States in Grand Theft Auto

In the Grand Theft Auto series, there are several states that appear in the United States of America, but most of them are fictional and are based off of real-life states. Note: Other states that is not included in the real game series is not noted here, including L.A. Noire. Here is a list in alphabetical order:

Alderney
Alderney is a fictional urban state, with industrial and suburban neighborhoods scattered across the state. It is a small state located west of the state of Liberty. The state is purely based off of the real life state of New Jersey, with the neighborhoods attracting inspiration from other towns and cities across New Jersey, such as Jersey City and Newark. The name is inspired by the real-life island of Alderney, one of the islands in the English Channel.

Florida
Florida is a real U.S. state, but is home of the fictional Vice City, which is based off of Miami, Florida. It is a very large state located south of Georgia. It is mostly jungle and wetland that is wilderness in this state with extreme tropical weather. It's motto is "The Sunshine State".

New Guernsey
New Guernsey is a fictional urban state, with industrial and suburban neighborhoods scattered across the state. In the 2D universe, it is located west of the state of Liberty, but it is not present in the 3D or HD universes, but it is mentioned in Grand Theft Auto IV, hinting that the state in fact, exists, despite Alderney replacing it's geographical location. Like it's successor, the state is based off of New Jersey, but this state is smaller than Alderney, while Alderney is about the size of Algonquin in Liberty City. Like Alderney, the name is from the island of Guernsey from the English Channel.

Liberty
Liberty, also known as Liberty State is a fictional state, with the large metropolitan Liberty City always being starred. There is also an "Upstate", meaning that there is more to the state than the city. It is a coastal state, with Liberty City located not too far off the coast of the Eastern Seaboard (however, the mainland is not present due to Rockstar wanting players to focus on the city). The state is purely based off of the real-life state of New York, especially the areas surrounding New York City. The name means "freedom from control", which is ironic as around GTA IV, many immigrants arrive in the city from their former homes, like Niko Bellic, who moved to Liberty City to escape his former life, which was controlled by a powerful man, and now, Niko is able to mostly live in freedom.

San Andreas
San Andreas is a fictional state, with the infamous and iconic city of Los Santos being located in the state. It is a large coastal state, with the northern part being connected to the mainland while Southern S.A. is located in the Pacific Ocean, depicted as a giant island. It is a tropical, forested, and desert wilderness state, with Los Santos always located in the southern part of the state. In all universes, San Andreas is based off of the real-life state of California, especially the areas surrounding Los Angeles and Los Angeles County, but it does not replace the real-life state whatsoever. However, in the 3D universe, it shares some similarities to Nevada and Arizona, especially Las Vegas and the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.

Similarities to real-life states

 * Alderney/New Guernsey - New Jersey.
 * Liberty - New York.
 * San Andreas - California/Nevada.

Trivia

 * Other U.S. states are mentioned, but some do not physically appear.
 * It is unclear if the Red Dead states are in the same universe.
 * The state of New Hampshire appears in Bully, which may be part of the 3D universe of GTA, but does not make a physical appearance in the series.
 * The state of Louisiana appears in Manhunt 2, which may be part of the 3D universe of GTA, but does not make a physical appearance.
 * The main setting of Manhunt, Carcer City, is stated to be approximately 50 miles from Liberty City, likely placing it in Liberty State.
 * California is likely existent in every GTA universe, possibly due to one of Rockstar's companies having a headquarters in San Diego, California.