What Connecticut is known for

Connecticut, also referred to as the "Constitution State," is located in the New England region of the United States of America. It is the third smallest state and the fourth most densely populated of the fifty states.[3] The state obtained its statehood in January of 1788 and was the fifth state to join the union. The state's capital is the city of Hartford, while the state is made up of eight counties, including 169 towns, nine boroughs, and 21 cities. Connecticut is named after the Connecticut River, which flows through the center of the state. The first settlers that arrived in the state were Dutchmen, who were mostly fur traders. Connecticut is nicknamed the "Constitution State" because The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, a series of orders that explained the government of Connecticut's river towns, acted as a model for the U.S. Constitution.[1] 

The state of Connecticut earns around $4 billion a year from the tourists that come to visit the state, specifically the Long Island Sound Shoreline, Connecticut River Valley, and the Litchfield Hills. Some of the most popular attractions in the state are Mystic Seaport and the Mystic Aquarium, along with Gillette Castle, the Branford Trolley Museum, and the homes of Harriet Beecher Stowe and Mark Twain, which are located in Hartford.[7] Other attractions within Connecticut include Yale University Museums, Lake Compounce, the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center, the New England Air Museum, and the Roseland Cottage.[4]

Connecticut's economy is mainly driven by manufacturing, but farming and agriculture are also important to the state's growth. Inventions such as sewing machines, cylindrical clocks, submarines, lollipops, and mechanical calculators were all created in Connecticut. The state is also known to be a forerunner when it comes to technical fields such as electronics, metalworking, and plastics. Connecticut acts as a home to multiple worldwide organizations such as G.E., G.T.E., Union Carbide, Xerox, Uniroyal, and Champion International. Additionally, there are around 106 insurance companies are based in Connecticut. In the farming industry, The most important crops for the state are dairy, forest and nursery, poultry, vegetables, fruit, and tobacco.[8] 

Geography

Connecticut is located in the northeastern part of the United States of America. The state is small compared to others and has an overall rectangular shape. Cities within the state include New Haven, Hartford, Manchester, Waterbury, Danbury, Bridgeport, Stamford, and New London. The topography of Connecticut is primarily flat with small hills, lakes, rivers, and forests. The state is home to 110 state parks and 32 state forests. These locations also have museums and nature centers that tourists can visit.[9] 

The flora of Connecticut includes ghost pipes, garlic mustard, American pokeweed, yellow trout lilies, American beeches, and tulip trees. Mammals and amphibians that live within the state consist of bobcats, white-tailed deer, red foxes, common raccoons, coyotes, groundhogs, striped skunks, gray foxes, bats, squirrels, harbor seals, North American river otters, frogs, and salamanders.[6] 

Typically, Connecticut receives warm, humid summers and cold, snowy winters. The weather varies throughout the year with the annual average temperature being 49 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperatures drop as low as 26 degrees Fahrenheit in January and get as high as 72 degrees Fahrenheit in July. Temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit are infrequent and only occur, on average, eleven days a year in Hartford, eight days in Falls Village, and two days in New Haven. Extreme cold temperatures are even rarer, occurring 1.5 days in Hartford, 7.5 days in Falls Village, and 0.3 days in New Haven, on average. Precipitation varies from year to year with the most amount of precipitation from 2007 to 2011, while the lowest amount of precipitation was from 1962 to 1966. In the winter, the average amount of snow along the coast is between 30 and 35 inches and gets to be around 50 inches in the Northwest Hills.[5]

History

Connecticut was first explored by the Dutch, who founded trading posts; however, the first permanent settlements were built by the English Puritans who had come from Massachusetts. These permanent settlements were built starting in 1633. When Connecticut was first created, the state had a great measure of political independence. Fundamental Orders were proclaimed in 1639, and these orders were the principle of a government controlled by the will of the people. The Fundamental Orders are likely the first written Constitution of a democratic government. For that reason, the state of Connecticut is nicknamed "The Constitution State."[2] 

For a time, farming and agriculture drove the economy in Connecticut. However, because the land was limited, the people turned to the manufacturing business. During the Revolutionary War, Connecticut sent out many of its residents to fight in the war. The soldiers from Connecticut were stationed mainly on the battle line from Quebec to Carolina. Multiple generals lead Connecticut soldiers, including General Israel Putnam.[2] 

Connecticut is also known as "The Provision State" because of the supplies that were contributed to the armies, specifically George Washington's army. Gov. Jonathan Trumbull was the acting governor at the time, and he was the one who gave supplies to the military. Trumbull was the only Colonial governor to support America's independence from Great Britain.[2] From 1703 to 1875, Connecticut had two capitals, which were located in Hartford and New Haven. The General Assembly alternatively met in the two capitals for a time before Hartford became the only capital of Connecticut. Connecticut became the fifth state in the United States after ratifying the U.S. Constitution on January 9, 1788.[3] 

Over the years, Connecticut has continued supplying military armies with supplies during times of war. These times include the Civil War, World War I, and World War II. During the Civil War, the state outfitted 55,000 men who were formed into thirty entire regiments of infantry, two of which were in the U.S. Colored Troops. Several Connecticut men became generals in the war. During World War I, Connecticut supplied both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Navy. World War II helped to lift Connecticut from the Great Depression, and the state ended up supplying armies with weapons and other supplies manufactured in the state. Connecticut manufactured 4.1% of the total U.S. military armaments that were produced during the war.[3]

In the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, 65 Connecticut residents were killed. Most of them were Fairfield County residents who were working in the World Trade Center. In 2011 and 2012, Connecticut was hit by three major storms in just over 14 months. All three storms caused extensive property damage, along with electric outages. Hurricane Irene struck Connecticut on August 28, 2011. The damage the hurricane caused totaled up to be $235 million. Two months later, a large amount of snow was dropped onto trees, breaking branches and trunks and damaging power lines. Because of the damaged power lines, some areas of Connecticut went without electricity for upwards of 11 days. Hurricane Sandy struck Connecticut on October 29, 2012. The winds from the hurricane cut off power to 98% of the homes and businesses in the state and caused more than $360 million in damage.[3]