美國本土

根據使用方式，美國本土（英語：contiguous United States）一詞可以代表：

• 美國連續48州與华盛顿哥伦比亚特区；或
• 美國連續48州與华盛顿哥伦比亚特区和阿拉斯加州。

其中第一個意思較為常用，歷史更悠久，在阿拉斯加建州前就在使用。為了避免這兩個意思的混淆，用下列幾個詞來代表不包含阿拉斯加的北美洲美國領土：

• 美國連續地區（Contiguous United States）
  • CONUS/CONUS（由美國軍方使用）
• 相接州份（Conterminous states）
• 下48州（Lower 48 states）（多為阿拉斯加州人使用）

下48州

＂下 48 (州)＂這個詞語是在夏威夷成為美國州份前開始有的說法，但因夏威夷加入了合眾國後，夏威夷成了美國最南的州份，故這個說法變得不十分準確。照字面而言，這字是指最北兩州——阿拉斯加及明尼蘇達以外的美國州份。然而，＂下48州＂更常用於描述不計阿拉斯加及夏威夷以外的美國（尤其以阿拉斯加的視角而言）。

雖然哥倫比亞特區不是一個州，但是它也算是＂美國本土＂或＂美國連續領土＂的一部分，因為它是＂美利堅合眾國＂官方領土的一部分。

阿拉斯加及夏威夷

有些地方因為它們與美國本土相對的位置，對美國本土有當地獨特的稱呼：

• 在夏威夷，＂the Mainland＂或＂U.S. Mainland＂是用來指 美國本土的概念（不論包含阿拉斯加或否）。
• 在阿拉斯加，＂lower 48＂ 是用來指美國連續的48州。長居該地的人有時會只用＂Outside＂（外面）代表此概念，例如 "My brother went Outside to have heart surgery"。

聯邦法律的應用

As the language of the Alaska Omnibus Act of 1959 makes apparent, the term was in use in U.S. federal law prior to then. It presumably dates from after the acquisition of Alaska in 1867, and probably from after the Spanish-American War and the annexation of Hawaii brought the United States its first off-continent possessions, both in 1898. Whatever else these terms may be, "continental United States" is a term defined in various federal laws, in different ways in different time periods; it is also defined in different ways at the same time, depending on whether or not the context was the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, during at least a period that began with Alaska statehood.

其他

The contiguous United States is approximately 2500 miles wide. Shipping by certain U.S. companies is restricted to the contiguous United States to avoid the higher freight charges for shipping to Alaska and Hawaii. However, for packages that fit within weight and size limits, shipping parcel post to Alaska or Hawaii using the United States Postal Service is not higher than within the contiguous United States, so if more U. S. companies were flexible in choosing their shipping vendor they would not need to charge higher rates.

参见

• 內地

外部链接

• Definition of continental.
• Definition of contiguous.
• Definition of conterminous.
• Definitions of continental United States and contiguous United States as used by United Airlines.