  For a graph G and an integer t we let mcc_t(G) be the smallest m such that
there exists a coloring of the vertices of G by t colors with no monochromatic
connected subgraph having more than m vertices. Let F be any nontrivial
minor-closed family of graphs. We show that \mcc_2(G) = O(n^{2/3}) for any
n-vertex graph G \in F. This bound is asymptotically optimal and it is attained
for planar graphs. More generally, for every such F and every fixed t we show
that mcc_t(G)=O(n^{2/(t+1)}). On the other hand we have examples of graphs G
with no K_{t+3} minor and with mcc_t(G)=\Omega(n^{2/(2t-1)}).
  It is also interesting to consider graphs of bounded degrees. Haxell, Szabo,
and Tardos proved \mcc_2(G) \leq 20000 for every graph G of maximum degree 5.
We show that there are n-vertex 7-regular graphs G with \mcc_2(G)=\Omega(n),
and more sharply, for every \epsilon>0 there exists c_\epsilon>0 and n-vertex
graphs of maximum degree 7, average degree at most 6+\epsilon for all
subgraphs, and with mcc_2(G)\ge c_\eps n. For 6-regular graphs it is known only
that the maximum order of magnitude of \mcc_2 is between \sqrt n and n.
  We also offer a Ramsey-theoretic perspective of the quantity \mcc_t(G).

Combinatorics