Delaware: State of the United States of America

state">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. Its capital is Dover and its biggest city is Wilmington. It is the second smallest state in the United States.

Delaware
State
State of Delaware
Flag Seal
Nickname(s):  The First State; The Small Wonder; Blue Hen State; The Diamond State
Motto:  Liberty and Independence
Anthem: "Our Delaware"
Map of the United States with Delaware highlighted
Country	United States
Before statehood	Delaware Colony, New Netherland, New Sweden
Admitted to the Union	December 7, 1787 (1st)
Capital	Dover
Largest city	Wilmington
Largest metro and urban areas	Delaware Valley
Government
• Governor	John Carney (D)
• Lieutenant Governor	Bethany Hall-Long (D)
Legislature	General Assembly
• Upper house	Senate
• Lower house	House of Representatives
Judiciary	Delaware Supreme Court
U.S. senators	Tom Carper (D) Chris Coons (D)
U.S. House delegation	Lisa Blunt Rochester (D) (list)
Area
• Total	2,489 sq mi (6,450 km2)
• Rank	49th
Dimensions
• Length	96 mi (154 km)
• Width	30 mi (48 km)
Elevation	60 ft (20 m)
Highest elevation (Near the Ebright Azimuth)	447.85 ft (136.50468 m)
Lowest elevation (Atlantic Ocean)	0 ft (0 m)
Population  (July 1, 2021)
• Total	1,003,384
• Rank	45th
• Density	500/sq mi (190/km2)
• Median household income	$69,100
• Income rank	16th
Demonym	Delawarean
Language
• Official language	None
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (EDT)
USPS abbreviation	DE
ISO 3166 code	US-DE
Traditional abbreviation	Del.
Latitude	38° 27′ N to 39° 50′ N
Longitude	75° 3′ W to 75° 47′ W
Website	delaware.gov

Delaware state symbols
Flag of Delaware
Living insignia
Bird	Delaware Blue Hen
Butterfly	Eastern tiger swallowtail
Wildlife animal	Grey fox
Fish	Weakfish
Flower	Peach blossom
Insect	7-spotted ladybug
Tree	American holly
Inanimate insignia
Beverage	Milk
Colors	Colonial blue, buff
Food	Strawberry, peach custard pie
Fossil	Belemnite
Mineral	Sillimanite
Slogan	Endless Discoveries—Formerly: It's Good Being First
Soil	Greenwich
State route marker
State quarter
Released in 1999
Lists of United States state symbols

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

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

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

Environment

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. In the southern two-thirds of the state are found Middle Atlantic coastal forests. 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

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.

Delaware's sister state in Japan is Miyagi Prefecture.

•  
  Lewes Outer Harbor
•  
  Old Delaware
  State House
•  
  Market Street
  Wilmington, Delaware

• Colleges and universities in Delaware
• List of counties in Delaware
• List of numbered routes in Delaware
• List of rivers of Delaware