Only a few state nicknames reference color: California is the Golden State, while Georgia is the Peach State (if you want to consider that a hue as well as a delicious fruit). Nevada is the Silver State, while Minnesota is sometimes called the Land of Sky-Blue Waters. But only two states incorporate the same color reference in their nicknames: Vermont, the Green Mountain State, and Washington, the Evergreen State.

Arkansas has had several nicknames over the years, but its “Natural State” nickname didn’t catch on until the 1980s. Geared toward tourists, it described Arkansas' "unsurpassed scenery, clear lakes, free-flowing streams, magnificent rivers, meandering bayous, delta bottomlands, forested mountains, and abundant fish and wildlife," according to the legislation that made the nickname official in 1995.

Native Americans cultivated sunflowers on the prairie for thousands of years, and the sunflower was declared the state flower of Kansas in 1903. However, while Kansas has adopted the flower in its “Sunflower State” nickname, South Dakota is the largest producer of sunflowers in the U.S. (Kansas ranks fourth.)

Maryland’s “Old Line State” nickname was likely given by George Washington during the Revolutionary War, when soldiers in the First Maryland Regiment fought off British forces and helped Washington’s army escape. Maryland is also known as “America in Miniature” (or “Little America”) because of its diverse landscape and important role in American history, as well as “the Free State” for its opposition to Prohibition in the early 20th century.

The United States Constitution was written and signed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1787. So why is Connecticut known as the “Constitution State”? A historian from the state, John Fiske, claimed in the 1800s that the country’s first constitution was actually penned in Connecticut in 1638 and 1639. The document was called the Fundamental Orders, and it explained the powers and limitations of the government in the towns along the Connecticut River.

Exactly a century after the United States officially became a nation, Colorado joined in, hence its nickname, “The Centennial State.” Prior to that, portions of Colorado belonged to the Nebraska and Kansas territories. In 1876, Colorado became the 38th state. The state also goes by the moniker “Colorful Colorado,” due to its majestic landscape, including those stunning Colorado Rockies.

The only two states with “mountain” in their official nicknames are Vermont (“The Green Mountain State”) and West Virginia (“The Mountain State”). Vermont gets both its name and nickname from the actual Green Mountains that explorer Samuel de Champlain encountered in 1647 and named "Verd Mont” (“green mountain” in French). West Virginia, meanwhile, has its nickname because it lies completely in the Appalachian Mountain region.

South Carolina is nicknamed the "Palmetto State" because of its state tree, the palmetto, which was adopted in March 1939. The tree is also represented on both the state seal and the state flag. The silhouette of a palmetto was added in 1861, to symbolize Colonel William Moultrie’s vigorous defense of the state's palmetto-log fort against the invasion of the British fleet during the Revolutionary War.

Wyoming was the first territory to give women the right to vote in 1869 and the first state to swear in a female governor in 1924. However, one reason they were the first state to pass the women’s vote was due to the state’s population size — or lack thereof. Without women being granted the vote, the state would have fallen short of the population requirement for statehood.

Tennessee has had a lot of nicknames over the years, but it is best known as the Volunteer State. This moniker originated during the War of 1812, when volunteer soldiers from Tennessee played a prominent role in the Battle of New Orleans. The state’s reputation was bolstered in the following years, particularly when volunteer soldiers displayed valor in the Mexican-American War.

Wisconsin ranks second only to California for dairy production in the U.S., so it’s no surprise that two of its nicknames refer to the industry. And while you will indeed find badgers in abundance in Wisconsin, the Badger State nickname has origins in the mining industry — miners were once called “badger boys” because they built temporary homes by digging caves out of rock, similar to badgers.

Hawaii’s geological features make rainbows a common occurrence. As air moves across the Pacific Ocean, it picks up moisture until it’s blocked by one of Hawaii’s prominent peaks. The mountains force the moist air upward, forming rain clouds. When the air moves past the mountains, it warms up, so viewers on the other side of the rain can often see the sun shining through the showers.

If you’ve ever studied a map of the United States, it’s easy to see how Michigan got its nickname. However, early maps of Michigan were not very accurate, and better maps weren't produced until the 1800s. The first record of the “Mitten State” appeared in 1901 in the “Michigan State Cyclopedia.”

Kentucky's nickname of "The Bluegrass State" refers not to the musical genre, but to the abundance of actual bluegrass that grows in the state. Recent developments in the state’s so-called "Bluegrass Region" are being built where fields and farms used to be, leading the World Monuments Fund to include this region on its list of 100 most endangered sites.

In 1848, gold was found near Sacramento on the American River. That discovery sparked a massive gold rush, an influx of more than 100,000 people to California, all hoping to strike it rich with golden discoveries. As a result, California was quickly admitted to the Union as the 31st state in 1850. Almost immediately, it became known as the “Golden State.”

In March 1867, Russia sold the enormous territory of Alaska — larger than California, Montana, and Texas combined — to the U.S. for the price of two cents per acre. The extreme distance from the lower 48 states and rugged wilderness earned it the nickname “The Last Frontier.” Alaska became a state nearly a century later on January 3, 1959.

Abraham Browning, who served as New Jersey’s attorney general from 1845 to 1850, is often credited with coining New Jersey’s "Garden State" nickname in a speech at the 1876 Philadelphia world’s fair. Today, many will also recognize it from the 2004 film of the same name, which stars its director and writer Zach Braff.

Ohio is nicknamed “the Buckeye State” after the many buckeye trees dotting its hills and plains. The buckeye is also the official state tree. But what exactly is a buckeye? Originating from the Native American term “hetuck,” the name refers to the nuts that fall from the trees and resemble the eye of a deer.

Indiana’s official “Hoosier State” nickname comes from a poem called “The Hoosier’s Nest” published in the “Indianapolis Journal” in 1833. Why Hoosier? The origins of the nickname aren’t clear, but a popular theory is that a local contractor named Hoosier only hired men from Indiana; another is that it might come from the local Native American word for corn.

Arizona’s nickname honors its most famous natural feature, the Grand Canyon, which lies at the north end of the state near the Utah border. Living up to its name, the Grand Canyon is the country’s largest canyon, extending for 277 miles. Every year, millions of visitors make the journey to see the canyon, which was carved out by the Colorado River over the last 6 million years.=

Missouri’s "Show-Me State" nickname is widely credited to Congressman Willard Duncan Vandiver, who used the phrase in an 1899 speech. He said, "I come from a state that raises corn and cotton and cockleburs and Democrats, and frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me." The nickname is meant to convey that Missourians are not gullible or easily swayed without evidence.