"The lower 48"

[Three Foot Johnson]

Why are the contiguous states referred to as "the lower 48", when Hawaii is the southernmost state? "The lower 48" actually should exclude Minnesota and Alaska, not Hawaii and Alaska.

[Dantankerous]

Maybe the term was coined before Hawaii became a state and it just stuck?

[Assassin]

The conjoined 48.

[DocWard]

Oh, you mean CONUS

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

I think the term existed before 1959

[Festus G Lonetree]

Dantankerous and MMH nailed it down, that is exactly why.

 

I'm curious as to why J Bar Binks thinks Minnesota  should be excluded from the list of Lower 48 states.

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

14 hours ago, DocWard said:

Oh, you mean CONUS

Wouldn't Alaska then be considered inclusively?  It is on the continent. 

 

Guess that is splitting hairs though. 

[DocWard]

2 minutes ago, Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 said:

Wouldn't Alaska then be considered inclusively?  It is on the continent. 

 

Guess that is splitting hairs though. 

 

Nope.

 

Quote

• CONUS = The 48 CONtiguous States and the District of Columbia or "the lower 48, as they're affectionately known to the Alaskans."
• OCONUS = Outside Continental United States
• Overseas = Any country or place beyond the CONUS. Alaska, Hawaii and the U.S. territories are considered overseas under the Space-A Regulation.

 

http://www.spacea.net/faq/what-conus-oconus-and-overseas-and-why-do-i-care

[Charlie Whiskers]

2 hours ago, Festus G Lonetree said:

Dantankerous and MMH nailed it down, that is exactly why.

 

I'm curious as to why J Bar Binks thinks Minnesota  should be excluded from the list of Lower 48 states.

 

  Probably because a part of the Boundary Waters Lakes system. A portion of it requires Minnesota residents have to go into Canada then out again by road to get into that "bump" of land that is part of Minnesota. 

[Three Foot Johnson]

2 hours ago, Festus G Lonetree said:

I'm curious as to why J Bar Binks thinks Minnesota  should be excluded from the list of Lower 48 states.

Yep, Charlie's on top of it - Minnesota is farther north than any state other than Alaska. Well, a little of it is anyway.

[Sixgun Sheridan]

19 hours ago, Assassin said:

The conjoined 48.

 

Well, California, New York and New Jersey are attached to us, and yet they have more in common with Cuba than the rest of the USA.

[Noz]

23 minutes ago, Sixgun Sheridan said:

 

Well, California, New York and New Jersey are attached to us, and yet they have more in common with Cuba than the rest of the USA.

but we don't claim them.