Delaware(English) Delaware listen)) is a US state, one of the Mid-Atlantic states of the United States. Located in the northeastern part of the Delmarva Peninsula. It borders Maryland to the west, Pennsylvania to the north, and New Jersey to the northeast.

It is the second among the smallest in terms of area (English) Russian. States and the sixth least populated, but ranked sixth in its density (English) Russian .. Divided into three counties located from north to south: New Castle, Kent and Sussex. The state capital is Dover.

The name of the state comes from the title (English) Russian. Thomas West, 3rd Baron de la Warr, first colonial governor of Virginia. Delaware is known as the "First State" because it was the first of the 13 colonies to ratify the US Constitution on December 7, 1787.

Story

Before the arrival of Europeans, the territory of the state was inhabited by the Algonquin tribes of the Lenape (better known as the Delawares), who occupied the entire Delaware Plain, and the Nantikoks, who lived along the rivers flowing into the Chesapeake Bay. The Delaware, a sedentary society of hunters and farmers, were closely related to the Mansi (English) Russian tribes that inhabited the Hudson coast.

The first Europeans on the territory of the future state were the Dutch, who founded in 1631 on the site of the modern city of Louis the colony of Swanendal (from Nid. - "Valley of the Swans"). Just a year later, all the settlers died as a result of a conflict with the Indians.

In 1638, on the site of modern Wilmington, the Swedes, under the leadership of the former governor of the New Netherland, Peter Minui, founded the trading post and colony of Christina, their first settlement in North America. In addition to the Swedes and the Dutch, Finns (whose country was then part of Sweden) and Germans also participated in the colonization. In 1651, the Dutch founded in the immediate vicinity of it - on the territory of modern New Castle - Fort Casimir. In May 1654, the new Swedish governor Johan Rising attacks the settlement, whose garrison surrenders without a fight. However, a year later, the Dutch landed on this territory, led by Governor-General Peter Stuyvesant, and two weeks later, Rising surrendered, transferring to the enemy all the rights to control New Sweden, which received broad autonomy as part of New Netherland, which lasted until 1681.

The Dutch control did not last long - on August 27, 1664, four English frigates under the command of Richard Nichols entered the harbor of New Amsterdam without declaring war and demanded surrender from Stuyvesant. He, not seeing the opportunity to resist, surrendered the city and all of New Netherland to the British on the condition that they preserve freedom of religion. After that, Nichols sent an expedition led by Robert Carr to the territory of modern Delaware, as a result of which these lands were plundered.

Ownership of the land, which later became the state of Delaware, was granted in 1682 by James, Duke of York (later to become King James II of England), William Penn. This land at that time was part of the colony of Pennsylvania, but in 1704 the "three lower counties" acquired a separate legislature, and in 1710 - their own executive council.

However, Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore of Maryland also laid claim to southern Pennsylvania and most of Delaware. Litigation between Pen and Baltimore (and their heirs) continued in the Lord Chancellor's Court in London for more than a hundred years. The dispute ended with an amicable agreement between the heirs, who agreed to a new survey, the result of which was the so-called Mason-Dixon Line, which arose as a result of the survey conducted by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon from 1763 to 1767. Part of this line is now the boundary separating the states of Maryland (to the west of the line) and Delaware. The other part separates Delaware (south of the line) and Pennsylvania. The dispute over this part of the boundary, known as the "Wedge", did not end until 1921. The Mason-Dixon Line and other lines that define the modern boundary between Maryland and Delaware also pass through several cities, so that people living on the same street can live in different states. About 80 limestone markers from the Mason-Dixon survey still survive today.

Delaware was one of 13 colonies that rebelled against British rule during the Revolutionary War. The war began in 1776, and after it began, three counties became the "Delaware State". In 1792, this entity adopted its first constitution and declared itself to be the state of Delaware. The first governors bore the title "President of the State of Delaware".

During the Civil War, Delaware was a slave state, but remained in the Union in accordance with the results of the referendum. Two months before the end of the war, on February 18, 1865, Delaware voted against the Thirteenth Amendment to the US Constitution, which abolished slavery. This did not bring practical results, since a sufficient number of other states voted for the amendment, but legally this amendment was ratified by the state of Delaware only in 1901, that is, 40 years after Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

Geography

Delaware is located on the Delmarva Peninsula, covering an area of ​​154 km long and 14 to 56 km wide with a total area of ​​5,060 km² (together with water area - 6,452 km²), which makes it the second smallest state in the country after Rhode Island). From the south and west, its territory is bounded by Maryland, from the north by Pennsylvania, and from the east by New Jersey (the border with it runs mainly along the Delaware River, sometimes protruding to its eastern coast), the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Delaware's border with Pennsylvania is unusual - most of it has an arcuate shape. It is usually described as an arc from a circle with a radius of 19.4 km, the center of which is located on the dome of the New Castle Courthouse and is known as the Twelve Mile Circle. It is the only rounded state boundary in the United States.

Topography

Delaware is located on the plain. In the very north of the state is the rolling foothills of the Appalachian Piedmont Plateau, which contains the state's highest point - Elbright Azimuth (English) Russian, located only 136.5 m above sea level - below the maximum elevation of any other US state. Approximately along Delaware Highway 2 between Newark and Wilmington is the Atlantic Falls Line. - the zone of contact between the Piedmont, composed of hard crystalline rocks, and the Atlantic Lowland lying on soft sedimentary rocks, where the rivers originating on the plateau form small waterfalls. A 23-24 m high ridge runs along the western border of the state, separating from each other the watersheds that feed the Delaware River and the Delaware Bay in the east and the Chesapeake Bay in the west.

Law and administrative structure

The current Delaware constitution, the fourth in a row, was adopted in 1897 and provides for the division of power into legislative, executive and judicial. Legislature (English) Russian consists of the House of Representatives (41 members) and the Senate (English) Russian. (21 members). The head of the executive branch is the Governor of Delaware. The highest court in the state court system is the Supreme Court.

Delaware is one of the few states that still has a so-called Court of Chancery, which hears disputes arising from "the law of equity."

It is believed that the legislation of Delaware is the most convenient in terms of business, especially - large managing corporations. This, and the presence of a special court whose judges specialize in company disputes, is the reason why most of the largest and largest corporations in the United States are registered in Delaware, even if they are located in other states.

Attractions

Delaware has several museums, nature reserves, parks, memorial buildings, lighthouses, and other historic sites. The state is home to the second longest two-span suspension bridge in the world, the Delaware Memorial Bridge.

Rehoboth Beach, along with the cities of Lewis, Dewey Beach, Bethany Beach, South Bethany, and Fenwick Island, form the Delaware beach resort network.

Delaware hosts several festivals and celebrations. The most notable of them are the Seaford Riverfest, the Rehoboth Beach Chocolate Festival, the Bethany Beach Jazz Funeral, marking the end of summer, and others.

The US Air Force base located near Dover is one of the largest in the country. In addition to its primary purpose, the base also serves as a reception and temporary mortuary for US military personnel and some civilians who have died or died abroad.

Delaware had a huge impact on the wording of the final text of the Constitution of the United States of America. Therefore, many call it the Constitution of the Great State of Delaware.

This article will be of interest to those who want to learn more about life in the USA. The United States of America is the greatest state with a powerful economy. But it is a community of smaller regions, each with its own laws, tax policies, and so on. Our article is devoted to only one such region called Delaware. This state is very interesting. Its area of ​​five thousand square kilometers is slightly larger than Rhode Island. According to this indicator, Delaware is the second smallest state in the United States. But very often it is called the very first. Why? Like Kyiv, from which the Russian land went, so Delaware played a key role in the formation of American statehood. There are many more interesting facts about this state, and we will present them below.

Where is Delaware located?

It occupies the small Delmarva Peninsula, which juts out into the Atlantic Ocean. Its width is from fourteen to fifty-six kilometers with a length of 155 km. The penultimate largest (before Rhode Island) state is bounded from the west and south by Maryland, from the east by New Jersey, and from the north by Pennsylvania. With the latter, Delaware has a very interesting border. It is a perfect arc. If you isolate the center of this circle, then it is located right in the building of the New Castle City Court. This boundary is called the Twelve Mile Arc. In terms of population, Delaware is a state with just under a million permanent residents. However, it ranks sixth in density in the US. From south to north, the state is divided into three districts: Sussex, Kent and New Castle. Delaware got its name not from a surname, and not from a tribe of Indians who lived here, but from a title. The first governor of these lands was Thomas West, 3rd Baron de la Warr.

History of colonization

Before the arrival of Europeans, these lands belonged to the Algonquian settled tribes of the Lenape and Nantikoks. The first settlers were the Dutch, who founded in 1631 the fort Swanendal ("Valley of the Swans") on the site where the city of Louis is now located. Thus, Delaware is one of the first states in the country to be settled by Europeans. But a year later, all the colonists died at the hands of warlike Indians. In 1638, the Swedes founded the trading post of Christina, from which the city of Wilmington later developed. And in 1651, the Dutch built Fort Casimir, which has now turned into the city of New Castle. Sweden and the Netherlands argued for a long time over this territory and even waged military operations among themselves. The Dutch won, but did not celebrate their triumph for long. In 1664, the British, without declaring war, occupied the province of New Netherland.

History within the USA

Delaware is one of the first states to ratify the Constitution (in 1787). He was one of the thirteen colonies that rebelled against Great Britain. When the War of Independence from England began in 1776, the three counties became known as the "Delaware State". Another interesting fact. During the Civil War, Delaware was on the side of the North, although it was a state in which slavery was legal. And when he issued the Emancipation Proclamation, this territory, as a result of a referendum, spoke out against the 13th amendment to Of course, this had no practical result. But legally, Delaware did not ratify the abolition clause until 1901, forty years after the Lincoln Proclamation.

Geography and climate

It is the lowest state in the country. Its highest point is a hill in the foothills of the Appalachians (136 meters above sea level). Delaware is located on the Atlantic lowlands. The climate here is mild, because from the north the Pennsylvania mountains cover the flat territory from cold winds. The best time to visit Delaware is summer. After all, in addition to the hot subtropical summer, tourists get a bonus - a long coastline with wonderful beaches - South Bethany, Dewey Beach, Lewis, Rehoboth. However, the Atlantic Ocean has a huge impact on the climate. In this regard, Dover is the administrative center of the state of Delaware, and other cities have different weather indicators. Away from the coast, the climate is not subtropical, but continental, with cold (down to -20 degrees) winters and hot (up to +40 degrees) summers. Near the Atlantic, seasonal fluctuations are not so sharp.

Cities in Delaware

Given the small population of the state, it is not necessary to expect to meet large metropolitan areas in it. But there are still large cities in it. These are Wilmington, New Castle, Georgetown, Smyrna, Milford, Middletown, Seaford, Ellesmere and Newark. The capital of the state of Delaware, Dover, is by no means the largest city. Its population is only thirty-two thousand people. But the largest city in the state - Wilmington - has only seventy thousand inhabitants. Delaware will appeal to lovers of quiet provincial life. It is here that you can see "one-story America": no crime, most of the townspeople know each other by sight, small shops, cozy cafes... Looking at the map of the state of Delaware, you can spot the town of Odessa in the north. It was named after a Ukrainian city on the Black Sea coast.

Dover and Wilmington

The state capital is a small and quiet town. It literally grew up around the county courthouse. This city has many historical buildings. And not far from Dover is one of the largest US air bases. It is interesting in that, in addition to its direct purpose, it is used as a temporary morgue for Americans who died abroad. The economic and cultural center of Delaware is the city of Wilmington. It also has no shortage of historic buildings. Tourists are attracted by the estate of Dupont (the founder of the chemical concern), the Art Museum, and the Copland sculpture park. Along the Kristin River, several neighborhoods built by the first Swedish settlers with a Scandinavian flavor have been preserved. One of the oldest churches in the country - Holi Trinity (Holy Trinity) is also located in this city. It was erected in 1698 and, what is most interesting, is still in operation. The northern suburb of Wilmington is home to the Hagley Museum. Its exposition tells about the life of workers employed by Dupont in the nineteenth century.

Delaware Attractions

Each town in this administrative unit of the United States is fraught with its own flavor. Newark is famous for its state university and figure skating school. Milford - museums and old buildings. Also in Delaware is the world's second longest suspension double-span bridge. Beach lovers should visit the resort towns of the Rehoboth Riviera (Bethany, Dewey Beach, Fenwick Island and Lewis) in late August, when jazz funerals take place there, marking the end of the summer season. Delaware is also famous for cockfighting. Tourists from different parts of the United States come to watch these gambling competitions. This is why Delaware is also known as the Blue Rooster State.

State of Delaware
State of Delaware
Nickname	"First State" "Diamond State" "The Blue Rooster State"
Motto	"Freedom and Independence"
Official language	English
Spoken languages	English
Capital	Dover
The largest city	Wilmilgton
By area	49th state
Total area	6,452 km²
Width	48 km
Length	154 km
% water surface	21,5
By population	45th state
Total population	945 934
Density	179 people/km²
Highest point	Elbright azimuth (136.5 m)
Before statehood	Colony Delaware
Joining the Union	December 7, 1787 (1st)
Administration site	http://delaware.gov

Delaware(Eng. Delaware, State of Delaware) - one of the US states located in the Northeast of the United States or on the Mid-Atlantic coast. It borders Maryland to the south and west, New Jersey to the northeast, and Pennsylvania to the north. The name of the state is given in honor of Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, an English nobleman and the first governor of the Virginia colony.

The state of Delaware is located in the northeastern part of the Delmarva Peninsula and is the second smallest in area, sixth in the smallest population, but sixth in the highest population density. Delaware is divided into three districts - the smallest number among all the states. From north to south, these are the counties of New Castle, Kent and Sussex. The southern two districts are predominantly agricultural, New Castle is a developed industrial one.

Before the arrival of Europeans, Delaware was inhabited by the Lenape Indians in the north and the Nanticoque Indians in the south. In 1631 the Dutch built the colony of Swanendal in Delaware, and in 1638 the Swedes built Fort Christina, their first settlement in North America. Later, the Swedes and the Dutch were forced out by the British, in 1664 they founded the Delaware colony. Delaware was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence and created the US, and Delaware was the first state to ratify the US constitution, earning it the nickname "The First State."

Name

The state of Delaware got its name from the Delaware River. And the river was named after the title of Thomas West, 3rd Baron de la Warr, who was governor of the Virginia colony at the time English explorers discovered and studied it. The same name was given to the peninsula in front of the river, the bay into which the river flowed, and the Lenape Indians who lived in its valley.

Geography

Delaware is 154 kilometers long and 14 to 56 kilometers wide, with a land area of ​​5,060 km², making it the second smallest state after Rhode Island. In the north, Delaware borders on Pennsylvania, in the east it is separated from the state of New Jersey by the river and Delaware Bay, and is also washed by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It borders the state of Maryland to the west and south. Small parts of the state are also located on the east bank of the Delaware River. All three counties in Delaware, nine counties in Maryland, and two counties in Virginia occupy the large Delmarva peninsula that stretches down the Mid-Atlantic coast.

Pond in Delaware

Delaware's northern border with Pennsylvania is unusual in the United States - it is semicircular. The boundary is defined as a 12-mile (19.3 km) arc around the dome of the New Castle City Hall. This border is sometimes called the twelve-mile circle. The arc runs from the Delaware River and the New Jersey border in the east, to the intersection of the Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Maryland borders in the west. At the intersection of an arc and a straight border, a small triangle is formed, which was the subject of a dispute between the three states. Only in 1921 the triangle was finally assigned to Delaware.

Lawn in Delaware

Relief

Delaware is located on a flat coastal plain, its highest point is the smallest of all US states. The state's highest point is Elbright Azi on the northern border, at Concord High School. The northernmost part of the state is part of the Piedmont Plateau, the foothills of the Appalachians. Its southern border runs roughly between the cities of Newark and Wilmington. To the south is the coastal plain of the Atlantic Ocean. Along the western border of the state runs a low, hilly watershed approximately 23-24 meters above sea level, which separates the Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay basins.

Delaware landscape

Climate

Since almost all of Delaware is located on the Atlantic lowlands, the ocean greatly moderates the climate. The state lies in a transitional climate zone between humid subtropical and continental climates. Despite the fact that the state is very small, only about 160 km from north to south, there are climatic differences between north and south. In the south, in Sussex County, the climate is more temperate and the growing season is longer. The coldest temperature in Delaware was recorded in the city of Millsboro on January 17, 1893 and was -27°C, the highest temperature was observed in the same city on July 21, 1930 - 43°C.

Story

Native Americans

Before the arrival of Europeans, the Delaware was inhabited by eastern Algonquian tribes. In the Delaware Valley lived the Lenape, whom the Europeans called the Delaware. In the south, on the coast of the Chesapeake Bay - Nantikoki. The Lenape traded furs with the Europeans, and had good relations with them. The sworn enemies of the Lenape were the Iroquois, who often fought with the Europeans. During the 17th century, the Iroquois Confederacy ravaged the Lenape of the Delaware Valley, and in the middle of the 18th century, most of the Lenape moved to the Allergan Mountains. The remaining Lenape were quickly baptized and assimilated into the Americans.

Colonial Delaware

New Sweden

The Dutch were the first Europeans to settle in Delaware. In 1631 they founded the settlement of Svanendal. But within a year all the settlers were killed by the Indians. In 1638, the Swedes founded Fort Christina, located on the site of present-day Wilmington. New Sweden was ruled by the Dutchman Peter Minuit, and the population was made up of Swedes, Finns and Dutch. In 1651, the Dutch founded their fortification, Fort Casimir, near Fort Christina. In 1654, the Swedish governor Johan Rising attacked and captured Fort Casimir, but the very next year the Dutch returned with the governor of New Netherland Peter Stuyvesant and seven hundred colonists, recaptured Fort Casimir and captured all the colonies of New Sweden, which surrendered on the condition of maintaining autonomy. In 1664, the British captured New Amsterdam (modern New York) with four frigates, and Robert Carr was sent to capture the colonies on the Delaware River. From 1664 to 1682, the land of Delaware was actually administered by Cecil Calvert of Maryland.

In 1682 James, Duke of York granted the lands to William Penn. He inherited the five counties that make up the current state of Pennsylvania and the "three lower counties" - the current state of Delaware. Cecil Calvert also laid claim to the lower counties, their confrontation with Penn in an English court ended only a hundred years later with the drawing of the Mason-Dixon line - the modern border between the states. Delaware was part of Pennsylvania throughout the colonial period, but since 1702 the Territorial Assemblies of Pennsylvania and Delaware met separately - representatives of the upper counties gathered in Philadelphia, and the lower counties - in New Castle. Economically, Delaware was built on the commercial production of tobacco using the labor of slaves, for which a large number of them were imported.

American Revolution

Map of Delaware in 1827

Initially, Delaware, like other middle colonies, expressed little enthusiasm for a break with England. The citizens had good relations with the government of the colony and with England, and in general, the Delaware Colonial Assembly was granted more freedoms than in other colonies. Merchants in the Port of Wilmington had close trade relations with Britain.

The leaders of the American Revolution in the lower counties were Thomas McKean, a lawyer from Newcastle, John Dickinson, a lawyer from Poplar Hall in Kent, Cesar Rodney, a sheriff and lawyer from Kent, and George Read, also a lawyer. In anticipation of the US Declaration of Independence, McKean and Rodney persuaded the Lower Counties Colonial Assembly on June 15, 1776, to declare independence from Britain and the colony of Pennsylvania. The most authoritative leader of the lower counties - George Read - at first did not want to separate from Britain. Only a night trip by Cesar Rodney to convince the delegates helped to gain the required number of votes.

During the Revolutionary War, Delaware fielded one of the main regiments of the Continental Army, called the "Delaware Blues" ("Delaware Blues"), and the nickname "Blue Hen "s Chicks". Since then, the Blue Rooster, the breed, bred by an unknown person, but very popular in Delaware, became one of the symbols of the state.In August 1777, the English commander-in-chief William Howe led his army to the Delaware River, and in the battle of Brandywine on September 11 defeated the US troops, after which he occupied Philadelphia. On the territory of Delaware there was a battle for the bridge of Cooch on September 3, in which the British won.

After the Battle of Brandywine, the British occupied Wilmington and captured John McKinley, President of Delaware. The British controlled the Delaware River for most of the remainder of the war, encouraging local loyalists and freeing slaves to fight the Patriots. After the Revolutionary War, Delaware representatives favored a strong US federal government and equal representation of all states, as Delaware was one of the smallest.

Slavery and the Civil War

Collection of fruits. Engraving

The economy of Delaware was based on the export cultivation of tobacco and depended on slave labor, so Delaware was one of the slave states. In addition to the imported slaves, dependent English workers arrived in Delaware. They signed an agreement under which, as payment for a ticket to America, they had to work for a period on plantations with working conditions not much better than slaves. In addition to them, settlers from the states of Maryland and Virginia arrived in Delaware, including freed African Americans.

The shift from tobacco farming to mixed farming made slave labor inefficient, and by the end of the colonial period the number of slaves began to decline. Local Methodists and Quakers urged slave owners to free their slaves, and slaves readily responded for religious and idealistic reasons. When John Dickinson freed all of his slaves in 1777, he was Delaware's largest slave owner with 37 slaves. By 1810, three-quarters of African Americans in Delaware were free. In 1860, the largest slave owner owned only 16 slaves. Although attempts to legally ban slavery ended in failure, in practice it came to naught - according to the 1860 census, 91.7% of African Americans in Delaware were free.

On January 3, 1861, Delaware voted against secession and remained part of the United States. Most of the Delaware citizens served in various regiments on the US side, some enlisted in the Virginia and Maryland regiments on the Confederate side. Delaware was the only slave state that did not field a single regiment on the side of the Confederacy. And although all slaves were freed shortly after the end of the Civil War, Delaware refused to ratify the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the US Constitution, they were ratified only on February 12, 1901.

Population

Population density in Delaware

The US Census Bureau estimates the population of Delaware as of July 1, 2015 at 945,934 people, in terms of population it ranks 45th among all states. According to the 2010 census, it is 897,934 people, an increase of 5.35% over five years. Delaware has a population density of 179 people/km² and ranks 6th in the United States for this indicator. Delaware is one of five states that does not have a single city with a population of more than 100,000 people.

Races and lineage

According to the 2010 census, the racial composition of the state was as follows: white Americans 68.9% (65.3% non-Hispanic whites and 3.6% Hispanic and Hispanic), African Americans - 21.4%, Asians - 3.2%, Native Americans - 0.5%, the rest - 3.4%, mixed race - 2.7%.

By country of origin, white residents of Delaware are distributed as follows: Ireland - 18.1%, Germany - 15.6%, England - 11.7%, Italy - 10.0%, Poland - 4.8%, USA - 4.5% , France - 2.5%, Scotland - 1.8%.

Languages

In 2007, the Delaware legislature refused to approve English as the official language of the state. However, it is spoken by the vast majority of the population. 91% of residents at home speak English, 5% Spanish, the third most popular language is French - 0.7%, 0.5% of the residents speak German and Chinese.

Religion

Most Delaware residents are Christians of various denominations. 34% of residents describe themselves as moderately religious, 33% as very religious and 33% as non-religious. 20% of respondents identify themselves as Methodists, 19% - Baptists, 17% - non-religious, 9% - Catholics, 4% - Lutherans, 3% - Presbyterians, 3% - Pentecostals, 2% - Anglicans, 2% - Mormons, 1% - Church of Christ, 3% - Christians of other directions, 2% - Muslims, 1% - Jews, 5% - representatives of other confessions.

The largest religious organization is the United Methodist Church, which has 158 parishes in Delaware, Evangelical Protestants have 106 parishes, and the Catholic Church has 45. Wilmington is home to the A.U.M.P. Church - The First Colored Methodist African Union Protestant Church is the oldest African-American church in the United States, founded by Peter Spencer in 1814. There is a mosque in Ogletown and a Hindu temple in Hekessin.

Homosexuals

Since July 1, 2013, same-sex marriage has been legal in Delaware. As of the 2010 census, there were 2,646 single-sex households in the state. The total number of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders is about 3.4% of the population.

Economy

The north of Delaware - Newcastle County - is more industrialized, the south - Kent and Sussex counties - rely on agriculture. Agriculture includes the cultivation of wheat, soybeans, tree seedlings, poultry (the famous Delaware blue roosters). Industry - chemical and pharmaceuticals, food, automotive, pulp and paper.

Near the state capital, the city of Dover, is the Dover Air Force Base, one of the largest in the country. It is one of the top employers in the state and hosts the US Air Force Air Mobility Command. Among other things, it is through the Dover base that soldiers and civilians who died abroad are delivered to the United States.

Delaware is a "tax haven" for large corporations. It has the lowest franchise tax in the United States, other taxes are also low, and there is a separate Court of Chancery, which mainly deals with corporate disputes. All this has led to the fact that about half of the public companies in the United States are registered in Delaware, and 63% of the largest companies from the Fortune 500 list.

Transport

Policy

Counties and cities

Education

mass media

Tourism

Administrative divisions of the United States
capital - Washington Metropolitan Area
States	Idaho, Iowa, Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Wyoming, Washington, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, Hawaii, Delaware, Georgia, West Virginia, Illinois, Indiana, California, Kansas, Kentucky, Colorado, Connecticut, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Michigan, Montana, Maine, Maryland, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, North Dakota, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Florida, South Dakota, South Carolina, Utah
island territories	U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands
Outer small islands	Baker, Jarvis, Johnston, Kingman, Midway, Navassa, Palmyra, Wake, Howland

State capital: Dover

Official name: State of Delaware (DE)

Largest city: wilmington

Other major cities: Delaware City, Harrington, Louis, Milford, New Castle, Newark, Rehoboth Beach, Seaford.

State nicknames: First State

State motto: Freedom and independence

State Formation Date: 1787 (1st in order)

The state of Delaware takes its name from the Delaware River and Bay, which in turn were named after Sir Thomas West, Lord De La Warr (De La Warr, De La Warr), the first governor of the English colony in Jamestown, Virginia. The same name - "Delaware" later began to be called almost all the Indians of the Lennapey tribe (len-NAH-pay), who lived in these parts from time immemorial.
By the way, the name Lennapey in the local dialect - one of the languages ​​​​of the Algonkwan group - simply meant "people." The Delaware Indians are also called the tribe of "grandfathers" because this tribe was very respected among the Indian tribes of northeast America as a tribe of peacekeepers. The Delaware were often invited by other tribes to arbitrate their disputes. The Delaware were also very well known as fierce and tenacious warriors. However, in relations with the Europeans, the Delaware chose the path of peaceful coexistence.
Known as the "First State" because of the 13 colonies that ratified the US Constitution (which made the colonies states), Delaware was the first to ratify the Constitution.

Delaware belongs to the group of South Atlantic states on the east coast of the United States. It occupies part of the peninsula between the Delaware and Chesapeake bays. From the north, the state borders on Pennsylvania, from the south and west is the state of Maryland.

The state is divided into three districts: New Castle (New Castle), Kent (Kent) and Sussex (Sussex). Dover, located in the center of Kent County, is the capital of the state of Delaware.

Delaware has a humid subtropical climate, the main determining factor of which is its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. It has very hot summers and mild winters, snow rarely falls and melts quickly.

population of Delaware

About 910,000 people live in the state (the forty-fifth place in terms of population among US states.0 The average population density in Delaware is about 180 people per km 2 (sixth place in the US).

The racial makeup of Delaware

• Whites - 68.9%
• Blacks - 21.4%
• Asians - 3.2%
• Native Americans (Indians or Eskimos of Alaska) - 0.5%
• Native Hawaiian or Oceanian - less than 0.1%
• Other races - 3.4%
• Two or more races - 2.7%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race) - 8.2%

The largest ethnic (national) groups in the population of Delaware

• Irish - 17%
• Germans - 14.5%
• English - 12%
• Italians - 9.5%
• Mexicans - 3.4%
• Puerto Ricans - 2.5%

History of Delaware

Before the appearance of European colonists in the territory of the modern state of Delaware, the Algonquian peoples of the Lenny-Lenape (or Delaware, in the north of the state) and Nantikouk (in the south) peoples. In the second half of the 17th century, under pressure from the Iroquois, most of them moved west to the Allegheny Mountains.

After the creation of the British colony of Virginia in 1607, the Delaware lands formally became part of it. It was in honor of the first governor of Virginia, Thomas West, Lord De La Warr, that the river, the bay, and the state of Delaware got their names. It was the Hudson's journey that later served as the basis for the Dutch claims to the Delaware.

The first European settlement in Delaware was founded by the Dutch in the area of ​​the modern city of Lewis in 1631, but a year later, due to a conflict with the Indians, this village was destroyed. In 1638, the Swedes, under the leadership of Peter Minuit, founded a colony around Fort Christina (located on the site of the modern city of Wilmington) and the territory became known as "New Sweden". The colony gradually grew, expanding into the territory of modern New Jersey and Pennsylvania and thereby causing serious concern in New Holland.

In 1651, the Dutch built their trading post (Fort Casimir, which grew into the modern city of New Castle) just ten kilometers from Fort Christina. In 1654, the Swedish colonists, who sought to oust the Dutch from the Delaware River valley, captured Fort Casimir, but a year later, the Dutch, under the leadership of Peter Stuyvesant, not only recaptured this fortress, but also established control over the entire territory of New Sweden, including its lands in New Sweden. Holland.

In 1664, thanks to the successful actions of the English military expedition, Delaware, like other Dutch possessions in North America, came under the control of England. Delaware was one of the 13 colonies that rebelled against British rule during the War of Independence. The war began in 1776, and after it began, the three counties became the "Delaware State."

On September 17, 1778, the Delaware - the first among the American Aboriginal tribes - signed an agreement between the Indians and the newly formed US government. But then for many years they fought to surrender their lands to the Europeans on the way of their steady advance to the west (first to the lands of Ohio, then to Indiana, Missouri, Kansas and, in the end, to Indian Territory: now - the state of Oklahoma).
Only a small strip of Delaware land remained by the beginning of the 18th century in the ownership of the Indians of the former Lennapey people. The rest of the Delaware Indians were forced to migrate to Oklahoma Territory. Small groups of Delaware Indians fled from white persecution to Canada and today occupy reservation lands in Ontario.

Attractions in Delaware

Autumn in the forests of Delaware

In the Bombay Hook nature reserve

In the Delaware River Valley.

Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, USA

This is what Dover looked like before. Almost Venice

New Castle is the former capital of Delaware. It is a beautiful historic town with many restaurants, shops and art galleries.

This is Wilmington, the largest city in the state.

In 1927, this house-museum of Winterthur was inherited by Henry Francis Dupont, one of the collectors of the period after the First World War. His fine collection of American furniture has become one of the most striking collections of early American decorative arts in the world.

Wilmington is famous for one of the best art museums in the United States - the Delaware Art Museum. Here is an excellent collection of works by American illustrators. Of particular note in the galleries are paintings and objects of decorative art of the English pre-Raphael movement, led by Dante Gabriel Rose.

The Nemours Mansion is a delightful palace built by Alfred I. Dupont in 1909-1910. The mansion has 102 rooms decorated with luxurious oriental carpets, tapestries and paintings from the 15th century.

Lewis, whose former name was Zwaanendael ("Valley of the Swans"), was founded in 1631. One of the main attractions in the city is the Zwaanendael Museum, built in 1931. Most of the exhibits of this museum are dedicated to the first camp of settlers.

• The US Air Force base located near Dover is one of the largest in the country.
• In addition to its primary purpose, the base also serves as a reception and temporary mortuary for US military personnel and some civilians who have died or died abroad.
• Delaware hosts several festivals and celebrations. The most notable of them are the Seaford Riverfest, the Rehoboth Beach Chocolate Festival, the Bethany Beach Jazz Funeral, marking the end of summer, and others.
• The last place where flogging was abolished as a punishment was in 1972.
• The line between the states of Delaware and Maryland, which defines the border of the territories, passes through some cities - as a result, two neighbors opposite each other can live in different states.

Ridiculous state laws

• Delaware prohibits horse racing of any kind on Good Friday and the first day of Easter.
• It is illegal in Delaware to marry without daring, such a marriage can be annulled.
• In Delaware, you can't sell anything to dead people for money without a license.
• It is illegal to fly over any body of water unless you have enough food and drink with you.
• Lewis: It's illegal to wear pants that don't fit your waist.

Delaware is a state located in the northeastern region of the Delmarva Peninsula. The northern border is near Pennsylvania, the western border is with the state of Maryland, and the northeastern border is with New Jersey. The territory of the state is divided into 3 districts: Sussex, Kent and New Castle. The capital is Dover. Major cities: Wilmington, Newark, Smyrna, Middletown. The area is 6,445 km². The population is 907,135 (2011). Delaware is considered the 1st US state.

State Attractions

The castles of the Dupont family in the Brandywine Valley are very popular with tourists; the Rockford Tower; the Hagley Museum, with its 1802 gunpowder mill, school, workers' houses, and 1814 cotton mill; the historic town of New Castle, the Amstel House and the Old Court House Museum; the exotic beaches of Lewes and Rehoboth, which stretch for almost 30 km.

In Delaware, the Memorial Bridge was built - one of the longest two-span suspension bridges in the world (2nd place). In addition, Delaware City has Fort Delaware Historical Park, Millsboro has the Nanticoke Museum of Indians, Wilmington has the 1698 Holy Trinity Scandinavian Church, the Opera House, Fort Christine Historic Park, Greenville has Mount Cuba, a center of mountain vegetation, The Woodland Ferry is over 300 years old.

Geography and climate

The territory of the state extends in length for 154 km, in width from 14 to 56 km. In the east it has access to the Atlantic Ocean and the Delaware Bay. Delaware is located on a flat area. To the north is the foothills of the Appalachian Piedmont Plateau. The highest point in Delaware is the Elbright Azimuth (136.5 meters above sea level). Between Wilmington and Newark is the Atlantic Falls Line. Here, small rivers originating on the Piedmont Plateau form waterfalls 23-24 meters high and then flow into the Delaware Bay and the Delaware River in the east and the Chesapeake Bay in the west. The climate is temperate maritime, the proximity to the Atlantic Ocean has a great influence. The average temperature and rainfall in the north of the state is significantly different from the temperature and rainfall in the south of the state.

Economy

In 2010, the GDP was $62.3 billion. The state ranks 9th in terms of median income ($34,199). The tax legislation of the state is designed in such a way that it is beneficial for various corporations to register here. About 20% of Delaware's income comes from taxes. In the field of agriculture, poultry farming, pig breeding and the production of dairy products are developed. The farms grow apples, soybeans, barley, corn, wheat and potatoes. Recently, they began to grow grapes and produce wine. There are no minerals here, only building materials (gravel, sand) are mined. The state has established the production of products from rubber, plastics, petroleum products, herbicides and drugs. In addition, cars are assembled here, semi-finished chicken products are produced, paper and textiles are produced. There is a large air base here. Much attention is paid to the development of tourism.

Population and religion

The average population density is 179 people per km². Racial composition: White - 68.9%, African American - 21.4%, Asian - 3.2%, Native American - 0.5%, from other races - 3.4%, two or more races - 2.7% . The largest ethnic groups among the population are: Irish - 17%, Germans - 14.5%, British - 12%, Italians - 9.5%, Mexicans - 3.4%, Puerto Ricans - 2.5%. More than 91% of the population speaks English at home, about 5% Spanish, 0.7% French, 0.5% Chinese or German. By religion, more than 80% of the state's population identify themselves as Christians.

Do you know...

The border between Maryland and Delaware crosses several cities, as a result, residents of neighboring houses live geographically in different states.