14 Further reading

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History
Vermont was originally home to the tribes of the Iroquois, Algonquian and Abenaki nations. In 1609, French explorer Samuel de Champlain claimed the area of what is now Lake Champlain, giving to the mountains the appelation that would eventually name the state: Les Verts Monts (The Green Mountains.)

In 1763, The Treaty of Paris ended the French and Indian War, giving the area to the British. Parts of the region were at different times controlled by the colonies (later states) of New York and New Hampshire. Ethan Allen and his "Green Mountain Boys" fought against the British (resulting in the famous capture of Fort Ticonderoga), then later against these states, and in 1777 Vermont was declared an independent republic (called "New Connecticut" in its first six months, then the Vermont Republic from July). During this period the Constitution of Vermont was drafted and ratified, the first written constitution in North America. This status held until 1791, when Vermont joined the Union as the 14th member. Thomas Chittenden was head of state for most of this period, and became its first U.S. governor.

Vermont used a unicameral legislature until the 1830's.

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Law and Government
Vermonters independently elect a Governor and Lieutenant Governor every two years. The current governor of Vermont is Jim Douglas, who assumed office in 2003.

In the US Senate, Vermont is represented by Sen. Patrick Leahy (Dem) and Sen. James Jeffords (Ind). Jeffords, a former Republican, left the party in 2001 as a result of political disagreements. In the House, Vermont is represented by Independent Rep. Bernard Sanders.

Vermonters are known for their political independence and progressive views. The Vermont government maintains a pro-active stance with regards to the environment, social services and prevention of urbanization. The most recent controversy to stir up major political conflict in the state was the adoption of civil unions, an institution which grants same-sex couples nearly all the rights and privileges of marriage. In Baker v. Vermont (1999) the Vermont Supreme Court ruled that, under the Constitution of Vermont, the State of Vermont must either allow homosexual couples to marry, or provide a separate but equal status for them. The State legislature chose the second option by creating the institution of civil union; the bill, which was supported by about half of the state's voters, was passed by the legislature, and signed into law by Governor Howard Dean. Some Vermonters voiced their displeasure out loud and in the following state senate elections.

Although Vermont boasts two Senate seats and a relatively small population, attempts by out-of-state candidates (so called "carpetbaggers" or "flatlanders") to win a seat in Vermont have often been thwarted by locals. In 1998, a 79-year-old local man named Fred Tuttle won national attention by defeating a Massachusetts multi-millionare in the Republican Primary. With a campaign budget of $201, Tuttle garnered 55% of the Primary vote, before graciously conceding the general election to Sen. Leahy.

Vermont is the birthplace of former presidents Calvin Coolidge and Chester A. Arthur.

Socialist Bernard Sanders (Independent) is the sole Vermont Congressman.

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Geography
See List of Vermont counties

See List of Vermont towns

Vermont, part of the New England region, borders New Hampshire to the east, New York to the west, Massachusetts to the south, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the north. Vermont covers an area of approximately 25,000 km² (9,600 square miles). The Connecticut River marks the eastern border of the state. Lake Champlain, the sixth-largest body of water in the United States, separates Vermont from New York in the northwest portion of the state. The Green Mountains, so named because their relatively short stature allows for mostly no timberline, form a north-south spine running the most of the length of the state, slightly west of its center. Several mountains do have timberlines: Mount Mansfield, the highest mountain in the state and Killington furnish two examples. Roughly 77% percent of the state is covered by forest, the rest in meadow, uplands, lakes, ponds and swampy wetlands.

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Climate
Vermont is known for its brief mud season in spring followed by a cool summer and a colorful autumn, and particularly for its cold winters. The northern part of the state, including the rural northeastern section (dubbed the "Northeast Kingdom") is known for exceptionally cold winters, often averaging more than ten degrees (F) colder than the southern areas of the state. Annual Snowfall averages between 60 to 100 inches depending on elevation, giving Vermont some of the East Coast's premier ski areas and cross-country skiing.

In the autumn, Vermont's hills experience an explosion of red, orange and gold foliage caused by the Sugar Maple. That this famous display occurs so abundantly in Vermont is not due so much to the presence of a particular variant of the tree; it rather results from a number of soil and climate conditions unique to the area.

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Economy
Over the past two centuries, Vermont has seen both population explosions and population busts. First settled by farmers, loggers and hunters, Vermont lost much of its population as farmers moved West into the Great Plains in search of abundant, easily-tilled land. Logging similarly fell off as over-cutting and the exploitation of other forests made Vermont's forest less attractive. Although these population shifts devastated Vermont's economy, the early loss of population had the beneficial effect of allowing Vermont's land and forest to recover from the excesses of human beings. The accompanying lack of industry has allowed Vermont to avoid many of the ill-effects of 20th century industrial busts, effects that still plague neighboring states. Today, much of Vermont's forest consists of second-growth.

Of the remaining industries, dairy farming is the primary source of agricultural income. Vermont dairy is exported to the rest of the world by companies such as Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream and Cabot Cheese. Vermont's natural beauty and social tolerance has also made it attractive to independent thinkers, unique companies and cottage industries such as The Vermont Teddy Bear Company, Burton Snowboards and King Arthur Flour. Tourism, numerous summer camps, furniture-making and skiing also make up a large component of Vermont's income. Trout fishing, lake fishing and even ice fishing draw the outdoorsman to the state as does the excellent hiking on the Long Trail. Several noteworthy horse shows are annual events. Golf courses are springing up with spas to service the weary client. One major fashion outlet mall isn't really a mall but the old town of Manchester gentrified.

The town of Rutland is the traditional center of marble quarrying and marble shaping in the USA. For many years Vermont was also the headquarters of the smallest union in the USA, the Stonecutters Association, of about 500 members.

In recent years, Vermont has been deluged with plans to build condos and houses on what was relatively inexpensive, untouched land. Vermont's government has responded with a series of laws controlling development and with some pioneering initiatives to prevent the loss of Vermont's dairy industry.

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Demographics
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2003, Vermont's population was estimated at 619,107 people.

The racial makeup of the state is:

96.2% White
0.5% Black
0.9% Hispanic
0.9% Asian
0.4% American Indian
1.2% are mixed race
The 5 largest ancestry groups in Vermont are English (18.4%), Irish (16.4%), French (14.5%), German (9.1%), French Canadian (8.8%).

The 5 largest religious denominations in Vermont are Roman Catholic (42%), Methodist (7%), Congregational (7%), Episcopalian (4%), "Christian" (4%). 24% of the population is nonreligious.

5.6% of Vermont's population were reported as under 5, 24.2% under 18, and 12.7% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 51% of the population.

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Important cities and towns
Barre
Bennington
Brattleboro
Burlington (largest city)
Colchester
Essex
Hartford
Manchester
Middlebury
Montpelier (state capital)
Norwich
Rutland
St. Johnsbury
South Burlington
Stowe

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Education
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Colleges and universities
Bennington College
Burlington College
Castleton State College
Center for Cartoon Studies
Champlain College
College of St. Joseph
Goddard College
Green Mountain College
Johnson State College
Landmark College
Lyndon State College
Marlboro College
Middlebury College
Norwich University
Saint Michael's College
School for International Training
Southern Vermont College
Trinity College (Vermont)
University of Vermont
Vermont Law School
Vermont Technical College
Woodbury College

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Miscellaneous information
State bird : Hermit Thrush
State flower: Red Clover
State tree : Sugar Maple
State mammal : Morgan horse
State insect: Honeybee
State amphibian: Northern Leopard Frog
State song: These Green Mountains (formerly Hail to Vermont!)
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Related resources
List of Governors of Vermont
List of Vermont Musuems
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Professional sports teams
Vermont Expos, minor league baseball
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Other places and things named Vermont
Vermont is also the name of:

A place in the State of Illinois. See Vermont, Illinois.
An eastern suburb of Melbourne in Australia. See Vermont, Victoria.
The Ship, USS Vermont was named in honor of this state.

The first automobile to make a trip across the continent was named Vermont.

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations by or about Vermont.
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External links
Official state website (http://www.vermont.gov)
U.S. Census Bureau (http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/50000.html)
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Further reading
Jan Albers, Hands on the Land: A History of the Vermont Landscape (Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press and the Orton Family Foundation, 2000), ISBN 0-262-01175-1.
John J. Duffy, Samuel B. Hand and Ralph H. Orthhe, The Vermont Encyclopedia, University Press of New England (http://www.dartmouth.edu/~upne/), 2003, hardcover, 352 pages, ISBN 1584650869

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Vermont".

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