Connecticut

Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Connecticut shopping experience:

1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Connecticut offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Connecticut at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.

2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about

3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Connecticut? Wrong! If the Connecticut is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.

4. Questions - Got a question about Connecticut then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....

5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Connecticut? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Connecticut and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.

6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Connecticut wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.

7. Feedback - happy with your Connecticut then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.

8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Connecticut site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site

9. Contact - got a question about Connecticut, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.

10. Payment - ready to pay for your Connecticut, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.

{{US state |Name = Connecticut | Fullname = State of Connecticut | Flag = Flag of Connecticut.svg | Seal = Connecticut state seal.png | Flower = Mountain Laurelhttp://www.sots.ct.gov/RegisterManual/SectionX/SITESEALSYMB.htm STATE OF CONNECTICUT, Sites ° Seals ° Symbols; ''Connecticut State Register & Manual''; retrieved on December 15, [| Tree = White Oak| Flaglink = Flag of Connecticut ]|Map = Map_of_USA_CT.svg | Nickname = The Constitution State, The Nutmeg State |

Motto = Qui transtulit sustinet
Latin meaning "He who transplanted still sustains" | LargestMetro = Hartford, Connecticut[http://www.census.gov/compendia/smadb/SMADBmetro.html State Data from the State and Metropolitan Area Data Book: 2006. United States Census Bureau. Last accessed [2007-10-16. | LargestCity = Bridgeport, Connecticut[http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2006-04-09.xls Population Estimates for All Places: 2000 to 2006: Connecticut SUB-EST2006-04-09.xls. United States Census Bureau. Last accessed [2007-10-16. | Governor = [M. Jodi Rell ([Republican Party (United States))| Senators = [Chris Dodd ([Democratic Party (United States))
[Joe Lieberman ([Independent Democrat) | PostalAbbreviation = CT. | OfficialLang = [English language | AreaRank = 48th | TotalArea = 14,356| TotalAreaUS = 5,543| LandArea = 12,559 | LandAreaUS = 4,849 | WaterArea = 1,809 | WaterAreaUS = 698 | PCWater = 12.6 | PopRank = 29th | 2000Pop = 3,405,565http://factfinder.census.gov/bf/_lang=en_vt_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_GCTPH1R_US9S_geo_id=01000US.html GCT-PH1-R. Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density (geographies ranked by total population): 2000. United States Census Bureau. Last accessed [2007-02-20.| DensityRank = 4th | 2000Density = 271.40 | 2000DensityUS = 702.9 | MedianHouseholdIncome = $55,970 | IncomeRank = 4th | AdmittanceOrder = 5th | AdmittanceDate = January 9, [ | TimeZone = [Eastern Standard Time (North America): [Coordinated Universal Time-5/[Daylight saving time | Longitude = 71°47′ W to 73°44′ W | Latitude = 40°58′ N to 42°03′ N | Width = 113 | WidthUS = 70 | Length = 177 | LengthUS = 110 | HighestPoint = [Mount Frissell {{cite web| date =29 April 2005 |url =http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html#Highest|title =Elevations and Distances in the United States|publisher =U.S Geological Survey|accessdate =2006-11-03-->
Note: The peak of Mount Frissel
is in Massachusetts | The highest peak in Connecticut lays forty miles south in the town of New Milford as part of a ridge.HighestElev = 726 | HighestElevUS = 2,380 | MeanElev = 152 | MeanElevUS = 500 | LowestPoint = [Long Island Sound | LowestElev = 0 | LowestElevUS = 0 | ISOCode = US-CT | TradAbbreviation = Conn.| Website = www.ct.gov -->Connecticut () is a U.S. state located in the New England region of the Northeastern United States United States of America. Southwestern Connecticut is also considered part of the New York metropolitan area. Connecticut is the List of U.S. states by population most populous state with 3.4 million residents and ranked List of U.S. states by area in size by area, making it the List of U.S. states by population density most densely populated state.. Called the "Constitution State," Connecticut has a long history dating from the early colonial times, and was influential in the development of early American government.

While Connecticut's first European settlers were Dutch people, the first major settlements were established in the 1630s by the English. Thomas Hooker led a band of followers overland from the Massachusetts Bay colony and founded what would become the Connecticut Colony; other settlers from Massachusetts founded the Saybrook Colony and the New Haven Colony. Both the Connecticut and New Haven Colonies established documents of Fundamental Orders, considered the first constitutions in North America. In 1662, the disparate colonies merged under a royal charter, making Connecticut a crown colony. This colony was one of the Thirteen Colonies that revolted against United Kingdom rule in the American Revolution.

Connecticut enjoys a temperate climate thanks to its long coastline on the Long Island Sound. This has given the state a strong maritime tradition. Modern Connecticut is also known for its wealth. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Connecticut had ready access to raw materials which helped to develop a strong History of Connecticut industry. In the 19th and 20th centuries, financial organizations flourished: first insurance companies in Hartford, then hedge funds along the Gold Coast, Connecticut. This prosperity has helped give Connecticut the highest per capita income and Household income in the United States in the country.

Geography Connecticut is bordered on the south by Long Island Sound, on the west by New York State, on the north by Massachusetts, and on the east by Rhode Island. The state capital is Hartford, Connecticut, and the other major cities include New Haven, Connecticut, New London, Connecticut, New Britain, Connecticut, Norwich, Connecticut, Milford, Connecticut, Norwalk, Connecticut, Stamford, Connecticut, Waterbury, Connecticut, Danbury, Connecticut and Bridgeport, Connecticut. There are 169 incorporated towns in Connecticut. There is an ongoing civic pride and economic competition between Hartford and New Haven, which stems back to the days when the two cities shared the state's capital, and even back to the rivalry between New Haven Colony and Connecticut Colony.The highest peak in Connecticut is Bear Mountain (Connecticut) in Salisbury, Connecticut in the northwest corner of the state. The highest point is just east of where Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York meet (42° 3' N; 73° 29' W), on the southern slope of Mount Frissell, whose peak lies nearby in Massachusetts.

The Connecticut River cuts through the center of the state, flowing into Long Island Sound, Connecticut's outlet to the Atlantic Ocean.Despite its size, the state has regional variations in its landscape and culture from the wealthy estates of Fairfield County's "Gold Coast, Connecticut" to the rolling mountains and horse-farms of the Litchfield Hills of northwestern Connecticut. Connecticut's rural areas and small towns in the northeast and northwest corners of the state contrast sharply with its industrial cities, located along the coastal highways from the New York border to New Haven, then northwards to Hartford, as well as further up the coast near New London. Many towns center around a small park, known as a "green," (such as the New Haven Green), Litchfield Green, Simsbury Green, and New Milford Green(the largest in the state). Near the green may stand a small white church, a town meeting hall, a tavern and several colonial houses. Forests, rivers, lakes, waterfalls and a sandy shore add to the state's beauty.The northern boundary of the state with Massachusetts is marked by the distinctive Southwick Jog/Granby Notch, an approximately 2.5 mile (4.0 km) square detour into Connecticut slightly west of the center of the border. Somewhat surprisingly, the actual origin of this anomaly is not absolutely certain, with stories ranging from surveyors who were drunk, attempting to avoid hostile Native Americans, or taking a shortcut up the Connecticut River; Massachusetts residents attempting to avoid Massachusetts' high taxes for the low taxes of Connecticut; Massachusetts' interest in the resources represented by the Congamond Lakes which lie on the border of the jog; and the need to compensate Massachusetts for an amount of land given to Connecticut due to inaccurate survey work. The dispute over the border slowed development in the region, since neither state would invest in public services for the area until the dispute had been settled.

The southwestern border of Connecticut, where it abuts New York State, is marked by a panhandle in Fairfield County, Connecticut, containing the towns of Greenwich, Connecticut, Stamford, Connecticut, New Canaan, Connecticut and Darien, Connecticut. This irregularity in the boundary is the result of History of Connecticut#Territorial disputes in the late 1600s, culminating with New York giving up its claim to this area, whose residents considered themselves part of Connecticut, in exchange for an equivalent area extending northwards from Ridgefield, Connecticut to the Massachusetts border as well as undisputed claim to Rye, New York.

Areas maintained by the National Park Service include: Appalachian National Scenic Trail; Quinebaug & Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor; and Weir Farm National Historic Site.

Climate Connecticut has a Koppen climate classification#GROUP D: Continental.2Fmicrothermal climate, with seasonal extremes tempered by its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. Winters are cold, with average temperatures ranging from 31 °F (-1 °C) in the southeast to 23 °F (-5 °C) in the northwest in January. The average yearly snowfall is about 25–100" (64–254 cm) across the state, with higher totals in the northwest. Spring has variable temperatures with frequent rainfall. Summer is hot and humid throughout the state, with average highs in New London of 81 °F (27 °C) and 87 °F (31 °C) in Windsor Locks. Fall months are mild, and bring foliage across the state in October and November. During hurricane season, tropical cyclones occasionally affect the region. Thunderstorms are most frequent during the summer, occurring on average 30 times annually. These storms can be severe, though tornadoes are rare.

{| class="wikitable" "text-align:center;font-size:90%;"|| colspan="13" style="text-align:center;font-size:120%;background:#E8EAFA;"|Monthly Normal High and Low Temperatures For Various Connecticut Cities|-! style="background: #E5AFAA; color: #000000" height="17" | City! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Jan! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Feb! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Mar! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Apr! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | May! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Jun! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Jul! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Aug! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Sep! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Oct! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Nov! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Dec|-! style="background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Bridgeport| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 37/23| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 39/25| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 47/32| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 57/41| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 67/51| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 76/60| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 82/66| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 81/65| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 74/58| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 63/46| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 53/38| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 42/28|-! style="background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Hartford| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 34/17| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 38/20| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 48/28| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 60/38| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 72/48| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 80/57| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 85/62| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 82/61| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 74/52| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 63/41| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 51/33| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 39/23|-| colspan="13" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%;background:#E8EAFA;"||}

History The name "Connecticut" originates from the Mohegan word quinnitukqut, meaning "place of long tidal river." The first European explorer in Connecticut was the Dutch explorer Adriaen Block. After he explored this region in 1614, Dutch fur traders sailed up the Connecticut River (Named Versche Rivier by the Dutch) and built a fort at Dutch Point near present-day Hartford, which they called "House of Hope" (Dutch language: Huis van Hoop).

John Winthrop the Younger, then of Massachusetts, got permission to create a new colony at Saybrook Colony at the mouth of the Connecticut in 1635. This was the first of three distinct colonies that later would be combined to make up Connecticut. Saybrook Colony was a direct challenge to Dutch claims. The colony was not more than a small outpost and never matured. In 1644, the Saybrook Colony merged itself into the Connecticut Colony.

The first English settlers came in 1633 and settled Windsor and Wethersfield. However the main body of settlers came in one large group in 1636. The settlers were Puritans from Massachusetts, led by Thomas Hooker. Hooker had been prominent in England, and was a professor of Theology at Cambridge. He was also an important political writer, and made a significant contribution to Constitutional theory. He broke with the political leadership in Massachusetts, and, just as Roger Williams created a new polity in Rhode Island, Hooker and his cohort did the same and established the Connecticut Colony at Hartford in 1636. This was the second of the three colonies.

Because the Dutch were outnumbered by the flood of English settlers from Massachusetts, they left their fort in 1654.

The third colony was founded in March of 1638. New Haven Colony, (originally known as the Quinnipiack Colony), was established by John Davenport, Theophilus Eaton and others at New Haven. The New Haven Colony had its own Constitution, 'The Fundamental Agreement of the New Haven Colony' which was signed on June 4, 1639.

Neither the establishment of the Connecticut Colony or the Quinnipiack Colony were done with the sanction of British imperial authorities, and were independent political entities. They naturally were presumptively English, but in a legal sense, they were only secessionist outposts of Massachusetts Bay. In 1662, Winthrop took advantage of this void in political affairs, and obtained in England the charter by which the colonies of Connecticut and Quinnipiack were united. Although Winthrop's charter favored the Connecticut colony, New Haven remained a seat of government with Hartford, until after the American Revolution.

Winthrop was very politically astute, and secured the charter from the newly restored Charles II of England; who granted the most liberal political terms.

Historically important colonial settlements included: Windsor, Connecticut (1633), Wethersfield, Connecticut (1634), Old Saybrook, Connecticut (1635), Hartford, Connecticut (1636), New Haven, Connecticut (1638), Fairfield, Connecticut (1639), Stratford, Connecticut (1639), New London, Connecticut (1646), Middletown, Connecticut (1647)

Its first constitution, the "Fundamental Orders of Connecticut," was adopted on January 14, 1639, while its Connecticut Constitution, the third for Connecticut, was adopted in 1965. Connecticut is the fifth of the original thirteen states. The original constitutions influenced the US Constitution as one of the leading authors was Roger Sherman of New Haven.

The western boundaries of Connecticut have been subject to change over time. According to a 1650 agreement with the Netherlands, the western boundary of Connecticut ran north from the west side of Greenwich Bay "provided the said line come not within 10 miles km of Hudson River." On the other hand, Connecticut's original Charter in 1662 granted it all the land to the "South Sea," i.e. the Pacific Ocean. Most colonial royal grants were for long east-west strips. Connecticut took its grant seriously, and established a ninth county between the Susquehanna and Delaware Rivers, named Westmoreland County, Connecticut. This resulted in the brief Pennamite Wars with Pennsylvania.Connecticut's lands also extended across northern Ohio, called the Western Reserve lands. The Western Reserve section was settled largely by people from Connecticut, and they brought Connecticut place names to Ohio. Agreements with Pennsylvania and New York extinguished the land claims by Connecticut within its neighbors, and the Western Reserve lands were relinquished to the federal government, which brought the state to its present boundaries.

Names and symbols Connecticut's official nickname, adopted in 1959, is "The Constitution State," based on its colonial constitution of 1638–39. Unofficially (but popularly) Connecticut is also known as "The Nutmeg State". The nutmeg connection to Connecticut may come from its sailors returning from voyages with nutmeg (which in the 18th and 19th centuries was a very valuable spice in New England). It is also said to come from Yankee peddlers from Connecticut who would sell small carved nobs of wood shaped to look like nutmeg to unsuspecting customers. George Washington gave Connecticut the title of "The Provisions State" because of the material aid the state rendered to the Revolutionary War effort. Connecticut is also known as "The Land of Steady Habits".

According to Webster's New International Dictionary, 1993, a person who is a native or resident of Connecticut is a "Connecticuter". There are numerous other terms coined in print, but not in use, such as: "Connecticotian" - Cotton Mather in 1702. "Connecticutensian" - Samuel Peters in 1781. "Nutmegger" is sometimes used, as is "Yankee" (the official State Song is "Yankee Doodle"), though this usually refers someone from the wider New England region.See Yankee main article. The traditional abbreviation of the state's name is "Conn."; the official United States postal abbreviations is CT.

Commemorative stamps issued by the United States Postal Service with Connecticut themes include Nathan Hale, Eugene O'Neill, Josiah Willard Gibbs, Noah Webster, Eli Whitney, the whaling ship the Charles W. Morgan (ship) which is docked in Mystic Seaport, and a decoy of a broadbill duck.

{] || White Oak; or more specifically, the Charter Oak || [American Robin || [Mountain Laurel || [European Mantis || [Sperm Whale || [Garnet || [Eastern Oyster || [American Shad || [Eubrontes giganteus || [USS Nautilus (SSN-571) and [tall ship ambassador ]|-|State aircraft ]|-|State tartan ] || Yankee Doodle || [Square dance || The Nutmeg|-|[State hero ]|-|State heroine ]|-|State composer ]|-|State statues in National Statuary Hall Collection || Roger Sherman and Jonathan TrumbullSee National Statuary Hall Collection#Collection|-|State poet laureate ]|-|Connecticut State Troubadour ] Connecticut State Troubadour; CT Commission on Culture & Tourism Arts Division website; retrieved January 4, 2007 || [Jacob Druckman|}

Demographics {{USCensusPop|1790 = 237946|1800 = 251002|1810 = 261942|1820 = 275248|1830 = 297675|1840 = 309978|1850 = 370792|1860 = 460147|1870 = 537454|1880 = 622700|1890 = 746258|1900 = 908420|1910 = 1114756|1920 = 1380631|1930 = 1606903|1940 = 1709242|1950 = 2007280|1960 = 2535234|1970 = 3031709|1980 = 3107576|1990 = 3287116|2000 = 3405565| footnote= Sources: Population: 1790 to 1990 census.gov Resident Population of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico: Census 2000 census.gov-->

As of 2005, Connecticut has an estimated population of 3,510,297, which is an increase of 11,331, or 0.3%, from the prior year and an increase of 104,695, or 3.1%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 67,427 people (that is 222,222 births minus 154,795 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 41,718 people into the state. Immigration to the United States from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 75,991 people, and Human migration within the country produced a net loss of 34,273 people. Based on the 2005 estimates, Connecticut moves from the 29th most populous state to 30th.

6.6% of its population was reported as being under 5 years old, 24.7% under 18 years old, and 13.8% were 65 years of age or older. Females made up approximately 51.6% of the population, with 48.4% male.

In 1790, 97% of the population in Connecticut were classified as "rural". The first census in which less than half the population was classified as rural was 1890. In the 2000 census, it was only 12.3%. The southwestern coast is all urban and is most widely known from New York City. The eastern half of the state though mostly is associated with Boston because of proximity. This split has caused a lack of more than a few professional sport teams. ie: NHL hockey since the mid 1990s, NFL football, MLS soccer and men's basketball.

The center of population of Connecticut is located in the town of Cheshire, Connecticut.

Race, ancestry, and language As of 2004, 11.4% of the population (400,000) was foreign-born, and 10% of the foreign-born in the state were illegal aliens (about 1.1% of the population). In 1870, native-born Americans had accounted for 75% of the state's population, but that had dropped to 35% by 1918.

As of 2000, 81.69% of Connecticut residents age 5 and older spoke English language at home and 8.42% spoke Spanish language, followed by Italian language at 1.59%, French language at 1.31% and Polish language at 1.20%.

The five largest reported ancestries in the state are: Italian-American (18.6%), Ireland (16.6%), British-American (10.3%), German-American (9.9%), and French American (9.9%).

Connecticut has large Italian-American and Irish-American populations , as well as German and Portuguese-American, second highest percentage of any state behind Rhode Island. Italian people is the largest ancestry group in five of the state's counties, while the Irish people are the largest group in Tolland county, French-Canadians the largest group in Windham county, and old stock Yankee are present throughout. Connecticut is the most Italian-American state percentage-wise, just above Rhode Island. African American and Hispanics in the United States (mostly Puerto Ricans in the United States) are numerous in the urban areas of the state. Connecticut also has a sizable Polish American population, with New Britain, Connecticut containing the largest Polish-American population in the state.

More recent immigrant populations include those from Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Mexico, Brazil, Guatemala, Panama, and former Soviet Union countries.

Religion A 2001 survey of Connecticut residents' religious self-identification showed the following distribution of affiliations:

Roman Catholicism in the United States – 32%
Baptist – 10%
Episcopal Church in the United States of America – 6%
Methodism – 4%
Lutheranism – 4%
Congregational church/United Church of Christ – 2%
Presbyterian – 1%
Pentecostal – 1%
Other Protestant or general Protestant – 4%
Mormonism – 2%
Church of Christ – 2%
Assembly of God – 1%
Non-denominational – 1%
Other Christian – 7%
Judaism – 1%
Islam in the United States – 1%
Other Religions – 4%
Non-Religious – 12%
No answer – 6%

There is a significant Jewish American population in the state, concentrated in the towns near Long Island Sound between Greenwich, Connecticut and New Haven, Connecticut, in Greater New Haven and in Greater Hartford, especially the suburb of West Hartford, Connecticut.

Recent immigration has brought other non-Christian religions to the state, but the numbers of adherents of other religions are still low.

Economy The total gross state product for 2004 was $187 billion. The per capita income for 2005 was $47,819, ranking first among the states. There is, however, a great disparity in incomes through the state; although New Canaan has one of the highest per capita incomes in America, Hartford is one of the ten cities with the Connecticut locations by per capita income in America (The low number may partially be due to the fact that the city, like other cities in the area, has a small footprint relative to a typical American city (only about 18 square miles) and therefore does not have more middle-income areas included in its total to "balance out", statistically, inner areas with older housing stock and a poorer population). Should Hartford (or similar cities New Haven and Bridgeport) be combined with its immediate suburbs, it would rank as one of the richest cities in the country. Fairfield County has become a bedroom community for higher-paid New York City workers seeking a less urban lifestyle. This in turn has attracted businesses wishing to remain near New York City to southwestern Connecticut, most notably to Stamford, Connecticut.

New Canaan, Connecticut is the Connecticut locations by per capita income, with a per capita income of $85,459. Darien, Connecticut, Greenwich, Connecticut, Stamford, Connecticut, Weston, Connecticut, Woodbridge, Connecticut, Westport, Connecticut and Wilton, Connecticut also have per capita incomes over $65,000. Hartford, Connecticut is the poorest city in Connecticut, with a per capita income of $13,428 (although see above). There are other lower-income and blue-collar towns, mostly parts of towns, in the eastern part of the State. Poor and medium wealth households are particularly affected by a very high cost of living, due to a combination of expensive real estate, expensive heating for the winters, and other factors.

Taxation Prior to 1991, Connecticut had a highly populist income tax system. Income from employment was untaxed, but income from investments was taxed at the highest rate in the United States: 13%. And this burden was further increased by the method of calculation: no deductions were allowed for the cost (for example, interest on borrowing) of producing the investment income. Under Governor Lowell P. Weicker, Jr., an Independent, this was reformed to the present system.

This system prior to 1991 made it an attractive haven for high-salaried earners fleeing the heavy taxes of New York State, but highly unattractive for members of Wall Street partnerships. It put an enormous burden on Connecticut property tax payers, particularly in the cities with their more extensive municipal services. As a result, the middle class largely fled the urban areas for the suburbs, taking stores and other tax-paying businesses with them, leaving mostly the urban poor in the older, central areas of Connecticut cities.

With Weicker's 1991 tax reform, the tax on employment and investment income was equalized at a then-maximum of 4%. Since then, Greenwich, Connecticut, has become the headquarters of choice for a large number of America's largest hedge funds, and Connecticut income from that industry has soared. Today the income tax rate on Connecticut individuals is divided into two tax brackets of 3% and 5%. Connecticut income tax instructions All wages of a Connecticut resident are subject to the state's income tax, even when the resident works outside of the state. However, in those cases, Connecticut income tax must be withheld only to the extent the Connecticut tax exceeds the amount withheld by the other jurisdiction. Since New York state has higher tax rates than Connecticut, this effectively means that Connecticut residents that work in New York state pay no income tax to Connecticut.

Connecticut levies a 6% state sales tax on the retail sale, lease, or rental of most goods. Some items and services in general are not subject to sales and use taxes unless specifically enumerated as taxable by statute. There are no additional sales taxes imposed by local jurisdictions. During the summer there is one week of duty free buying to spur retail sales.

All real and personal property located within the state of Connecticut is taxable unless specifically exempted by statute. All assessments are at 70% of fair market value. Another 20% of the value may be taxed by the local government though. The maximum property tax credit is $500 per return and any excess may not be refunded or carried forward. Connecticut does not levy an intangible personal property tax.

Real estate Homes in southwestern Connecticut on the fringes of the New York City metropolitan area are quite expensive. Many towns have median home prices over $500,000, with some more desirable homes exceeding $1 million. Greenwich has the most expensive real estate market, with most houses selling at over $1 million and most condos selling at over $600,000. Connecticut has the most million-dollar homes in the northeast, and the second most in the nation after California, with 3.3% of homes in Connecticut priced over one million dollars in 2003. In 2007, the median price for a house in Connecticut passed $300,000 for the first time, even though most of the country was mired in a real estate slump. UConn in the News: August 2007

Industries The agricultural output for the state is Nursery (horticulture), egg (food), dairy products, cattle, and tobacco#shade tobacco. Its industrial outputs are transportation equipment (especially helicopters, aircraft parts, and nuclear submarines), heavy industrial machinery and electrical equipment, military weaponry and fabricated metal products, chemical and pharmaceutical products, and Measuring instruments.

.Due to the prominence of the aircraft industry in the state, Connecticut has an official state aircraft, the F4U Corsair, and an official Connecticut Aviation Pioneer, Igor Sikorsky. The state officially recognizes aircraft designer Gustav Whitehead as "Father of Connecticut Aviation" for his research into powered flight in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1901, two years before the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Governor John Dempsey also declared August 15 to be "Gustave Whitehead Day."

A report issued by the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism on December 7, 2006 demonstrated that the economic impact of the arts, film, history and tourism generated more than $14 billion in economic activity and 170,000 jobs annually. This provides $9 billion in personal income for Connecticut residents and $1.7 billion in state and local revenue. The Economic Impact of the Arts, Film, History, and Tourism Industries in Connecticut (Highlights) Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism

Transportation

Roads Glaciers carved valleys in Connecticut running north to south; as a result, many more roadways in the state run north to south than do east to west, mimicking the previous use of the many north-south rivers as transportation. The Interstate highways in the state are Interstate 95 in Connecticut (the Connecticut Turnpike) running southwest to northeast along the coast, Interstate 84 (east) running southwest to northeast in the center of the state, I-91 running north to south in the center of the state, and Interstate 395 (Connecticut) running north to south near the eastern border of the state. The other major highways in Connecticut are the Merritt Parkway and Wilbur Cross Parkway, which together form Route 15 (Connecticut), running from the Hutchinson River Parkway in New York State parallel to I-95 before turning north of New Haven and running parallel to I-91, finally becoming a surface road in Berlin, Connecticut. Route 15 and I-95 were originally toll roads; they relied on a system of toll plazas at which all traffic stopped and payed fixed tolls. A series of terrible crashes at these plazas eventually contributed to the decision to remove the tolls in 1988. Connecticut Turnpike (I-95) nycroads.com Other major arteries in the state include U.S. Route 7 in the west running parallel to the NY border, Route 8 (Connecticut) farther west near the industrial city of Waterbury and running north-south along the Naugatuck River Valley nearly parallel with U.S. 7, and Route 9 (Connecticut) in the east. See List of State Routes in Connecticut for an overview of the state's highway system.

Between New Haven and the New York City, I-95 is one of the most congested highways in the United States. Many people now drive longer distances to work in the New York City area. This strains the three lanes of traffic capacity, resulting in lengthy rush hour delays. Frequently, the congestion spills over to clog the parallel Merritt Parkway. The state has encouraged traffic reduction schemes, including rail use and ride-sharing. ctrides.com

Public transportation Rail Since many Connecticut residents commute to New York City, there is an extensive commuter railway network connecting New York City to New Haven, Connecticut on Metro North Railroad (a commuter railroad based in New York and operated by the Metropolitan Transit Authority) with spurs servicing Waterbury, Danbury, and New Canaan. Rail service does not end with New Haven, however. Connecticut is in the heart of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor and the Amtrak Regional line makes stops in New Haven-State Street, Old Saybrook, New London, and Mystic. Smaller town stops between New Haven and New London are served by Shore Line East, which takes commuters to those stations to catch a main train. These commuter services are heavily utilized during weekday rush hours. Regional rail service is provided by Amtrak, which makes regular stops in Stamford, Bridgeport, New Haven, and Hartford, as well as in Wallingford, Meriden, Berlin, Windsor, and Windsor Locks. There are plans to operate commuter trains from New Haven to Springfield on Amtrak's New Haven-Springfield Line.

Bus Statewide bus service is supplied by Connecticut Transit, owned by the Connecticut Department of Transportation, with smaller municipal authorities providing local service. Bus networks are an important part of the transportation system in Connecticut, especially in urban areas like Hartford, Stamford, Norwalk, Bridgeport and New Haven. A three-year construction project to build a busway from New Britain to Hartford will begin in August 2009. New Britain-Hartford Rapid Transit Project Schedule

Air Bradley International Airport is located in Windsor Locks, 15 miles (24 km) north of Hartford, Connecticut. Regional air service is provided at Tweed-New Haven Airport. Larger civil airports include Danbury Municipal Airport and Waterbury-Oxford Airport in western Connecticut. The Westchester County Airport in Harrison, New York serves part of southwestern Connecticut.

Law and government Hartford, Connecticut has been the sole capital of Connecticut since 1875. Before then, New Haven, Connecticut and Hartford alternated as capitals. Constitutional History Connecticut is known as the “Constitution State.” While the origin on this title is uncertain, the nickname is assumed to reference the Fundamental Orders of 1638-39. These Fundamental Orders represent the framework for the first formal government written by a representative body in Connecticut. The government has operated under the direction of four separate documents in the course of Connecticut Constitutional History. After the Fundamental Orders, Connecticut was granted governmental authority by King Charles II of England through the Connecticut Charter of 1662. While these two documents acted to lay the ground work for the state’s government, both lacked essential characteristics of a constitution. The Fundamental Orders and the Connecticut Charter could both be altered simply by a majority vote of the Connecticut General Assembly. Separate branches of government did not exist during this period, and the General Assembly acted as the supreme authority. A true constitution was not adopted in Connecticut until 1818. Finally, the current state constitution was implemented in 1965. The 1965 constitution absorbed a majority of its 1818 predecessor, but incorporated a handful of important modifications.Another possible source of the nickname "constitution state" comes from Connecticut's pivotal role in the federal constitutional convention of 1787, during which Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth helped to orchestrate what became known as the Connecticut Compromise, or the Great Compromise. This plan combined the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan to form a bicameral legislature, a form copied by almost every state constitution since the adoption of the federal constitution.

Executive The governor heads the executive branch. The current List of Governors of Connecticut is M. Jodi Rell (Republican). There is also a List of Lieutenant Governors of Connecticut. From 1639 until the adoption of the 1818 constitution, the governor presided over the General Assembly. Connecticut was the first state in the United States to elect a woman as governor without electing her husband first, Ella Grasso in 1974.

There are several executive departments: Administrative Services, Agriculture, Banking, Children and Families, Consumer Protection, Correction, Economic and Community Development, Developmental Services, Education, Environmental Protection, Higher Education, Information Technology, Insurance, Labor, Mental Health and Addiction Services, Military, Motor Vehicles, Public Health, Public Safety, Public Utility Control, Public Works, Revenue Services, Social Services, Transportation, Veterans Affairs. In addition to these departments, there are other independent bureaus, offices and commissions.

In addition to the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, there are four other executive officers named in the state constitution that are elected directly by voters: Secretary of State, Treasurer, Comptroller and Attorney General. All executive officers are elected to four year terms.

Legislative The legislature is the Connecticut General Assembly. The General Assembly is a bicameral body consisting of an upper body, the Connecticut Senate (36 senators); and a lower body, the Connecticut House of Representatives (151 representatives). Bills must pass each house in order to become law. The governor can veto the bill, but this veto can be overridden by a two-thirds majority in each house. Senators and representatives, all of whom must be at least eighteen years of age, are elected to two-year terms in November on even-numbered years. The Lieutenant Governor presides over the senate, except when absent from the chamber, when the List of Presidents Pro Tempore of Connecticut presides. The List of Speakers of the House of Connecticut presides over the House; James A. Amann is the current Speaker of the House of Connecticut. The Democratic Party (United States) currently hold the majority in both houses of the General Assembly.

Connecticut's U.S. senators are Christopher J. Dodd (Democrat) and Joseph I. Lieberman (Democrat) who is part of the Democratic Caucus. Connecticut currently has five U.S. Congressional Delegations from Connecticut, four of whom are Democrats.

Judicial The highest court of Connecticut's judicial branch is the Supreme Court, headed by the Chief Justice of Connecticut. The Supreme Court is responsible for deciding on the constitutionality of the law or cases as they relate to the law. Its proceedings are similar to those of the United States Supreme Court, with no testimony given by witnesses, and the lawyers of the two sides each present oral arguments no longer than thirty minutes. Following a court proceeding, the court may take several months to arrive at a judgment. The current List of Chief Justices of Connecticut is Chase T. Rogers.

Before 1818 the highest court in Connecticut was the General Assembly, and later, the Upper House, with the Governor having the title "Chief Judge". In 1818, the court became a separate entity, independent of the legislative and executive branches. History of the Connecticut Courts. Last retrieved 2007-02-20. The Appellate Court is a lesser state-wide court and the Superior Courts are lower courts that resemble county courts of other states.

Local government and several lists: List of municipalities of Connecticut by population, List of towns in Connecticut, List of cities in Connecticut, Borough (Connecticut), List of counties in ConnecticutConnecticut has 169 New England town, which serve as the fundamental local political subdivision of the state; the entire state is divided into towns. Connecticut shares a local form of government with the rest of New England called the New England town. There are also 21 cities, most of which are coterminous with their namesake towns and have a merged city-town government. There are two exceptions: Groton (city), Connecticut, which is a subsection of the Groton (town), Connecticut and the City of Winsted, Connecticut in the Town of Winchester, Connecticut. There are also nine incorporated boroughs which may provide additional services to a section of town. Connecticut's Boroughs and Cities. Connecticut State Library. Accessed 20 January 2007. One, Naugatuck, is a consolidated town and borough.

Unlike most other states, Connecticut does not have county government. Connecticut county governments were mostly eliminated in 1960, with the exception of the sheriff system. In 2000, the county sheriff was abolished and replaced with the Connecticut State Marshal system, which has districts that follow the old county territories. The judicial system is divided, at the trial court level, into judicial districts. State of Connecticut Judicial Branch The list of Connecticut counties are still widely used for purely geographical and statistical purposes, such as Weather forecastings, and census reporting.

The state is divided into 15 Administrative divisions of Connecticut#Regions defined by the state Office of Planning and Management. Regional Planning Coordination at the CT Office of Planning and Management The Intragovernmental Policy Division of this Office coordinates regional planning with the administrative bodies of these regions. Each region has an administrative body known as either a regional council of governments, a regional council of elected officials, or a regional planning agency. The regions are established for the purpose of planning "coordination of regional and state planning activities; designation or redesignation of logical planning regions and promotion of the continuation of regional planning organizations within the state; and provision for technical aid and the administration of financial assistance to regional planning organizations."

Politics {| align="right" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4" style="margin: 2em 2em 2em 2em; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;"|+ Presidential elections results|- bgcolor=lightgrey! Year! Republican Party (United States)! Democratic Party (United States)|-|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|U.S. presidential election, 2004|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|43.95% 693,826|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'54.31% 857,488|-|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|U.S. presidential election, 2000|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|38.44% 561,094|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|55.91% 816,015|-|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|U.S. presidential election, 1996|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|34.69% 483,109|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|52.83% 735,740|-|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|U.S. presidential election, 1992|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|35.78% 578,313|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|42.21% 682,318|-|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|U.S. presidential election, 1988|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|51.98%' 750,241|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|46.87% 676,584|-|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|U.S. presidential election, 1984|align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|60.73% 890,877|align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|38.83% 569,597|-|align="center" bgc {{US state |Name = Connecticut | Fullname = State of Connecticut | Flag = Flag of Connecticut.svg | Seal = Connecticut state seal.png | Flower = Mountain Laurelhttp://www.sots.ct.gov/RegisterManual/SectionX/SITESEALSYMB.htm STATE OF CONNECTICUT, Sites ° Seals ° Symbols; ''Connecticut State Register & Manual''; retrieved on December 15, [| Tree = White Oak| Flaglink = Flag of Connecticut ]|Map = Map_of_USA_CT.svg | Nickname = The Constitution State, The Nutmeg State |

Motto = Qui transtulit sustinet
Latin meaning "He who transplanted still sustains" | LargestMetro = Hartford, Connecticut[http://www.census.gov/compendia/smadb/SMADBmetro.html State Data from the State and Metropolitan Area Data Book: 2006. United States Census Bureau. Last accessed [2007-10-16. | LargestCity = Bridgeport, Connecticut[http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2006-04-09.xls Population Estimates for All Places: 2000 to 2006: Connecticut SUB-EST2006-04-09.xls. United States Census Bureau. Last accessed [2007-10-16. | Governor = [M. Jodi Rell ([Republican Party (United States))| Senators = [Chris Dodd ([Democratic Party (United States))
[Joe Lieberman ([Independent Democrat) | PostalAbbreviation = CT. | OfficialLang = [English language | AreaRank = 48th | TotalArea = 14,356| TotalAreaUS = 5,543| LandArea = 12,559 | LandAreaUS = 4,849 | WaterArea = 1,809 | WaterAreaUS = 698 | PCWater = 12.6 | PopRank = 29th | 2000Pop = 3,405,565http://factfinder.census.gov/bf/_lang=en_vt_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_GCTPH1R_US9S_geo_id=01000US.html GCT-PH1-R. Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density (geographies ranked by total population): 2000. United States Census Bureau. Last accessed [2007-02-20.| DensityRank = 4th | 2000Density = 271.40 | 2000DensityUS = 702.9 | MedianHouseholdIncome = $55,970 | IncomeRank = 4th | AdmittanceOrder = 5th | AdmittanceDate = January 9, [ | TimeZone = [Eastern Standard Time (North America): [Coordinated Universal Time-5/[Daylight saving time | Longitude = 71°47′ W to 73°44′ W | Latitude = 40°58′ N to 42°03′ N | Width = 113 | WidthUS = 70 | Length = 177 | LengthUS = 110 | HighestPoint = [Mount Frissell {{cite web| date =29 April 2005 |url =http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html#Highest|title =Elevations and Distances in the United States|publisher =U.S Geological Survey|accessdate =2006-11-03-->
Note: The peak of Mount Frissel
is in Massachusetts | The highest peak in Connecticut lays forty miles south in the town of New Milford as part of a ridge.HighestElev = 726 | HighestElevUS = 2,380 | MeanElev = 152 | MeanElevUS = 500 | LowestPoint = [Long Island Sound | LowestElev = 0 | LowestElevUS = 0 | ISOCode = US-CT | TradAbbreviation = Conn.| Website = www.ct.gov -->Connecticut () is a U.S. state located in the New England region of the Northeastern United States United States of America. Southwestern Connecticut is also considered part of the New York metropolitan area. Connecticut is the List of U.S. states by population most populous state with 3.4 million residents and ranked List of U.S. states by area in size by area, making it the List of U.S. states by population density most densely populated state.. Called the "Constitution State," Connecticut has a long history dating from the early colonial times, and was influential in the development of early American government.

While Connecticut's first European settlers were Dutch people, the first major settlements were established in the 1630s by the English. Thomas Hooker led a band of followers overland from the Massachusetts Bay colony and founded what would become the Connecticut Colony; other settlers from Massachusetts founded the Saybrook Colony and the New Haven Colony. Both the Connecticut and New Haven Colonies established documents of Fundamental Orders, considered the first constitutions in North America. In 1662, the disparate colonies merged under a royal charter, making Connecticut a crown colony. This colony was one of the Thirteen Colonies that revolted against United Kingdom rule in the American Revolution.

Connecticut enjoys a temperate climate thanks to its long coastline on the Long Island Sound. This has given the state a strong maritime tradition. Modern Connecticut is also known for its wealth. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Connecticut had ready access to raw materials which helped to develop a strong History of Connecticut industry. In the 19th and 20th centuries, financial organizations flourished: first insurance companies in Hartford, then hedge funds along the Gold Coast, Connecticut. This prosperity has helped give Connecticut the highest per capita income and Household income in the United States in the country.

Geography Connecticut is bordered on the south by Long Island Sound, on the west by New York State, on the north by Massachusetts, and on the east by Rhode Island. The state capital is Hartford, Connecticut, and the other major cities include New Haven, Connecticut, New London, Connecticut, New Britain, Connecticut, Norwich, Connecticut, Milford, Connecticut, Norwalk, Connecticut, Stamford, Connecticut, Waterbury, Connecticut, Danbury, Connecticut and Bridgeport, Connecticut. There are 169 incorporated towns in Connecticut. There is an ongoing civic pride and economic competition between Hartford and New Haven, which stems back to the days when the two cities shared the state's capital, and even back to the rivalry between New Haven Colony and Connecticut Colony.The highest peak in Connecticut is Bear Mountain (Connecticut) in Salisbury, Connecticut in the northwest corner of the state. The highest point is just east of where Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York meet (42° 3' N; 73° 29' W), on the southern slope of Mount Frissell, whose peak lies nearby in Massachusetts.

The Connecticut River cuts through the center of the state, flowing into Long Island Sound, Connecticut's outlet to the Atlantic Ocean.Despite its size, the state has regional variations in its landscape and culture from the wealthy estates of Fairfield County's "Gold Coast, Connecticut" to the rolling mountains and horse-farms of the Litchfield Hills of northwestern Connecticut. Connecticut's rural areas and small towns in the northeast and northwest corners of the state contrast sharply with its industrial cities, located along the coastal highways from the New York border to New Haven, then northwards to Hartford, as well as further up the coast near New London. Many towns center around a small park, known as a "green," (such as the New Haven Green), Litchfield Green, Simsbury Green, and New Milford Green(the largest in the state). Near the green may stand a small white church, a town meeting hall, a tavern and several colonial houses. Forests, rivers, lakes, waterfalls and a sandy shore add to the state's beauty.The northern boundary of the state with Massachusetts is marked by the distinctive Southwick Jog/Granby Notch, an approximately 2.5 mile (4.0 km) square detour into Connecticut slightly west of the center of the border. Somewhat surprisingly, the actual origin of this anomaly is not absolutely certain, with stories ranging from surveyors who were drunk, attempting to avoid hostile Native Americans, or taking a shortcut up the Connecticut River; Massachusetts residents attempting to avoid Massachusetts' high taxes for the low taxes of Connecticut; Massachusetts' interest in the resources represented by the Congamond Lakes which lie on the border of the jog; and the need to compensate Massachusetts for an amount of land given to Connecticut due to inaccurate survey work. The dispute over the border slowed development in the region, since neither state would invest in public services for the area until the dispute had been settled.

The southwestern border of Connecticut, where it abuts New York State, is marked by a panhandle in Fairfield County, Connecticut, containing the towns of Greenwich, Connecticut, Stamford, Connecticut, New Canaan, Connecticut and Darien, Connecticut. This irregularity in the boundary is the result of History of Connecticut#Territorial disputes in the late 1600s, culminating with New York giving up its claim to this area, whose residents considered themselves part of Connecticut, in exchange for an equivalent area extending northwards from Ridgefield, Connecticut to the Massachusetts border as well as undisputed claim to Rye, New York.

Areas maintained by the National Park Service include: Appalachian National Scenic Trail; Quinebaug & Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor; and Weir Farm National Historic Site.

Climate Connecticut has a Koppen climate classification#GROUP D: Continental.2Fmicrothermal climate, with seasonal extremes tempered by its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. Winters are cold, with average temperatures ranging from 31 °F (-1 °C) in the southeast to 23 °F (-5 °C) in the northwest in January. The average yearly snowfall is about 25–100" (64–254 cm) across the state, with higher totals in the northwest. Spring has variable temperatures with frequent rainfall. Summer is hot and humid throughout the state, with average highs in New London of 81 °F (27 °C) and 87 °F (31 °C) in Windsor Locks. Fall months are mild, and bring foliage across the state in October and November. During hurricane season, tropical cyclones occasionally affect the region. Thunderstorms are most frequent during the summer, occurring on average 30 times annually. These storms can be severe, though tornadoes are rare.

{| class="wikitable" "text-align:center;font-size:90%;"|| colspan="13" style="text-align:center;font-size:120%;background:#E8EAFA;"|Monthly Normal High and Low Temperatures For Various Connecticut Cities|-! style="background: #E5AFAA; color: #000000" height="17" | City! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Jan! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Feb! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Mar! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Apr! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | May! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Jun! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Jul! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Aug! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Sep! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Oct! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Nov! style="background: #E5AFAA; color:#000000;" | Dec|-! style="background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Bridgeport| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 37/23| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 39/25| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 47/32| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 57/41| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 67/51| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 76/60| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 82/66| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 81/65| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 74/58| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 63/46| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 53/38| style="text-align:center; background: #F8F3CA; color:#000000;" | 42/28|-! style="background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" height="16;" | Hartford| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 34/17| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 38/20| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 48/28| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 60/38| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 72/48| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 80/57| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 85/62| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 82/61| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 74/52| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 63/41| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 51/33| style="text-align:center; background: #C5DFE1; color:#000000;" | 39/23|-| colspan="13" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%;background:#E8EAFA;"||}

History The name "Connecticut" originates from the Mohegan word quinnitukqut, meaning "place of long tidal river." The first European explorer in Connecticut was the Dutch explorer Adriaen Block. After he explored this region in 1614, Dutch fur traders sailed up the Connecticut River (Named Versche Rivier by the Dutch) and built a fort at Dutch Point near present-day Hartford, which they called "House of Hope" (Dutch language: Huis van Hoop).

John Winthrop the Younger, then of Massachusetts, got permission to create a new colony at Saybrook Colony at the mouth of the Connecticut in 1635. This was the first of three distinct colonies that later would be combined to make up Connecticut. Saybrook Colony was a direct challenge to Dutch claims. The colony was not more than a small outpost and never matured. In 1644, the Saybrook Colony merged itself into the Connecticut Colony.

The first English settlers came in 1633 and settled Windsor and Wethersfield. However the main body of settlers came in one large group in 1636. The settlers were Puritans from Massachusetts, led by Thomas Hooker. Hooker had been prominent in England, and was a professor of Theology at Cambridge. He was also an important political writer, and made a significant contribution to Constitutional theory. He broke with the political leadership in Massachusetts, and, just as Roger Williams created a new polity in Rhode Island, Hooker and his cohort did the same and established the Connecticut Colony at Hartford in 1636. This was the second of the three colonies.

Because the Dutch were outnumbered by the flood of English settlers from Massachusetts, they left their fort in 1654.

The third colony was founded in March of 1638. New Haven Colony, (originally known as the Quinnipiack Colony), was established by John Davenport, Theophilus Eaton and others at New Haven. The New Haven Colony had its own Constitution, 'The Fundamental Agreement of the New Haven Colony' which was signed on June 4, 1639.

Neither the establishment of the Connecticut Colony or the Quinnipiack Colony were done with the sanction of British imperial authorities, and were independent political entities. They naturally were presumptively English, but in a legal sense, they were only secessionist outposts of Massachusetts Bay. In 1662, Winthrop took advantage of this void in political affairs, and obtained in England the charter by which the colonies of Connecticut and Quinnipiack were united. Although Winthrop's charter favored the Connecticut colony, New Haven remained a seat of government with Hartford, until after the American Revolution.

Winthrop was very politically astute, and secured the charter from the newly restored Charles II of England; who granted the most liberal political terms.

Historically important colonial settlements included: Windsor, Connecticut (1633), Wethersfield, Connecticut (1634), Old Saybrook, Connecticut (1635), Hartford, Connecticut (1636), New Haven, Connecticut (1638), Fairfield, Connecticut (1639), Stratford, Connecticut (1639), New London, Connecticut (1646), Middletown, Connecticut (1647)

Its first constitution, the "Fundamental Orders of Connecticut," was adopted on January 14, 1639, while its Connecticut Constitution, the third for Connecticut, was adopted in 1965. Connecticut is the fifth of the original thirteen states. The original constitutions influenced the US Constitution as one of the leading authors was Roger Sherman of New Haven.

The western boundaries of Connecticut have been subject to change over time. According to a 1650 agreement with the Netherlands, the western boundary of Connecticut ran north from the west side of Greenwich Bay "provided the said line come not within 10 miles km of Hudson River." On the other hand, Connecticut's original Charter in 1662 granted it all the land to the "South Sea," i.e. the Pacific Ocean. Most colonial royal grants were for long east-west strips. Connecticut took its grant seriously, and established a ninth county between the Susquehanna and Delaware Rivers, named Westmoreland County, Connecticut. This resulted in the brief Pennamite Wars with Pennsylvania.Connecticut's lands also extended across northern Ohio, called the Western Reserve lands. The Western Reserve section was settled largely by people from Connecticut, and they brought Connecticut place names to Ohio. Agreements with Pennsylvania and New York extinguished the land claims by Connecticut within its neighbors, and the Western Reserve lands were relinquished to the federal government, which brought the state to its present boundaries.

Names and symbols Connecticut's official nickname, adopted in 1959, is "The Constitution State," based on its colonial constitution of 1638–39. Unofficially (but popularly) Connecticut is also known as "The Nutmeg State". The nutmeg connection to Connecticut may come from its sailors returning from voyages with nutmeg (which in the 18th and 19th centuries was a very valuable spice in New England). It is also said to come from Yankee peddlers from Connecticut who would sell small carved nobs of wood shaped to look like nutmeg to unsuspecting customers. George Washington gave Connecticut the title of "The Provisions State" because of the material aid the state rendered to the Revolutionary War effort. Connecticut is also known as "The Land of Steady Habits".

According to Webster's New International Dictionary, 1993, a person who is a native or resident of Connecticut is a "Connecticuter". There are numerous other terms coined in print, but not in use, such as: "Connecticotian" - Cotton Mather in 1702. "Connecticutensian" - Samuel Peters in 1781. "Nutmegger" is sometimes used, as is "Yankee" (the official State Song is "Yankee Doodle"), though this usually refers someone from the wider New England region.See Yankee main article. The traditional abbreviation of the state's name is "Conn."; the official United States postal abbreviations is CT.

Commemorative stamps issued by the United States Postal Service with Connecticut themes include Nathan Hale, Eugene O'Neill, Josiah Willard Gibbs, Noah Webster, Eli Whitney, the whaling ship the Charles W. Morgan (ship) which is docked in Mystic Seaport, and a decoy of a broadbill duck.

{] || White Oak; or more specifically, the Charter Oak || [American Robin || [Mountain Laurel || [European Mantis || [Sperm Whale || [Garnet || [Eastern Oyster || [American Shad || [Eubrontes giganteus || [USS Nautilus (SSN-571) and [tall ship ambassador ]|-|State aircraft ]|-|State tartan ] || Yankee Doodle || [Square dance || The Nutmeg|-|[State hero ]|-|State heroine ]|-|State composer ]|-|State statues in National Statuary Hall Collection || Roger Sherman and Jonathan TrumbullSee National Statuary Hall Collection#Collection|-|State poet laureate ]|-|Connecticut State Troubadour ] Connecticut State Troubadour; CT Commission on Culture & Tourism Arts Division website; retrieved January 4, 2007 || [Jacob Druckman|}

Demographics {{USCensusPop|1790 = 237946|1800 = 251002|1810 = 261942|1820 = 275248|1830 = 297675|1840 = 309978|1850 = 370792|1860 = 460147|1870 = 537454|1880 = 622700|1890 = 746258|1900 = 908420|1910 = 1114756|1920 = 1380631|1930 = 1606903|1940 = 1709242|1950 = 2007280|1960 = 2535234|1970 = 3031709|1980 = 3107576|1990 = 3287116|2000 = 3405565| footnote= Sources: Population: 1790 to 1990 census.gov Resident Population of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico: Census 2000 census.gov-->

As of 2005, Connecticut has an estimated population of 3,510,297, which is an increase of 11,331, or 0.3%, from the prior year and an increase of 104,695, or 3.1%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 67,427 people (that is 222,222 births minus 154,795 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 41,718 people into the state. Immigration to the United States from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 75,991 people, and Human migration within the country produced a net loss of 34,273 people. Based on the 2005 estimates, Connecticut moves from the 29th most populous state to 30th.

6.6% of its population was reported as being under 5 years old, 24.7% under 18 years old, and 13.8% were 65 years of age or older. Females made up approximately 51.6% of the population, with 48.4% male.

In 1790, 97% of the population in Connecticut were classified as "rural". The first census in which less than half the population was classified as rural was 1890. In the 2000 census, it was only 12.3%. The southwestern coast is all urban and is most widely known from New York City. The eastern half of the state though mostly is associated with Boston because of proximity. This split has caused a lack of more than a few professional sport teams. ie: NHL hockey since the mid 1990s, NFL football, MLS soccer and men's basketball.

The center of population of Connecticut is located in the town of Cheshire, Connecticut.

Race, ancestry, and language As of 2004, 11.4% of the population (400,000) was foreign-born, and 10% of the foreign-born in the state were illegal aliens (about 1.1% of the population). In 1870, native-born Americans had accounted for 75% of the state's population, but that had dropped to 35% by 1918.

As of 2000, 81.69% of Connecticut residents age 5 and older spoke English language at home and 8.42% spoke Spanish language, followed by Italian language at 1.59%, French language at 1.31% and Polish language at 1.20%.

The five largest reported ancestries in the state are: Italian-American (18.6%), Ireland (16.6%), British-American (10.3%), German-American (9.9%), and French American (9.9%).

Connecticut has large Italian-American and Irish-American populations , as well as German and Portuguese-American, second highest percentage of any state behind Rhode Island. Italian people is the largest ancestry group in five of the state's counties, while the Irish people are the largest group in Tolland county, French-Canadians the largest group in Windham county, and old stock Yankee are present throughout. Connecticut is the most Italian-American state percentage-wise, just above Rhode Island. African American and Hispanics in the United States (mostly Puerto Ricans in the United States) are numerous in the urban areas of the state. Connecticut also has a sizable Polish American population, with New Britain, Connecticut containing the largest Polish-American population in the state.

More recent immigrant populations include those from Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Mexico, Brazil, Guatemala, Panama, and former Soviet Union countries.

Religion A 2001 survey of Connecticut residents' religious self-identification showed the following distribution of affiliations:

Roman Catholicism in the United States – 32%
Baptist – 10%
Episcopal Church in the United States of America – 6%
Methodism – 4%
Lutheranism – 4%
Congregational church/United Church of Christ – 2%
Presbyterian – 1%
Pentecostal – 1%
Other Protestant or general Protestant – 4%
Mormonism – 2%
Church of Christ – 2%
Assembly of God – 1%
Non-denominational – 1%
Other Christian – 7%
Judaism – 1%
Islam in the United States – 1%
Other Religions – 4%
Non-Religious – 12%
No answer – 6%

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