| Foreword |
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viii | |
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| Introduction |
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x | |
| Geography |
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1 Identity crisis: What even is North America? |
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2 | (2) |
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2 Hawaii is a really long state: Comparing it to the West Coast puts it in perspective |
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4 | (1) |
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3 Global scale: If your state or province were a country, what size by area would it be? |
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5 | (1) |
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4 Alas, Alaska: Big, weird, and wonderful |
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6 | (2) |
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5 Counties that count: Giving a few across the US their due |
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8 | (2) |
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6 Drawing outside the lines: Baffling North American borders |
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10 | (2) |
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7 Doing a double take: City pairs to leave you second-guessing |
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12 | (2) |
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8 Just keep swimming: The first country you'll reach, coast to coast |
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14 | (2) |
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9 The inner banks: Canada's great island lakes and lake islands |
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16 | (1) |
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10 On dry land: States and provinces not touching an ocean, gulf, or bay |
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17 | (1) |
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11 The 8 greatest lakes in North America: Plus 7 pretty good ones |
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18 | (2) |
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12 The United States of Washington: Every place named after the first president |
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20 | (2) |
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13 Rhode nation: If every state were the size of Rhode Island, there would be 2,457 states |
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22 | (2) |
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14 Name dropping: City names, then and now |
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24 | (2) |
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15 A river runs beside it: US natural borders |
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26 | (4) |
| Politics And Power |
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16 Madam Governor: Number of women governors by state or province |
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30 | (1) |
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17 Belles of the ballot: When women gained the right to vote |
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31 | (1) |
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18 Engendering equality: The ongoing struggle to pass the Equal Rights Amendment |
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32 | (2) |
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19 Red California and blue Texas?: Presidential election results since 1856 |
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34 | (2) |
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20 Worth the visit?: States the candidates made time for during the 2020 general election campaign |
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36 | (2) |
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21 "Did Not Vote" ends winning streak: A historic turnout finally beats the lack of turnout |
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38 | (2) |
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22 States that picked the greats: Predicting the pantheon of best presidents |
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40 | (2) |
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23 The price of leadership: Salaries of North American heads of state |
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42 | (2) |
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24 Land of equality?: If every state's population had Wyoming's representation in the Senate |
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44 | (2) |
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25 Coaching all the way to the bank: The highest-paid public employee by state |
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46 | (2) |
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26 Monroe's lament: The dependencies of North America |
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48 | (1) |
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27 Bang for the buck: Who pays the most for their military? |
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49 | (1) |
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28 Living on the edge: 2 out of 3 Americans live within 100 miles of the border |
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50 | (2) |
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29 Where service comes first: Proportion of veterans by state |
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52 | (4) |
| Nature |
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30 Missing the forest for the trees: The can't-miss trees of North America |
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56 | (2) |
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31 Dog days: When does the hottest day of the year fall? |
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58 | (2) |
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32 Spring hasn't sprung: Punxsutawney Phil predicts late blooms |
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60 | (2) |
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33 Land before time: The greatest dinosaur finds in North America |
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62 | (2) |
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34 Our biggest hits: North America's largest impact craters |
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64 | (2) |
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35 Above the fruited plain: The highest elevation in each state |
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66 | (2) |
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36 And now, the weather: North American weather extremes |
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68 | (2) |
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37 Caving the day: Cavernous wonders across North America |
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70 | (2) |
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38 Supervolcano: When Yellowstone blanketed the US and Canada in ash |
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72 | (2) |
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39 Perma-lost: The Last Glacial Maximum compared to today |
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74 | (2) |
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40 Where darkness reigns: The dark skies still left for pristine stargazing 75 Singled out: Endangered or threatened species that live entirely within one state |
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76 | (2) |
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42 A second act: North American species that have staged comebacks |
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78 | (2) |
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43 Let there be light: Local time of sunset on the summer solstice |
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80 | (1) |
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44 Don't let the sun go down on me: Local time of sunset on the winter solstice |
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81 | (1) |
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45 Too much time on my hands: Hours of daylight on the summer solstice |
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82 | (4) |
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46 Not enough time in the day: Hours of daylight on the winter solstice 83 CULTURE ND SPORTS |
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47 Tallest, fastest, steepest: Record-setting amusement parks and rides of North America |
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86 | (2) |
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48 Ones for the books: Iconic moments in North American sports |
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88 | (2) |
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49 Take me out to the crowd: The 20 largest North American stadiums by seating capacity |
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90 | (2) |
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50 Topping the charts: The place names that appear in Billboard No. I song titles |
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92 | (2) |
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51 Black American firsts: The places where they made their names |
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94 | (2) |
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52 Don't drop the ball: The less-famous things that drop (or rise) on New Year's Eve |
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96 | (2) |
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53 How the stacks stack up: The 20 largest physical public library collections in the US |
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98 | (2) |
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54 Magnificent museums: The 20 most popular museums in North America by attendance |
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100 | (2) |
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55 Hometown heroes: Hall-of-famer birthplaces in the 4 major sports leagues |
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102 | (1) |
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56 The Midas brush: The most expensive paintings of North America |
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103 | (1) |
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57 Go see a Frank Lloyd Wright building: Every one of his publicly accessible works Bees expertise: Winning Scripps National |
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104 | (2) |
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58 Spelling Bee words by winner's home state |
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106 | (2) |
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59 All together now: The all-time largest gatherings these cities have ever seen |
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108 | (2) |
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60 Where the stars are born: Where every Best Actor and Actress Oscar winner hails from |
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110 | (2) |
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61 What are you looking at?: The highest-rated programs on US TV |
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112 | (2) |
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62 Ladies and gentlemen, the Beatles!: Every show they played in North America People And Populations |
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114 | (4) |
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63 His name is my name, too: Most common surnames by state or province |
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118 | (1) |
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64 Native lands in native hands: Indigenous population by state or province |
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119 | (1) |
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65 Where we're coming from: Most common countries of origin outside the US by state |
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120 | (2) |
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66 American pie charts: Origin of residents by state |
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122 | (2) |
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67 Birds of a feather: Most common cross-state migrations |
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124 | (2) |
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68 Brightest lights, biggest cities: The top 10 most populous US cities over time |
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126 | (2) |
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69 Balancing act: America's population centers of gravity |
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128 | (2) |
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70 Homes away from homes: Where people have second homes |
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130 | (2) |
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71 Homes all around, but not a place to stay: Number of second homes per unhoused person |
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132 | (2) |
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72 The extremely Big Apple: 38 states have smaller populations than NYC |
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134 | (2) |
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73 The language barrier: Percentage of households speaking only English by county |
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136 | (2) |
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74 Turtle Island: Indigenous homelands in 1491 |
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138 | (2) |
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75 Strangers in their own land: Indigenous homelands today |
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140 | (4) |
| Lifestyle And Health |
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76 Wafflography: Number of Waffle Houses by latitude |
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144 | (2) |
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77 Fast food diet: Which states are a drive-through lover's paradise? |
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146 | (2) |
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78 Getting the runaround: How fast recreational runners finish a marathon by state |
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148 | (2) |
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79 One for the ages: Median age by state |
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150 | (2) |
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80 Looking up to her: Female height in North America |
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152 | (1) |
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81 He's the tops: Male height in North America |
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153 | (1) |
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82 Men are from Alaska, women are from Puerto Rico: Gender ratio by state |
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154 | (2) |
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83 Running from the chapel: Unmarried population by state |
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156 | (2) |
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84 Finding my happy place: Quality of life, happiness, and well-being in North America |
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158 | (1) |
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85 I'm coming out: LGBTQ acceptance in North America |
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159 | (1) |
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86 American tragedies: Accident mortality by state |
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160 | (2) |
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87 America, the next generation: Birth rates by state |
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162 | (2) |
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88 Down and out: COVID-19 anxiety and depression |
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164 | (4) |
| Industry And Transport |
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89 Expansive spans: The 10 longest bridges in North America |
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168 | (2) |
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90 Lost at sea: Famous shipwrecks in North American waters |
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170 | (2) |
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91 Who's got the goods?: The 50 largest ports in the US |
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172 | (2) |
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92 Get out of town!: How far one day of travel took you from NYC, since 1800 |
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174 | (2) |
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93 Moving on up: The 50 tallest buildings in North America |
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176 | (2) |
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94 Bumper to bumper, coast to coast: How long it takes to get to work by county |
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178 | (2) |
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95 In the driver's seat: How America gets to work |
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180 | (2) |
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96 Don't bank on it: The unbanked people of North America |
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182 | (1) |
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97 Road hogs: The longest roads in the US, Canada, and Mexico |
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183 | (1) |
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98 Cattle call: In which states are you likelier to run into a cow than a person? |
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184 | (2) |
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99 T-minus 15 spaceports: Launchpads across the US |
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186 | (2) |
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100 America offline: Who doesn't have Internet |
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188 | (2) |
| Sources |
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190 | (5) |
| Acknowledgments |
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195 | (1) |
| About the Authors |
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196 | |
