Welcome to Connecticut
Connecticut became the fifth state to join the Union in 1788. Before that, Algonquian Indian tribes such as the Pequot were the first to live in the area. The word “Connecticut” comes from Quinnetuket, a Mohegan-Pequot word for “long tidal river.”
The first European explorer was Adriaen Block, who claimed the area for the Netherlands in 1614. The Dutch and British both settled there in 1633. England claimed the whole area in 1674.
American history owes much to the state. In 1787, the Constitutional Convention delegates from Connecticut came up with a compromise about how many representatives each state could send to the new Congress. This is one reason it is called the Constitution State.
A New England state
Connecticut is the third-smallest state in area, measuring only 110 miles east to west and 70 miles north to south. It has about 600 miles of coastline. It is the 29th mostpopulated state, with about 3.6 million people.
Many insurance companies have offices in
Connecticut.
The first U.S. sea shipping insurance was sold there about 200 years ago.
The first accident insurance policy in the U.S. was sold in Hartford in 1864.
The state is also known for jet engine, nuclear submarine and helicopter manufacturing, along with plastics, metalworking, electronics and medicines.
Education
Connecticut is home to Yale University, which was founded in 1701, and several other major universities. The U.S. Coast Guard Academy, founded in 1910, is in New London.
Fun in Connecticut
• The first family theme park in the United States was Lake Compounce, built in 1846 in Bristol. It started as a picnic park, but today families enjoy five roller coastters and 13 water rides, along with other attractions.
• In Mystic, visitors can explore the Mystic Seaport Museum with its huge collection of ships and boats and a re-creation of a seafaring village from the 19th century.
• At the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry in Storrs, Connecticut, more than 2,500 puppets are on display, and the museum hosts festivals and performances, along with puppet-making workshops.