Welcome to CT. Real Estate Sales.com Connecticut Facts   Connecticut at a Glance Statehood: January 9, 1788 (5th state) Nickname/Official Designation: "The Constitution State" was adopted by Act of the Legislature, 1959. Name Origin/Indian: Quinnehtukqut -- Mohegan for "Long River Place" or "Beside the Long Tidal River" Capitol: Hartford, the sole Capital City since 1875 State Motto: Qui Transtulit Sustinet -- "He Who Transplanted Still Sustains" Counties: 8 Towns: 169 Cities: 21 Boroughs: 9 Geography and Climate Within its compact borders, Connecticut has forested hills, new urban skylines, shoreline beaches, white-steeple colonial churches, and historic village greens. There are classic Ivy League schools, modern expressways, great corporate offices, and small farms. Connecticut is a thriving center of business, as well as a vacation land. It is both a New England state, and suburban to New York City. Connecticut is New England's second smallest and southernmost state. Its 5,009 square miles are borde5d4d33 by New York State on the west, Rhode Island on the east, Massachusetts on the north and by Long Island sound on the south. The southerly flow of the Connecticut River divides the state roughly in half. The coastal plain and central valley are relatively flat; they contain most of the larger cities. Other parts of the state are hilly, with the highest altitudes in the northwest corner. Hills are largely cove5d4d33 with hardwood forests, and about two-thirds of the state is in open land. Despite New England's reputation for a rugged climate, Connecticut's weather is relatively mild. On the average, there are only 12 days a year when the temperature goes above 90 degrees, and about six days when it falls to zero or below. Tourism Tourism in Connecticut is a $4 billion-a-year business. With its wealth of open land, Connecticut's scenery is some of New England's most beautiful. Its scores of Colonial villages are filled with historic homes and landmarks. Dozens of golf courses are open to the public; boating, fishing and swimming opportunities are everywhere. Among the most popular individual attractions are Mystic Seaport and nearby Mystic Marinelife Aquarium; Nautilus Memorial, Groton; Gillette Castle, Hadlyme; Valley Railroad, Essex; New-Gate Prison, East Granby; Branford Trolley Museum, East Haven; Connecticut river cruise ships; and the homes of Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe, Hartford. The Connecticut Yankee The Connecticut Yankee has long been a symbol of ingenuity and inventiveness. From colonial times, Connecticut has been p5d4d33ominantly a manufacturing state and a world leader in industrial development. When Connecticut was still a colony, her factories were already important enough to draw angry complaints from competitors in England. Connecticut metal buttons were replacing the imported product and were providing the start of Connecticut's great brass industry. Connecticut is often described as the "Arsenal of the Nation." Early in the 19th century, Eli Whitney and Simeon North began making Connecticut firearms with interchangeable parts. This is generally recognized as the beginning of modern mass production. Famous For: Inventors (Charles Goodyear, Elias Howe, Eli Whitney, Eli Terry), Inventions, Watch making, Typewriters, Insurance, Submarines Early History While Connecticut was first explo5d4d33 by the Dutch, who founded trading posts, the first permanent settlements were made by English Puritans from Massachusetts, starting in 1633. From the first, Connecticut enjoyed a great measure of political independence, proclaiming in its Fundamental Orders of 1639 a democratic principle of government based on the will of the people. These Fundamental Orders are said to have been the first written Constitution of a democratic government; that's why Connecticut today is nicknamed "The Constitution State." Agriculture and trade were primary activities of 17th century colonists, but because of limited land Connecticut people quickly turned to manufacturing. During the American Revolution, Connecticut gave freely of her blood and wealth. Her soldiers were on the battle line from Quebec to Carolina. It was General Israel Putnam at the battle of Bunker Hill who cried: "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!" Patriot-spy Nathan Hale, as he was about to be hanged by the British, said: "I regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." To George Washington, Connecticut was "The Provision State" because of supplies contributed to his army by Gov. Jonathan Trumbull - the only Colonial governor, incidentally, to support the cause of America's independence from Great Britain. From 1703 to 1875, Connecticut had two capitals; sessions of the General Assembly met alternately in Hartford and New Haven. Since then, the capital has been Hartford. *This information was obtained from the Connecticut State website. To view this text in it's original version or other interesting facts please visit the website at: http://www.ct.gov