Delaware - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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 (1st)
CapitalDover
Largest cityWilmington
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, 2021)
 • Total1,003,384[5]
 • Rank45th[7]
 • Density500/sq mi (190/km2)
 • Median household income
$69,100[6]
 • Income rank
16th
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
Delaware state symbols
Living insignia
BirdDelaware Blue Hen
ButterflyEastern tiger swallowtail
Wildlife animalGrey fox
FishWeakfish
FlowerPeach blossom
Insect7-spotted ladybug
TreeAmerican holly
Inanimate insignia
BeverageMilk
ColorsColonial blue, buff
FoodStrawberry, peach custard pie
FossilBelemnite
MineralSillimanite
SloganEndless Discoveries[10]Formerly: It's Good Being First
SoilGreenwich
State route marker
Delaware state route marker
State quarter
Delaware quarter dollar coin
Released in 1999
Lists of United States state symbols

Delaware (/ˈdɛləwɛər/ (audio speaker iconlisten))[11] is a state in the United States. It is sometimes called the First State because it was the first colony to accept the new constitution in 1787.[12] Its capital is Dover and its biggest city is Wilmington. It is the second smallest state in the United States.

The Dutch first settled Delaware. The Swedish then took over in the mid-1600s.

Geography

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Delaware is 96 miles (154 km) long and ranges from 9 miles (14 km) to 35 miles (56 km) across, totaling 1,954 square miles (5,060 km2), making it the second-smallest state in the United States after Rhode Island. Delaware is bounded to the north by Pennsylvania; to the east by the Delaware River, Delaware Bay, New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean; and to the west and south by Maryland.

Topography

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Delaware is on a flat plain, with the lowest mean elevation of any state in the nation.[13] Its highest elevation, located at Ebright Azimuth, near Concord High School, is less than 450 feet (140 m) above sea level.[13]

Environment

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The transitional climate of Delaware supports a wide variety of vegetation. In the northern third of the state are found Northeastern coastal forests and mixed Oak forests typical of the northeastern United States.[14] In the southern two-thirds of the state are found Middle Atlantic coastal forests.[14] Trap Pond State Park, along with areas in other parts of Sussex County, for example, support the northernmost stands of bald cypress trees in North America.

Environmental management

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Delaware provides government subsidy support for the clean-up of property "lightly contaminated" by hazardous waste. The money for this cleanup comes from a tax on wholesale petroleum sales.[15]

Sister cities and states

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Delaware's sister state in Japan is Miyagi Prefecture.[16]

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References

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  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. 3.0 3.1 "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 2022-06-17. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
  5. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Delaware". Census Bureau QuickFacts. 2021-07-01. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
  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 2021-04-19. Retrieved 2022-07-16 – via Office of the Governor of Alabama.
  8. "State of Delaware Community Characteristics". State of Delaware – My Healthy Community. Retrieved 2022-07-16.
  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. About Delaware
  13. 13.0 13.1 "Extreme and Mean Elevations by State and Other Area" (PDF). Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2004–2005. United States Census Bureau. p. 216. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
  14. 14.0 14.1 Olson; D. M; E. Dinerstein; et al. (2001). "Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World: A New Map of Life on Earth". BioScience. 51 (11): 933–938. doi:10.1641/0006-3568(2001)051[0933:TEOTWA]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0006-3568. S2CID 26844434. Archived from the original on October 14, 2011.
  15. Montgomery, Jeff (May 14, 2011). "Cleaning up contamination". The News Journal. New Castle, Delaware: Gannett. DelawareOnline. Archived from the original on May 14, 2011. Retrieved May 14, 2011. The first online page is archived; the page containing information related here is not in the archived version.
  16. McDowell; Sen. McBride; Rep. George (March 22, 2011). "Mourning Those Lost in the Recent Earthquake and Related Disasters that have Befallen Japan, and Expressing the Thoughts and Prayers of All Delawareans for the Citizens of Our Sister State of Miyagi Prefecture During These Difficult Times" (published March 23, 2011). Senate Joint Resolution # 3. Retrieved April 22, 2011.

Other websites

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39°00′N 75°30′W / 39°N 75.5°W / 39; -75.5