9781422286128

Delaware

T he residents of Delaware, known as Delawareans, proclaim on their car license plates that they live in “the First State.” The nickname does not refer to size—Delaware is actually the second-smallest state in the nation. (Only Rhode Island is smaller.) Instead, the nickname reflects Delaware’s history. The state was the first of the original 13 colonies to join the United States of America. Delaware ratified the U.S. Constitution on December 7, 1787. Delawareans sometimes call their land the state that started a nation. Geography Delaware is just 96 miles (155 kilometers) long and varies between 9 and 35 miles (15 and 56 km) wide. It is bordered by Pennsylvania to the north and Maryland to the west and south. New Jersey, the Delaware Bay, Delaware River, and Atlantic Ocean lie to the east. The First State is part of the Delmarva Peninsula , so named because it includes lands from DELaware, MARyland, and VirginiA. Delaware is the only state in the nation with a circular boundary. A small arc separates Delaware from Pennsylvania.

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