Lower 48

The continental United States is a term referring to the United States situated on the North American continent. Depending on usage, it can mean either:the 48 contiguous states plus the District of Columbia; orthe 48 contiguous states plus the District of Columbia and Alaska.The first definition is more traditional, back to before Alaskan statehood, and is the more commonly used definition. The second definition is the technically correct definition because Alaska is also in North America, northwest of Canada. In both senses, Hawaii – an archipelago southwest of North America in the Pacific Ocean – is excluded.
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