| Capital city | Montpelier |
| Population | 643.503 (2020) |
| Surface | 24.923 km² |
| Governor | Phil Scott (R) |
| Member of the US since | 1791 |
A map of Vermont
Vermont is one of the fifty states of the United States. The state is located in the northeast of the country, in the New England region. The abbreviation for Vermont is VT. Its nickname is ‘The Green Mountain State’. That means ‘the Green Mountain State’. With nearly 650,000 residents, Vermont is the second least populous state in the US. Only in Wyoming even fewer people live. Vermont borders the states of New York, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. It also borders Canada to the north. The capital of Vermont is Montpelier. This is the smallest state capital (capital of a state) in the United States. Originally, Vermont was part of the New Hampshire colony. During the American Revolutionary War, Vermont seceded from New Hampshire in 1777. Vermont then became its own country, the Republic of Vermont, although no one really recognized this country. In 1791, Vermont decided to become part of the United States, joining as the 14th state. Vermont’s first state to abolish slavery. Vermont then became the center of abolitionism, the movement for the abolition of slavery. For a long time Vermont was a Republican state, but since the 1990s the state has voted Democratic. Vermont is one of the most progressive and left-wing states in the United States today. It was the first state where same-sex people could register as partners. Vermont is known for its wildlife and forests. In addition, the well-known American politician Bernie Sanders is from the state.
Geography
Landscape
Mount Mansfield
Vermont is the only state in New England that is not on the sea. The state is slightly smaller in area than the neighboring state of New Hampshire. Vermont is known for its nature and is a very green state. The Green Mountains are in the state and run north to south. In the southwest are also the Taconic Mountains. Vermont’s tallest and most famous mountain is Mount Mansfield, which is 1,340 feet high. The rest of the state is hilly. Vermont has several lakes, Lake Champlain being the largest. It is on the border with New York. To the south is also Lake Bomoseen.
Climate
Vermont has a humid continental climate. This means that Vermont has to deal with warm summers and cold winters. The entire state has about the same climate. Vermont experiences rainfall throughout the year, but most of the rain falls in the spring. In the winter, Vermont often experiences heavy snowfall. There may be between 1.5 and 2.5 meters of snow.
Largest Cities in Vermont
| Name | Residents | County | |
| 1. | Burlington | 44.743 | Chittenden County |
| 2. | Essex | 22.094 | Chittenden County |
| 3. | South Burlington | 20.292 | Chittenden County |
| 4. | Colchester | 17.524 | Chittenden County |
| 5. | Rutland | 15.807 | Rutland County |
| 6. | Bennington | 15.333 | Bennington County |
| 7. | Brattleboro | 12.184 | Windham County |
| 8. | Milton | 10.723 | Chittenden County |
| 9. | Hartford | 10.686 | Windsor County |
| 10. | Williston | 10.103 | Chittenden County |
Population
Vermont has fewer than 650,000 residents, but the state’s population is still growing. Vermont is the second least populous state after Wyoming and has fewer residents than Washington DC. Half of Vermont’s residents were also born in the state. The other half were often born in another state. These new residents are often referred to as Flatlanders or Woodchucks. 90% of Vermont residents are white, of which 2.3% are Latino. Other populations include Asian Americans (2.3%), African Americans (2.5%) and Native Americans (0.2%). Vermont has the highest divorce rate in the United States and the highest number of LGBT people after Washington DC.
Taal
Vermont has no official language under the constitution. Nevertheless, English can be seen as the official language, as education, politics and justice are conducted in English. In addition, most residents only speak English, so that almost only English is spoken in daily life. Vermont has its own dialect, which is characteristic of the state. For example, the /r/ is not pronounced in the Vermont dialect. Also, the /t/ is not pronounced by rural residents. These inhabitants will therefore also call the state Vemon. This is because many immigrants from Scotland and Ireland settled in Vermont. Their dialects have influenced the English spoken in Vermont.
Religion
Vermont is the least religious state in the United States. 37% of the population says they have no religion, which is very high for the United States. 30% of the inhabitants are Protestants and 22% adhere to the Roman Catholic Church. Lesser religions include Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. The creator of the Mormon Church, Brigham Young, was from Vermont. However, the Mormons were banned from the state, as the Mormon Church is allowed to have multiple wives. The Mormons went to Michigan and then to Utah, where most Mormons still live.
Politics
State politics
The Vermont House of Representatives
The current constitution of Vermont is from 1986. The day-to-day administration of the state is done by a governor. The current governor of Vermont is Phil Scott of the Republican Party. Scott is a moderate Republican with Democratic views. The governor is elected every two years. Normally states elect their governor every four years, but in Vermont this is exactly different. In addition, there is a lieutenant governor, who replaces the governor in case of illness or death. This deputy is elected through separate elections. The Vermont Legislature is called the Vermont General Assembly and consists of two chambers:
- The House of Representatives, made up of 150 members who are elected every two years.
- The Senate, consisting of 30 members who are elected every two years.
Unlike in other states, Vermont has three major parties instead of two. These are the Democratic Party, the Republican Party and the Progressive Party. The Progressive Party is only active in Vermont and adheres to green politics and democratic socialism. The Progressive Party is a lot more left-wing than the Democratic Party. Since 2003, there has been a movement to make Vermont a separate country. This group is called the Second Vermont Republic and wants to secede Vermont from the United States. This group was created by dissatisfaction with national politics. Although the group had a lot of publicity, it has few followers.
A map showing the counties of Vermont
Administrative division
How many counties in Vermont? Vermont is divided into 14 counties. These are:
- Addison County
- Bennington County
- Caledonia County
- Chittenden County
- Essex County
- Franklin County
- Grand Isle County
- Lamoille County
- Orange County
- Orleans County
- Rutland County
- Washington County
- Windham County
- Windsor County
National politics
Senator Bernie Sanders, one of America’s best-known politicians, is from Vermont.
Vermont has long been a Republican state. Between 1856 and 1988, Vermont always voted for the Republican presidential candidate (with the exception of Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964). Republicans often won the state by 70% and sometimes more. In the 1980s and 1990s, this changed and Vermont slowly became more Democratic. Mostly Americans from New York and other areas in New England moved to Vermont. These areas often voted Democratic, leading to an ever-growing Democratic Party in Vermont. At the same time, the national Republican Party became a lot more right-wing, making Vermont a Democratic state in a relatively short time. In 1992, the state voted for the first time for a Democratic presidential candidate, Bill Clinton, with a small difference. In the 2008 election, the state of Vermont voted more than 70% for President Barack Obama. Today, Vermont is a safe Democratic state, where more than 70% of the vote goes to a Democrat during presidential elections. Vermont is represented in the United States Congress by one representative and two senators. The deputy (Peter Welch) is a member of the Democratic Party. Of the two senators, one (Patrick Leahy) is a member of the Democrats and one (Bernie Sanders) is independent. Although Sanders is independent, he is counted among the Democratic senators. He almost always votes with the Democrats and has also run for election several times to become a presidential candidate for the Democrats. US Presidents Chester A. Arthur and Calvin Coolidge were both from Vermont.
Economy
The forests of Vermont.
Agriculture, services, and tourism are especially important to Vermont’s economy. The main agricultural products are dairy products, timber and maple syrup. Organic farming is especially big in Vermont; 23% of agriculture is organic. Most dairy products are shipped to Boston. Important dairy products include milk, cheese and soft serve ice cream. The Ben & Jerry’s company is from Vermont. In addition, there are some wineries in Vermont. The industry was originally important to the state of Vermont, but much industry later moved to other states. Vermont has one of the highest incomes in the United States. As a result, few factories want to establish themselves in Vermont. Nearly all energy produced in Vermont is green. This is mainly due to the use of hydropower. Yet Vermont produces only 20% of the energy it needs; the rest come from other states. In addition, many insurance companies are located in Vermont. In terms of tourism, nature lovers and outdoor sports enthusiasts mainly come to Vermont. Also, many wealthy families from New York or Boston have vacation homes in Vermont.
Montpelier, Vermont
Main Street, Montpelier
Montpelier has been the capital of the US state of Vermont since 1805. The city has 7,954 inhabitants. Montpelier is located approximately in the middle of Vermont, on the Winooski River. The city is also the county seat of Washington County. Montpelier has only one Primary School, one Middle School and one High School. Although Montpelier is only a small town, the city does have a lively center. Montpelier has an old city center by American standards. The inner street consists of two streets, Main Street (Hoofdstraat) and State Street (Staatstraat). Downtown Vermont is home to many politicians and officials. Montpelier has no airport. The nearest airport is Burlington International Airport, near Burlington, 35 miles away. Montpelier does have a train station.
Facts
- Montpelier is the smallest state capital of the United States. The population is still declining.
- Montpelier is also the only ‘state capital’ without a McDonald’s.
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain (English: Lake Champlain, French: Lac Champlain) is a lake in the United States and Canada. The lake is sandwiched between the US states of Vermont and New York. The northernmost tip is in the Canadian province of Quebec. The lake is named after the French explorer Samuel de Champlain. Although the lake is near the Great Lakes, it is not part of it. The lake was discovered by De Champlain in 1609 and is one of the largest lakes in North America. There are more than 80 islands in the lake. The lake provided a connection between the Saint Lawrence River and the Hudson during the colonial period. This connection was very important for trade between the United States and Canada. The opening of the Erie Canal meant that Lake Champlain was less used, but still remained important.
