Wikijunior:North America/United States/Connecticut

The location of Connecticut

Connecticut is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state borders New York to the west and south, Massachusetts to the north, and Rhode Island to the east. Portions of southwestern Connecticut are considered part of the New York metropolitan area. Connecticut is the 29th most populous state with 3.4 million residents and ranked 48th in size by area. The state capital is Hartford and its largest city is Bridgeport. Other big cities in Connecticut include Stamford and New Haven.

The Flag of Connecticut

History

The Mohegan tribe lived in the Connecticut region before the Europeans arrived. The first European explorer in Connecticut was the Dutch explorer Adriaen Block. After he explored this region in 1614, Dutch fur traders sailed up the Connecticut River and built a fort at Dutch Point near present-day Hartford, which they called "House of Hope".

John Winthrop, then of Massachusetts, received permission to create a new colony at Old Saybrook at the mouth of the Connecticut River in 1635. This was the first of three distinct colonies that later would be combined to make up Connecticut.

The first English settlers came in 1633 and settled at Windsor and then Wethersfield in 1634. However, the main body of settlers came in one large group in 1636. The settlers were Puritans from Massachusetts, led by Thomas Hooker. Hooker and his followers established the Connecticut Colony at Hartford in 1636. This was the second of the three colonies.

The third colony was founded in March 1638. New Haven Colony was established by John Davenport, Theophilus Eaton and others at New Haven.

Geography

Connecticut is bordered on the south by Long Island Sound, on the west by New York State, on the north by Massachusetts, and on the east by Rhode Island. The capital is Hartford and the largest city is Bridgeport.

Summer is hot and humid throughout the state. Fall months are mild, and bring colorful foliage across the state in October and November. During hurricane season, tropical cyclones occasionally affect the region. Thunderstorms are most frequent during the summer, occurring on average 30 times yearly. These storms can be severe, though tornadoes are rare.

Connecticut's highest point is Bear Mountain. It is 2,316 feet above sea level.

People

In 2020, the United States Census Bureau estimated the population of Connecticut was 3,605,944.

In 2010, 77.6% of people in Connecticut were White/Caucasian, 10.1% were Black, 3.8% were Asian, and 0.3% were Native American.

State Symbols

• The state's official nickname is The Constitution State. Other unofficial nicknames include The Nutmeg State, The Provisions State, and The Land of Steady Habits
• The state motto is "Qui transtulit sustinet". It is Latin for "He who transplanted still sustains".
• The state aircraft is the F4U Corsair
• The state animal is the sperm whale
• The state bird is the American robin
• The state cantana is "The Nutmeg"
• The children's state flower is Michaela Petit's Four-O' Clocks
• The state composer is Charles Ives
• The state dinosaur is Dilophosaurus
• The state fish is the American shad
• The state flagship and tall ship ambassador is the Freedom Schooner Amistad
• The state flower is the mountain laurel
• The state folk dance is the square dance
• The state fossil is Eubrontes giganteus
• The state hero is Nathan Hale
• The state heroine is Prudence Crandall
• The state insect is the European mantis, or praying mantis
• The state mineral is garnet
• The state poet laureate is Margaret Gibson
• The state polka is the ballroom polka
• The state shellfish is the eastern oyster
• The state ship is the USS Nautilus
• The state songs are Yankee Doodle and Beautiful Connecticut Waltz
• The state tree is the Charter Oak
• The state troubadour is the Connecticut State Troubador