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Our Government
Delaware became a state in 1776, just two months after the
signing of the Declaration of Independence. We are the FIRST
State!!!! The capital was moved from New Castle to Dover in
1777. Delaware's first constitution was adopted in 1797. The
current constitution was adopted in 1897. It has been modernized
with many new amendments since that time. Today, Delaware has a
cabinet form of government. The General Assembly, Delaware's
lawmaking body, is comprised of a state House of Representatives,
whose 41 members are elected for two-year terms, and a Senate,
whose 21 members are elected for four-year terms. Half of the
Senate seats are contested in each general election. The State
Supreme Court consists of a chief justice and four associate
justices. All members are appointed by the governor, with
confirmation by the Senate, for a term of 12 years. Delaware, as
all states, has two U.S. Senators elected for six-year terms. The
state has one U.S. Representative, who serves a two-year term.
Our State Symbols & Information
STATE CAPITAL ~ Dover
STATE FLOWER ~ The Peach Blossom
STATE BIRD ~ The Blue Hen Chicken
STATE TREE ~ The American Holly (ilex opaca aiton)
STATE BUG ~ The Lady Bug
STATE FISH ~ The weakfish (Cynoscion genus) also known as
sea trout, gray trout, yellow mouth, yellow fin
trout, squeteague, and tiderunner.
STATE BEVERAGE ~ Milk
STATE MINERAL ~ Sillimanite
STATE COLORS ~ Colonial blue and buff.
STATE MOTTO ~ Liberty and Independence.
STATE NICKNAME ~ "The First State" Delaware is also known as
The Diamond State, The Small Wonder,
The Blue Hen State.
CHIEF PRODUCTS ~ Agriculture -- broilers, soybeans, corn, milk.
Fishing Industry -- crabs, clams.
Manufacturing -- chemicals, food products, paper
products, rubber and plastics products, primary
metals, printed materials.
Mining -- sand and gravel, magnesium compounds.
POPULATION ~ 1994 Population - 700,000; 46th among the states;
Distribution: 73 percent urban & 27 percent
rural; Density: 345 persons per square mile.
ELEVATION ~ Highest -- 447.85 ft. above sea level near Ebright
Road in New Castle County.
Lowest -- sea level along the coast.
CLIMATE ~ Delaware's climate is moderate year round. Average
monthly temperatures range from 75.8 to 32.0 degrees.
Average temperature in the summer months is 74.3
degrees. About 57% of the days are sunny. Annual
precipitation is approximately 45 inches. Temperatures
along the Atlantic Coast are about 10 degrees warmer in
winter and 10 degrees cooler in summer. The average
growing season varies from 170 to 200 days.
AREA ~ Delaware ranks 49th in the nation with a total area of
1,982 square miles. New Castle County is 438 square miles.
Kent County is 594 square miles. Sussex County is 950
square miles. Delaware is 96 miles long and varies from 9
to 35 miles in width.
LOCATION ~ On the Eastern Seaboard of the United States,
Delaware is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and
Delaware Bay, as well as by the states of New Jersey,
Pennsylvania and Maryland. Delaware's location
affords easy access to the major metropolitan areas
of the Northeast. Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and
Baltimore are all within a 2-hour drive.
STATE FLAG ~ Adopted on July 24, 1913, the state flag has a
background of colonial blue surrounding a diamond
of buff color in which the coat of arms of the
state of Delaware is placed. Below the diamond are
the words "December 7, 1787," indicating the day on
which Delaware was the first state to ratify the
federal Constitution. Because of this action,
Delaware became the first state in the Union, and
is, therefore, accorded the first position in such
national events as presidential inaugurations.
According to members of the original commission
established to design the flag, the shades of buff
and colonial blue represent those of the uniform of
General George Washington as shown on a specific
plate from an official U.S. Army publication.
STATE SEAL ~ The state seal was first adopted on January 17,
1777, and contains the coat of arms. It also bears
the inscription around it "Great Seal of the State
of Delaware" and the dates 1793, 1847, and 1907.
STATE SONG ~ "Our Delaware"
First Verse
Oh the hills of dear New Castle,
and the smiling vales between,
When the corn is all in tassel,
And the meadowlands are green;
Where the cattle crop the clover,
And its breath is in the air,
While the sun is shining over
Our beloved Delaware.
Chorus
Oh our Delaware!
Our beloved Delaware!
For the sun is shining over
our beloved Delaware,
Oh our Delaware
Our beloved Delaware!
Heres the loyal son that pledges,
Faith to good old Delaware.
Second Verse
Where the wheat fields break and billow,
In the peaceful land of Kent,
Where the toiler seeks his pillow,
With the blessings of content;
Where the bloom that tints the peaches,
Cheeks of merry maidens share,
And the woodland chorus preaches
A rejoiceing Delaware.
Third Verse
Dear old Sussex visions linger,
Of the holly and the pine,
Of Henlopens Jeweled finger,
Flashing out across the brine;
Of the gardens and the hedges,
And the welcome waiting there,
For the loyal son that pledges
Faith to good old Delaware.
Fourth Verse
From New Castle's rolling meadows,
Through the fair rich fields of Kent,
To the Sussex shores hear echoes,
Of the pledge we now present;
Liberty and Independence,
We will guard with loyal care,
And hold fast to freedom's presence,
In our home state Delaware.
~ This is Rocky ~
Our local baseball teams mascot.
Our Baseball team is "The Blue Rocks"
~ This is Fort Delaware ~
This fort is located on Pea Patch Island
next to our little city of Delaware City.
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