I would like to know that myself, but here is what I speculate:
1. both as units of self-government and of law enforcement, there was a need to keep horseback/coach journeys short
2. legislators rewarding allies
3. the western Plains briefly supported a higher density
4. I can't explain Montana
There is a fair amount of states without any yellow counties. I live in Oklahoma, and those two yellow counties lean blue. Politically blue, I mean. I live in one of them.
I think that was done purposefully to confuse and piss off the republicans. The yellow cities will really upset them to completely miss the point and scream "This ain't Ukraine!".
Republican, if there were any here on BlueSky, brains would be stalling, exploding, hemorrhaging or sliding out of their ears as they attempted - briefly - to process that map.
I despise our “representation“ system. Everything should be equal to one person = one vote. Just think what our “world” would be if we did not have the Electoral College.
Comments
1. both as units of self-government and of law enforcement, there was a need to keep horseback/coach journeys short
2. legislators rewarding allies
3. the western Plains briefly supported a higher density
4. I can't explain Montana