Delaware

Located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid Atlantic Region, Delaware gets its name from Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr who was an English nobleman and the first colonial Governor of Virginia. The state is located in the north eastern part of the Delmarva Peninsula and after Rhode Island is the smallest state in the area. The states that are adjacent to Delaware include Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. 

While the overall population of the state is ranked as 45th, it is considered to be extremely populated with the population density rank across all the states in the United States being 6. The state has the second largest number of civilian scientists and engineers that are working in the country as a proportion of the population and is also known to have a large number of patents.

State Nickname

Delaware was the first state to join the Union officially and therefore it is nicknamed “The First State”. It is also called the “Diamond State” because Jefferson described it as a jewel among all the states. The state has other nicknames and is also called the “Blue Hen State” and “Small Wonder”. 

Climate Summary

Most of the area of Delaware falls along the Atlantic Coastal Plain and therefore the climate of the state is significantly affected by the ocean. The climate ranges between humid subtropical to continental in nature, since it falls in the transitional part of the climate zones. Even though the state is small, climatic variations are quite a few.

State Tax Situation 

There are 6 different income tax brackets that the state of Delaware has. The tax ranges between 2.2 percent to 5.95 percent depending on the total income or revenue. The state does not levy any state tax on the people. However, there is a tax on the gross receipts of most of the businesses.

Government Summary

The constitution of Delaware was adopted in 1897 allows for three branches of the government – executive, judiciary and legislative. The general Assembly consists of the House of Representatives that has 41 members and a Senate that has 21. The head of the state is considered to be a Governor. 

State Seal

The state seal of Delaware includes a coat of arms that is surrounded by an inscription – Great Seal of the State of Delaware’. It was adopted in 1777. The seal also includes a ship, a farmer, a militiaman, a wheat sheaf, maize, water, an ox and the motto of the state.

Motto & Description 

The motto of the state of Delaware is Liberty and Independence. It was the first state of ratify the United States Constitution and therefore the motto is closer to what the country stands for too. The motto of the state also appears on the flag on the ribbon at the base of the coat of arms. 

State Flag

The official stage flag of Delaware has a blue background with a buff colored diamond shape. This diamond shape consists of the seal of Delaware without the outer ring. The motto is present on a ribbon at the base of the seal. The flag of Delaware was adopted officially in 1913.

State Bird

The official bird of Delaware is the Blue Hen Chicken. Adopted in 1939, the blue hen chicken was used in many campaigns before it was adopted officially. The adoption of the bird as an official one is due to the role that it played in the Revolutionary War where it was used as game for cock fights. 

State Flower

The state flower of Delaware is the Peach Blossom. The flower was adopted as the official state flower in 1895 because the state was known as the Peach State. The orchards of the state contained more than 800,000 peach trees and therefore filled the state with the bright pink color of the flowers when they bloomed.

State Animal

The official state animal of Delaware is the horseshoe crab. It was adopted by the state in 2002 since the Delaware Bay is the large spawning ground for the animal. It is considered that the horseshoe crab is one of the oldest animals on earth today but are now considered threatened. 

State Song And Description

Our Delaware is the state song of Delaware and it was written by George B. Hynson. The song was composed by M. S. Brown. The song incorporates all the beauty of the fields and the blossoms and also talks about how liberty and independence is valued by the people of the state.

State Colors 

Just like most of the states of the United States, the colors of Delaware are the ones that are used on the flag. The state colors of Delaware include colonial blue and buff. These state colors were adopted in 1953 and are the colors that are used on the state flag.