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About New Hampshire (NH) State

HISTORY
Prior to European settlement in the early 1600’s, several Algonquian Indian tribes inhabited the area now known as New Hampshire. Established in 1623, Dover, Durham, and Stratham comprised the original territory. New Hampshire was one among the thirteen colonies that rejected the authority of the British during the American Revolution. It was also the first US state to declare its independence. New Hampshire’s sole Revolutionary battle was the raid of Fort William and Mary on December 14, 1774; however, this raid is renowned as the first battle of the Revolutionary War.

After sending Franklin Pierce to the White House in 1852, New Hampshire experienced an industrial boom. Textile mills and lumber products drove the economy until the textile industry collapsed in 1960, and high technology and the service industry brought renewed prosperity. Today, New Hampshire is a renowned testing ground for candidates for the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations. This vibrant New England state, small in size and stature, takes pride in its constitution that allows a ‘Right to Revolution’ and in its significant role in America’s politics. Its apt state motto is “Live Free or Die”.

DEMOGRAPHICS
According to 2000 Census data, New Hampshire’s population was 1,235,786. Concord, population 41,823, is the capital of NH and is the most populated city. In 2005, census estimates indicated the population rose to 1,309,940. This total illustrates an increase of 10,771 (0.8%) from the estimates of the prior year and an increase of 74,154 (6.0%) since the last official census in 2000. The 2005 total also indicates a natural increase since the 2000 census of 23,872 (75,060 births minus 51,188 deaths) and a population growth due to net migration of 51,968 people into NH. Immigration from outside of the US accounted for a net increase of 11,107 individuals, while foreign immigration resulted in a net increase of 40,861 people. NH’s center of population is in the town of Pembroke, in Merrimack County.

Census data from 2004 indicated that the population included 64,000 (4.9%) foreign-born citizens.

New Hampshire’s five largest groups of ancestry include French or French Canadian (25.2%), Irish (19.4%), English (18%), German (8.6%) and Italian (8.5%). NH has the highest concentration of residents of French/French-Canadian descent of any U.S. state. Individuals of “Yankee”, or old colonial descent, spread throughout the majority of New Hampshire. Per Census 2000, 3.41% of the population over the age of five speak French at home, while 1.60% speak Spanish.

GEOGRAPHY
New Hampshire, the “Granite State”, stakes claim to nearly 9,400 square miles of the picturesque New England region of the United States. NH ranks 46th in the nation for area size. NH shares its borders with Quebec, Canada in the north and northwest, Massachusetts in the south, and Vermont in the west. Maine and the Atlantic Ocean are to the east. The largest urban areas in NH include Concord, Derry, Dover, Hudson, Londonderry, Manchester, Merrimack, Nashua, Rochester and Salem.

New Hampshire‘s terrain ranges from deep, luxurious wilderness to the 273 sparkling lakes of the Lakes Region. The major regions encompassing the state include the Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee area, the Great North Woods, the Lakes Region, the Merrimack Valley, the Monadnock Region, the Seacoast and the White Mountains. At 18 miles long, NH has the shortest coastline of any US state. Elevation ranges from zero at sea level along the Atlantic Ocean to the 6,288 feet of Mt. Washington. The mean elevation is 1,000 feet. NH is also home to the Isle of Shoals that includes nine rocky islands, on one of which, the legendary pirate Blackbeard supposedly buried his treasure.

ECONOMY
New Hampshire’s healthy economy was responsible for a total state product of $49 billion in 2003 (according to data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis). In 2005, NH citizens earned an average personal per capita income of $37,835 (that is 110% of the national average of $34,495), which ranks the state sixth in the United States for per capita income.

Industrial outputs that contribute to the financial base in NH include electric equipment, machinery, plastics, rubber products and tourism. Popular tourist attractions include ski resorts, America's Stonehenge, Canobie Lake Park, Canterbury Shaker Village, Castle in the Clouds, Christa McAuliffe Planetarium, Conway Scenic Railroad, Golden Pond, NASCAR events at New Hampshire International Speedway, Six Gun City & Fort Splash Waterpark and the recreational opportunities available at White Mountain. Visitors also come for the fantastic foliage displays each fall and a wide range of cruises.

AGRICULTURE
New Hampshire’s successful agriculture industry contributes nearly $300 million to the state economy. Agricultural products include apples, cattle, dairy products, eggs and nursery stock.

TRANSPORTATION
Residents of New Hampshire utilize the well-organized infrastructure of the New England Highway System. Three major Interstate Highways serve NH, including I-89, I-93 and I-95. Interstate 89 originates in Concord, NH and terminates in Highgate Springs, VT at the border of Canada. Interstate 93 begins in Canton, Massachusetts, runs through NH and ends in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. New Hampshire accounts for 132 miles of I-93 and includes the spur routes of 293 and 393. Interstate 95 is the primary north-south highway on the Atlantic coast. I-95 spans from Miami, FL to Houlton, ME, with only 16 miles cut through New Hampshire, with an interchange for the city of Portsmouth.

New Hampshire affords rail service via Amtrak/USA Rail in addition to the bus service via Concord Trailways and Greyhound. Several private and commercial airports serve the state of NH. These include Lebanon Municipal, Logan International, Manchester-Boston Regional, Portsmouth International Airport at Pease and Portland International Jetport.

EDUCATION
New Hampshire lists four public colleges and universities that serve as the primary provider of post-secondary education in the state: Granite State College, Keene State College, Plymouth State University and the University of New Hampshire. Other outstanding higher learning institutions in NH include Daniel Webster College, Dartmouth College, Franklin Pierce College and Law Center and Southern New Hampshire University.

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City Information (New Hampshire State)
Berlin | Claremont | Concord | Dover | Franklin | Keene | Laconia | Lebanon | Manchester | Nashua | Portsmouth | Rochester | Somersworth

Counties in New Hampshire State
Belknap | Carroll | Cheshire | Coos | Grafton | Hillsborough | Merrimack | Rockingham | Strafford | Sullivan