New Hampshire

New Hampshire, state in New England, the northeastern region of the United States; bordered by Canada to the northwest, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Massachusetts to the south, and Vermont to the west.

Land and climate

New Hampshire has 3 main land regions: the rugged and wooded White Mountains region in the northern third of the state; the Eastern New England Upland, a rolling plateau that covers the western, central, and southern portions of the state; and the Coastal Lowlands, which occupy the state's extreme southeastern corner. The Connecticut River Valley, a rich farming area, stretches along New Hampshire's western border. Hydroelectric plants along the river power the area's public utilities. The state's major cities line the Merrimack River, the power source for New Hampshire's early factories and cotton mills. Lake Winnipesaukee, in east-central New Hampshire, is the state's largest body of water. New Hampshire has cool summers and long, snowy winters. Principal cities are Manchester, Nashua, and Concord.

Economy

Wholesale and retail trade and other service industries have supplanted manufacturing as New Hampshire's major source of income; however, manufacturing remains important to the state's economy. Major manufactured goods are machinery, electrical and electronic equipment, wood and paper products, fabricated metal products, plastics, and leather products. Mining and agriculture account for only a small part of New Hampshire's economy. Chief mining products are sand and gravel, and stone, particularly granite. Chief livestock products are milk, beef cattle, eggs, and hogs; chief crops are hay, apples, potatoes, sweet corn, greenhouse and nursery products, and maple syrup.

Government

New Hampshire's constitution was adopted in 1784. The governor serves a 2-year term. The state's legislature, called the General Court, consists of 24 senators and 400 representatives. In the U.S. Congress, New Hampshire is represented by 2 senators and 2 representatives.

History

Many Native American tribes lived in the area before the first Europeans arrived. French and English explorers visited in the early 1600s. The first white settlement was established by England in 1623. In 1641, New Hampshire was made part of Massachusetts, but again became a separate colony—one of the original 13—in 1680. From 1689 to 1763, the French and Indian wars were fought in New Hampshire and other parts of New England. New Hampshire residents were among the Minutemen who fought the British at Lexington and Concord, and throughout the American Revolution. Yet New Hampshire was the only colony in which no fighting occurred. New Hampshire became the 9th state in 1788. During the Civil War, in which New Hampshire supported the Union, industry boomed in the state. The plentiful waterpower led to the development of textile and paper mills, Portsmouth became a major shipping port, and shoemaking became an important industry. The nationwide economic hardship of the Great Depression of the 1930s was intensified in New Hampshire by the move of many textile firms to the South. World War II revived New Hampshire's mills and turned Portsmouth's workers to submarine building and warship repair. In the 1950s and 1960s, New Hampshire's urban areas grew. Today, it is attracting new businesses, particularly in the electronics and computer industries.