Delaware

Delaware is a 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.

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

Geography
Delaware is 96 mi long and ranges from 9 mi to 35 mi across, totaling 1954 sqmi, 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 level 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 ft 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 proceeds for which come from a tax on wholesale petroleum sales.

Sister cities and states
Delaware's sister state in Japan is Miyagi Prefecture.

Related pages

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