CONNECTICUT

New England. constituent state of the United States of America, situated in the New England region, northeastern U.S. It is on Long Island Sound and is bounded to the west by New York, to the north by Massachusetts, and to the east by Rhode Island. The capital is Hartford. The original inhabitants of Connecticut were Algonquian-speaking Indians. Connecticut was colonized by English Puritans from the Massachusetts Bay colony during the 1630s. The Connecticut River valley settlements of Hartford, Wethersfield, Windsor, and Saybrook were founded in the mid-1630s, and the settlement at New Haven dates from 1638. Connecticut remained an agricultural region until the early 19th century, when textile factories were established, and by 1850 employment in manufacturing had exceeded that in agriculture. Connecticut is the third smallest U.S. state in area (after Rhode Island and Delaware). It is divided into three regions, of which the Western Upland (i.e., the Berkshire Hills) contains the state's highest elevations, with a maximum of 2,380 feet (725 metres) in the northwest corner. The Central Lowland (Connecticut River valley) is a downfaulted block of land filled with sandstone and shale. There are many small ridges and broad river valleys. The third region, the Eastern Upland, is, like the Western, hilly and drained by numerous rivers. The climate is moderate, with January temperatures averaging about 26 F (-3 C) and summers between 70 and 75 F (21 and 24 C). Precipitation averages from 3 to 4 inches (75 to 100 mm) per month and is evenly distributed. In the 19th century immigration to the state from southern and eastern Europe accelerated. From 1900 to 1970 Connecticut's population growth rate was above the national average, but since the 1980s it has been below that average. Blacks comprise only 9 percent of the population. The state is heavily urban, but there is no single large city. Agriculture is only a minor element in the economy, and the decline in the number of farms has been extreme. Dairy products are still important, and vegetables are grown for local consumption. The only notable export crop is shade-grown tobacco, used mainly for wrappers in the manufacture of cigars. Oyster fishing and whalingthe latter no longer practicedhave been the only significant commercial fishing operations. Mining operations, once important, have decreased significantly, and only sand, gravel, stone, feldspar, clay, and mica are still extracted. Originally Connecticut was a forested region, but virtually all the primeval forest has been cut, and the current woodland that covers nearly two-thirds of the state is mixed secondary forest. Manufacturing, once the foundation of the state's economy, is gradually diminishing in importance and employs less than one-fifth of the workforce. Transportation equipment, especially helicopters, submarines, and aircraft engines, is a major category of production. Firearms and ammunition also are produced. The service sector (notably the finance and insurance industries) is dominant and growing, comprising about two-thirds of the workforce. New Haven is one of the largest ports in New England, and Stamford houses the headquarters or home offices of some of the largest corporations in the United States. The U.S. Coast Guard Academy is located in New London. Highways and railways traverse Connecticut on the heavily traveled BostonNew York City corridor. Interstate highways serve the densely settled coastal and Connecticut River valley regions. The state abounds with historical sites and memorials, and there are numerous state forests and state parks. Major cultural activities are often linked with drama; notable are the American Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford, the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, and the Yale School of Drama. Yale University, founded in 1701, is one of the nation's most famous universities. The University of Connecticut consists of a system of six institutions, with the main campus at Storrs. Area 5,006 square miles (12,966 square km). Pop. (1990) 3,287,116; (1996 est.) 3,274,238. constituent state of the United States of America. It was one of the original 13 states and is one of the six New England states. Connecticut is located in the northeastern corner of the United States. In area it is the third smallest state in the nation, with 5,018 square miles (12,997 square kilometres), and it ranks among the most densely populated. It lies athwart the great urban-industrial complex along the Atlantic coast, with Massachusetts on the north, Rhode Island on the east, Long Island Sound (an arm of the Atlantic Ocean) on the south, and New York on the west. Hartford is the capital. Connecticut takes its name from an Algonquian word meaning land on the long tidal river. Connecticut, with its many beaches and harbours, its forest-clad hills, and its village greens that are often surrounded by houses dating from the 17th and 18th centuries, represents a special blend of modern urban life, rustic landscape, and historic sites. It is a highly industrial and service-oriented state, and its personal income per capita is among the highest in the nation. The strength of its economy lies in a skilled working force, much of it fabricating products that have been manufactured in Connecticut since the products were invented. The population is heavily urban. The state has no single large city, however, and the intense crowding characteristic of many urban areas is not found in Connecticut. It continues its long tradition of being a prosperous state, with in-migration attracted by the good employment opportunities, excellent educational facilities, and pleasant living conditions for the majority of its people. Additional reading Federal Writer's Project for the State of Connecticut, Connecticut: A Guide to Its Roads, Lore, and People (1938, reprinted 1973), is still a useful description of all parts of the state. Thomas R. Lewis and John E. Harmon, Connecticut: A Geography (1986), is a concise contemporary treatment. Michael Bell, The Face of Connecticut: People, Geology, and the Land (1985), an attractive volume replete with fine photographs, focuses on the physical landscape. Allen R. Smith, Connecticut: A Thematic Atlas (1974), presents the settlement and development of the state; while DeLorme Mapping Company, Connecticut, Rhode Island Atlas & Gazetteer (1999), focuses on topography.Albert E. Van Dusen, Connecticut (1961), is an outstanding comprehensive history. Arthur H. Hughes and Morse S. Allen, Connecticut Place Names (1976), an exhaustive list, includes a wealth of information on the state's history. Bruce Fraser, The Land of Steady Habits: A Brief History of Connecticut (1988), is an easily read work written for the Connecticut Historical Commission on the 200th anniversary of statehood. David M. Roth, Connecticut: A Bicentennial History (1979), is also a good introduction. The Series in Connecticut History covers the early years to the mid-1970s in five volumes, all published in 1975: Albert E. Van Dusen, Puritans Against the Wilderness: Connecticut History to 1763; David M. Roth and Freeman Meyer, From Revolution to Constitution: Connecticut, 17631818; Janice Law Tracker, Preachers, Rebels, and Traders: Connecticut, 18181865; Ruth O.M. Andersen, From Yankee to American: Connecticut, 18651914; and Herbert F. Janick, Jr., A Diverse People: Connecticut, 1914 to the Present (1975). Robert J. Taylor, Colonial Connecticut (1979), covers the founding of Connecticut through the outbreak of the Revolution. Thomas C. Barrow, Connecticut Joins the Revolution (1973), is the first of a series of concise books published by the American Revolution Bicentennial Commission of Connecticut. John Niven, Connecticut for the Union (1965), comprehensively examines the role of Connecticut in the Civil War. Bibliographies of historical sources include Christopher Collier and Bonnie B. Collier, The Literature of Connecticut History (1983), definitive and thoroughly annotated; and Roger Parks (ed.), Connecticut (1986). Honorable Irving J. Stolberg