Pick a Side

If I have to pick a coast, I have to choose the east. I live out there, so don’t go there. But, that don’t mean [I] can’t rest in the west; see some [sunsets] in the west. -Biggie Smalls

The East vs. West debate depends on what context you’re talking about & today we’re talking about coastlines of the United States. The east and west coasts are very different in terms of climate and culture. They’re also not the only coastlines in the US. Today, we’re going to talk about them all & what makes each awesome.

The Atlantic (ME, NH, MA, RI, CT, NY, PA, DE, MD, VA, NC, SC, GA, FL) coastline is 2,069 miles & the tidal shoreline is 28, 673 miles long.

The Pacific (WA, OR, CA, HI, AK) coastline is 7,623 miles & the tidal shoreline is 40, 298 miles long. While the Pacific coast is the longest, the Atlantic coast isn’t the shortest.

The Gulf (FL, AL, LA, MS, TX) coastline is 1,631 miles & the tidal shoreline in 17,141 miles long. But, the Arctic (AK) coastline is 1,060 miles & the tidal shoreline is 2,521 miles long, making it the shortest.

The Unites States’ combined coastline is 12,383 miles & the combined tidal shoreline is 88,633 miles long.

That’s quite a lot of coast, but doesn’t come close to the country with the most.

Australia, the only continent made of a single country has a coastline over 16,000 miles long. But even still neither can compete with the king on top:

Canada is the country with the longest coastline (152,100 miles).

However, both the U.S. & Australia certainly dwarf the country with the shortest coastline: Monaco, at 3.5 miles.

Of the xxx recognize country on the planet only xxx have oceanic shorelines.