(A) ** 49
(B) 48
(C) 47
(D) 50
EXPLANATIONS BELOW
Concept note-1: -1959: Alaska and Hawaii admitted, respectively, as the 49th and 50th states of the Union.
Concept note-2: -On January 3, 1959, President Eisenhower signs a special proclamation admitting the territory of Alaska into the Union as the 49th and largest state. Indigenous peoples inhabited the region that would become Alaska for centuries.
Concept note-3: -Continental United States: The 49 States (including Alaska, excluding Hawaii) located on the continent of North America, and the District of Columbia.
Concept note-4: -AMERICA admitted Alaska and Hawaii as its 49th and 50th states in 1959.