Delaware

Delaware
State of Delaware
Nickname(s)
The First State; The Small Wonder;[1] Blue Hen State; The Diamond State
Motto
Anthem: "Our Delaware"
Map of the United States with Delaware highlighted
Map of the United States with Delaware highlighted
CountryUnited States
Before statehoodDelaware Colony, New Netherland, New Sweden
Admitted to the UnionDecember 7, 1787 (1787-12-07) (1st)
CapitalDover
Largest cityWilmington
Largest county or equivalentNew Castle
Largest metro and urban areasDelaware Valley
Government
 • GovernorJohn Carney (D)
 • Lieutenant GovernorBethany Hall-Long (D)
LegislatureGeneral Assembly
 • Upper houseSenate
 • Lower houseHouse of Representatives
JudiciaryDelaware Supreme Court
U.S. senatorsTom Carper (D)
Chris Coons (D)
U.S. House delegationLisa Blunt Rochester (D) (list)
Area
 • Total2,489[2] sq mi (6,450 km2)
 • Rank49th
Dimensions
 • Length96 mi (154 km)
 • Width30 mi (48 km)
Elevation
60 ft (20 m)
Highest elevation447.85 ft (136.50468 m)
Lowest elevation
(Atlantic Ocean[3])
0 ft (0 m)
Population
 (July 1, 2023)
 • Total1,031,890[5]
 • Rank45th[7]
 • Density500/sq mi (190/km2)
 • Median household income
$69,100[6]
 • Income rank
19th
DemonymDelawarean
Language
 • Official languageNone
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (EDT)
USPS abbreviation
DE
ISO 3166 codeUS-DE
Traditional abbreviationDel.
Latitude38° 27′ N to 39° 50′ N
Longitude75° 3′ W to 75° 47′ W
Websitedelaware.gov
State symbols of Delaware
List of state symbols
SloganEndless Discoveries[10] Formerly: It's Good Being First
Living insignia
BirdDelaware Blue Hen
ButterflyEastern tiger swallowtail
FishWeakfish
FlowerPeach blossom
Insect7-spotted ladybug
TreeAmerican holly
Wildlife animalGrey fox
Inanimate insignia
BeverageMilk
Color(s)Colonial blue, buff
FoodStrawberry, peach custard pie
FossilBelemnite
MineralSillimanite
SoilGreenwich
State route marker
Route marker
State quarter
Delaware quarter dollar coin
Released in 1999
Lists of United States state symbols
Map
Interactive map showing border of Delaware (click to zoom)

Delaware (/ˈdɛləwɛər/ DEL-ə-wair)[11] is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States.[12] It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey to its northeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state's name derives from the adjacent Delaware Bay, which in turn was named after Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, an English nobleman and the Colony of Virginia's first colonial-era governor.[13]

Delaware occupies the northeastern portion of the Delmarva Peninsula, and some islands and territory within the Delaware River. It is the 2nd smallest and 6th least populous state, but also the 6th most densely populated. Delaware's most populous city is Wilmington, and the state's capital is Dover, the 2nd most populous city in Delaware. The state is divided into three counties, the fewest number of counties of any of the 50 U.S. states;[b] from north to south, the three counties are: New Castle County, Kent County, and Sussex County.

The southern two counties, Kent and Sussex counties, historically have been predominantly agrarian economies. New Castle is more urbanized and is considered part of the Delaware Valley metropolitan statistical area that surrounds and includes Philadelphia, the nation's 6th most populous city. Delaware is considered part of the Southern United States by the U.S. Census Bureau, but the state's geography, culture, and history are a hybrid of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the country.[14]

Before Delaware coastline was explored and developed by Europeans in the 16th century, the state was inhabited by several Native Americans tribes, including the Lenape in the north and Nanticoke in the south. The state was first colonized by Dutch traders at Zwaanendael, near present-day Lewes, Delaware, in 1631.

Delaware was one of the Thirteen Colonies that participated in the American Revolution and American Revolutionary War, in which the American Continental Army, led by George Washington, defeated the British, ended British colonization and establishing the United States as a sovereign and independent nation.

On December 7, 1787, Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution of the United States, earning it the nickname "The First State".[15]

Since the turn of the 20th century, Delaware has become an onshore corporate haven whose corporate laws are deemed appealing to corporations; over half of all New York Stock Exchange-listed corporations and over three-fifths of the Fortune 500 are legally incorporated in the state.

Currently, 46th U.S. president Joe Biden is the first holder of that office to be from Delaware.

  1. ^ Nann Burke, Melissa (January 5, 2015). "Delaware a Small Wonder no more?". Delaware Online. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  2. ^ "State Area Measurements and Internal Point Coordinates".
  3. ^ a b "Elevations and Distances in the United States". United States Geological Survey. 2001. Archived from the original on October 15, 2011. Retrieved October 21, 2011.
  4. ^ "Highest point in Delaware". The Delaware Geological Survey. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  5. ^ "Growth in U.S. Population Shows Early Indication of Recovery Amid COVID-19 Pandemic". Census Bureau QuickFacts. December 22, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  6. ^ "US Census Bureau QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  7. ^ State Policy Reports (PDF). Washington, DC: State Policy Research. March 2021. ISSN 8750-6637. OCLC 1117839667. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 19, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2022 – via Office of the Governor of Alabama.
  8. ^ "State of Delaware Community Characteristics". State of Delaware – My Healthy Community. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  9. ^ USGS, Howard Perlman. "Area of each state that is water". water.usgs.gov. Archived from the original on October 10, 2017. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
  10. ^ Molly Murray (January 6, 2015). "Delaware's new tourism brand: Endless Discoveries". Delaware Online. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  11. ^ Random House Dictionary
  12. ^ "Mid-Atlantic Home : Mid–Atlantic Information Office : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics". www.bls.gov. Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  13. ^ "Delaware". Online Etymology Dictionary. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved February 24, 2007.
  14. ^ "Census Regions and Divisions of the United States" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. June 17, 2016. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved November 21, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  15. ^ "The First to Ratify" would be more accurate, as the beginnings of the states themselves date back to the Declaration of Independence, celebrated July 4, 1776, when what was to become the State of Delaware was still the three lower counties of Pennsylvania with the governor in Philadelphia, and not establishing independence from that body until September 20, 1776. According to Delaware's own website, "Delaware became a state in 1776, just two months after the signing of the Declaration of Independence." (ref-pdf Archived December 23, 2016, at the Wayback Machine) Delaware was the last of the Thirteen Colonies to establish itself as a state following the end of the Revolutionary War. The Delaware State Quarter is minted with this nickname, but shows Caesar Rodney on horseback in commemoration of his role as the final delegate to arrive at the Continental Congress in Philadelphia for the historic vote for independence on July 4, 1776, which was adopted unanimously by the 56 delegates. Delaware was the 12th of the 13 states to ratify the Articles of Confederation, which pre-dated the United States Constitution.


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