Connecticut

Connecticut is a state in the United States. Its capital is Hartford, and its largest city is Bridgeport. It is one of the six states of New England.

State
Flag Seal
Anthem: "Yankee Doodle"
Map of the United States with Connecticut highlighted
Country	United States
Before statehood	Connecticut Colony
Admitted to the Union	January 9, 1788 (5th)
Capital	Hartford
Largest city	Bridgeport
Largest metro	New York (combined) Greater Hartford (metro and urban)
Government
• Governor	Ned Lamont (D)
• Lieutenant Governor	Susan Bysiewicz (D)
Legislature	Connecticut General Assembly
• Upper house	Connecticut Senate
• Lower house	Connecticut House of Representatives
U.S. senators	Richard Blumenthal (D) Chris Murphy (D)
U.S. House delegation	5 Democrats (list)
Area
• Total	5,018 sq mi (13,023 km2)
• Land	4,849 sq mi (12,559 km2)
• Water	698 sq mi (1,809 km2)  12.6%
• Rank	48th
Elevation	500 ft (150 m)
Highest elevation (Massachusetts border on south slope of Mount Frissell)	2,379 ft (725 m)
Lowest elevation (Long Island Sound)	0 ft (0 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	3,605,944
• Rank	29th
• Density	739/sq mi (285/km2)
• Rank	4th
• Median household income	$79,900
• Income rank	6th
Language
• Official language	None
Time zone	UTC– 05:00 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC– 04:00 (EDT)
USPS abbreviation	CT
ISO 3166 code	US-CT
Trad. abbreviation	Conn.
Latitude	40°58′ N to 42°03′ N
Longitude	71°47′ W to 73°44′ W
Website	portal.ct.gov

Connecticut state symbols
Flag of Connecticut
Living insignia
Bird	American robin
Fish	American shad
Flower	Mountain laurel
Insect	European mantis
Mammal	Sperm whale
Tree	Charter Oak, a white oak
Inanimate insignia
Dance	Square dance
Fossil	Dinosaur tracks
Mineral	Garnet
Motto	Qui transtulit sustinet Latin "He Who Transplanted Still Sustains"
Tartan	Connecticut State Tartan
State route marker
State quarter
Released in 1999
Lists of United States state symbols

First Congregational Church in Cheshire

Geography

The highest peak in Connecticut is Bear Mountain in Salisbury in the northwest corner of the state. The highest point is just east of where Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York meet (42° 3' N; 73° 29' W), on the southern slope of Mount Frissell, whose peak lies nearby in Massachusetts.

The Connecticut River cuts through the center of the state, flowing into Long Island Sound, Connecticut's outlet to the Atlantic Ocean.

The state, although small, has regional variations in its landscape and culture from the wealthy estates of Fairfield County's "Gold Coast" to the rolling mountains and horse-farms of the Litchfield Hills of northwestern Connecticut. Connecticut's rural areas and small towns in the northeast and northwest corners of the state contrast sharply with its industrial cities, located along the coastal highways from the New York border to New Haven, then northwards to Hartford, as well as further up the coast near New London. Many towns center around a small park, known as a "green," (such as the New Haven Green). Near the green may stand a small white church, a town meeting hall, a tavern, and several colonial houses. Forests, rivers, lakes, waterfalls and a sandy shore add to the state's beauty.

The southwestern corner of Connecticut, where it touches New York State, includes Greenwich, Stamford, Fairfield, Westport, Wilton, and Darien. These places house some of the wealthiest residents in the world.

Areas maintained by the National Park Service include Appalachian National Scenic Trail; Quinebaug & Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor; and Weir Farm National Historic Site.

History

The name "Connecticut" comes from the Mohegan Indian word "Quinnehtukqut". It means "Long River Place" or "Beside the Long Tidal River." The first explorer from Europe to come to Connecticut was Adriaen Block, from the Netherlands. After he explored this region in 1614, Dutch fur traders sailed up the Connecticut River (Named Versche Rivier by the Dutch) and built a fort near present-day Hartford, which they called "House of Hope" (Dutch: Huys de Hoop).

The first English settlers came in 1633. They were Puritans from Massachusetts, who were led by the Reverend Thomas Hooker. They founded the Connecticut Colony. Colonies were also established at Old Saybrook and New Haven, which later became part of Connecticut. Historically important colonial settlements included: Windsor (1633), Wethersfield (1634), Saybrook (1635), Hartford (1636), New Haven (1638), and New London (1646).

Because the Dutch were outnumbered by the English settlers, they left their fort in 1654. Connecticut's first constitution, the "Fundamental Orders," was adopted on January 14, 1639, while its current constitution, the third for Connecticut, was adopted in 1965. Connecticut is the fifth of the original thirteen states.

The western boundaries of Connecticut have changed over time. According to a 1650 agreement with the Dutch, the western boundary of Connecticut ran north from the west side of Greenwich Bay "provided the said line come not within 10 miles [16 km] of Hudson River." On the other hand, Connecticut's original Charter in 1662 granted it all the land to the "South Sea," i.e. the Pacific Ocean. This probably added confusion to the early forefathers because the Pacific Ocean is located on the west coast of the United States. Agreements with New York, the "Pennamite Wars" with Pennsylvania over Westmoreland County, followed by Congressional intervention, and the relinquishment and sale of the Western Reserve lands brought the state to its present boundaries.

:Connecticut Media

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  A map of the Connecticut, New Haven, and Saybrook colonies

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  On April 26, 1935, the U.S. Post Office issued a postage stamp commemorating the 300th anniversary of the initial settlement of the Connecticut colony.

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  A 1799 map of Connecticut which shows The Oblong, from Low's Encyclopaedia

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  View of New London in 1854

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  1895 map from Rand McNally

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  Reference Map showing major highways and settlements

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  Köppen climate types of Connecticut, using 1991–2020 climate normals.

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  Ethnic origins in Connecticut

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  Connecticut's population density map

Related pages

• List of counties in Connecticut
• List of hurricanes in Connecticut
• List of rivers of Connecticut

Other websites

• www.ct.gov
• www.tourism.state.ct.us