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geography
This is a fantastic bit of cartographical wordplay that hinges on history and linguistics. The most straightforward example is West Virginia, which clearly contains the full name of its eastern neighbor, Virginia. This is no coincidence, of course. The states are intrinsically linked, as West Virginia was formed in 1863 when its counties broke away from Confederate Virginia to remain with the Union during the Civil War. The shared name is a permanent reminder of their once-unified past.
The second, more subtle example is Arkansas. While its name contains the complete word "Kansas," the two are pronounced very differently. The name "Arkansas" derives from the Quapaw people, whom French explorers referred to using a variation of the tribe's name. The state of Kansas, meanwhile, is named for the Kansa tribe. Though the two tribes are related, their names evolved along separate linguistic paths. The distinct pronunciation of Arkansas was a point of contention until the state legislature made it official in 1881, forever distinguishing it from the "Kansas" embedded within it.
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