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The
state of Connecticut, in New England, is a vital part of the industrial
and transportation corridor of the northeastern United States. One of
the smallest U.S. states, it is bordered by 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. Within its borders, there is a
rich variety of cultural and natural environments--the population is more
ethnically diverse than homogeneous, and the physical landscape is one
of broad river valleys, sandy and rocky coastline, and thickly forested
uplands. The peacefulness of seaside marshes and villages and high-technology
industrial parks stands in sharp contrast to the brisk activity of heavy
manufacturing along the coast. Hartford, an inland city on the Connecticut
River, is the capital. The name Connecticut is derived from the Algonquian
Indian word quinnehtukqut, meaning "beside the long tidal river."
LAND AND RESOURCES
Connecticut is a scenic state. There are many streams, extensive woodlands,
and considerable topographic variety. The tidal shoreline is 994 km (618
mi) long. Only 0.4% of the state's land is owned by the federal government.
Physiography
Connecticut is hilly and is generally divided into the Western and Eastern
Highlands and the Central Valley. The Berkshire Hills in the southern
part of New England's Green Mountains make up the largest area of the
western part of Connecticut. The highlands in the eastern counties extend
into central Massachusetts, and the middle of Connecticut is a broad valley,
bordered by low hills on the north and basalt ridges on the south. The
state's southern border, the Long Island Sound coastline, is indented
by numerous marshes, coves, rivers, and streams. The land slopes down
gradually about 3.6 m (12 ft) per mile from the north and west to the
south and southeast toward Long Island Sound. In western Connecticut the
highest hills rise from 244 m (800 ft) to over 610 m (2,000 ft) above
sea level, and local relief is often in excess of 152 m (500 ft). Elevations,
relief, and slopes in the Eastern Highlands are not as great as those
in the west. Slopes are gentler, with elevations between 152 m and 305
m (1,000 ft). In the southeast, elevations are generally between 61 m
(200 ft) and 152 m. Many of the valley floors and lake surfaces in northwestern
and northeastern Connecticut are higher than 183 m (600 ft), and some
in the northwest are between 518 m (1,700 ft) and 579 m (1,900 ft) above
the sea level of Long Island Sound. There are no true mountains in Connecticut.
The highest point in the state is on the southern slope of Mt. Frissell
in Salisbury, which is 725 m (2,380 ft) high. (The peak itself is in Massachusetts.)
The highest peak within the state, Bear Mountain, also in Salisbury, is
706 m (2,316 ft) high.
Rivers and Lakes
The valleys of Connecticut contain more than 13,518 km (8,400 mi) of rivers
and streams. There are three major river systems, most of which drain
in a southerly direction to Long Island Sound. The Connecticut River,
whose headwaters are some 655 km (407 mi) to the north in New Hampshire,
bisects the state. The Shetucket-Thames in eastern Connecticut is the
largest drainage basin, and the Housatonic-Naugatuck system drains western
Connecticut. In addition there are minor coastal rivers that drain directly
into Long Island Sound and some marginal drainage on the east by the Pawcatuck
River and on the west by the Hudson River of New York State. Connecticut's
rivers were among the most commonly used paths of penetration for 17th-
century settlement. During the 19th century, railroad routes often followed
river valleys north from Long Island Sound. Today many aspects of the
state's culture such as speech patterns, house types, and shopping patterns
are more spatially oriented north to south than they are east to west.
Connecticut has a number of small natural lakes, the largest of which
is Bantam Lake in Litchfield County. There are also many artificial lakes,
most built during the late 19th century as water sources for the numerous
mill villages. Today the lakes are a major focus of recreation, but uses
for power, flood control, and irrigation continue. The largest artificial
lake is Candlewood near Danbury.
Climate and Weather
Connecticut has a moderate climate with four well-defined seasons. The
state as a whole receives adequate precipitation that is normally evenly
distributed during each month of the year. Its location on the edge of
a middle latitude continental landmass means it is characterized by winter
and summer temperatures that reverse seasonally. Because there are no
true mountains ranging north to south or east to west across the state,
and few immediately west, climatic forces operate relatively unaffected
by topography. Local differences in elevation, however, bring about variations
in weather characteristics.
Although Connecticut has a coastline, its climate is not maritime. Connecticut's
weather comes from the west, off the North American continent. Thus, the
summers are hot and humid, and the winters are cold and dry. Inland temperatures
are a bit colder in winter and hotter in summer than coastal locations.
Coastal New Haven has an annual average temperature of 10.1 degrees C
(50.2 degrees F), and inland Hartford has an annual average temperature
of 9.9 degrees C (49.8 degrees F). The growing season averages 180 days.
Connecticut sometimes has tornadoes, and hurricanes have struck the state
many times in the last 300 years. Blizzards are a winter hazard. Snowfall
can be expected from mid-December to mid-March but has occurred at other
times. January is the snowiest as well as the coldest month. The 1993-94
winter was the snowiest on record. The hills of northwestern Connecticut
receive the most snow, averaging over 190 cm (75 in) per year.
Vegetation and Animal Life
Many species of maple, beech, birch, oak, hickory, pine, and hemlock make
up the Connecticut forest. It covers about 60 percent of the total land
area in the state and ranges from the broad, uninterrupted woodlands in
the northwest to patches of trees along the southern shoreline. The forest
includes nearly 121,406 ha (300,000 acres) of public woodland, but the
majority of it is parceled into small tracts and is privately owned. There
are about 85 saw mills in Connecticut that process lumber utilized by
about 200 industries, such as cabinet and box makers. Forest growth exceeds
removal by a substantial amount.
Numerous flowering plants include the mountain laurel, pink dogwood, azaleas,
hepatica, jack-in-the-pulpit, and cowslip. Grazing held back the spread
of poison ivy until the 20th century, but now as farming has declined
and farmland abandoned, it has spread unchecked as ground cover and often
overwhelms more desirable plants.
Connecticut has few large animals other than the white-tailed deer, but
the black bear seems to be returning. Wild animals commonly found are
rabbits, skunks, opossums, raccoons, beavers, squirrels, and foxes. Large
numbers of game birds such as ducks, ruffed grouse, pheasants, and quail
are found. The coastal swan population has increased. The state's streams
and lakes are home to a large number of fish, notably bass, perch, pickerel,
trout, and shad. Oysters and other marine fish are found along the coast.
The proliferating white-tailed deer have become a nuisance, eating plants
and tree bark, and colliding with motor vehicles. They also host a tick
that produces an arthritic type of malady that has spread to other parts
of the Northeast from Lyme, Conn., where it was found quite early (see
lyme disease).
Mineral Resources
Few of Connecticut's minerals occur in deposits large enough to be mined
commercially. Crushed stone is the state's most valuable mineral. Other
principal minerals are sand and gravel, clay, feldspar, lime, and mica.
Iron and copper ore and nickel are found in small quantities.
PEOPLE
In the mid-1990s the resident population of Connecticut was somewhat less
than at the 1990 census. Connecticut is an urban state, but the rate of
urbanization has leveled off, and now the rural population is increasing
at a faster rate. People are concentrated in an urban corridor oriented
from Springfield, Mass., south to Middletown and Meriden, and then to
New Haven and on to New York City. Connecticut's small land area (only
Delaware and Rhode Island are smaller) combined with its relatively large
population make it among the most densely populated U.S. states. The state's
elderly population is growing at a faster rate than in the nation as a
whole.
The great majority of Connecticut's people are white and were born in
the United States of American parents. Nonetheless, Connecticut is an
ethnically diverse state with a population drawn from many countries of
the world. Most have come from Italy, French Canada, Poland, and the United
Kingdom. Italians comprise the largest single ancestry group. Nearly 9
percent of the state's population was African American in 1990. They live
largely in the major cities such as Hartford, New Haven, and Bridgeport.
The growing Hispanic population makes up about 7 percent of the total.
There are about 7,000 Native Americans in Connecticut. Most are found
not on the state's four small reservations, but in urban areas. The Asian
population is also growing, with the greatest numbers coming from India,
China, Korea, and the Philippines.
Connecticut is a largely Catholic state. The largest Protestant groups
are the United Church of Christ, Episcopalians, Methodists, and Baptists.
There is also a sizable Jewish and Greek Orthodox population.
Education and Cultural Activity
There has long been a tradition of public education in Connecticut. In
1642 a free school was opened in New Haven, and in 1650 a law was enacted
in Connecticut Colony, requiring townships with 50 or more families to
establish a public elementary school. In the 19th century, Henry Barnard,
who became the first U.S. commissioner of education, greatly strengthened
public education. The best-known institution of higher education in Connecticut
is Yale University in New Haven. There are five state universities (see
Connecticut, state universities of) and several state community-technical
colleges.
Cultural Institutions
Connecticut has a wide array of cultural institutions. The Wadsworth Atheneum
in Hartford is America's oldest public art museum. Other well-known institutions
include the New Britain Museum of American Art, the Aldrich Museum of
Contemporary Art in Ridgefield, and, in New Haven, the Peabody Museum
of Natural History, the Yale Center for British Art, and the Yale Art
Gallery. The Lyman Allyn Art Museum is located in New London. Historical
museums include the Connecticut Historical Society and Old State House
in Hartford, the Windham Textile Museum in Willimantic, the Connecticut
River Museum in Essex, the Nautilus Memorial/Submarine Force Library and
Museum in Groton, and the Maritime Center at Norwalk. Well-known theaters
include the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, the Eugene O'Neill Theater
Center in New London, the Hartford Stage Company, and the Long Wharf and
Yale Repertory theaters in New Haven.
Historic Sites
George Washington's troops camped in Redding at what is now Putnam Memorial
State Park. Fort Griswold Battlefield State Park in Groton commemorates
a bloody Revolutionary War battle fought there in 1781. There are a large
number of historic homes throughout Connecticut, with notable concentrations
in Wethersfield and Litchfield.
Recreation
Connecticut has one of the highest per-capita state-park acreages of the
50 states. There are more than 100 state parks and forests and many public
beaches on Long Island Sound. The Sound also serves as a boating mecca.
The Appalachian Trail crosses western Connecticut, and the state's major
rivers are well suited to recreational boating. Ski centers are found
largely in the northwestern hills. Among New England's popular attractions
are Mystic Seaport Museum, a maritime museum that includes a re-creation
of a 19th-century whaling village, Mystic Marinelife Aquarium, and the
recently completed Mashantucket Pequot Casino complex in nearby Ledyard.
There is a working steam powered railroad in Essex and trolley museums
in East Windsor and Branford.
Communications
Communications technology is well developed in Connecticut because of
its advantageous megalopolitan location. There are many radio and television
stations and 27 daily newspapers with circulation in excess of 850,000
copies.
Health Care
Connecticut on the whole currently enjoys a lower mortality rate than
the rest of the country, largely as a result of the availability of health
care. Since the 1960s public health programs, particularly in the area
of cardiovascular disease, have been effective. Despite an aging population,
mortality rates are declining. The rate of cancer death, however, is rising
as is the potential for AIDS, due to the rising number of HIV positive
cases. In 1993, Hartford ranked first in the state in the number of HIV
cases. New Haven's Yale-New Haven hospital is an important medical center.
ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
Connecticut, an early manufacturing center, is still a part of the American
manufacturing core, although that sector as a share of the gross state
product has greatly declined, in part due to cuts in national-defense
spending. Hartford is an insurance center. In all, 35 Fortune 500 companies
have headquarters in the state. Service industries now account for about
80 percent of gross state product.
Agriculture and Fishing
The per-capita value of farm products in Connecticut is among the highest
in the nation. About 20 percent of the state's acreage is classified as
farmland. The state is an egg exporter. Other commodities are dairy products
and greenhouse, forest, and nursery products. Cigar tobacco, once grown
on a number of Connecticut farms, is no longer a significant cash crop.
Maple syrup, Christmas tree, and equestrian income continue to grow. Connecticut's
horse population (mostly pleasure animals) is among the highest per capita
in the country. Connecticut also has the highest concentration of bedding
plants grown under cover east of the Mississippi River. Farmers have found
that grapes do well, thus a small but healthy wine industry has developed.
A small but viable commercial marine fish and shellfish industry is found
along the coast, centered in Stonington. That industry declined after
World War II because of increasing pollution in Long Island Sound. However,
it has shown a steady revival since 1975 as the Sound waters have gradually
become cleaner. In 1992 the value of Connecticut's oyster landings was
the highest in the nation. That industry is centered in Norwalk, Bridgeport,
and New Haven.
Mining
The annual value of Connecticut's mineral output is small. Crushed stone
is the state's most valuable mineral. The state ranks second in New England
as a producer of crushed small stone. There are about a half dozen small
granite quarries. In addition, feldspar, lime, and clay are mined.
Manufacturing
Although the service segment of the gross state product has increased
significantly, Connecticut is still a major producer of aircraft engines,
helicopters, submarines, and tanks. Recent reductions in defense-related
manufacturing have been a partial cause of the longest recession on record,
which began in the late 1980s and has continued into the mid-1990s. (Insurance
unemployment is also a factor.) Connecticut remains a leading producer
of electrical items, precision instruments, firearms, chemicals, textiles,
cutlery, and silverware. The principal manufacturing centers are Hartford,
Bridgeport, New London, New Haven, Norwalk, and Waterbury.
Tourism
In recent years, gross income from tourism has risen dramatically. The
state is an attractive area for Greater New York citizens, who view it
as the source of varied vistas and attractions within a day's drive. Casino
gambling on the Indian reservation in Ledyard has drawn many visitors
to what is now the most profitable casino in the western hemisphere; the
casino has created a total of about 27,000 jobs since 1991.
Transportation
Connecticut has long had one of the densest U.S. road networks, with three
major interstates. Its rail service is advantageous, as the state is situated
along Amtrak's heavily traveled northeast corridor. New Haven is the leading
seaport in terms of tonnage, and New London is the busiest port. Bradley
International Airport in Windsor Locks is the state's largest, but there
are about 100 other small airports.
Energy
Nuclear energy provides about 50% of the power consumed in Connecticut;
fossil fuels account for about 15%, hydrogeneration about 4%, and about
30% is purchased power. About 5 percent of total consumption comes from
coal.
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
Connecticut is governed under the constitution of 1965, as amended. The
chief executive of the state is the governor, popularly elected to a 4-year
term; no restrictions are placed on the number of terms the governor may
serve. Other officials elected statewide are the lieutenant governor,
secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer, and comptroller. Connecticut's
legislature, called the General Assembly, consists of a 36-member Senate
and 151-member House of Representatives; all are popularly elected to
2-year terms. The highest tribunal is the state supreme court consisting
of a chief justice and six associate justices; there is also an appellate
court with nine judges. The highest trial court is the superior court.
Members of the supreme, appellate, and superior courts are appointed to
8-year terms by the General Assembly.
The main units of local government are towns. The Connecticut town is
similar to the township in other states and may contain villages, boroughs,
and cities. Counties in Connecticut are only geographic designations,
without governmental functions.
Politics
The Republicans dominated the governorship of Connecticut from the 1830s
to 1931; since then, Democrats have usually held the office, including
Ella Grasso, who in 1974 became the first U.S. woman elected governor
in her own right. During the 1970s the state's major cities usually voted
Democratic, and the small towns voted Republican; the growing suburban
areas, however, were fairly evenly divided between supporters of the two
parties. More recently, despite a larger Democratic registration, the
Republicans have won a significant number of congressional and presidential
elections. In 1991, Lowell P. Weicker, Jr. became the first third-party
candidate in more than 100 years to be elected governor.
HISTORY
When, early in the 17th century, the first Europeans arrived in present-day
Connecticut, the area was sparsely inhabited by about 20,000 Algonquian-speaking
Indians, most of whom lived along the coast. Among Connecticut Indians
were the Pequot, who lived near the Thames River, and the closely related
Mohegan (written about by James Fenimore Cooper in The Last of the Mohicans);
the Niantic; the Quinnipiac; and the Wangunk. Adriaen Block, a Dutch navigator,
discovered the Connecticut River in 1614 and claimed the region for the
Dutch. A small Dutch trading fort, named the House of Hope, was built
in 1633 near the site of modern Hartford, but it was soon abandoned. Meanwhile,
English settlers from the Plymouth Colony and the Massachusetts Bay Colony
established outlying settlements at Wethersfield, Saybrook, Windsor, and
other places. The Pequot Indians tried to prevent the whites from settling,
but they were soundly defeated in the Pequot War (1637).
The settlements of Hartford, Wethersfield, and Windsor joined together
to form the Connecticut Colony, which adopted (1639) the Fundamental Orders,
a constitution based on democratic principles. In 1662, John Winthrop,
Jr., governor of the Connecticut Colony (see Winthrop family), obtained
a royal charter that gave the colony considerable self-government and
control of New Haven Colony. The latter reluctantly agreed to unite with
the Connecticut Colony in 1665. Between 1685 and 1689, James II attempted
to organize New England under one government; Connecticut, however, resisted
and refused to turn over its charter. Colonists are believed to have hidden
(1687) the document in an oak tree in Hartford, now referred to as the
Charter Oak.
By the early 18th century, Connecticut farmers were producing agricultural
products for export to the other American colonies, and the coastal towns
carried on an extensive trade with the West Indies and provided food for
sugarcane plantations there. Connecticut also became known for its clocks,
silverware, tinware, and shipbuilding.
By the 1770s the state had a population of nearly 200,000, most of whom
favored independence from Great Britain. During the American Revolution,
about 30,000 troops joined the Continental Army, and large amounts of
food and provisions were contributed. Nathan Hale, from Connecticut, was
hanged by the British in 1776 as a spy. A few battles were fought in Connecticut,
among them skirmishes at Danbury (1777), New Haven (1779), and New London
(1781).
Representatives from Connecticut played an important role at the Constitutional
Convention of 1787, especially in promoting the so-called Connecticut
Compromise, which helped to establish the present method of apportioning
representation in the U.S. Congress. On Jan. 19, 1788, Connecticut became
the fifth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Most of the state's residents
opposed the War of 1812, and New England representatives who opposed the
war met at the Hartford Convention in 1814-15.
During the first half of the 19th century, Connecticut's economy grew
considerably, with manufacturing overtaking agriculture by mid-century.
The state was known for its textiles (including silk), brass products,
clocks, firearms (notably the repeating revolver manufactured in Hartford
by Samuel Colt), shipbuilding, and rubber products. Commerce, shipping,
and insurance were also important.
Most residents of Connecticut opposed slavery, which was abolished in
the state in 1848. During the Civil War the state sent about 55,000 men
to the Union army and supplied blankets, firearms, ammunition, and numerous
ships. Industry in Connecticut continued to expand after the war; meanwhile,
its cities grew as immigrants arrived from Europe and Canada, many of
them around the turn of the century.
Numerous industries were founded during World War I, when Connecticut
was a major producer of war materials, especially munitions. A U.S. naval
installation (now a submarine base) was established at Groton in 1917.
The economy suffered a slump immediately after the war, however, recovering
somewhat in the 1920s. The Depression of the 1930s seriously affected
the state. Industrial output declined markedly, and the unemployment rate
rose considerably. Some social welfare legislation (including minimum-wage
and unemployment- compensation laws) was passed during the administration
(1931- 39) of Gov. Wilbur L. Cross. The economy revived again during World
War II, when submarines, aircraft engines, ball bearings, firearms, and
other items crucial to the U.S. war effort were produced.
Despite relative prosperity in the postwar period, some of Connecticut's
older cities declined as manufacturers closed their factories or moved
to other parts of the country. Resulting social problems related to crime
and poverty afflicted the bigger urban centers. In the 1990s thousands
of jobs were lost in defense, insurance, and other industries as the state
continued to adjust to the characteristics of a postindustrial society.
Nonetheless, Connecticut's per-capita income has remained among the highest
in the United States. A state income tax, first adopted in 1971 and soon
repealed, was adopted again in 1991.
Thomas Lewis
Bibliography: Baney, Terry A., Yankees and the City (1993); Bell, M.,
The Face of Connecticut (1985); Federal Writers' Project Staff, Connecticut
(1938; repr. 1980); Lewis, Thomas R., and Harmon, John E., Connecticut:
A Geography (1986); Lieberman, J. I., The Legacy: Connecticut Politics
1930-1980 (1981); Main, J. T., Society and Economy in Colonial Connecticut
(1985); Roth, D. M., ed., The Series in Connecticut History, 5 vols. (1978);
State of Connecticut, Register and Manual (1993).
(c) 1996 Grolier, Inc.
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