Search results for US states territories JSON return outdated results that contain former territories (e.g., Palau). The best, up-to-date resources, Wikipedia, requires extra processing to use the values, which I did and put the results in ready-to-use format. Lastly, I shared some questions and answers I had while compiling the material at the bottom of the story. Hope this resource is helpful for anyone reading!
The lists are published in this gist. There are 3 combinations, each with array and object format.
- 50 states: Array & Object
- 50 states + federal district: Array & Object
- 50 states + federal district + 5 territories: Array & Object
Array (of object) format
[
{
"name": "Alabama",
"abbreviation": "AL"
},
{
"name": "Alaska",
"abbreviation": "AK"
},
...
]Object format
{
"AL": "Alabama",
"AK": "Alaska",
"AZ": "Arizona",
...
}Questions I had
What are the five territories?
American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands, all of which are inhabited. Technically, there are more territories; however, they are either uninhabited or disputed. Given the purpose of the list is to use in forms, there’s no reason to list out other territories.
How about Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, and Palau?
All of these three countries are freely associated states (FAS). From CIA’s World Factbook the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and Marshall Islands,
In 1982, the [FSM/Marshall Islands] signed a Compact of Free Association (COFA) with the US, which granted the [FSM/Marshall Islands] financial assistance and access to many US domestic programs in exchange for exclusive US military access and defense responsibilities; the COFA entered into force in 1986 and its funding was renewed in 2003.
Micronesia, Federated States of — The World Factbook. (n.d.). https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/micronesia-federated-states-of/#introduction
Marshall Islands — The World Factbook. (n.d.). https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/marshall-islands/
For Palau,
In 1982, Palau signed a Compact of Free Association (COFA) with the US, which granted Palau financial assistance and access to many US domestic programs in exchange for exclusive US military access and defense responsibilities.
Palau — The World Factbook. (n.d.). https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/palau/
They are not US territories, but they have tight connections with the US government on diplomatic, economic, and military relations. But again, many countries have tight connections with the US. To sum, as long as the scope of the form focus on domestic area, FSM, Marshall Islands, and Palau should not be listed as choices for states.