Delaware – ipl Stately Knowledge: Facts about the United States

Delaware

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AbbreviationDE
Source: United States Postal Service – Abbreviations
CapitalDover
Population897,934
Source: Resident Population Data – 2010 Census
GovernorJack Markell (Democrat, to January 2017)
Entered the UnionDecember 7, 1787
as the 1st state
MottoLiberty and Independence
NicknamesThe Diamond State, The First State
FlowerPeach Blossom
BirdBlue Hen Chicken
Song“Our Delaware”
Professional Sports TeamsNo NFL, MLB, NBA, WNBA, MLS, or NHL teams.
(sports listing policy)
Origin of NameFrom the Delaware River and Bay, which were named for Sir Thomas West, Lord De La Warr
Historical SitesHoly Trinity Church, the oldest Protestant church in the U.S. still in use, in Wilmington
Points of InterestThe Delaware Museum of Natural History; New Castle, an almost unchanged 18th-century city center; the Delaware Seashore
Bordering StatesDelaware borders Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.
FlagDelaware's flag

Follow these links to read articles about Delaware from Encyclopedias and Almanacs:

Official State Links

Other State Links

  • 50states.com: Delaware
    http://www.50states.com/delaware.htm
    The site provides a wealth of information about Delaware. It includes everything from the highest point to county profile to climate.
  • Things To Do in Delaware
    http://www.thingstodo.com/states/DE/index.htm
    ThingsToDo.com is an online guide to information about Delaware’s entertainment, recreation, and travel, and includes the state’s interesting facts, famous people, and special events.
  • Roadside America: Delaware Attractions
    http://www.roadsideamerica.com/map/de.html
    Roadside America describes itself as an online guide to offbeat attractions. This site offers reviews of “weird sites along the highway” in Delaware.
  • Delaware Landmarks and Museums
    http://www.museumstuff.com/museums/usa/delaware/
    This page from MuseumStuff.com links to museums, libraries, and archives with a primary theme or signifant collections related to Delaware.
  • Delaware USGenWeb Archives
    http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~usgenweb/de/
    This site provides free online data for genealogical research. These archives use volunteers who transcribe public domain records and other non-copyrighted primary sources to provide the information.
  • FedStats: MapStat: United States: Delaware
    http://www.fedstats.gov/qf/states/10000.html
    Fast access to statistics from more than 100 federal agencies on “economic and population trends, crime, education, health care, aviation safety, energy use, farm production and more” in Delaware.
  • England gave Delaware to William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania, in 1682 to be part of Pennsylvania. But in the Revolutionary War (1775-1783), Delaware fought as a separate state, and it was the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution in 1787.
  • Although Delaware was a slave state, it did not secede (withdraw) from the U.S. and join the Confederacy during the Civil War (1861-1865).
  • Delaware has a state insect! The lady bug was adopted as the official state insect in 1974 after a group of elementary school children convinced the state legislature to do so.

Some Famous People from this State

  • Richard Allen, founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church
  • Valerie Bertinelli, actress
  • Annie Jump Cannon, astronomer
  • Henry Heimlich, surgeon and inventor, developed the Heimlich Maneuver to save choking victims