U.S. State Mates - Random Trivia Answers

1. Nevada: d) Wyoming. Utah and the Great Salt Lake separate the two states. In 1960, Nevada and Wyoming ranked next to each other in population (49th and 48th), but since then, Nevada has risen to 35th while Wyoming has dropped to last.
2. Vermont: a) Maine. Here's how you can remember whether Vermont or New Hampshire is the one on the left: VermoNt (since "New Hampshire" has no 'V' in it, the trick doesn't work the other way around).
3. Colorado: a) Arizona. Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah are the Four Corners States, but Arizona and Colorado only meet at a corner (ditto for New Mexico and Utah).
4. Michigan: a) Illinois. Lake Michigan separates the two states. Michigan also borders the province of Ontario.
5. Nebraska: b) Minnesota. Nebraska's other northern neighbor is South Dakota, which, along with Iowa, separates the the Cornhuskers from the Gophers.
6. Alabama: c) Louisiana. Mississippi and some water separate the two states, which have mirror-image postal abbreviations (AL and LA). *Bonus trivia question: what's the only other mirrored pair of states?
7. Montana: c) Washington. Idaho separates the two and is Montana's only other U.S. neighbor. The Big Sky State also borders British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan.
8. Maryland: b) New Jersey. As tiny as Delaware is, it keeps New Jersey and Maryland apart. Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia are also the four states whose borders are defined by the Mason-Dixon line.
9. Tennessee: d) West Virginia. Tennessee and its northern neighbor Kentucky each touch eight other states, with Missouri and Virginia being adjacent to both.
10. Minnesota: b) Michigan. Lake Superior and Wisconsin are between Michigan and Minnesota.
11. Texas: b) Kansas. Oklahoma separates the two states, but not by much. The Sooner state's panhandle is only 34 miles from north to south and could have been part of Texas if the state had not rejected it in 1845 because slavery was illegal there.
12. Ohio: c) New York. The northwest corner of Pennsylvania keeps the two states apart. Lake Erie washes up on the shores of all three states (as well as on Michigan).

* Bonus trivia answer: Minnesota (MN) and New Mexico (NM).