Connecticut Details

Connecticut is a 4,844 square miles rectangular state divided into two roughly equal sections called the eastern highland and the western highland. The state is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north and New York to the west and south. It ranks 29th as the most populous state of the United States with its 3.4 million residents.

Connecticut was first discovered by a Dutch navigator named Adriaen Block sometime in 1614. This exploration allowed the Dutch to build forts and trading posts near present-day Hartford. English settlers later settled in the 1630s at Windsor, Wethersfield and Hartford to form what is referred to as the Connecticut Colony. Connecticut served as the country’s Continental Army’s major supplier and was also called the Arsenal of the Nation.

Connecticut is one of the nation’s most industrialized states. Its factories produce weapons, jet engines, helicopters, motors, hardware and tools, cutlery, clocks, locks, silverware and submarines. Its capital, Hartford, is also the insurance capital of the nation.

The term Connecticut is derived from Quinnehtukqut, an Indian word which means “beside the long tidal river”. Its residents are called Connecticuter or Nutmegger. It is home of the Yale University, one of the world’s most renowned universities. It also hosts many other academic institutions including Trinity College, Wesleyan University, University of Hartford and the University of Connecticut which has been the highest ranked public university in New England. Connecticut is also called “The Constitution State”.