MovieChat Forums > The Apprentice (2004) Discussion > California is our biggest state?!?!

California is our biggest state?!?!

posted 8 years ago by rerunwatcher
9 replies | jump to latest

On the commercial it says Arnold Schwarzenegger was governor of our biggest state. Someone was sleeping in Geography Class at school.

[–] robocat893 8 years ago

California has the largest population in the United States. So based on that California is our biggest state.

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/states/population.shtml

I'm fine... I'm giddy!

[–] RoundTheTwist 8 years ago

That's really not what biggest means when referring to a land mass.

Surely it's Alaska?

[–] ForrestHump 8 years ago

It's a grey area. Ranking by size is measured in terms of population just as frequently as it is in terms of surface area. : http://www.ipl.org/div/stateknow/popchart.html

[–] RoundTheTwist 8 years ago

I would have thought that as soon as anyone starts talking about size and mentioned an area / city / country / continent, it's land mass that's in mind.

If you're asking about the one with the largest population, the question is always worded with regards to which is most densely populated.

At least it should be if sense is applied! ;)

[–] ForrestHump 8 years ago

I performed a Google search many years ago while in a heated argument with a friend about the largest country in the world. I distinctly remember searching for that exact phrase and seeing results crop up pertaining to largest in terms of population. At the time, I too was under the impression that land area would be the more sensible method of judging size. However, running the same search now brings back results pre-dominantly in terms of land area. There are a few exceptions but it looks like the planet has finally chosen to standardize on one option rather than the other.

[–] Poetist 8 years ago

I agree, Round!

[–] Kunovega 8 years ago

A state is the people as much as it is the land.

It's very common in politics to refer to it this way. A governor does not lead a landmass, he leads a group of people.

So when you say "governor of the largest state" it is a reference to governing the people of the state of California which is the largest population state.

Without people there is no state and no need for a governor.

I'm sorry that the hyperbole used was confusing for you, your autism must make it hard to decipher language that uses words with more than one meaning, or that involves any form of rhetoric.

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] atlasmb 8 years ago

From the viewpoint of a governor, states might best be measured in terms of size of budget. Using that measure, California is by far the largest. Managing a state and its budget is much like running a company.