New Hampshire

                          



Capital: Concord

State abbreviation/Postal code: N.H./NH

U.S. Representatives: 2

Entered Union (rank): June 21, 1788 (9)

Present constitution adopted: 1784

Motto: Live free or die

State symbols:

flower purple lilac (1919)
tree white birch (1947)
animal white-tailed deer (1983)
insect ladybug (1977)
saltwater fish striped bass (1994)
freshwater fish brook trout (1995)
amphibian spotted newt (1985)
butterfly karner blue (1992)
bird purple finch (1957)
songs “Old New Hampshire” (1949) and “New Hampshire, My New Hampshire” (1963)
Nickname: Granite State

Origin of name: From the English county of Hampshire

10 largest cities (2012 est.): Manchester, 110,209; Nashua, 86,933; Concord , 42,630; Dover, 30,220; Rochester , 29,823; Salem, 29,396; Merrimack, 26,683; Keene, 23,272; Derry, 22,015; Portsmouth, 21,379

Land area:9,349 sq mi (24,214[5] km2)

Geographic center: In Belknap Co., 3 mi. E of Ashland

Number of counties: 10

Largest county by population and area: Hillsborough, 400,721 (2010); Coos, 1,801 sq mi.

State parks: 72

Residents: New Hampshirite

2016 resident population est.: 1,334,795


Some famous natives and residents:
Sherman Adams former governor and presidential advisor;
Salmon P. Chase jurist;
Charles Anderson Dana editor;
Mary Baker Eddy founder of the Christian Science Church;
Dustin Farnum actor;
Thomas Green Fessenden journalist and satirical poet;
Daniel Chester French sculptor;
Robert Frost poet;
Horace Greeley journalist and politician;
Sarah J. Hale editor;
John Irving writer;
Benjamin F. Keith theater entrepreneur;
Jackson Hall Kelly promoter of Oregon settlement;
John Langdon political leader;
Sharon Christa McAuliffe teacher and astronaut;
Franklin Pierce former president;
Augustus Saint-Gaudens sculptor;
Alan Shepard astronaut;
Harlan F. Stone jurist;
Daniel Webster statesman;
Henry Wilson politician and former vice president;
Noah Worcester clergyman and pacifist.

Popular Tourist Attractions

• Canobie Lake Park: Amusement park in Salem, New Hampshire.
• Mount Washington: Highest mountain peak in the Northeastern United States, located in Coos County, New Hampshire.
• Water Country: Water park in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
• Lake Winnipesaukee: Lake in central New Hampshire.
• Loon Mountain: Mountain in Lincoln, New Hampshire.
• Mount Monadnock: Mountain in southern New Hampshire.
• Cannon Mountain: Mountain Peak in Lebanon, New Hampshire.
• Castle in the Clouds: Wedding venue in Moultonborough, New Hampshire.
• Pats Peak: Ski resort in Henniker, New Hampshire.
• Story Land: Theme park in Bartlett, New Hampshire.
• White Mountain National Forest: National forest in Lincoln, New Hampshire.
• Flume Gorge: Gorge in Franconia, New Hampshire.
• Franconia Notch State Park: State park in Franconia, New Hampshire.
• Kancamagus Highway: Highway through the White Mountain National Forest in northern New Hampshire.
• Mount Sunapee: Ski area in Newbury, New Hampshire.
• Mount Washington Observatory Weather Discovery Center: Observatory in North Conway, New Hampshire.
• Conway Scenic Railroad: Heritage railway in North Conway, New Hampshire.
• Lost River Gorge: Park in North Woodstock, New Hampshire.
• Tuckerman Ravine: Cirque in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

New Hampshire Fun Facts

• New Hampshire was named by Captain John Mason after the southern English county of Hampshire.
• The first free public library supported by taxation in the United States was founded on April 9, 1833 in Peterborough, New Hampshire.
• The record for the highest wind speed over land in the United States was recorded on Mount Washington April 12, 1934. The wind gust clocked in at 231 miles per hour. This is also the second highest wind speed over land recorded in the world.
• Levi Hutchins of Concord, New Hampshire, invented the first alarm clock in 1787. It only rang at 4 a.m., the time he needed to wake up for his job.
• New Hampshire still uses its original state constitution, ratified in 1784. It’s the second-oldest continuously used constitution in the United States, after Massachusetts.
• For each presidential election cycle, New Hampshire holds the first primary election in the United States. New Hampshire state law stipulates that the primary shall be on the second Tuesday in March, though the Secretary of State can change the date to ensure that the New Hampshire primary will occur at least seven days before any other state holds a "similar election."
• New Hampshire is the only state in the United States that does not require adults to wear seat belts in their cars while traveling. Not coincidentally, New Hampshire has the lowest seat belt usage of any state in 2010.
• New Hampshire is the only state that saw the formal conclusion of a foreign war. In 1905, Portsmouth was the scene of the treaty ending the Russo-Japanese War.
• New Hampshire was the first state to offer lottery in the twentieth century United States in 1964.
• New Hampshire has the shortest ocean coastline of any U.S. coastal state, with a length of 13 miles.

South Carolina

           




South Carolina is a southeastern U.S. state known for its shoreline of subtropical beaches and marshlike sea islands. Coastal Charleston is a historic city, defined by pastel-colored houses, Old South plantations and Fort Sumter, where the Civil War’s opening shots were fired. To the north is the Grand Strand, a roughly 60-mile stretch of beachfront known for golf courses and the vacation town Myrtle Beach.



About South Carolina
Settled by the English in 1670, the colony named for King Charles I was split into North and South Carolina in 1710. Largely agricultural, settlers relied heavily on the slave trade to work rice and indigo plantations, and by 1720 they made up a majority of South Carolina's population.

More battles and clashes were fought in South Carolina than any other state during the American Revolution, and in 1788 it became the eighth state to ratify the Constitution. During the next 80 years, South Carolina's agriculture and trade prospered.

By 1860, however, tensions had risen over President Abraham Lincoln’s call to abolish slavery and restrict free trade, and the Palmetto State became the first Southern state to secede from the union, adding a palmetto tree to its flag. In April 1861, Confederate troops fired on the federally held Fort Sumter in Charleston, plunging the nation into the Civil War – the bloodiest four years in American history.

The Civil War devastated South Carolina’s population and economy, but the state started to see change by the beginning of the 20th century. First textile and then additional manufacturing industry growth provided some economic relief, and with the civil rights movement of the 1960s, segregation and legal discrimination were brought to an end – though racial divisions remain a major concern for the state today.

Fewer than 5 percent of South Carolina residents were born outside the U.S., and 94 percent of adults speak only English at home. More veterans than average live in the state, with almost one in 10 residents having served in the military.

South Carolina's tourism industry has blossomed in recent years, with Charleston, Hilton Head and Myrtle Beach all considered top East Coast vacation towns. The state is known for its family-friendly and affordable beaches, warm weather and hundreds of golf courses.

In addition to tourism and manufacturing, major South Carolina industries include government, professional and business services. Michelin North America, global technology product provider ScanSource and the Denny’s restaurant chain are all headquartered in the state.

The median household income – $49,501 in 2016 – was below the national average of $57,617, and the state's poverty rate of 15.3 percent was about 10 percent higher than the country’s.

The state's high school graduation rates are on par with the national average, though slightly fewer South Carolina residents over 25 have at least their bachelor's degree than the average.

The state is home to many well-known schools, including Clemson University, the University of South Carolina, located in the state capital of Columbia, the historically black South Carolina State University, Furman University, and a state-run military college, The Citadel, in Charleston.

Just under 5 million people call South Carolina home. Charleston, which ranks highly in U.S. News’ Best Places to Live, is the state's most populous city. The next largest cities are Columbia, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Rock Hill and Greenville. Its coastal and inland cities alike have drawn many retirees in recent years.


The state leans heavily Republican and has voted for the GOP candidate in the past 10 presidential elections. It gained an electoral vote in 2010, bringing its total up to nine for the first time since 1932. South Carolina is tied with Arkansas for the fifth most religious state, with Pew Research Center identifying 70 percent of adults as “highly religious.”





State Symbols
State American Folk Dance Square dance
State Animal White-tailed deer
State Beverage Milk
State Bird Great Carolina wren
State Butterfly Eastern tiger swallowtail
State Colors Indigo blue
State Craft Sweetgrass basket weaving
State Dance Shag
State Dog Boykin spaniel
State Duck Wood duck
State Fish Striped bass
State Flower Carolina yellow jessamine
State Fossil Columbian mammoth
State Fruit Peach
State Gemstone Amethyst
State Grass Indian grass
State Heritage Horse Carolina march tacky
State Heritage Work Animal Mule
State Hospitality Beverage Tea
State Insect Carolina mantid
State Marine Mammal Bottlenose dolphin
State Migratory Marine Mammal Northern right whale
State Motto Dum spiro spero Animis opibusque parati (While I breathe, I hope Ready in soul and resource)
State Music Spiritual
State Nickname Palmetto State
State Popular Music Beach music
State Reptile Loggerhead sea turtle
State Shell Lettered olive
State Snack Boiled peanuts
State Song "Carolina" and "South Carolina On My Mind"
State Spider Carolina wolf spider
State Stone Blue granite
State Tapestry "From the Mountains to the Sea"
State Tree Sabal palmetto (also called cabbage palm tree)
State Waltz "Richardson Waltz"
State Wild Game Bird Wild turkey

State Wildflower Goldenrod
State Quarter Issue Date May 22, 2000





Popular Tourist Attractions

• Fort Sumter: Sea port in Charleston, South Carolina, known for two battles of the American Civil War.
• Broadway at the Beach: Shopping center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
• Hilton Head Island: City and island in Beaufort County, South Carolina.
• Riverbanks Zoo: Zoo in Columbia, South Carolina.
• Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade: Beachfront shopping and entertainment district in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
• Barefoot Landing: Shopping complex in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
• Frankie's Fun Park: Amusement park in Greenville, South Carolina.
• Middleton Place: Historical landscaped gardens, located in Charleston, South Carolina.
• Brookgreen Gardens: Sculpture garden and zoo in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.
• USS Yorktown: Historic aircraft carrier, located in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina.
• Congaree National Park: National park in central South Carolina.
• South Carolina Aquarium: Aquarium in Charleston, South Carolina.
• Family Kingdom Amusement Park: Amusement park in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
• Myrtle Waves: Water park in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
• Peace Center: Theater in Greenville, South Carolina.
• Greenville Zoo: Zoo in Greenville, South Carolina.
• Patriots Point: Museum in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina.
• EdVenture Children's Museum: Museum in Columbia, South Carolina.

Famous People Born In South Carolina

Nobel Prize Winners

• Charles H. Townes (Physics, 1964)
• Joseph L. Goldstein (Physiology or Medicine, 1985)
• Robert F. Furchgott (Physiology or Medicine, 1998)

United States Presidents

• Andrew Jackson (7th President)

Pro Football Hall Of Fame Members

• Art Shell (Offensive Tackle. Inducted in 1989)
• Harry Carson (Linebacker. Inducted in 2006)
• Baseball Hall Of Fame Players
• Larry Doby (Center Fielder. Inducted in 1998)
• Ben Taylor (First Baseman. Inducted in 2006)
• Jim Rice (Left Fielder. Inducted in 2009)
• Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame Players
• Alex English (Forward. Inducted in 1997)
• Katrina McClain (Forward. Inducted in 2012)

Famous Actors And Actresses

• Thomas Gibson
• Chris Rock
• Jessica Stroup

Famous Singers

• Lee Brice
• James Brown
• Darius Rucker

South Carolina Fun Facts

• The Carolina colony was established by British and it was split in 1729 into North and South Carolina as it was deemed to big to govern effectively. Carolina is named after King Charles I. Carolus is the Latin word for Charles.
• The first opera performed in the United States, a comic ballad opera called Flora, opened in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1735.
• The Charleston Tea Plantation, located on Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina, is the only working tea plantation in the United States.
• Morgan Island in South Carolina houses the only colony of free-ranging rhesus monkeys in the United States. Morgan Island is also known as Monkey Island. There are about 3,500 monkeys in the colony.
• The Charleston Museum in Charleston, South Carolina, is the first museum in America. It was founded in 1773 and opened to the public in 1824.
• Johnston, South Carolina, is known as the Peach Capital of the World.
• The largest Gingko farm in the world is located in Sumter, South Carolina.
• The first battle of the Civil War took place at Fort Sumter, South Carolina.
• On November 2, 1954, Strom Thurmond became the first US senator elected by write-in vote. Thurmond received 63.1% of the votes to win the election.
• In South Carolina, a person must be 18 years old to legally play a pinball machine.

Maryland

                                       



State Symbols
State Bird Baltimore Oriole
State Boat Skipjack
State Cat Calico cat
State Crustacean Blue crab
State Dessert Smith Island cake
State Dinosaur Astrodon johnstoni
State Dog Chesapeake Bay retriever
State Drink Milk
State Exercise Walking
State Fish Rockfish
State Flower Black-eyed susan
State Folk Dance Square dance
State Fossil Shell Ecphora gardnerae gardnerae (Wilson)
State Gem Patuxent river stone
State Horse Thoroughbred horse
State Insect Baltimore checkerspot butterfly
State Motto Fatti maschii, parole femine (Manly deeds, womanly words)
State Nickname Free State; Old Line State
State Reptile Diamondback terrapin
State Sport Jousting
State Team Sport Lacrosse
State Tree White oak
State Quarter Issue Date March 13, 2000


Sports Teams
Major Sports Teams
MLB: Baltimore Orioles
NFL: Baltimore Ravens, Washington Redskins

NCAA Division I Schools
Coppin State University (Mid-Eastern Athletic)
Loyola University Maryland (Patriot)
University of Maryland, Baltimore County (America East)
University of Maryland, College Park (Big Ten)
University of Maryland Eastern Shore (Mid-Eastern Athletic)
Morgan State University (Mid-Eastern Athletic)
Mount St. Mary's University (Northeast)
Towson University (Colonial Athletic Association)
United States Naval Academy (Navy) (Navy)



Popular Tourist Attractions

• Chesapeake Bay Bridge: Dual-span bridge spanning the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland.
• Merriweather Post Pavilion: Performing arts theater in Columbia, Maryland.
• Six Flags America: Theme park in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
• National Aquarium: Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland.
• Fort McHenry: National monument and historic shrine located in Baltimore, Maryland.
• Deep Creek Lake: Man-made lake in western Maryland.
• Port Discovery: Children's museum in Baltimore, Maryland.
• American Visionary Art Museum: Art museum in Baltimore, Maryland.
• Adventure Park USA: Amusement center in Monrovia, Maryland.
• Baltimore Inner Harbor: Historic seaport in Baltimore, Maryland.
• Baltimore Museum of Art: Art museum in Baltimore, Maryland.
• Brookside Gardens: Botanical garden in Wheaton-Glenmont, Maryland.
• Maryland Science Center: Science museum in Baltimore, Maryland.
• Sandy Point State Park: 786-acre state park located along the northwestern shore of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland.
• Walters Art Museum: Art museum in Baltimore, Maryland.
• Jolly Roger Amusement Park: Amusement park in Ocean City, Maryland.
• Maryland Zoo: Zoo in Baltimore, Maryland.
• Ocean City Boardwalk: Entertainment district along the Atlantic coast in Ocean City, Maryland.

Famous People Born In Maryland

• Spiro T. Agnew vice president, Baltimore
• Benjamin Banneker mathematician, astronomer, Oella/Ellicott City
• John Barth writer, Cambridge
• Eubie Blake musician, Baltimore
• John Wilkes Booth actor, Lincoln assassin, Harford County
• Francis X. Bushman actor, Baltimore
• James M. Cain writer, Annapolis
• Samuel Chase jurist, Sumerset Cty
• John Dickinson statesman, Talbot Cty
• Frederick Douglass abolitionist, Tuckahoe
• Christopher Gist frontiersman, Baltimore
• Philip Glass composer, Baltimore
• Matthew Henson explorer, Charles Cty
• Billie Holiday jazz-blues singer, Baltimore
• Johns Hopkins financier, Anne Arundel Cty
• Reverdy Johnson lawyer, statesman, Annapolis
• Thomas Johnson political leader, Calvert Cty
• Francis Scott Key laywer, author, Carroll Cty
• Thurgood Marshall jurist, Baltimore
• H. L. Mencken writer, Baltimore
• Charles Willson Peale painter, naturalist Queen Annes Cty
• Babe Ruth baseball player, Baltimore
• Upton Sinclair author, Baltimore
• Roger B. Taney jurist, Calvert Cty
• Harriet Tubman abolitionist, Dorchester Cty
• Leon Uris author, Baltimore
• Frank Zappa singer, Baltimore

Nobel Prize Winners

• Peyton Rous (Physiology or Medicine, 1966)
• Martin Rodbell (Physiology or Medicine, 1994)

Baseball Hall Of Fame Players

• Babe Ruth (Right Fielder. Inducted in 1936)
• Lefty Grove (Pitcher. Inducted in 1947)
• Jimmie Foxx (First Baseman. Inducted in 1951)
• Frank Baker (Third Baseman. Inducted in 1955)
• Judy Johnson (Third Baseman. Inducted in 1975)
• Al Kaline (Right Fielder. Inducted in 1980)
• Vic Willis (Pitcher. Inducted in 1995)
• Cal Ripken, Jr. (Shortstop. Inducted in 2007)
• John Schuerholz (Executive. Inducted in 2017)

Famous Actors And Actresses

• Julie Bowen
• Anna Faris
• David Hasselhoff
• Sylvester Stallone

Famous Singers

• Toni Braxton
• Julienne Irwin
• Scott Weinrich
• JC Chasez

Maryland Fun Facts

• The state of Maryland was named after Queen Henrietta Maria, who was the wife of England King Charles I.
• The Court of Appeals of Maryland is the only court in the United States whose judges wear red robes.
• The Maryland State House in Annapolis is the oldest state capitol still in continuous legislative use. It is also the only state house ever to have served as the nation's capitol, from 1783 to 1784.
• Havre de Grace is known as the "Decoy Capital of the World." The city also hosts the Havre de Grace Decoy Museum.
• Maryland gave up some of its land to form Washington D.C.
• Maryland is commonly referred to as “America in Miniature” and sometimes “Little America” because it’s home to just about any type of nature feature, other than a desert.
• Maryland was the first state to enact Workmen's Compensation laws in 1902.
• The national anthem of the United States, The Star-Spangled Banner, was written by Francis Scott Key on September 13, 1814, after he witnessed the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British during the Battle of Fort McHenry in the War of 1812.
• Maryland is the only state in the United States with an official State Exercise: walking.
• The longest escalator in the United States is in the Wheaton Station of the Washington Metro in Montgomery County, Maryland. It is 230 feet long.
• In the city of Rockville, swearing on the road is a misdemeanor.

About Maryland
Home to the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland is known for its blue crabs and the city of Baltimore, a major historic trading port, baseball power and birthplace of the national anthem. Francis Scott Key wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner” as he watched the American flag wave above Fort McHenry on the harbor during the War of 1812, signaling Britain's defeat.

As one of the original 13 colonies, Maryland has always played a pivotal role in American history. Maryland was named a state in 1788 and was the seventh to ratify the U.S. Constitution. As a border state during the Civil War, it ultimately joined the Union, though it was divided in its support, even among family members.

Maryland remained a slave state for most of the war, forcing slaves like abolitionists Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass to flee. In 1862, the Old Line State held the bloodiest one-day battle in the nation’s history: the Battle of Antietam.

Today, Maryland continues to be integral to the nation’s progress. Adjacent to the nation’s capital, Maryland employs the fourth largest percentage of federal workers of any state and has more than 60 federal agencies.

From its crowded cities to its rugged mountains and waterfront towns on the Eastern Shore, Maryland is small yet eclectic. The state’s largest city, Baltimore, is a hub of diversity, with its Inner Harbor attractions and Johns Hopkins Hospital, one of the top medical institutions in the nation, and Johns Hopkins University, one of the nation’s leading research universities.

In addition to Baltimore, also called Charm City, the state has a rich history in its capital of Annapolis. The U.S. Naval Academy is nestled in Annapolis, which served as the nation’s temporary capital at the end of the Revolutionary War. Ocean City is another popular tourist destination, where vacationers flock to the beach each summer for a kid-friendly getaway.

With a population of more than 6 million people, Maryland is strongly Democratic and had the highest median household income of $78,945 in 2016.

Religiously, 69 percent of adults in the state identify as Christian, according to the Pew Research Center. Maryland is slightly more diverse than national rates, with most of its foreign-born population stemming from Asia and Latin America.

Families are drawn to Maryland for its esteemed educational system. Its high schools outperformed those of all other states in the 2017 Best High Schools rankings, which are based on college readiness. In addition to private schools like Johns Hopkins and Loyola University, the University System of Maryland offers 12 institutions. The University of Maryland, which hands incoming students at orientation a crab mallet and Old Bay seasoning in true Maryland fashion, sits in College Park.

The school houses some of the country’s most prestigious engineering programs, including its aerospace engineering program. Maryland is an aerospace and defense hot spot, holding the majority of the country’s top aerospace companies and defense contractors. It houses the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and NOAA, along with defense contractors like Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin.

Maryland also boasts a $57.4 billion military industry, which includes Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the largest military medical center in the nation. Fort George G. Meade is the state’s top employer and contains the U.S. Cyber Command and National Security Agency headquarters.

As a result of its involvement in these industries, Maryland ranks first in the percentage of professional and technical workers and in the amount of federal money allocated for research and development.

Though Maryland takes pride in its seafood, with restaurants boasting the best crabcakes, pollution has threatened the Bay and its inhabitants over recent decades. In 2009, President Barack Obama declared an executive order aimed at restoring and protecting the “national treasure.”