually having the wars.
@@Leyrann Sometimes the things you want are owned by someone else, but if you have a stronger army than said person there's an easy solution to that problem
@@johannes4123 but sometimes you have a stronger army but you can't reach well the land you want to own, there's where you divide by natural barriers
It'll never happen. US state governments love screaming at each other and the US government
@@chaosXP3RT the strong state identities stop this. The states themselves would have to do it, not the federals, and each state government is heavily effected by inertia.
You might get past that natural process in one, but two is harder, three really hard, and past that it's basically impossible.