Connecticut (English
pronunciation: /kəˈnɛtɪkət/) is one of the fifty states that,
together with Washington, D.C., make up the United States of
America. Its capital is Hartford and its most populated city,
Bridgeport. It is located in the Northeast region of the
country, New England division, and is bordered to the north by Massachusetts,
to the east by
Rhode Island, to the south by the
Atlantic Ocean and to the west by the state of New York.
With 14,357 km², it is the third smallest state - ahead of
Delaware and Rhode Island, the smallest - and with 249
inhabitants/km², the third most densely populated, behind New
Jersey and Rhode Island. It was admitted to the Union on January
9, 1788, as the 5th state.
Its main source of income is
the provision of economic-financial and real estate services.
The state capital, Hartford, is known nationally as Insurance
City, due to the large number of insurance companies that are
located in the city.
It was one of the Thirteen Colonies
originally established by the United Kingdom. The colony of
Connecticut was the first subdivision located in what is now the
United States of America to have a written Constitution, called
Fundamental Orders, or First Orders, adopted on January 14,
1639. This Constitution colonial would serve as the basis for
the formation of the American Constitution. Connecticut
officials played an essential role in passing the "Great
Compromise" made at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, which
gave the United States Congress its current form. Because of
these events, the state is nicknamed The Constitution State, and
the Great Compromise of 1787 became known nationally as the
Connecticut Compromise. On January 9, 1788, it became the fifth
American state.
The origin of the name "Connecticut"
comes from the Mohegan word Quinnehtujqut, meaning "Place of the
Long River." The first Europeans to settle permanently in the
region were English Puritans, coming from Massachusetts, in
1633. The Nutmeg State is another popular nickname and the
inhabitants of this state are known nationally as a "nutmegger."
Fairfield County
Southwest Connecticut, near New York City.
This area has many beaches and lighthouses and many of the
state's largest cities such as Bridgeport, Stamford and Norwalk.
Litchfield Hills
Northwest Connecticut. This is where
you'll find the less dense areas of variegated foliage in the
fall. There are some smaller towns like Torrington, Danbury and
New Milford.
Connecticut River Valley
From North
Central Connecticut to the coast. The Knowledge Corridor is home
to New England's second largest region, the Connecticut state
capital of Hartford, and many historical landmarks.
Greater New Haven
South Central Connecticut. Yale University
is located here, as well as numerous museums and theaters. It
includes cities like New Haven and Milford.
Mystic
Eastern
New London, Tolland, and Windham counties in eastern
Connecticut. A good place to get a view of the Long Island Sound
with its beaches and the famous Mystic Seaport/Aquarium. Has two
of the largest casinos in the world. Includes cities like New
London, Mystic, Uncasville and Ledyard.
Bridgeport - most populous city in Connecticut
Bristol
Hartford
- the capital of Connecticut
New Haven - the most interesting tourist
city in the state, home of Yale University
Waterbury
Norwich
New-London
Bara-Hack Ghost Town Bara- Hack is an abandoned ghost town near Pomfret, Connecticut. It was found by Welsh immigrants in 1780's.
Dudleytown. Ruins of Dudleytown draws ghost hunters in hopes to find evidence of paranormal activity that allegedly manifests here.
Leatherman. Leatherman background is one of the most tragic love stories full of hopelessness and redemption of one unfortunate man.
Sleeping Giant State Park: Looking from the north and south, the hills
look like a sleeping giant. Well-marked hiking trails criss-cross the
park. The paths are mostly easy and only occasionally steep. We chose a
circular route and hiked for about two and a half hours. There was also
some easy climbing. What I didn't know beforehand: From the main parking
lot, a path suitable for prams leads up to the observation tower on the
left hip of the giant.
Dinosaur State Park:
Mystic Seaport,
Mystic, Connecticut
By Airplane
Within the state
Bradley International Airport (BDL
IATA) in Windsor Locks, Connecticut is the largest airport in the state.
Its proximity to Hartford and Springfield, Massachusetts, is rapidly
increasing its ridership. Its location north of Hartford makes it
inaccessible to northeastern and northwestern interstate residents, but
convenient for inland residents. For residents outside the center,
flights to New York State, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island may be more
convenient. Still, it is the third largest and second busiest airport in
New England, making it a suitable alternative destination when all other
airports have failed. The airport is named for Eugene M. Bradley, who
was killed in action during a training exercise in 1941.
Waterbury-Oxford Airport (Waterbury-Oxford Airport).
Sikorsky-Memmle
Airport (BDR IATA) in Stratford serves private aircraft charter flights.
Danbury Municipal Airport (DXR IATA) in Danbury is used primarily for
general aviation.
Danielson Airport, located in Danielson, is
primarily used for general aviation.
Tweed New Haven Regional Airport
(HVN IATA) is a smaller airport with flights to Philadelphia.
Meriden
Airport in Meriden (Meriden Airport) offers private air charters.
Out of State
New York's LaGuardia, JFK, and Newark airports are
common for travelers in the western part of the state. These are all
larger airports than in-state airports and offer more flight
opportunities. However, for travelers to the eastern part of the state,
these airports are too far away to be very convenient.
Boston's Logan
International Airport is one of two airports suitable for travelers with
eastern state destinations, but it is far from major Connecticut cities
such as Hartford and New Haven. Still, it is about a 60-90 minute drive
along the I-395 corridor, making this airport a solid choice for
visitors to northeastern Connecticut, especially with the number of
flights it offers.
T.F. Green International Airport in Warwick, Rhode
Island, is a great alternative to Boston if you are traveling to the
eastern half of Connecticut. The airport covers many domestic flights
and quite a few international flights, often only an hour's drive from
your destination.
Westchester County Airport is the closest civilian
airport to the Fairfield County subregion. However, this is for U.S.
domestic flights only.
By Ferry.
The Bridgeport-Port Jefferson
Ferry runs daily across Long Island Sound between Port Jefferson, Long
Island and Bridgeport, Connecticut. It carries vehicles and passengers.
The Cross Sound Ferry connects New London, Connecticut, with Orient
Point, New York, the easternmost point of the Long Island North Fork.
By Train.
Amtrak trains connect Penn Station, New York, and South
Station, Boston, with frequent service to destinations in Connecticut.
MetroNorth provides frequent service between Grand Central Station in
Manhattan and several cities and towns in Fairfield and New Haven
Counties in southwestern Connecticut. MetroNorth provides frequent
weekday commuter service from several cities and towns in
Bus
Similar to rail, intercity buses provide frequent service between South
Station in Boston and the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan, with
stops throughout Connecticut. Major bus companies serving Connecticut
include Peter Pan and Greyhound.
By Car.
If you are driving
into Connecticut from the west, there are three main routes to choose
from. Interstate 84 enters Danbury, Connecticut from Pennsylvania and
the lower Hudson Valley of New York State and continues to Waterbury,
Hartford, and Worcester. The Merritt Parkway, which is closed to truck
and bus traffic, enters Connecticut from Westchester County, New York,
and is considered one of the most scenic highways in the United States
because its design matches the pastoral greenery of the surrounding
suburbs. The Parkway extension tunnels under the hills north of New
Haven and continues to Meriden, where it joins Interstate 91 and heads
north toward Hartford. Interstate 95 crosses the U.S. East Coast from
Maine to Florida and runs east to west along the Connecticut coast.
According to federal highway signs, I-95 North actually travels eastward
through Connecticut, while I-95 South travels westward through
Connecticut. Between New York and New Haven, I-95 passes through densely
populated suburbs and is heavily congested. East of New Haven (north
according to directional signs on the road) I-95 passes through more
rural coastal towns and is less congested.
To enter Connecticut
from Boston, one would take the Massachusetts Turnpike (also known as
Interstate 90) west to I-84 (two-lane road) or Route 6 (two-lane road),
or take Interstate 95 from Rhode Island.
Fuel in Connecticut is
more expensive than in New York State or Massachusetts.
By Car.
A car is the easiest way to get around the state and is
best if you plan on sightseeing. Major highways such as I-95, I-84,
I-91, and I-395 run through the state.
By Bus
Connecticut
Transit, 100 Leibert Road, ☏ +1 860 522-8101, fax: +1 860 247-1810.
Hartford.
Bridgeport has its own service.
Hartford County is also
served by the express bus transportation CT Fastrak.
By Train.
There are eight commuter rail lines connecting most major cities and
towns. New Haven is a major hub connecting all of these commuter rail
lines and the Amtrak line.
Metro-North New Haven Line - runs
daily between New York's Grand Central Terminal and New Haven's State
Street Station, with stops in Greenwich, Stamford, Norwalk, Bridgeport,
Milford, and New Haven.
Metro North New Canaan Branch - Daily service
between Stamford's Stamford Station in Stamford and New Canaan's New
Canaan Station in New Canaan. Stops include Glenbrook and Sprigdale in
Stamford, Talmadge Hill in New Canaan, and downtown New Canaan.
Metro
North Waterbury Branch - Daily service between Bridgeport (Bridgeport)
and Waterbury (Waterbury) with stops in Shelton, Ansonia, Beacon Falls,
and Waterbury.
CT Rail Hartford Line - Daily service from New Haven
Union Station (New Haven) to Springfield Union Station (Springfield),
with stops in Shelton, Ansonia, Beacon Falls, and Waterbury.
Metro
North Danbury Branch - Daily service between South Norwalk Station
(Norwalk) and Danbury Station (Danbury).
Amtrak Hartford Line - daily
service between New Haven Union Station (New Haven) and Greenfield
Station (Greenfield), New Haven, Wallingford, Berlin, Hart Ford,
Windsor, Springfield, Holyoke, and Greenfield.
CT Rail Shoreline East
- Daily service between New Haven Union Station (New Haven) and New
London Union Station (New London) with stops in New Haven, Wallingford,
Berlin, Hartford, Windsor, Springfield, Holyoke, and Greenfield.
Amtrak Northeast Corridor - Daily service from Union Station in
Washington, D.C. to South Station in Boston, with stops in Stamford,
Bridgeport, New Haven, and New London.
Due to its proximity to immigrant gateways such as historic Ellis
Island, many of Connecticut's towns and cities have a strong minority
culture.
Historically, Connecticut was settled by English, Scots,
Irish, and Germans, but most of Connecticut's large cities today,
including Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven, and Waterbury, are populated
by Latinos. Some areas, including New Britain, are known for their large
Polish communities, New Haven's Chinatown is crowded with Mandarin
speakers, and Wooster Street serves as the city's "Little Italy."
Indeed, the southwestern part of the state in particular has a large
population of residents of Italian heritage, while the northeastern part
of Connecticut has a large population of French-Canadian heritage. The
northeastern part of Connecticut is also home to a large population of
people of French-Canadian heritage.
Because of their location,
there are several variations of American English in the regions of
Connecticut. For example, many people in Fairfield County speak English
that resembles a New York accent (probably due to the county's proximity
to New York), while some people in northern and northeastern Connecticut
speak English that resembles a Boston accent. On the other hand, some
people in northern and northeastern Connecticut have accents that
resemble Boston accents. In some places, other languages have merged
with American English to create entirely new accents. If anything, the
speaking style in Connecticut is not uniform.
Spanish is the most
widely spoken second language due to the large urban Latino population,
and a significant portion of the rest of the population understands it,
at least to some extent, as it is the most common foreign language
choice in schools. French is also taught in schools to some extent, but
is not widely known, except among older French-Canadians. Other
languages are rarely understood, except by certain ethnic minorities.
Connecticut is crammed with restaurants everywhere. Downtown New
Haven has more top-notch Zagat-rated restaurants than any other
Connecticut city. Interesting ethnic restaurants including Eritrean,
Malaysian, Turkish, Spanish, French, Mexican, Cuban, Jamaican,
Ethiopian, Lebanese, Vietnamese, Thai, South and North Indian, Nepalese,
Cantonese and Italian restaurants can be found throughout the city. The
state's major casinos also have many restaurants.
Connecticut,
especially New Haven, is known for its old-fashioned thin-crust pizza,
locally referred to as "apizza".
Southington, Connecticut,
between Hartford and Waterbury, is famous for its many apple orchards.
This small town of forty thousand people has an incredible variety and
supply of apples and celebrates its staple with the annual harvest
festival in October. Those traveling through this beautiful state in the
fall must stop in Southington for a bag of apple fritters and other
staples made from the city's famous apples.
Alcohol may only be sold Monday-Saturday 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. and
Sunday 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Bars and other establishments can sell
inside from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Friday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. on Sunday.
Discover Connecticut's craft beer culture, which boasts great
microbreweries, quality brewpubs and beer bars, homebrew supply stores,
and beer festivals. Many breweries offer tours of their facilities and
free tastings.
Crime
Connecticut is known for its affluence and is the third
wealthiest state in the U.S., but some of the state's larger cities
(especially Bridgeport, New Haven, and Waterbury) can be dangerous,
especially at night. However, Connecticut is widely considered one of
the safest states in the nation, so common sense will keep you away from
any signs of trouble.
Dani.
Connecticut is the birthplace of
the infamous Lyme disease. Take precautions to avoid tick bites and seek
medical attention as soon as possible if you see a bull's-eye shaped
rash around the bite site or develop flu-like symptoms after walking in
areas where ticks may be present (such as forests). The tick season
typically runs from spring to fall.
Weather.
Connecticut is
known for its rapidly changing weather. Be prepared for freezing
temperatures and blizzards in the winter and thunderstorms in the spring
and summer.
Connecticut is bordered to the north by Massachusetts, to the east by
Rhode Island, to the south by Long Island Sound, and to the west by New
York. Most of its coastline does not have direct contact with the waters
of the Atlantic Ocean, but with the waters of Long Island Sound, an
estuary of numerous rivers.
The main river that crosses the state
is the Connecticut River, and it has about a thousand lakes, although
all of them are small in size; the vast majority of these lakes were
formed through ancient glaciers melting thousands of years ago. Forests
cover more than 60% of the state.
Connecticut can be divided into
five distinct geographic regions:
The Coastal Plains form a
narrow strip of land, between 6 and 16 kilometers thick, that extends
along the coastline with Long Island Sound. They have the lowest
altitudes in the state, in addition to having flatter and less rugged
terrain than the other four regions.
The Western New England Plateau
occupies most of the western region. It is between 300 and 427 meters
high, and the highest altitude regions are located to the northwest,
decreasing as you travel south or east.
The Eastern New England
Plateau is the largest of Connecticut's five geographic regions,
occupying the eastern region of the state. The Plateau is crossed by
several narrow rivers, and is mostly covered by forests. It has lower
altitudes than the Western Plateau, with few peaks exceeding 370 meters
in altitude.
The Lower Valleys of Connecticut are a strip of land
that runs along the north-central coast, approximately 30 kilometers
wide. These valleys form the Connecticut River watershed. This region
has lower altitudes than the surrounding Plateaus, with peaks between 90
and 180 meters high being the highest points in the region.
The
Northwest Section is a small piece of land located in the far northwest.
It is characterized by its rocky and rugged terrain, and its altitude.
The highest point in the state, which is 725 meters high, is located in
this region.
It has a temperate climate, and relatively homogeneous throughout the
state, due to its small territorial area. In general, the mountainous
regions in the northwest and northeast record the lowest average
temperatures while, on the coast, average temperatures are higher.
Connectitut's climate is softened by the presence of large bodies of
water in the south of the state.
In the winter, Connectitut has
an average temperature of -3°C. The average of the minimum is -7 °C, and
the average of the maximum is 3 °C. The lowest temperature recorded in
Connecticut was -36°C, in Falls Village, on February 16, 1943.
In
the summer, it has an average temperature of 22 °C. The average of the
minimum is 15 °C, and the average of the maximum is 28 °C. The highest
temperature recorded was 41°C, in Danbury, on July 15, 1995.
The
average annual rainfall rate is 119 centimeters. The average annual
snowfall rate varies between 90 centimeters in the northwest to 64
centimeters along the southwestern coast of the state.
The region that currently constitutes the state was
inhabited, before the arrival of the first European explorers of the
region, by various tribes of Native Americans belonging to the
Amerindian family of the Algonquins.
The first European to
explore present-day Connecticut was the Dutchman Adriaen Block, in 1614.
Block claimed the region for the Dutch government. The Dutch would build
a fort, Fort Hope House, in 1633, where Hartford is currently located.
However, despite claiming the region, the Dutch never made any efforts
to establish a permanent colony in the region, only founding small towns
that were abandoned after a few years. In 1654, the English would expel
the Dutch.
The first permanent European settlement in present-day
Connecticut was founded by English settlers from Massachusetts. Some
towns founded by these settlers include Hartford, New London, Saybrook,
Wethersfield, and Windsor, during the 1630s. In 1636, Hartford,
Wethersfield, and Windsor were united to form together a single colony,
the Colony of Connecticut, which took a form theocratic government. Two
years later, New Haven was founded as a new colony. Other small towns
scattered throughout present-day Connecticut joined the New Haven colony
in 1662.
During the first decade of colonization, European
foreigners suffered constant attacks from the Pequot Native American
tribe, who viewed Europeans as a threat. The conflict between the
Pequots and the English settlers of Connecticut was known as the Pequot
War. In 1637, John Mason, aided by the Mohegan and Narragansett Native
American tribes, destroyed the main Pequot settlement and burned 600
men, women and children alive in their Mystic River stronghold.
Many of the colonists had left England in search of political and
religious freedom. In 1638, Thomas Hooker worked for the end of
theocracy and the implementation of a democratic form of government. In
1639, Connecticut adopted the "Fundamental Mandates." This document is
seen by many as the first Constitution written on American soil.
Until the 1660s, various English settlements in the region would join
the Colony of Connecticut. In 1662, the English monarch gave John
Winthrop, an inhabitant of the Colony, a strip of land 117 kilometers
long, along Narragansett Bay, also including the Colony of New Haven.
This act of the English monarch effectively meant the merger of the
latter with the Colony of Connecticut. New Haveners initially protested
the move, but agreed to the merger in December 1664, ending the
unification process in 1665.
Until the 1670s it had an economy
based on subsistence agriculture. From then on, the colony began to
export agricultural and craft products to other English colonies in the
region. The manufacturing industry would become an important source of
income for the colony during the early 18th century, when it became a
center for ship and watch manufacturing.
In 1686, Edmund Andros
was chosen by the English crown to become the first royal governor of
the Dominion of New England. Andros claimed that he and his government
had annulled the license instituted by the English monarch in 1662, and
that Connecticut would become part of the Dominion of New England.
Connecticut initially ignored Andros, but he landed there in October
1687, with troops and naval support. The then governor, Robert Treat,
had no choice but to dissolve the colony's legislative assembly. Andros
met Treat and the General Court on the night of October 31, 1687.
Andros praised the strong industry and government of Connecticut,
but after reading his commission, he demanded the return of the license
instituted by the English monarch in 1662. At the moment the document
was placed on the table, the candles that illuminated the construction
were shut down. When those candles were lit again, the document had
disappeared. Legend says that such a document was placed in an oak tree,
which would later be known as the Charter Oak.
Andros considered
New York and Massachusetts to be the most important parts of the
dominion, initially ignoring Connecticut. Aside from some taxes sent to
the Dominion of New England's capital, Boston, Connecticut also largely
ignored the region's new unified government. When the inhabitants of the
region learned of the Glorious Revolution, the inhabitants of Boston
forced Andros into exile. The members of the Connecticut court met on
May 9, 1689, where in a vote, they reestablished the license of the
Colony of Connecticut, and Robert Treat was re-elected as governor of
the colony.
In the 1750s, the Susquehannah Company of Windham
purchased from Native Americans a strip of land along the Susquehanna
River, covering one-third of the present-day state of Pennsylvania. This
claimed, for its part, the region. The sale and purchase of the region
was also not welcomed by many citizens, mainly due to the fear that a
possible armed conflict between Connecticut and Pennsylvania could
threaten the Fundamental Mandates. The British monarch, however, judged
that Connecticut had a right to the Susquehanna River region.
Connecticut began settling the region in 1769.
During the 1760s,
various actions by the British, such as the creation of taxes, generated
revolts in the Thirteen Colonies, an event that would trigger the
American War of Independence in 1775. Connecticut ratified the Articles
of Confederation—the predecessor of the current Constitution of the
United States of America—on July 9, 1778. Connecticut was located in an
extremely vulnerable position against British attacks along its
coastline in Long Island Sound, given its extensive coastline and the
proximity of Long Island in the south, which was then under British
control. It had an impetuous maritime force, largely thanks to its
strong shipbuilding industry, although it was thanks to giving up many
of its ships to other American forces, a fact that generated friction
among Connecticut political leaders, as to whether it was more important
the defense of the state or the country. It was the only one of the
Thirteen Colonies that did not go through a revolution, thanks to its
strong political structure, which gave it considerable political
independence from the United Kingdom, and the then governor of
Connecticut, Johnattan Trumbull, who supported the American rebels.
Meanwhile, throughout the 1770s, Pennsylvania, which still claimed
the Susquehanna River region, carried out several attacks against
settlers in the Susquehanna region, culminating in an attack in December
1778, where approximately 150 settlers were killed. , and thousands were
forced to flee. Connecticut tried several times to recover the region,
without success, and the various groups of settlers who tried to settle
in the region were subsequently expelled by Pennsylvania militias. The
same year the American Revolution ended, in 1783, the U.S. government
ruled that the Susquehanna River region was rightfully Pennsylvania.
Connecticut then quickly claimed the region located immediately west of
the Susquehanna River region of Pennsylvania, in the northeast of the
current state of Ohio, although it had sold these lands to investors in
1796, with the financial resources obtained from the sale being used for
educational.
At the Constitutional Convention of 1787,
Connecticut representatives favored a strong centralized government, and
played an essential role in shaping the current United States Congress,
where large states like New York wanted state representation in Congress
was based on the population of the states, while states with smaller
populations wanted equal representation. Representatives from
Connecticut were the main proponents of the adoption of a mixed system,
resulting in the Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut
Compromise.
Connecticut ratified the U.S. Constitution on January
9, 1788, becoming the fifth American state to join the Union.
Until the 1800s, it had a strong industry producing consumer
products. Most of this industry, however, used artisanal production
methods. From the beginning of the 19th century, it went through a
period of rapid industrial expansion.
In 1808, Eli Terry invented
the world's first mass production method for watches. In 1810, the first
textile factory in the state was inaugurated. Samuel Colt founded a
weapons factory in 1836. In 1839, Charles Goodyear discovered the method
of vulcanizing rubber. At that time, Connecticut was a national center
for the textile industry. An efficient transportation system was an
important factor for rapid industrialization during the 19th century.
Between the 1830s and 1860s, the state received large numbers of
Canadian and European immigrants, mainly Irish.
Connecticut
actively supported the Union during the American Civil War. More than
50,000 men from the state joined the Union troops. The war further
accelerated Connecticut's industrialization process. This, together with
the small size of the state, meant that after the war industry surpassed
agriculture as the state's main source of income, and accelerated the
process of migration of the population from the countryside to the
cities. During the 1870s, more than half of the population lived in
cities. During the final decades of the 19th century and the beginning
of the 20th century, a large number of immigrants settled, mainly
Germans, Irish and Italians. Most of these new inhabitants did so in the
cities. By the end of the 1900s, more than half of the population lived
in cities, and about 30% of the state's population was born outside the
country.
In 1910, New London became the headquarters of the
United States Coast Guard, until then located in Maryland and
Massachusetts. The United States Navy founded a base in Groton in 1917.
During World War I, several weapons factories were built in the state.
Economic prosperity continued through the 1920s, with the state's
continued industrialization. However, the Great Depression of the 1930s
caused a major economic recession in the state, the effects of which
would be minimized throughout the end of the decade thanks to
socioeconomic measures, such as socioeconomic assistance programs and
public programs. The Second World War again brought a period of economic
prosperity, which continues to this day. During the war it was one of
the main producers of weapons in general, mainly aircraft, ship and
submarine components.
Equipped with a strong high-tech industry,
it was actively involved in the development of nuclear technologies
during the 1950s and beyond. The first nuclear submarine in history, the
USS Nautilus, was built in Connecticut (in Groton) in 1954. In the late
1960s, it became the first US state to supply submarines for the US
Navy. Equipped with a strong diversified economy, it became the state
with the highest per capita income in the country starting in the 1960s.
A problem in Connecticut's government was the poor representation of
large cities in the state Legislature. Until 1964, each city, regardless
of its population, had the right to at least one representative in each
chamber of the state Legislature, the result of which was a high number
of representatives from small cities (10% of the population could elect
the majority of representatives of the state Legislative Branch), and a
small number of representatives from large cities. In 1964, the Supreme
Court of the United States of America forced the state to modify the
system of representation of its Legislative Branch, which had been used
for 327 years, since the adoption of the Fundamental Orders. Thus,
Connecticut modified its legislative districts in 1965, so that they all
had approximately the same number of voters as each other. This measure
favored the Democrats, who were stronger in the big cities.
Its
strong economy allowed it to spend more on education, public health and
transportation. However, the rapid growth of the population, mainly of
African Americans from the American South and Hispanic immigrants,
generated social problems in the state's main cities, and a drastic
increase in public spending. In 1971, Connecticut instituted an income
tax, although large public protests forced the state to repeal this law
(and instead increase taxes on consumer products). In 1979, a financial
aid program for school districts was instituted. who were going through
serious financial problems. In 1991, an income tax was again instituted,
and the construction of casinos was legalized. Meanwhile, the end of the
Cold War caused Connecticut to receive fewer orders for military
vessels, then one of the state's main sources of income. This, however,
had few negative effects, thanks to its strong diversified economy.
The total gross domestic product as of 2010 was $237 billion. The per
capita income in 2007 was $64,833, placing the state fourth behind the
District of Columbia, Delaware, and Alaska. There is, however, a large
disparity in income across the state. For example, New Canan has one of
the highest per capita incomes in America, while Hartford is one of the
ten cities with the lowest per capita incomes in America. Like
Bridgeport, New Haven County and other cities in the state, Hartford is
surrounded by affluent suburbs. The unemployment rate as of December
2012 was 8.2%.
New Canan is the wealthiest city in Connecticut,
with a per capita income of $85,459. The cities of Darien, Greenwich,
Weston, Westport, and Wilton also have per capita incomes of over
$65,000. Hartford is the poorest municipality in Connecticut, with per
capita income of $13,428 in 2000. There are other small, low-income
towns located mostly in the eastern part of the state.
Connecticut's first public schools were founded during the 1650s,
when the then-English colony mandated that every settlement with more
than 50 families offer educational services—hiring a person from the
community to teach children to read and write—without Families will need
to pay directly for such services. In addition to that, the construction
of a high school was declared mandatory in every city with more than one
hundred families.
All educational institutions need to follow
rules and regulations set by the Connecticut Department of Education,
made up of nine members appointed by the governor for terms of up to
four years in length. These nine members in turn appoint a tenth member
to serve as the commissioner of education - Chairman of the department -
for terms of up to four years in duration. This department directly
controls the state's public school system, which is divided into
different school districts. Each major city (city), various secondary
cities (towns), and each county is served by a school district. In
cities, the responsibility for managing schools lies with the municipal
school district, while in less densely populated regions, this
responsibility lies with school districts operating throughout the
county as a whole. Connecticut allows the operation of charter schools —
independent public schools, which are not managed by school districts,
but which depend on public budgets to operate. School attendance is
mandatory for all children and adolescents over six years of age, until
the completion of secondary education or until the age of fifteen.
In 1999, the state's public schools served approximately 554,000
students, employing approximately 39,000 teachers. Private schools
served about 70.1 thousand students, employing approximately 6.9
thousand teachers. The state's public school system consumed about $5.08
million, and public school spending was approximately $9.6 thousand per
student. About 87.5% of the state's inhabitants over 25 years of age
have a high school diploma.
The first library in the state was
founded in 1701. It was part of the then Collegiate Institute, now Yale
University. The state's first municipal public library was founded in
1733, in Durham. It currently has 194 public library systems, which
annually move an average of 8.4 books per inhabitant.
Connecticut's first institution of higher education was the Collegiate
Institute—now Yale University—founded in 1701. Yale University is the
third oldest institution of higher education in the country, behind only
Harvard University and William and Mary College.
The Connecticut Board of Education operates the
public school system for children. Members of the board of education are
appointed by the governor of the state. The statistics for each school
are available to the public through an online database system called
CEDAR.
Private schools
Greenwich Country Day School
Fairfield Country Day School
Notre Dame Catholic High School
Hopkins School
Choate Rosemary Hall
Miss Porter's School
Northwest Catholic High School
Colleges and universities
Connecticut had its first law school, Litchfield Law School, operating
from 1773 to 1833 in Litchfield. Hartford Public High School (1638) is
the third oldest high school in the country after Collegiate School
(1628) in Manhattan and Boston Latin School (1635).
Private
Yale University (1701)
Trinity College (1823)
Wesleyan
University (1831)
University of Hartford (1877)
Poston University
(1890)
Connecticut College (1911)
University of New Haven (1920)
Albertus Magnus College (1925)
Bridgeport University (1927)
Quinnipack University (1929)
St. Joseph University (1932)
Mitchell
College (1938)
Fairfield University (1942)
Sacred Heart University
(1963)
Public
University of Central Connecticut (1849)
University of Connecticut (1881)
Eastern Connecticut University
(1889)
University of Southern Connecticut (1893)
Western
Connecticut University (1903)
United States Coast Guard Military
Academy (1915)
Charterock College (1973)
The current Constitution of Connecticut was adopted in 1965. Previous
constitutions were adopted in 1639 and 1818. The Constitution of
1639—officially called the "Fundamental Mandates"—was the first
Constitution adopted in what is now the United States. Amendments to the
Constitution are proposed by the Connecticut Legislature, and to be
approved, they need to receive at least 51% favorable votes from the
state Senate and House of Representatives, and two-thirds of the votes
of the population Connecticut election, in a referendum. The population
of the state can also propose amendments to the Constitution by
collecting a certain number of signatures. When these signatures are
accepted by the government, to be approved, they need to receive the
approval of at least a quarter of the members of both houses of the
Connecticut Legislature, and at least 51% of the votes of the electoral
population. Amendments can also be proposed and introduced by
constitutional conventions, which need to receive at least 51% of the
votes of both chambers of the Legislative Branch and two-thirds of the
votes of the electoral population, in a referendum.
The chief
executive branch official is the governor. He is elected by the state's
voters for terms of up to four years, and can be re-elected as many
times as he can. Voters also elect the Lieutenant Governor, the
Secretary of State and three other state Executive officials.
The
General Assembly, the legislative branch of the state, is made up of the
Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate has a total of 36
members, while the House of Representatives has a total of 151 members.
Connecticut is divided into 36 senatorial districts and 151
representative districts. The voters of each district elect a
senator/representative, who will represent each district in the
Senate/House of Representatives. The term of office of senators and
representatives is four years.
The highest court of the state's
judiciary is the Connecticut Supreme Court, composed of seven justices.
Other courts of the state Judicial Branch are the Court of Appeals, the
Superior Court and the Probate Courts, each with 11, 150 and 132 judges,
respectively. Judges of all state courts except Probate Courts are
chosen by the Connecticut Legislature for terms of up to eight years.
The judges of the Probate Courts are elected by the population of the
state for terms of up to four years in length.
It is divided into
eight counties. Unlike other American states, Connecticut counties do
not have a county seat. The main administrative entity, apart from the
state government, are the governments of the 169 municipalities (towns)
of the state. Certain more densely populated regions of these
municipalities form boroughs (districts). Connecticut has 19 cities
(cities).
More than half of the government's budget is generated
by state taxes. The remainder comes from budgets received from the
national government and loans. In 2002, the state government spent
20,117 million dollars, having generated 16,993 million dollars. The
government debt is 20,784 million dollars. The debt per capita is
$6,009, the value of state taxes per capita is $2,611, and the value of
government expenditures per capita is $5,816.
Connecticut has
primarily supported the Republican Party since it was created in 1854,
and politically the state was dominated by Republicans until the 1960s.
Of 20 governors elected between 1856 and 1932, fifteen were Republicans
and five were Democrats. Since the 1930s, however, the Democratic Party
has grown stronger in the state. Thus, since the 1960s, the Democrats,
in the 12 elections held until 2004 in the country's presidential
elections, seven have been mostly dominated by Democrats.
According to the 2000 national census of the United States Census
Bureau, the population of Connecticut was 3,405,565, a growth of 3.6%
relative to the state's 1990 population of 3,287,116. . A forecast made
in 2005 estimates the state's population at 3,510,297 inhabitants, a
growth of 6.7% in relation to the state's population in 1990, 3.1%, in
relation to the state's population in 2000, and of 0.3% in relation to
the estimated population in 2004.
The natural population growth
between 2000 and 2005 was 67,427 inhabitants (222,222 births minus
154,795 deaths), the population growth caused by immigration was 75,991
inhabitants, while interstate migration increased by 41,718 inhabitants.
Between 2000 and 2005, the population grew by 223,181 inhabitants, and
between 2004 and 2005, by 11,331 inhabitants.
In 2004, 11.4% of
the state's population (approximately 400,000 inhabitants) had been born
outside the country, with estimates indicating that 10% of these are
illegal immigrants (1.1% of the state's population).
The gross domestic product was $187 billion. The state's per capita
income, meanwhile, was $75,398, the highest among the 50 US states. The
unemployment rate is 2.9%.
The primary sector accounts for 1% of
Connecticut's GDP. The state has 3,800 farms, which occupy about 10% of
the state. Agriculture and livestock together account for 1% of the
state's GDP, and employ approximately 37 thousand people. Milk and
cherries are the main products produced by the agricultural industry,
which produces more than 25% of all cherries consumed in the country.
The effects of fishing and forestry are not very representative in the
state's economy, together employing nearly two thousand people. The
annual value of fishing in the state is 28 million dollars.
The
secondary sector accounts for 20% of the GDP. The total value of
products manufactured in the state is $28 billion. The main
industrialized products manufactured in the state are transportation
equipment, chemical products, machinery, electronic components and
computers, industrialized foods and printed materials. The manufacturing
industry accounts for 17% of the state's GDP, employing approximately
285 thousand people. The construction industry is 3% of the state's GDP
and employs approximately 99 thousand people. The effects of mining are
unimportant; This sector employs about 1.9 thousand people.
The
tertiary sector contributes 79% of the state's GDP. Connecticut is a
great hub for the insurance industry. The provision of financial and
real estate services accounts for more than 28% of the state's GDP,
employing approximately 231 thousand people. Hartford is the financial
center of the state, being the largest insurance sector center in the
United States, and the second largest in the world (behind only London).
About 22% of the state's GDP is generated through the provision of
community and personal services. This sector employs about 682 thousand
people. Wholesale and retail trade accounts for 14% of the state's GDP,
and employs approximately 410 thousand people. Government Services are
9% of GDP, employing approximately 225 thousand people. Transportation,
telecommunications and public utilities employ 84 thousand people, and
account for 6% of the GDP. 46% of all electricity consumed annually in
the state is generated in oil-fired thermal plants, and 1% in
hydroelectric plants. 52% is imported from neighboring states and the
Canadian province of Quebec.
In 2002 it owned 893 kilometers of railway tracks. The Amtrak company provides passenger rail transportation service in Hartford and various small cities located along the state's coastline with the Atlantic Ocean. In 2003 it had 33,939 kilometers of public roads, of which 557 kilometers were interstate highways, part of the United States federal highway system.
Connecticut's first newspaper, and the oldest in the country still
published, was the Connecticut Courant (now the Hartford Courant), which
was first published in 1764, in Hartford. Currently, about 110
newspapers are published in the state, of which 19 are daily newspapers.
The state's first radio station was founded in 1922, in Hartford.
The first television station was founded in 1948, in New Haven.
Connecticut currently has 77 radio stations—of which 29 are AM and 48
are FM—and 13 television stations.
The global sports network ESPN
is based in the city of Bristol, located in this state.
The Hartford Whalers played in the National Hockey League from 1979
to 1997, after which they moved states. The Hartford Dark Blues played
in the National Baseball League in 1876.
The Hartford Blues
played in the National Football League in 1926. Meanwhile, the New York
Giants played at home in the Yale Bowl in New Haven in the 1973 and 1974
seasons, during the construction of Giants Stadium.
The Boston
Celtics of the National Basketball Association played some home games at
the Hartford Civic Center between 1975 and 1995. The Connecticut Sun has
played the WNBA since 2003 in the town of Uncasville.
In terms of
college sports, the UConn Huskies play in the American Athletic
Conference of the NCAA Division I, achieving multiple national
championships in American football and men's and women's basketball.
Meanwhile, the Harvard Crimson and Yale Bulldogs of the Ivy League
maintain one of the oldest American football rivalries, having faced
each other for the first time in 1875.
Since 1952, the PGA Tour
has held an annual golf tournament in Hartford, currently called the
Travelers Championship. Meanwhile, the New Haven Tournament has been
part of the WTA Tour since 1998 and the ATP Tour since 2005. For its
part, the Lime Rock Park road course has hosted races for the IMSA GT
Championship, American Le Mans Series and Rolex Sports Car Series.
Tree: White oak (Quercus alba)
Nicknames:
Constitution State
Arsenal of the Nation (unofficial)
Nutmeg State (unofficial)
Fossil: Eubrontes giganteus
Flower: Kalmia latifolia
Insect:
Praying mantis
Motto: Qui transtulit sustinet
Mammal: Sperm whale
(Physeter macrocephalus)
Mineral: Garnet
Music: Yankee Doodle
Bird: American robin (Turdus migratorius)
Fish: American shad (Alosa
sapidissima)
Slogan: Full of Surprises