50 new states project

[justfollowingtheelections]

I'm working on a project where 50 new states are created and what I am trying to do is make all states have approximately the same population.
The new states will include not only the 50 already existing ones, but also DC and the territories.  The idea behind the project is simple.  In order to trim down the number of states/territories from 56 to 50, I merge the smallest state/territory with the smallest state/territory it neighbors with.  If the state/territory doesn't neighbor any other state/territory, then I merge it with the one it is closest to both in distance and culturally.
So far I have done the following:

-Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa have been annexed by Hawai'i.
- U.S. Virgin Islands have been annexed by Puerto Rico.
- D.C. has returned to Maryland.
- Wyoming has been annexed by South Dakota.
- Vermont has been annexed by New Hampshire.

This leaves us with 49 states (the 50 existing ones, plus Puerto Rico, minus Wyoming and Vermont) and the next step is to split the largest state into two states of approximately the same population.

That state is of course California and the reason I am starting this discussion is to ask you, how would you divide California into two states (the two states must have approximately the same population) and what would you call them?
Thanks in advance for your help

[justfollowingtheelections]

btw, I'm using this population data:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_population

[Joe Biden 2020]

I'm working on a project where 50 new states are created and what I am trying to do is make all states have approximately the same population.
The new states will include not only the 50 already existing ones, but also DC and the territories.  The idea behind the project is simple.  In order to trim down the number of states/territories from 56 to 50, I merge the smallest state/territory with the smallest state/territory it neighbors with.  If the state/territory doesn't neighbor any other state/territory, then I merge it with the one it is closest to both in distance and culturally.
So far I have done the following:

-Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa have been annexed by Hawai'i.
- U.S. Virgin Islands have been annexed by Puerto Rico.
- D.C. has returned to Maryland.
- Wyoming has been annexed by South Dakota.
- Vermont has been annexed by New Hampshire.

This leaves us with 49 states (the 50 existing ones, plus Puerto Rico, minus Wyoming and Vermont) and the next step is to split the largest state into two states of approximately the same population.

That state is of course California and the reason I am starting this discussion is to ask you, how would you divide California into two states (the two states must have approximately the same population) and what would you call them?
Thanks in advance for your help

First, let's annex the metropolitan areas of Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada and Yuma, Arizona.  (The rest of Nevada can be split between Idaho and Utah).

I would divide California into three states.  "NoCal" from I-80 to the Oregon State Line including San Francisco, Reno, and Sacramento as the Capitol City.  "Silicon Valley" from the I-80 Corridor to the I-15 Corridor and from Nevada to the Pacific including Los Angeles and Oxnard and with the Capitol City of Fresno.  "Mojave" from the I-15 corridor south to the Mexican Border including Las Vegas and San Diego and Yuma with the Capitol City being San Diego.

[justfollowingtheelections]

I'm working on a project where 50 new states are created and what I am trying to do is make all states have approximately the same population.
The new states will include not only the 50 already existing ones, but also DC and the territories.  The idea behind the project is simple.  In order to trim down the number of states/territories from 56 to 50, I merge the smallest state/territory with the smallest state/territory it neighbors with.  If the state/territory doesn't neighbor any other state/territory, then I merge it with the one it is closest to both in distance and culturally.
So far I have done the following:

-Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa have been annexed by Hawai'i.
- U.S. Virgin Islands have been annexed by Puerto Rico.
- D.C. has returned to Maryland.
- Wyoming has been annexed by South Dakota.
- Vermont has been annexed by New Hampshire.

This leaves us with 49 states (the 50 existing ones, plus Puerto Rico, minus Wyoming and Vermont) and the next step is to split the largest state into two states of approximately the same population.

That state is of course California and the reason I am starting this discussion is to ask you, how would you divide California into two states (the two states must have approximately the same population) and what would you call them?
Thanks in advance for your help

First, let's annex the metropolitan areas of Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada and Yuma, Arizona.  (The rest of Nevada can be split between Idaho and Utah).

I might do that later, but I want to do this step-by-step, which is why I began my project my merging the smallest states and dividing the largest.

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It sounds logical, but I only want to split California into two states.  It would be great if you could check to make sure that the two states have approximately the same population.  One way of doing that is by making the states have an equal number of CDs (which isn't possible because California has an odd number of CDs, but I think you get the idea).

I'll try to make a map of how I would do it and then I will post again for feedback.

I will be using the following data:
http://www.csac.counties.org/default.asp?id=399

[justfollowingtheelections]

So here's my map of California:


The green state has a population of 18,300,000 and the blue state a population of 18,155,000.  Comments?  Do you think I should have divided California differently?
What would you call the two states?  I'm assuming the Green state will keep the name, so I'm more interested in the blue state, but any feedback is welcome.

The two names I like the most are California and Southern California, but I would like to hear different opinions.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

It's really easy to divide Socal from the rest of California, there's that east-west line in the county map.

[justfollowingtheelections]

It's really easy to divide Socal from the rest of California, there's that east-west line in the county map.

Yes, but if I do that, SoCal would have a much greater population than NoCal.

[justfollowingtheelections]

So I'm kind of happy with my new state (Southern California).
The next step would be to merge the smallest state with its smallest neighbor.  That would be North Dakota, which is annexed by Montana.


Now that I again have 49 states, I would like to divide Texas into two new states of the same population.  Any ideas on how I can do that?

This is the list of counties in Texas:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_counties_in_Texas

[dead0man]

N.Dakota would look better attached to S.Dakota versus Montana.

[justfollowingtheelections]

N.Dakota would look better attached to S.Dakota versus Montana.

I know, but I don't want to deviate from the rules I have set.  I expect those 4 states to merge at some point anyway.

[ottermax]

I think you should split CA down a more traditional line and then when you need to split it again (which is very likely) you can split it without having to merge other sections.

[Brittain33]

Now that I again have 49 states, I would like to divide Texas into two new states of the same population.  Any ideas on how I can do that?

I would see how it works to get the whole Gulf Coast in as well as the Houston metro area, the San Antonio metro area (but NOT the Hill Country), and the lower Rio Grande Valley. The Austin metro area could be the swing region between that and the other Texas.

[Holmes]

You can call the green "The Better California". Cause it's true.

[Sbane]

I'm working on a project where 50 new states are created and what I am trying to do is make all states have approximately the same population.
The new states will include not only the 50 already existing ones, but also DC and the territories.  The idea behind the project is simple.  In order to trim down the number of states/territories from 56 to 50, I merge the smallest state/territory with the smallest state/territory it neighbors with.  If the state/territory doesn't neighbor any other state/territory, then I merge it with the one it is closest to both in distance and culturally.
So far I have done the following:

-Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa have been annexed by Hawai'i.
- U.S. Virgin Islands have been annexed by Puerto Rico.
- D.C. has returned to Maryland.
- Wyoming has been annexed by South Dakota.
- Vermont has been annexed by New Hampshire.

This leaves us with 49 states (the 50 existing ones, plus Puerto Rico, minus Wyoming and Vermont) and the next step is to split the largest state into two states of approximately the same population.

That state is of course California and the reason I am starting this discussion is to ask you, how would you divide California into two states (the two states must have approximately the same population) and what would you call them?
Thanks in advance for your help

First, let's annex the metropolitan areas of Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada and Yuma, Arizona.  (The rest of Nevada can be split between Idaho and Utah).

I would divide California into three states.  "NoCal" from I-80 to the Oregon State Line including San Francisco, Reno, and Sacramento as the Capitol City.  "Silicon Valley" from the I-80 Corridor to the I-15 Corridor and from Nevada to the Pacific including Los Angeles and Oxnard and with the Capitol City of Fresno.  "Mojave" from the I-15 corridor south to the Mexican Border including Las Vegas and San Diego and Yuma with the Capitol City being San Diego.

It should be Norcal not "nocal"...that sounds dumb, sorry. Also wtf is up with Fresno being capitol of silicon valley? It could have been LA or San Jose or even Oakland(depending on how you are splitting up the bay).

[Sbane]

I would have given the populous areas of San Bernadino and Riverside counties( Inland Empire) to the "socal" state and given San diego to the rest of California. Or maybe give SLO,SB and Ventura to California instead of San diego although I am not sure if the populations are equivalent. Maybe give the Palm Springs area to California(CD 45) and keep the Riverside area in socal. 

[justfollowingtheelections]

I didn't really want to split any counties into two and the only way of doing that would have been to make the Coastal region of SoCal a state.

I'll try that about Texas.