Statehood:Jan. 9, 1788, fifth state
Origin of Name:Connecticut comes from an Algonkian Indian phrase that means upon the long river or on the tidal river.
State Capital:Hartford, since 1875. From 1701 to 1875 Hartford and New Haven were twin capitals.
State Nickname: "Constitution State," from having the first written constitution in the New World and for working out the Connecticut Compromise, or Great Compromise, at the Constitution Convention
State Motto:Qui Transuit Sustinet ( He Who Transplanted Still Sustinet)
State Flag: The state flag contains a white shield borded with gold trim
and green grape leaves inside a blue field. Three grapevines , representing
the European culture that was transplanted to the colony of Connecticut, are
inside the shield.Below the shield lies a banner with the state motto. The flag
was adopted in 1897.
State Bird:American Robin
State Animal:Sperm whale
State Flower:Mountain Laurel
State Tree: White Oak
State Insect:Praying mantis
State Mineral:Garnet
Population Density:619 persons per sq. mi. (239 per km)
Population Distribution:Tiny Connecticut is one of the most densely populated states in the nation. More than three of every four Connecticut residents (79 percent in 1980) live in the cities or towns. Many of these residents are suburbanites who work in New York City. Bridgeport is the largest city.
Connecticut is bordered by New York on the west,
Massachusetts on the north, and Rhode Island on the east. Long Island Sound, a
part of the Atlantic Ocean, borders Connecticut on the south.
Highest Point:Mount Frissell,2380 ft.(725 m) above sea level
Lowest Point:Sea Level, at Long Island Sound
Greatest Distances:
Area:5,018 sq. mi. (12,997 km)
Rank in Area Among the States:5,009 square miles (48th largest)