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Welcome to TheseUnitedStates - Delaware

Delaware was the first of the original 13 states to ratify the Constitution, December 7, 1787. The 2000 census has Delaware's population at 783,600, ranking 45th in the US. With a total area of 2,489 square miles, the state ranks 49th in size. Delaware's capital is Dover; its largest city is Wilmington.

Useful Internet Links for Delaware:

Official Website of Delaware

http://www.delaware.gov

Travel and Tourism Department

http://www.visitdelaware.net

Call toll free 1-800-2VISITDE

Congress.org - Delaware Elected Officials

Delaware Weather from Weather.com

National Park Service Sites in Delaware

Delaware news from USA Today

Delaware fun facts:

Delaware State Bird: Blue hen chicken

Delaware State Flower: Peach blossom

Delaware State Motto: Liberty and Independence

Delaware State Song: Our Delaware

Delaware State Tree: American holly

Nickname: The First State

The geographic center of Delaware is located 11 miles south of Dover, in Kent County. The highest point in the state, at 448 feet, is located northeast of Talleyville on Ebright Road, in the extreme northern part of the state. Delaware is named for Lord De La Warr, an early governor of Virginia. The name was first applied to the river, then to the Lenni-lenape Indian tribe, then to the state. The Delaware River, a major shipping route, forms part of the eastern boundary of the state.

Brief History: The Lenni Lenape (Delaware) people lived in the region at the time of first European contact. Henry Hudson located the Delaware River in 1609. The Dutch settled the area near Lewes in 1610, but the colony was destroyed by Indians. Swedes settled near Wilmington in 1638, but the Dutch, under Peter Stuyvesant, had conquered the territory by 1655. In 1664 the Dutch lost control to the English who held the area until 1776. Delaware is the second smallest state (next to Rhode Island), and is mostly coastal plain. Despite being a slave state, Delaware remained in the Union during the Civil War.

Delaware's tourist attractions include Fort Christina Monument, site of founding of New Sweden, Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church, erected in 1698, the oldest Protestant church in the US still in use, Wilmington; Hagley Museum, Winterthur Museum and Gardens, both near Wilmington; New Castle historic district; John Dickinson Home, Dover; Rehoboth Beach; and Dover Downs International Speedway.