The 51st state in American political discourse refers to the concept of granting statehood to one of the United States' territories, splitting one or more of the existing states up to form a new state, or granting statehood to the District of Columbia, thereby increasing the number of states in the Union from 50 to 51.
51 star variant, using the format of the 43 star flag
A resident of Seattle, Washington, through a homemade sign, facetiously declares that the Republic of Iraq is the 51st U.S. state.
This 2022 Congressional Research Service report examines the legal processes for admission to the Union
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly called Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with Maryland to its north and east. Washington, D.C., was named for George Washington, a Founding Father and the first president of the United States. The district is named for Columbia, the female personification of the nation.
Image: National Mall, Lincoln Memorial 04448v
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Image: Washington National Cathedral Highsmith 15393v
Image: 12 07 12 wikimania wdc by Ralf R 010