Capital city | Dover |
Population | 990,837 (2020) |
Surface | 6452 km² |
Governor | John Carney (D) |
Member of the US since | 1787 |
Delaware is one of the fifty states of the United States. It is one of the smallest states in terms of population. In terms of area, the state of Rhode Island is even smaller. Delaware is located on the east coast of the US. The capital is Dover. Dover is not the largest city in the state, which is Wilmington. The abbreviation for Delaware is DE. Delaware is named after the Delaware River. Delaware was initially discovered by the Dutch, who founded a colony there. The British also established a colony there and Delaware eventually became a colony of the British Empire. During the American Revolutionary War, General George Washington crossed the Delaware for his surprise attack at the Battle of Trenton. Delaware was the first state to adopt the United States Constitution and is nicknamed The First State because of this. Delaware allowed slavery in the American Civil War. During the Civil War, Delaware fought on the side of the Union (the Northern States), despite the side being against slavery. When President Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery, Delaware was also the state that protested vehemently (and wouldn’t pass the 13th Amendment until decades later). Today, Delaware is a tax haven, with low taxes. As a result, many companies establish themselves in Delaware. Delaware borders Pennsylvania to the north, Maryland to the east and south, and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to the west.
Geography
Nature in Delaware
Landscape
Delaware is west of the Delaware Bay, where the Delaware River flows. Delaware has two perpendicular borders to the south and west, while the border to the north is a semicircle. This semicircle is called the Twelve-Mile Circle. Delaware is pretty flat. Most cities are in the north of the state, while the south is a lot more rural. Here you will also find several forests. The forests in Delaware are mixed, meaning there are both deciduous and coniferous trees.
Climate
The state has a humid subtropical climate. This means that Delaware has mild winters with warm summers. There is also rain throughout the year.
Delaware’s 10 Largest Cities
Number | City | Inhabitants |
1 | Wilmington | 70.635 |
2 | Dover | 38,079 |
3 | Newark | 33,673 |
4 | Middletown | 22.582 |
5 | Smyrna | 11.580 |
6 | Milford | 11.353 |
7 | Seaford | 7.861 |
8 | George Town | 7.427 |
9 | Elsmere | 5.981 |
10 | New Castle | 5.529 |
Population
General
A map of Delaware
Delaware has just under 1 million inhabitants. The population of the state is still growing. Most residents live in the north of the state, while the south of the state is more sparsely populated. 68% of the state’s residents are white, 21% are African American, 3.5% are Latino, and 3.2% are Asian American.
Language
According to the constitution, Delaware has no official language. Nevertheless, English can be seen as official, as it is used in the judiciary, education and politics. In everyday life, almost only English is spoken. According to a survey of the population, 91% of the residents of the state speak English. There have been proposals to establish English as an official language in the constitution. A bill for this has been rejected by the state parliament. In addition, other languages are spoken in Delaware. 5% of residents speak Spanish at home. In addition, French, German and Chinese are still important immigrant languages.
Religion
Delaware’s largest religion is Christianity. 68% of the inhabitants are Christian. 46% of these adhere to Protestantism, while 22% adhere to the Roman Catholic Church. 23% say they have no religion. Other major religions in the state are Judaism, Hinduism, and Islam.
Politics
State institution
The Delaware Capitol
The current governor of Delaware is John Carney of the Democratic Party. He is assisted by Governor Lieutenant Bethany Hall-Long, a sort of vice governor. The current state constitution is from 1897. In addition, there is another parliament, the Delaware General Assembly. It consists of two rooms:
- The House of Representatives, consisting of 41 members, who serve for a term of 2 years.
- The Senate, consisting of 21 members, who serve for a term of 4 years.
The Democratic Party has a majority in both chambers and the remaining seats are filled by the Republican Party. Delaware is a blue state, meaning Democrats have a majority in the state. The party (almost) always votes for the Democrats. The state supplies 2 senators (Tom Carper and Chris Coons) and one delegate (Lisa Blunt Rochester) to the United States Congress, all three of whom are Democrats. In presidential elections, the state almost always votes for the Democratic candidate. President Joe Biden (a Democrat) was a state senator and is associated with the state.
Counties of Delaware
How many counties in Delaware? Delaware is the second U.S. state with the fewest counties (a type of territory or province within a U.S. state). Delaware only has three:
Number | Name | Capital (County Seat) | Inhabitants |
1. | New Castle County | Wilmington | 570.719 |
2. | Kent County | dover | 183.643 |
3. | Sussex County | George Town | 241.635 |
Economy
Originally, agriculture and industry were very important to the Delaware economy. Today, these sectors play a smaller role. In the field of agriculture, poultry, dairy products, corn and soybeans are important products. Many chemical companies used to be based in Delaware, but today this is no longer the case. Many factories have been relocated to other states or abroad. The service sector is very important today. Delaware is known as a tax haven. This means that the state has very low taxes. As a result, many companies want to establish themselves in Delaware in order to avoid taxes.
Odessa (Delaware)
A historic building in Odessa
Odessa is a town in the American state of Delaware. It is located in New Castle County, one of Delaware’s three counties. The place had 372 inhabitants in 2016, and has an area of 1.37 km², which amounts to 282.55 inhabitants per km². It is also located next to it at a height of 16 meters.
History
In the 18th century, Odessa was founded under the name Cantwell’s Bridge. In 1721, a captain’s son opened a toll bridge at the current location of Odessa. Cantwell’s Bridge then became a major port where exports of wheat, maize, tobacco and creek were very raging, they were exported to other ports and so from those ports to other countries. In the 19th century, the name of Cantwell’s Bridge was changed to Odessa, just after what is now the Ukrainian town of Odessa was created. At that time it was a well-known port town. This was an attempt to keep Odessa alive as an important port. Currently there is no port anymore, but it is a quiet place.
Geography
Odessa is located at 39°27’26″N 75°39’41″W (39.4573340, -75.6613184), along the Appoquinimink River.
Tourism
In Odessa they have a pizzeria, 2 B&Bs and 2 Christian churches.
Breeds
According to a survey, 94.06 % are White American, 5.24% African American (Black), 0.35% Pacific American (Pacific), and 1.05% are Latino or Hispanic American (South America, Mexico, Spain..).
Game
A game based on Odessa has been created, the game is called Ultimate Driving: Odessa, which is a game of the Ultimate Driving game series in the game ROBLOX.