Delaware is a state on the Atlantic coast of the United States of America. It is the second smallest state in the United States after Rhode Island. It borders Maryland to the west and south, Pennsylvania to the north and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, beyond the estuary of the Delaware River, which widens into a bay.
Despite its small size, Delaware is a large financial center.
More than 200 thousand companies have their headquarters in the
state. This happens thanks to state laws that grant tax benefits
to companies that decide to set up headquarters in the state,
even attracting many that operate primarily outside of it. This
fact gave the state the nickname The Land of Free-Tax Shopping.
For this reason, it is also one of the largest banking centers
in the United States. It also has a strong petrochemical
industry.
Delaware was initially settled by the Dutch and
Swedes. It was also one of the Thirteen Colonies of the United
Kingdom. After the American War of Independence, it was the
first American state to ratify the Constitution of the United
States of America, on December 7, 1787. Therefore, the state is
known as The First State. . The name of the state comes from the
Delaware River, as it is located on the banks of this river and
its estuary, Delaware Bay. The origin of the name Delaware, for
its part, comes from Thomas West the Third, Baron de La Warr,
who was governor of Virginia between 1610 and 1618.
1 Wilmington - largest city and economic center
2
Dover -
Capital
3 Newark
4 Middletown
5 Smyrna
6 Milford
7 Seaford
8 Georgetown
9 Elsmere
First State National Historical Park. The park commemorates that
Delaware was the first state of the 13 colonies to ratify the US
Constitution.
Rehoboth Beach is a seaside resort on the
Atlantic Seaboard. The place describes itself as the summer
capital of the country. Tourists are attracted by the city's
special atmosphere, art, nightlife and shopping.
The name "Delaware" comes from the title of the second governor of
the colony of Virginia, Sir Thomas West, Lord De La Warr and the
Delaware River named after him.
Delaware is officially nicknamed
The First State because Delaware was the first state of the Thirteen
Colonies to ratify the United States Constitution in 1787. Delaware has
only three counties, New Castle County, Kent County, and Sussex County,
fewer than any other US state.
Although Delaware is only 100
miles long, less than 30 miles across at its widest point, and covers
just 2,489 square miles, Delaware is a surprisingly complex and diverse
state. The C & D Canal (Chesapeake & Delaware Canal), which bisects the
state two-thirds, serves as a sort of internal Mason-Dixon line
connecting the more urban and industrialized northern part of Delaware,
closely connected to northern metropolitan Philadelphia is separate from
the other rural "slower, lower" southern portion, which is more part of
the Delmarva Peninsula and is synchronized with the southern rhythm of
Maryland and Virginia.
Befitting a surprisingly diverse state,
Delaware has a diverse economy that impacts the types of things
available to visitors. The largest city, Wilmington, is a very
business-oriented city. Due to the Delaware General Corporation Law,
which is very favorable to corporate executives, the majority of large
US corporations are incorporated in the state of Delaware and maintain a
nominal presence in the state. Generally, this presence is in Wilmington
because of their ties to Philadelphia. This is especially true for
banks, which also benefit from Delaware's laws regarding lending and
therefore maintain large workforces in Wilmington. Wilmington is
therefore a very business-like environment; Most downtown restaurants
and bars cater to those who work in Wilmington but live elsewhere
("elsewhere" is often Pennsylvania or even New Jersey).
Unlike
Wilmington, much of the state is essentially rural and much of the
nonagricultural economy is tourism-based. The Delaware coast is a
relatively popular destination for local people looking to vacation
during the summer. Additionally, Delaware has developed a strong
tradition of craft brewing, with seven major breweries in the state.
By Air.
Commercial air service to Delaware is limited, but the
state is close to major international airports in Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, Maryland, and the District of Columbia.
Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI IATA) is less than 90
minutes away and is served by numerous domestic and international
flights. The airport is accessible by Amtrak from Delaware, but there
are no commuter/regional rail lines in Delaware that connect to the
airport.
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL IATA) is 20 miles
northeast of downtown Wilmington (about 30 minutes). From PHL to
Delaware, you must take the Airport Line to the Central Philadelphia
station and purchase a ticket to Wilmington.
The Salisbury-Ocean
City-Wicomico Regional Airport (SBY IATA) is used by many visitors to
the beaches of southern Delaware and is about an hour south and an hour
west of Rehoboth Beach.
By Train.
Wilmington is a major stop
for Amtrak trains in the Northeast Corridor. Premium Acela Express
high-speed trains run frequently throughout the day from Baltimore,
Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. Newark,
Delaware's third largest city, is one of them. Some regional trains also
serve Northern Virginia. Even slower but less expensive SEPTA commuter
trains run all day between Newark, Wilmington, and Philadelphia.
Finally, several long-distance Amtrak trains terminating in New York or
Washington, D.C., call at Wilmington. These include the Carolinian from
Charlotte, the Crescent from New Orleans, the Palmetto from Savannah,
the Silver Meteor and Silver Star from Miami, and the Vermonter from St.
Albans, Vermont.
By Bus.
Greyhound has several bus terminals
throughout the state. There are also "Chinatown" buses that run all day
from Dover, Smyrna, and Wilmington to New York, Albany, Baltimore, and
Virginia.
By foot.
The American Discovery Trail traverses the
entire United States from coast to coast, connecting Delaware and
California.
With the exception of the city of Wilmington, the automobile is the
primary mode of transportation; DART First State is the primary public
transportation system serving all of Delaware. Most routes serve the
Wilmington and Newark area in New Castle County, but DART also serves
Dover in Kent County and Georgetown in Sussex County. During the summer
months, DART provides beach bus service to Delaware Beach.
Within
Delaware, the Wilmington/Newark line always stops in Claymont and
several trains a day run to Newark. The Delaware Department of
Transportation subsidizes regional rail service within Delaware.
Due to its location as a border state lying between the North and South, people from Delaware have American English accents which vary accordingly based upon location and environment. Southern accents begin to be encountered below the C&D Canal, and increase in strength the further south you go. Accents in northern Delaware tend to mimic those found in Philadelphia and southern Pennsylvania.
elaware is famous for having no sales tax. Most Delawareans shop at big-box malls and strip malls, such as Christiana Mall in Newark, Dover Mall, and Tanger Outlets in Rehoboth Beach.
Delaware has many excellent restaurants, including the Dogfish Head
in Rehoboth Beach and Iron Hill (along the Newark and Wilmington
riverfronts), and a surprising number of brewpubs for a small state.
Newark, home to the University of Delaware, has a number of bars and
restaurants popular with college students and locals. One such
restaurant is Klondike Kate's (on Main Street). Sign up for a tour of
the underground jail, built in the late 1700s. Deer Park (also on Main
Street) is an old Newark institution with a rich history. The current
building was built in 1847, but there has been a tavern here since
colonial times. Edgar Allan Poe once stayed at the St. Patrick's Inn,
which was located in the same spot. Legend has it that he fell in the
mud outside the hotel and placed a curse on the building and the city.
Because of the Poe connection, Deer Park's symbol is a raven, and a
wooden raven adorns the main dining room.
In Wilmington, Trolley
Square, located about a mile from downtown along Delaware Avenue, is
widely popular among locals in their 20s and 30s. Of all the bars in
Trolley Square, The Logan House is arguably the most popular drinking
spot. In suburban Greenville on Route 52 is Cromwell's, which offers
quality pub-style food and a comfortable atmosphere.
To stay safe in Delaware, it's important to be smart. In Wilmington,
city officials and downtown merchants have formed a private security
patrol (armed with two-way radios but no guns) that patrols the downtown
restaurant and entertainment district to complement the city police
department. Most restaurants, upon request, will call for a security
guard to escort them to their cars. In Wilmington, it is best to use
common sense, pay attention to your surroundings, and listen to your
inner voice. Listen to your inner voice. If that voice is telling you
that you have wandered into the wrong place, you probably have. In
general, it is best to avoid walking alone after dark in downtown.
Interestingly, Wilmington has one of the highest concentrations of
remote surveillance cameras of any city of its size. Of course, these
cameras are ideal for identifying criminals after the fact, so don't
take comfort in their presence.
As everywhere, common sense must
be used. Outside of Wilmington, there is little to worry about except
keeping the windows open when it unexpectedly rains.
Delaware is bordered to the north by Pennsylvania, to the south and
west by Maryland, to the east by Delaware Bay, which borders New Jersey,
and to the southeast by the Atlantic Ocean. Its coastline along the
Atlantic Ocean is about 45 kilometers long, which increases to 613
kilometers, if we count the coastline formed by estuaries, bays and
coastal islands. Delaware's border with Pennsylvania is the only
arc-shaped border between two states in the United States, and is known
as the Twelve Mile Circle.
Delaware, along with part of the
Maryland coastline and two counties in Virginia, form the Delmarva
Peninsula, an abbreviation of the names of the states that form it:
Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. The Delmarva Peninsula is an
interesting geographical feature located between the Delaware and
Chesapeake bays. The Delaware River is the largest and most important
river in the state. Other important rivers are the Christina and the
Brandywine. The Christina allows navigation of large ships to
Wilmington, and small ships to Newport. All the rivers that flow through
Delaware flow into the Atlantic Ocean. It has about 50 lakes and forests
cover approximately 30% of the state.
The state can be divided
into two distinct geographic regions:
The Atlantic coastal plains
occupy most of Delaware. The terrain of this region is flat, not very
hilly, sandy and of low altitude, rarely exceeding 25 meters in
altitude.
Piemonte is a small strip of land located in the extreme
north of the state, which is no more than 15 kilometers long. This
region is characterized by its rugged terrain, with fertile valleys.
Piemonte is the highest altitude region in the state. The highest point
in the state, which only rises 137 meters above sea level, is located in
this region.
The northern part of the state has a temperate continental climate,
while the southern region of the state has a subtropical climate. The
state's location, close to the Atlantic and south of the Pennsylvania
mountain ranges (which serve as obstacles against cold fronts coming
from the north) make the state's winters mild. Temperature varies little
from one region to another, due to the small size of the state. The
variation is 2°C in summer and 1°C in winter, with average temperatures
decreasing as you travel north.
The average winter temperature is
2°C, while the state's average summer temperature is 24°C. Both the
lowest and highest temperatures recorded in Delaware were in Millsboro,
the lowest at -27°C on January 17, 1893, and the highest at 43°C on July
21, 1930. Millsboro is the only American city to have both the highest
and lowest temperature recorded in a state, along with Warsaw, Missouri.
The average annual rainfall rate is 114 centimeters, higher along
the coast and lower in the interior (especially in the extreme north of
the state). The average annual snowfall varies between 46 centimeters in
the north, 36 centimeters in the southwest, and 30 centimeters along the
coast.
Before European settlement, the Lenape (also known as Lenni Lenape), Susquehanna, and other tribes lived in this area.
The Spaniards and Portuguese already reached the coasts of today's
Delaware in the 16th century. But even later explorers - such as Henry
Hudson in 1609, who sailed to the Delaware River - reached the coasts
without being able to prove that they landed there.
The first
European settlers came to the area in 1631 as a trading company led by
Captain David Pietersen de Vries. They established a Dutch trading post
called "Zwaanendael" (or "Swaanendael", modern day Lewes). In 1632
Captain de Vries returned and found that in the meantime all the
settlers had been killed by Indians and the settlement had been burned
down.
In March 1638, a Swedish expedition consisting of the ships
Kalmar Nyckel (Key of Kalmar) and Fågel Grip (Bird Griffin), led by
Peter Minuit, reached the coast of present-day Delaware. The settlers
who landed around March 29 built Fort Christina (named after the then
Swedish Queen Christina I). Fort Christina, now Wilmington, became
Delaware's first permanent European settlement.
The most
important Swedish governor was probably Colonel Johan Printz, who ruled
the colony from 1643 to 1653. Shortly after his arrival in 1654, his
successor captured the Dutch trading post of Fort Casimir, which had
been built in 1651 on the site of the present town of New Castle.
When the Swedish colony became a commercial competitor for the
Dutch, Petrus Stuyvesant, the governor of the Nieuw Nederland colony,
decided to expel the Swedes and set up the Neu-Amstel colony. In 1655 he
reached the coast with his fleet. He subdued the Swedish forces and put
the whole area under his command.
The Dutch rebuilt the destroyed
Fort Casimir. The fort quickly became a central settlement and soon
could no longer accommodate everyone. As a result, the city of
Neu-Amstel was built, today's New Castle.
The name "Delaware" comes from the title of the second governor of
the colony of Virginia, Sir Thomas West, Lord De La Warr and the
Delaware River named after him. In 1664 the English conquered the colony
and added it to their own colony of New York.
In 1681, King
Charles II gave the province of Pennsylvania to William Penn. Penn's
agents, who arrived there soon after, reported that the province would
no longer have access to the coast if hostilities broke out with the
colonies that lay on both sides of the Delaware River and the Bay. Penn
then submitted a petition to the royal family to also grant him the land
on the west side of the Delaware River and the Bay, which lay below his
province. This request was granted by James, Duke of York (later James
II) in March 1682. Penn received the lands of present-day New Castle,
St. Jones, and Deale counties.
After his arrival in America, on
October 27, 1682 in New Castle, the granted land was handed over to Penn
by agents of the Duke of York. On this occasion, the colonists of these
lands also swore allegiance to Penn.
In 1683 the three "lower
counties" were annexed to Pennsylvania according to Penn's famous "Frame
of Coverage". At the same time, St Jones was renamed Kent and Deale was
renamed Sussex.
In 1704 the "three smaller districts" got their
own parliament and in 1710 their own board of directors.
State
(since 1776)
The Mason-Dixon Line, created by Englishmen Charles
Mason and Jeremiah Dixon between 1763 and 1767 to define the border
between Pennsylvania and Maryland, now marks the border between
Delaware/Pennsylvania and Maryland/West Virginia. Many of the 80
original landmarks limestone are preserved.
In 1776, two months
after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the three counties
merged to form the state of Delaware and separated completely from
Pennsylvania. As one of the thirteen colonies, Delaware broke away from
the British rulers and joined the American independence movement.
The military conflicts of the colonial period had produced
well-organized and well-managed militias, and the Delaware troops,
already numbering 3,000 volunteers by the start of the Revolutionary
War, took part in a large number of known battles, the only battle being
that of Cooch's Bridge, which took place on September 3, 1777 in near
Newark, was held on Delaware soil.
In 1777 Dover became the
capital of Delaware in place of New Castle.
On December 7, 1787,
Delaware became the first of the 13 colonies to ratify the new American
Constitution during a ceremony in Dover.
Although Delaware was a
slave-owning state, the state sided with the northern states during the
Civil War after a vote to secede from the Union on January 3, 1861
failed to secure the required majority. On February 18, 1866, eight
months after the end of the Civil War, Delaware refused to ratify the
13th Amendment to the United States Constitution. Only on February 12,
1901 did Delaware agree to the abolition of slavery by ratifying the new
article. The first "black" church founded by slaves before the abolition
of slavery can still be seen in Delaware today. In 1967, Delaware was
among the last US states to be forced by the Supreme Court to lift the
ban on intermarriage.
Delaware's fourth and current constitution was adopted in 1897 and
provides for legislative, executive, and judicial bodies. The
legislature consists of a 41-member House of Representatives and a
21-member Senate. The executive branch is headed by the governor of
Delaware, and the judiciary is ruled by a hierarchy of courts, with the
state's highest court at the top.
Delaware's political stance was
always elusive up until the 2000 presidential election, when the state
had previously voted the winning candidate most often of any state. But
in recent years, the Democrats' lead in the wealthy little state, which
was classified as a swing state in 2004, has become increasingly clear.
Governor John Charles Carney, Jr. is also a Democrat, as is his
lieutenant governor, Democrat Bethany Hall-Long, who has also been in
office since 2017, as are all three representatives in the 117th
Congress: Senators Christopher Andrew Coons and Thomas Richard Carper,
as well as the Member of the House of Representatives, Lisa Blunt
Rochester. Delaware has had three electors in the Electoral College
since 1789.
The current Delaware Constitution was adopted in 1897. Previous
constitutions were approved in 1776, 1792, and 1831. Amendments to the
Constitution are proposed by the state Legislature, and to be approved,
they need the approval of at least the 51% of the state Senate and House
of Representatives, plus two-thirds of the votes of Delaware's electoral
population, in a referendum. Citizens of the state can also propose
amendments to the Constitution by collecting a specified number of
signatures. When these signatures are accepted by the government, they
need to receive the approval of at least a quarter of the members of
both chambers of the Legislative Branch, and at least 51% of the votes
of the electoral population. Amendments can also be proposed and
introduced by a constitutional convention, 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 electorate, in a referendum.
The
main official of its Executive Branch is the governor. He is elected by
the state's voters for terms of up to four years, and can be re-elected
only once. Electors also elect the Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of
State, among other executive officers.
The Legislative Branch of
Delaware – also called the General Assembly – is made up of the Senate
and the House of Representatives. Its headquarters are the Delaware
Legislative Hall, located in Dover. The Senate has 21 members and the
House of Representatives has 41 members. The state is divided into 21
senatorial districts and 41 representative districts. The voters of each
district elect a senator/representative, who will represent that
district in the Senate/House of Representatives. The term of office of
senators is four years, while representatives are elected for terms of
up to two years.
The highest court in the state's Judicial Branch
is the Delaware Supreme Court, composed of four judges and a chief
justice. Other courts of the state Judicial Branch are the Superior
Court, the Delaware's Court of Chancelery (which handles personal
disputes), the Family Courts (works with family proceedings) and the
Common Pleas Court. All judges in the Delaware Judicial Branch are
chosen by the governor for terms of up to 12 years.
Delaware is
divided into three counties: Kent, New Castle and Sussex. Each of the
counties is administered by a commission made up of a certain number of
members (seven in Kent, six in New Castle and five in Sussex). These
members are elected by the population of their respective counties for
terms of up to four years.
About half of the state government's
budget is generated by state taxes. The rest comes from budgets received
from the national government and from loans. In 2002, the state
government spent 4,646 million dollars, having generated 4,882 million
dollars. The government debt is 4,038 million dollars. The debt per
capita is $5,010, the value of state taxes per capita is $2,697, and the
value of government expenditures per capita is $5,764.
According to the 2000 national census from the United States Census
Bureau, Delaware's population was 783,600, a growth of 17.5% from the
state's 1990 population of 666,168. An estimate made in 2005 estimates
the state's population at 843,524 inhabitants, a growth of 26.6% in
relation to the state's population in 1990, 7.6% in relation to the
state's population in 2000, and 1.6% in relation to the estimated
population in 2004.
The growth of the natural population of
Delaware between 2000 and 2005 was 21,978 inhabitants - 58,699 births
and 36,721 deaths - the growth caused by immigration was 27,912
inhabitants, while interstate migration increased by 11,226 inhabitants.
Between 2000 and 2005, the state's population grew by 59,924
inhabitants, and between 2004 and 2005, by 13,455 inhabitants.
In 2006 the state had a population of 853,476 people, of which:
68.8% are white (European or of European descent).
20.7% are black.
6.3% are Latino or Hispanic.
2.9% are Asian.
The rest are made up
of people of other ethnic origins.
Delaware's five largest groups
by ancestry are: African Americans (making up 19.2% of the population),
Irish (16.6%), Germans (14.3%), English (12.1%), and Italians (9.3%).
Its population has the highest percentage of African Americans of
any American state located north of Maryland, as well as the highest
percentage of free African Americans (17%), before the American Civil
War. 90.5% of the state's population over five years of age have English
as their native language and 4.7% have Spanish. French is the third most
spoken language in the state, at 0.7%, followed by Chinese and German,
each at 0.5%.
Percent of Delaware population by religion 2019:
Christianity
– 69%- 679,612
Protestants – 46% - 453,074
Catholic Church – 24% -
219,687
Orthodox Christians – 1% - 9,849
Other religions – 6% -
59,096
No religion – 23% - 206,537
Delaware instituted a system of public funds in 1796 to be used for
educational purposes. However, such funds would not be used until 1818,
when the state released one thousand dollars for each county. In 1829,
Delaware divided the state into different school districts, each having
the right to receive up to $300 annually from the state, thus
establishing the state's first public schools. Until then, children from
poor families were forced to study, either in schools administered by
religious institutions (the first were founded during the beginning of
the 17th century), or not to study.
Currently, all of its
educational institutions need to follow rules and regulations dictated
by the Delaware Department of Education, made up of seven members
appointed by the governor for terms of up to 4 years in length. This
department, headed by the Secretary of Education, 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 the school districts, which operate on a countywide basis.
Delaware allows the operation of charter schools — independent public
schools, which are not managed by school districts, but which depend on
public budgets for their operation. Schooling is compulsory for all
children and adolescents over five years of age, until the completion of
secondary education or until the age of sixteen.
In 1999, the
state's public schools served approximately 112.8 thousand students,
employing approximately 7.3 thousand teachers. Private schools served
about 22.8 thousand students, employing approximately 1.8 thousand
teachers. The state's public school system spent about $873 million, and
public school spending was approximately $8.3 thousand per student.
About 88.7% of the state's inhabitants over 25 years of age have a high
school diploma.
Delaware's first library was founded in 1754, in
Wilmington. Currently, the state has 57 public library systems, which
annually move an average of 5.8 books per inhabitant. Delaware's first
institution of higher education was Newark College—now the University of
Delaware—founded in 1833, in Newark. Currently there are ten higher
education institutions, of which five are public and five are private.
The state's gross domestic product was $49 billion. The state's per
capita income, meanwhile, was $34,199, the ninth highest among the 50 US
states. Delaware's unemployment rate is 4.4%.
The primary sector
corresponds to 1% of Delaware's GDP. The state has 2.6 thousand farms,
which occupy about half of the state. Agriculture and livestock together
account for 1% of the state's GDP, and employ approximately 9.6 thousand
people. Milk is the main product of Delaware's agricultural industry,
which produces more than 25% of all cherries consumed in the country.
The effects of fishing and forestry are unimportant in the state's
economy, together employing about a thousand people. The value of the
fish caught annually is 28 million dollars.
The secondary sector
contributes 20% of Delaware's GDP. The total value of products
manufactured in the state is $28 billion. The main industrialized
products manufactured in the state are chemical products, transportation
equipment (mainly automobiles), industrialized foods and paper. The
manufacturing industry accounts for 15% of the state's GDP, employing
approximately 56 thousand people, and construction accounts for 5% of
the state's GDP and employs approximately 32 thousand people. The mining
sector is very unrepresentative, employing close to 200 people.
The services sector is the most important, with 79% of the GDP. The
provision of financial and real estate services accounts for 38% of the
state's GDP, employing approximately 70 thousand people. About 16% of
the state's GDP is generated through the provision of community and
personal services. This sector employs about 150 thousand people.
Wholesale and retail trade accounts for 11% of the state's GDP, and
employs approximately 103 thousand people. Government Services are 9%,
employing approximately 66 thousand people. Transportation,
telecommunications and public services employ 19 thousand people, with
5% of the GDP. All electricity produced in Delaware is generated by
coal, natural gas or oil-fired thermal power plants.
The American state of Delaware is known for its letterbox companies,
especially in Wilmington, and is considered a tax haven in the USA.
According to the US census, the entire state of Delaware has just under
a million inhabitants, but slightly more than a million companies are
registered here. The state government advertises that 65 percent of
Fortune 500 companies have their legal domicile in Delaware, but most do
not have their corporate headquarters.
One reason for Delaware's
unusual economic strength is that Delaware's corporate laws are
considered to be the most liberal in the country, resulting in nearly
all major US corporations being incorporated in Delaware. As a result of
the Delaware Effect, Delaware is known to be home to approximately
620,000 shell companies, including many large corporations. According to
the tax rights group Tax Justice Network, Delaware tops the list of the
world's most popular tax havens (comparing laws, case law and deposit
flow). In addition to extremely low taxes, it is possible to set up
companies anonymously. No share capital is required to set up a company,
and a one-person board of directors is sufficient. Other benefits for
companies are that board meetings do not have to be held in Delaware and
there is no publicity requirement.
Over a third of shell
companies are housed in a single story building, the Corporation Trust
Center.
Another advantage of Delaware for incorporating a company
is that, unlike most other states, corporate cases are tried in the
Chancery Court, a court with professional judges and no jury. As a
result, cases are decided less on the basis of sympathy and more on the
basis of legal aspects and evidence. In addition, as the oldest US state
and also due to the large number of companies for many possible legal
cases, Delaware already has precedents and legal history, and also very
extensive legislation for corporate law. These points significantly
reduce the risk of litigation for companies and make the outcome of
legal proceedings more predictable.
The state transportation system is administered by the Delaware Department of Transportation. This Department is responsible for snow removal from state public roads, the administration of toll roads, and traffic infrastructure, such as traffic signs and plates. In 2002, Delaware owned 365 kilometers of railroad tracks. In 2003, it had 9,485 kilometers of public roads, of which 66 kilometers were interstate highways, part of the United States federal highway system. Delaware has nearly 1,400 bridges, 30% of which were built before the 1950s. 95% of the state's bridges and 90% of public roads are managed by the Delaware Department of Transportation.
Delaware's first newspaper was the Delaware Gazette, which was first published in 1764, in Wilmington. Currently, about 17 newspapers are published in the state, of which two are daily newspapers. Delaware's first radio station was founded in 1922, in Wilmington. The state's first television station was founded in 1949, also in Wilmington. Currently, Delaware has 21 radio stations – of which 9 are AM and 12 are FM – and 13 television stations.