Shannon Gebhart, age 13, of Burlington, Vt., for her question:

WHICH ARE THE 10 LARGEST STATES IN SIZE AND POPULATION?

Alaska is the largest state in area of all in the United States. Then again, Alaska ranks in last place, or number 50, when you look at states' population figures.

Ranking second in area is Texas followed by California, Montana, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado and Wyoming. Oregon ranks as the 10th largest state in area.

On the population front, California ranks as the number one state. The top 10 list then includes New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, New York, Florida and Massachusetts.

Ranking in 50th place among the states in population is Alaska followed by: 49, Wyoming; 48, Vermont; 47, Nevada; 46, Delaware; and 45, North Dakota.

Now look at the bottom of the line up on the area sizes: smallest in 50th place is Rhode Island; 49, Delaware; 48, Connecticut; 47, Hawaii, 46 New Jersey; and 45, Massachusetts.

Now let's take a look at the order of admission of the various states to the United States. Numbers 1, 2 and 3 were all admitted in 1787: Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. States number 4 through 11 were admitted in 1788: Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia and New York. In 12th place, joining in 1789, is North Carolina followed by 13, Rhode Island (1790) and 14 Vermont (1791).

Only five states were admitted to the Union in the 20th century: 46th place, Oklahoma (1907); 47 New Mexico (1912); 48, Arizona (1912); 49, Alaska (1959); and 50 Hawaii(1959).

Here are the seven mainland geographic regions: Middle Atlantic States: New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware; Midwestern States: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota; New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont.

We continue the mainland geographic regional breakdown with the Pacific Coast States: California, Oregon, Washington; Rocky Mountain States: Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming; Southern States: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia.

The seventh geographic region is the Southwestern States: Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas.

American Samoa (acquired in 1900) is an unorganized unincorporated territory while Guam (1898) and the Virgin Islands of the United States (1898) are organized unincorporated territories.

Here are the unincorporated territories of the United States: Howland, Baker and Jarvis Islands (1857), Johnston Island and Sand Island (1858), Kingman Reef (1922), Midway island (1867), Palmyra Island (1898), Wake Island (1898).

Holding the status of Commonwealth is Puerto Rico (1898).

A United Nations trust territory, with U.S. administration, is the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (1947). Having a joint U.S. Great Britain administration are the Canton and Enderbury Islands (1939).