Vermont: The Green Mountain State

Vermont: The Green Mountain State — page 1 — 4 VERMONT Vermont’s many mountains are covered with evergreens such as spruce hemlock and fir The capital of Vermont is Montpelier With about 8,000 residents Montpelier is one of the least populous state capitals in the country Five villages in Vermont Averill Ferdinand Glastenbury Lewis and Somerset have such small populations that they eventually lost their official status as towns and no longer have local governments The largest of the five is Ferdinand with a population of 33 people Vermont covers an area of 9,615 square miles making it the eighth smallest state Two U S presidents were from Vermont Chester A Arthur served from 1881 to 1885 and Calvin Coolidge served from 1923 to 1929 Both were vice presidents who were elevated to the presidency following the death of the presidents under which they served INTRODUCTION The saying good things come in small packages aptly describes the state of Vermont In addition to being one of the smallest states in the country Vermont is also one of the least populous The state is largely rural with three fifths of its citizens living in nonurban areas At its widest point Vermont is less than 90 miles from east to west and it is only about 160 miles long Despite its small size the state is rich in history culture and natural beauty Vermont joined the Union in 1791 making it the first state to do so after the original 13 colonies The state’s earliest European settlers were of British heritage Today Vermont is populated largely by offspring of the original settlers and of later immigrants from Great Britain Ireland Italy Poland Canada and other nations Some residents of French Canadian heritage speak French at home Montpelier is located in central Vermont where the Winooski and North Branch rivers meet

Vermont: The Green Mountain State — page 2 — INTRODUCTION 5 Vermont is located in the northeast corner of the United States and is part of the New England region Of all the New England states Vermont is the only one that does not have an Atlantic Ocean coastline Vermont is bordered on the north by the Canadian province of Quebec and on the south by Massachusetts To the west is New York which is separated from Vermont for about 100 miles by Lake Champlain The Connecticut River forms Vermont’s border with New Hampshire on the east There are many ways to get to Vermont Interstate highways provide easy access to most of the state’s cities and towns For those arriving by air there are many small public airports The largest and busiest airport in Vermont is the Burlington International Airport Lake Champlain is also a popular transportation route Vermont Location Map Lake Champlain is the sixth largest body of freshwater in the United States Vermont’s state song adopted in 2000 is These Green Mountains It replaced Hail Vermont the state song from 1937 Vermont has about 14,000 miles of highways and 750 miles of railroad tracks Amtrak’s Vermonter service provides daily rail service to Vermont from Washington D C with many stops within the state Ferries bring passengers from various points in New York to Burlington Grand Isle Charlotte or Larrabees Point 0 0 Capital Montpelier Population 608,827 Interstate highways 15 30 24 48 Km Mi Scale Size 9,615 square miles Highest peak Mount Mansfield 4,393 feet

Vermont: The Green Mountain State — page 3 — The name Vermont has connections to the state’s history and landscape Vermont comes from the French words for green and mountain vert and mont The Green Mountains run down the center of the state and cover most of the land These heavily forested highlands are part of the Appalachian Mountains They give Vermont its nickname the Green Mountain State The name Green Mountain also refers to the state’s early history Both New Hampshire and New York claimed parts of the territory that is now Vermont In 1770 Ethan Allen organized fighters known as the Green Mountain Boys to drive the New Yorkers from the region During the American Revolution 1775 83 the settlers put aside their differences and fought the British Under Allen’s command the Green Mountain Boys captured Fort Ticonderoga and Crown Point from the British 6 VERMONT Vermont’s historic covered bridges are popular tourist attractions Vermonters grew tired of land disputes and declared their region an independent republic in 1777 It remained independent for 14 years Vermont ratified the U S Constitution on Jan 10 1791 and on March 4 it became the 14th state to join the Union There are more than 100 covered bridges in Vermont The bridges were built with roofs and walls so that the wooden trusses would be protected from decay With about 39,000 residents Burlington is the largest city in Vermont Vermont is largely a rural state this makes for interesting traffic on some of its unpaved roads

Vermont: The Green Mountain State — page 4 — INTRODUCTION 7 Most of Vermont’s residents live in small villages and towns Vermonters are known for their independence and the state’s residents value the peace and quiet that rural life has to offer Small towns tend to differ from big cities For instance town centers are usually quieter and less smoggy than city centers Even Vermont’s urban centers are small Residents treasure the unspoiled land and many make efforts to preserve their environment Vermont’s environment is not only beautiful it is also one of the state’s most profitable features Many visitors are drawn to Vermont by the state’s impressive landscape The greatest draws are the excellent ski areas and ski resorts especially in the Green Mountains The state has more than 5,000 acres of hills ranging from gentle to extreme slopes Many of these hills are used for skiing or snowboarding Stowe which receives about 260 inches of snowfall every year is a very popular ski destination It is also the location of Mount Mansfield the highest mountain in the state Expert skiers from around the world travel to Stowe to conquer the challenging Big Four runs The Stowe Gondola whisks passengers to the top of Mount Mansfield where they can enjoy a view that encompasses New York Massachusetts and New Hampshire Vermont’s state tree is the sugar maple The sap of this tree supports the maple syrup industry Vermont’s major rivers include the Connecticut Missisquoi Lamoille Winooski White Otter Creek West and Battenkill Vermont’s state mineral is talc and its state gem is the grossular garnet Environmental conservation is in full force at Vermont’s ski areas From recycling to energy conservation Vermonters work to preserve the environment and maintain the state’s natural beauty Vermont has numerous state forests the largest of which is the nearly 40,000 acre Mount Mansfield State Forest

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