Vermont

Vermont entered the Union on March 4, 1791, as the fourteenth state. Located in New England, in the northeastern United States, Vermont is bordered by Canada, New Hampshire, Massachusetts , and New York . With a total area of 9,614 square miles (24,900 square kilometers), in size it ranks forty-third of the fifty states. It is the second-least-populous state, after Wyoming .

The Abenaki and Iroquois tribes once inhabited the area that is now Vermont. The first European explorer to visit the region was the French Samuel de Champlain (c.1567–1635), in 1609. He discovered the lake later named Lake Champlain. France claimed Vermont, establishing forts and settlements. The British established their first permanent settlement near present-day Brattleboro in 1724. Following France's loss to Britain in the French and Indian War (1754–63), Britain took control of Vermont.

The British attacked several Vermont towns during the American Revolution (1775–83). The American patriot Ethan Allen (1738–1789) and his militia, the Green Mountain Boys, captured Fort Ticonderoga from the British in 1775.

Vermont was home to small farms and businesses in those early days. Once the Champlain-Hudson Canal was built in 1823, the state was vulnerable to competition from the west. After World War II (1939–45), manufacturing prospered as highway systems made the rural areas more accessible. Vermont experienced an influx of young professionals from New York and Massachusetts.

In spite of development, Vermont was the nation's most rural state even at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Two-thirds of its residents lived in towns of 2,500 people or fewer. The state capital is Montpelier, and its largest city is Burlington.

Vermont's total population in 2006 was 623,908, 43 percent of which were aged forty-five and older. Nearly 97 percent of the population was white.

Even as the nation's most rural state, Vermont ranked forty-first among the fifty states in terms of agricultural income in 2005. The economy relied on manufacturing for its stability, as well as industries such as electrical and electronic equipment, food products, and printing and publishing. It is the nation's leading producer of maple syrup.

Tourism is a major industry for Vermont as well, with ski resorts and historical sites major attractions. About 28 percent of all travel to the state takes place in autumn, when visitors can enjoy the brilliant colors of fall foliage. Vermont is home to fifty-two state parks and more than one hundred campgrounds.