Can the States be Viable Countries?

Mike Tuggle directs us to this map of the United States, with state names replaced by the name of a country with a similar Gross Domestic Product. As Tuggle says, this puts the lie to the idea that “No State could survive economically by itself.”

Made me curious as to other facts:

The smallest state in area, Rhode Island, is still larger than the country of Singapore.

The median size of a state (approx 150,000 square km) is larger than Nepal, Bangladesh, and Greece.

The smallest in population, Wyoming (515,000) is more populous than the countries of Luxembourg, Iceland, and Belize.

The median population of a state, about 4.25 million, is the same as Ireland and New Zealand.

The lowest state in GDP per capita, Mississippi, $27,800, would rank 26th in the world if it (alone among the states) was independent. Among countries of the world the USA would rank 4th in per capita GDP. All of its rivals have populations smaller than California, and all except Canada have populations smaller than 15 million.

The state with the lowest GDP overall, Vermont, would still crack the top 100 of 160+ countries.

The median state GDP, around $150 billion, would rank 53rd among countries of the world.

Some of the data may not be uniform, but the picture is clear. The states, in size, population, and output, are very competitive with most countries of the world. Whether or not secession is a good idea, there is no reason to believe the world would end if the United States dissolves.