what 3 states border the pacific ocean?
California
entailment
 The U.S. exercises full international defense authority and responsibility for three sovereign nations through Compact of Free Association with Micronesia , the Marshall Islands and Palau . These are Pacific island nations , once part of the U.S.-administered Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands after World War II , which gained independence in subsequent years . 

entailment
 The new survey included Alaska and Hawaii , which have large populations of indigenous people ; while the 2004 survey only included the contiguous 48 states . 

neutral
 " I think there are only three places that are of value enough to be taken ... One is Hawaii and the others are Cuba and Porto Rico [ sic ] . Cuba and Porto Rico are not now imminent and will not be for a generation . Hawaii may come up for decision at an unexpected hour and I hope we shall be prepared to decide it in the affirmative . " 

entailment
 The land area of the contiguous United States is 2 @,@ 959 @,@ 064 square miles ( 7 @.@ 7 Mm2 ) . Alaska , separated from the contiguous United States by Canada , is the largest state at 663 @,@ 268 square miles ( 1 @.@ 7 Mm2 ) . Hawaii , occupying an archipelago in the central Pacific , southwest of North America , is 10 @,@ 931 square miles ( 28 @,@ 311 km2 ) in area . The populated territories of Puerto Rico , American Samoa , Guam , Northern Mariana Islands , and U.S. Virgin Islands together cover 9 @,@ 185 square miles ( 23 @,@ 789 km2 ) . 

neutral
 = = = Guam and Northern Marianas = = = 
