Delaware by the numbers - Figures

FIGURES
Based on U.S. Census, American Community Survey Profile 2005 and the Delaware Department of Labor

Economy & People
Chief Products:

• Agriculture -- broilers, soybeans, corn, milk.
• Fishing Industry -- crabs, clams.
• Manufacturing -- chemicals, food products, paper products, rubber and plastics products, primary metals, printed materials.
• Mining -- sand and gravel, magnesium compounds.

Population:

• 2000 Population Estimate: 783,600
• 45th among the states
• Density: 401 persons per square mile
• The largest cities in 2000:Wilmington, with an estimated population of 72,664, and Dover, the capital, with 32,135.
  
  

For additional information, go to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Delaware Economic Development Office, or the Office of Occupational and Labor Market Information.

• 2007 Population Estimate: 853,476
• 2025 Population Projection: 861,000
• 51 percent female
• 49 percent male
• Change from 2000: +69,876
• Births 2000-2006: 69,846
• Deaths 2000-2006: 44,173
• Internal migration 2000-2006: +33,419
• International migration 2000-2006: +13,394
• 2005 housing units: 374,872
• Housing units change from 2000-2005: +30,613

Diversity:
Among those identifying themselves as being of one race:

• 74 percent are white
• 20 percent are African-American
• 3 percent are Asian-American
• less than 0.5 percent are American Indian or Alaska natives
• less than 0.5 percent are native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
• and 2 percent are other races
• Six percent are Hispanic, of any race.

in 2000 Delaware's 44,898 foreign born made up 5.7% of the state's population in 2000 (more than double the total of 22,275, or 3.3%, in 1990). The United Kingdom, Germany, India, Italy, and Canada were the leading places of origin.

Median age:
37.9, 13% were age 65 or over, while 24.8% were under 18 years of age.

Households:
317,640

Types of households:
Married couple families, 50 percent; people living alone, 26 percent; other families, 18 percent; other non-family households, 6 percent

Where we live:
70 percent in single-family homes; 19 percent in apartments or multi-unit buildings; 11 percent in mobile homes -- and 28 percent of the state's housing has been built since 1990.

Average family size:
3.08

Median annual household income:
$52,499

Per capita yearly income:
$27,650 -- up from $26,440 in 2004 survey

Mean commute time of workers:
23.7 minutes

Most common occupations:
Management, professional and related work, 37 percent; sales and office occupations, 26 percent; service occupations, 15 percent; production, transportation and material moving, 11 percent; construction, maintenance and related work, 10 percent

Who's the boss:
Private wage or salary workers, 81 percent; government workers, 13 percent; self-employed, 6 percent

Unemployment rate:
3.3 percent as of May 2007, compared with 3.7 percent a year earlier -- and national unemployment rate of 4.5 percent

Adults' education:
Less than completion of high school with diploma, 14 percent; high school diploma or equivalent, 33 percent; some college but no degree, 18 percent; associate's degree, 7 percent; bachelor's degree, 16 percent; graduate or professional degree, 11 percent.

Languages:
English in Delaware is basically North Midland, with Philadelphia features in Wilmington and the northern portion. In the north, one wants off a bus, lowers curtains rather than blinds, pronounces wharf without /h/, and says /noo/ and /doo/ for new and due and / krik/ for creek. In 2000, 662,845 Delawareans—90.5% of the resident population five years of age or older—spoke only English at home.

The following table gives selected statistics from the 2000 census for language spoken at home by persons five years old and over. The category "African languages" includes Amharic, Ibo, Twi, Yoruba, Bantu, Swahili, and Somali. The category "Other Asian languages" includes Dravidian languages, Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, and Turkish. The category "Other West Germanic languages" includes Dutch, Pennsylvania Dutch, and Afrikaans.

LANGUAGE	NUMBER	PERCENT
Population 5 years and over	732,378	100.0
Speak only English	662,845	90.5
Speak a language other than English	69,533	9.5
Speak a language other than English	69,533	9.5
Spanish or Spanish Creole	34,690	4.7
French (incl. Patois, Cajun)	4,041	0.6
Chinese	3,579	0.5
German	3,420	0.5
Italian	2,860	0.4
Polish	2,036	0.3
Korean	1,598	0.2
African languages	1,289	0.2
Tagalog	1,284	0.2
Other Asian languages	1,280	0.2
Other West Germanic languages	1,245	0.2
French Creole	1,199	0.2
Other Indic languages	1,186	0.2

Religions
The earliest permanent European settlers in Delaware were Swedish and Finnish Lutherans and Dutch Calvinists. English Quakers, Scotch-Irish Presbyterians, and Welsh Baptists arrived in the 18th century, though Anglicization was the predominant trend. The Great Awakening, America's first religious revival, began on 30 October 1739 at Lewes with the arrival of George Whitefield, an Anglican preacher involved in the movement that would later become the Methodist Church. The Methodist Church was the largest denomination in Delaware by the early 19th century. Subsequent immigration brought Lutherans from Germany; Roman Catholics from Ireland, Germany, Italy, and Poland; and Jews from Germany, Poland, and Russia. Most of the Catholic and Jewish immigrants settled in cities, Wilmington in particular.

From 1990–2000, the Catholic Church gained 35,399 new members, enough to outnumber the previously dominant mainline Protestants. There were 151,740 Catholics in about 46 congregations in 2000. The United Methodist Church had 59,471 adherents in 162 congregations, Episcopalians numbered 12,993 in 35 congregations, and the Presbyterian Church USA claimed 14,880 adherents in about 37 congregations. There were about 13,500 adherents to Judaism. About 59.4% of the population were not counted as members of any religious organization.

Transportation
The New Castle and Frenchtown Railroad, a portage route, was built in 1832; the state's first passenger line—the Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore Railroad—opened six years later. As of 2000, there were 281 rail mi (452 km) of track. In 1998, Delaware's six railroads carried nearly 14.1 million tons of freight—54% of the rail tonnage originating from within the state were chemicals. Consolidated Rail and CSX are Delaware's main freight carriers. In the mid-1990s, Amtrak operated approximately 70 daily trains through Delaware and served both Newark and Wilmington. The Delaware Authority for Regional Transit (DART) provides state-subsidized bus service.

In 2000, the state had 5,779 mi (9,300 km) of public highways, roads, and streets. In the same year, there were 641,426 registered vehicles and 556,688 licensed drivers. Delaware's first modern highway—and the first dual highway in the US—running about 100 mi (160 km) from Wilmington to the southern border, was financed by industrialist T. Coleman du Pont between 1911 and 1924. The twin spans of the Delaware Memorial Bridge connect Delaware highways to those in New Jersey; The Delaware Turnpike section of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway links the bridge system with Maryland. The Lewes–Cape May Ferry provides auto and passenger service between southern Delaware and New Jersey.

In 2000, New Castle, Delaware's chief port, handled 8.7 million tons of goods, followed by Wilmington, with a tonnage of 5.2 million tons that year. The Delaware River is the conduit for much of the oil brought by tanker to the US east coast.

Delaware had 45 airfields (29 airport, 15 heliports, 1 seaplane base) in 2002, of which Greater Wilmington Airport was the largest and busiest.

source:
Delaware Almanac 2007
and
Delaware Facts and Symbols

Delaware by the numbers - State(symbols)

State Location:
On the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, Delaware is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and Delaware Bay, as well as by the states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland. Delaware's location affords easy access to the major metropolitan areas of the Northeast. Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Baltimore are all within a 2-hour drive.

Delaware Code Title 29, Chapter 2

Government
ORIGIN OF STATE NAME: Named for Thomas West, Baron De La Warr, colonial governor of Virginia; the name was first applied to the bay.

Statehood: December 7, 1787
State Motto: Liberty and Independence
State Nickname: The First State
State Capital: Dover
State Song: "Our Delaware"

State Nicknames:

• "The First State"
  Delaware is known by this nickname due to the fact that on December 7, 1787, it became the first of the 13 original states to ratify the U.S. Constitution. “The First State” became the official State nickname on May 23, 2002 following a request by Mrs. Anabelle O'Malley's First Grade Class at Mt. Pleasant Elementary School. Delaware Code Title 29 § 318
  
  
• OTHER NICKNAMES:
  • "The Diamond State":
    Thomas Jefferson gave this nickname to Delaware, according to legend, because he described Delaware as a "jewel" among states due to its strategic location on the Eastern Seaboard.
    
    
  • "Blue Hen State":
    This nickname was given to Delaware after the fighting Blue Hen Cocks that were carried with the Delaware Revolutionary War Soldiers for entertainment during Cockfights.
    
    
  • "Small Wonder":
    This nickname was given to Delaware due to its size and the contributions it has made to our country as a whole and the beauty of Delaware.

State Capital:
The town of New Castle, a port on the Delaware River, became the colonial capital of the "Three Lower Counties" (Delaware) in 1704. Under Pennsylvania's Deputy Governor John Evans, the assemblies of the colonies of Pennsylvania and Delaware separated though legislation enacted in both assemblies still required the Pennsylvania governor's signature. In November of 1704, four representatives from each county - New Castle, Kent, and Sussex met in the town and passed the colony's first two laws. One confirmed all laws previously enacted by the joint assembly of the colonies of Pennsylvania and Delaware. The second law changed the number of representatives from each county from four to six.

William Rodeney (as he spelled his name) of Kent County, grandfather of Caesar Rodney, served as the first-known speaker of the assembly. His grandson, Caesar, presided over the last colonial assembly in Delaware. The "Three Lower Counties" remained a part of Pennsylvania until 1776 when economic, cultural, and political differences fostered a permanent separation. The capital was moved from New Castle to Dover in 1777.

State Government:
Delaware became a state in 1776, just two months after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The capital was moved from New Castle to Dover in 1777. Delaware's first constitution was adopted in 1792. The current constitution was adopted in 1897. It has been modernized with many new amendments since that time. Today, Delaware has a cabinet form of government.

The General Assembly, Delaware's lawmaking body, is comprised of a State House of Representatives, whose 41 members are elected for two-year terms, and a State Senate, whose 21 members are elected for four-year terms. Half of the Senate seats are contested in each general election.
The State Supreme Court consists of a chief justice and four associate justices. All members are appointed by the governor, with confirmation by the Senate, for a term of 12 years.

State Colors:
Colonial blue and buff

State Flag:

Adopted on July 24, 1913, the state flag has a background of colonial blue surrounding a diamond of buff color in which the coat of arms of the state of Delaware is placed. Below the diamond are the words "December 7, 1787," indicating the day on which Delaware was the first state to ratify the federal Constitution. Because of this action, Delaware became the first state in the Union, and is, therefore, accorded the first position in such national events as presidential inaugurations. According to members of the original commission established to design the flag, the shades of buff and colonial blue represent those of the uniform of General George Washington as shown on a specific plate from an official U.S. Army publication.
Delaware Code Title 29 § 306

State Seal:

The state seal was first adopted on January 17, 1777, and contains the coat of arms. It also bears the inscription around it "Great Seal of the State of Delaware" and the dates 1704, 1776 and 1787. Descriptions of the contents of the seal are as follows:

• The Wheat Sheaf -- was adapted from the Sussex County seal and signifies the agricultural vitality of Delaware.
• The Ship -- is a symbol of New Castle County's ship building industry and Delaware's extensive coastal commerce.
• The Corn -- is taken from the Kent County seal and also symbolizes the agricultural basis of Delaware's economy.
• The Farmer -- with the hoe represents the central role of farming to the state.
• The Militiaman -- with his musket recognizes the crucial role of the citizen-soldier to the maintenance of American liberties.
• The Ox -- represents the importance of animal husbandry to the state economy.
• The Water -- (above the Ox) stands for the Delaware River, the main stay of the state's commerce and transportation.
• The Motto -- was derived from the Order of Cincinnati, and approved in 1847.
• The Dates -- 1704, the year that Delaware established its General Assembly; 1776, the year that our independence from Great Britain was declared; and 1787, the year that Delaware became "the First State" by being the first colony to ratify the United States Constitution.

Delaware Code Title 29 § 301
To be used only with permission. Delaware Code Title 29 §2306

State Song: "Our Delaware"
The official state song consist of a poem "Our Delaware" containing three verses in honor of each county of the State, written by George B. Hynson; a fourth verse in praise of the State and pledging the loyalties of its citizens, written by Donn Devine; and a musical score composed specifically for the state song by Will M. S. Brown.

First verse:
Oh the hills of dear New Castle, and the smiling vales between, When the corn is all in tassel, And the meadowlands are green; Where the cattle crop the clover, And its breath is in the air, While the sun is shining over Our beloved Delaware.

Chorus (follows each verse):
Oh our Delaware! Our beloved Delaware! For the sun is shining over our beloved Delaware, Oh our Delaware! Our beloved Delaware! Here's the loyal son that pledges Faith to good old Delaware.

Second verse:
Where the wheat fields break and billow, In the peaceful land of Kent, Where the toiler seeks his pillow, With the blessings of content; Where the bloom that tints the peaches, Cheeks of merry maidens share, And the woodland chorus preaches A rejoiceing Delaware.

Third verse:
Dear old Sussex visions linger, Of the holly and the pine, Of Henlopen's Jeweled finger, Flashing out across the brine; Of the gardens and the hedges, And the welcome waiting there, For the loyal son that pledges Faith to good old Delaware.

Fourth verse:
From New Castle's rolling meadows, Through the fair rich fields of Kent, To the Sussex shores hear echoes, Of the pledge we now present; Liberty and Independence, We will guard with loyal care, And hold fast to freedom's presence, In our home state Delaware.

source:
Delaware Almanac 2007
and
Delaware Facts and Symbols

Delaware by the numbers - official symbols

OFFICIAL SYMBOLS

Beverage: Milk

Milk was made the official State beverage on June 3, 1983.
Delaware Code Title 29 § 312

Bird: Blue Hen chicken, the fighting bird of Colonial times and source of local soldiers' nickname, the bird was wiry, fearless and scrappy -- but now extinct.
Adopted on April 14, 1939, the Blue Hen chicken had long been used as a motif in numerous political campaigns and in many publications. During the Revolutionary War, the men of Captain Jonathan Caldwell's company, recruited in Kent County, took with them game chickens that were said to be of the brood of a famous Blue Hen and were noted for their fighting ability. When not fighting the enemy, the officers and men amused themselves by pitting their Blue Hen chickens in cockfights. The fame of these cockfights spread throughout the army and when in battle, the Delaware men fought so valiantly that they were compared to these fighting cocks.
Delaware Code Title 29 § 304

Butterfly: Tiger swallowtail

Adopted on June 10, 1999, the Tiger Swallowtail (Pterourus glaucus) was declared the State’s official butterfly. The tiger swallowtail, a large, yellow, black-striped butterfly, is indigenous to Delaware and can be seen in deciduous woods, along streams, rivers, and wooded swamps, and in towns and cities throughout Delaware. Three butterflies were chosen by students of the Richardson Park Learning Center as possible State butterflies; then 1,611 out of 3,175 public and parochial students all over the State voted to suggest to the Legislature that the tiger swallowtail be named the State’s butterfly.
Delaware Code Title 29 § 315

Fish: Weakfish (aka sea trout)
In recognition of sport fishing’s overall recreational and economic contributions to the state of Delaware and of the specific values of the weakfish (Cynoscion genus) as a game and food fish, the state Legislature adopted the weakfish as Delaware's State fish in 1981. This fish is also known as sea trout, gray trout, yellow mouth, yellow fin trout, squeteague, and tiderunner.
Delaware Code Title 29 § 311

Flower: Peach blossom, once the flower of a booming fruit industry later hit by blight, but still celebrated in peach festivals
Passage of the act to adopt the Peach Blossom on May 9, 1895, was prompted by Delaware's reputation as the "Peach State," since her orchards contained more than 800,000 peach trees yielding a crop worth thousands of dollars at that time.
Delaware Code Title 29 § 308

Fossil: Belemnite (an ancient relative of the squid)
On July 2, 1996, belemnite was named as the official fossil of Delaware. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School (Wilmington) third grade Quest students of Kathy Tidball suggested honoring the ancient and noble belemnite as our State fossil.
The belemnite was, in essence, a squid with a conical shell. It is an extinct member of the phylum Mollusca, which includes clams, snails, squids and octopuses. Belemnite fossils can be easily found along the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, which is where the Quest Students collected specimens during a field trip.
Delaware Code Title 29 § 314

Herb: Goldenrod
Adopted June 24, 1996, Sweet Golden Rod (Solidago odora) was named Delaware’s State herb. Members of the International Herb Growers and Marketers Association of Delaware suggested that the herb “Solidago Odora”, commonly known as “Sweet Golden Rod”, because of its beautiful golden blossoms, would be especially appropriate as the designated herb.
Sweet Golden Rod is both indigenous to Delaware and widespread throughout the State where it is commonly found in our coastal areas and along the edges of marshes and thickets.
Delaware Code Title 29 § 313

Insect: Ladybug

Adopted April 25, 1974, the Lady Bug was chosen by the Legislature after an intensive effort on the insect's behalf by Mrs. Mollie Brown-Rust and her 2nd grade students of the Lulu M. Ross Elementary School in Milford, Delaware.
Delaware Code Title 29 § 309

Macroinvertebrate: Stonefly
On May 4, 2005, the Stonefly (Order Plecoptera) was designated as Delaware's State macroinvertebrate, because it is an indicator of the excellent water quality in the State. The designation of the stonefly was a means whereby Delaware State government could recognize the importance of excellent water quality and the vital role played by healthy aquatic ecosystems in Delaware.
Designating a State macroinvertebrate is a highly appropriate means to raise public awareness of water quality issues, and complement citizen action programs like Delaware Stream Watch. Through their participation in the Delaware Stream Watch Program, the designation of the stonefly as the official State macroinvertebrate was supported by the following schools:
Gunning-Bedford Middle School, Salesianum High School, Delcastle Technical High School, Dickinson High School Environmental Club, The Independence School, Springer Middle School, St. Andrews School, and The Charter School of Wilmington.
By designating the stonefly as its State macroinvertebrate, Delaware once again demonstrated its leadership as the First State, because currently, no other state in the United States has designated an official State macroinvertebrate to accompany their State symbols, such as their State flag, State flower, State bird, State bug, State butterfly and State marine animal.
Delaware Code Title 29 § 320

Marine animal: Horseshoe crab
Recognizing its great importance and value, the horseshoe crab was designated as Delaware’s official marine animal on June 25, 2002. These invertebrates contain a compound, limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL), that is used to detect bacterial poisons in certain medications, vaccines and medical devices. Chitin, a natural polymer found in the horseshoe crab’s shell, is used to make bandages. The horseshoe crab is used in vision studies, because their complex eye structure is similar to the human eye. It is the principal food source for over a million shore birds. Delaware Bay is the home to more horseshoe crabs than any other place in the world.
Delaware Code Title 29 § 319

Mineral: Sillimanite
Sillimanite is widespread throughout the schists of the Delaware Piedmont and occurs as large masses and steam-rounded boulders at the Brandywine Springs State Park. Sillimanite is suitable for lapidary work and under the name Fibrolite, it was recognized by geologists in Delaware prior to 1830.
Delaware Code Title 29 § 310

Soil: Greenwich loam
Since Greenwich loam (a coarse, loamy, mixed, semiactive, mesic, Typic Hapludult) is commonly found in all counties in Delaware and enhances water quality, agriculture, wildlife habitat, and natural landscape beauty, it was adopted as the State soil on April 20, 2000.
Delaware Code Title 29 § 316

Star: Delaware Diamond
On June 30, 2000, the Delaware Diamond, located in the constellation of Ursa Major (Great Bear), with coordinates of right ascension 9h40m44s and declination 48°14’2”, was designated as Delaware’s State star. It is a star of the 12th magnitude and is the first star on the International Star Registry ever to be registered to an American State. It can be seen with binoculars or a telescope. Twelve-year-old Amy Nerlinger of Wilmington named the star through a contest sponsored by the Delaware Museum of Natural History in the summer of 1999.
Delaware Code Title 29 § 317

Tree: American holly
Adopted May 1, 1939, the American Holly (Ilex opaca Aiton) is regarded as one of Delaware's most important forest trees. Often called Christmas holly or evergreen holly, the tree has dark, thorny-leaved foliage and red berries. In Delaware, the tree can reach a maximum of 60 feet in height and a trunk diameter of 20 inches.
Delaware Code Title 29 § 305

source:
Delaware Almanac 2007
and
Delaware Facts and Symbols

Delaware by the numbers - Miscellaneous

Abbreviation: Del. (traditional), DE (postal)

Flora and fauna

Delaware's mixture of northern and southern flora reflects its geographical position. Common trees include black walnut, hickory, sweetgum, and tulip poplar. Shadbush and sassafras are found chiefly in southern Delaware. Five plant species were listed as threatened or endangered as of August 2003 1997.
Mammals native to the state include the white-tailed deer, red and gray foxes, eastern gray squirrel, muskrat, raccoon, woodcock, and common cottontail. The quail, robin, wood thrush, cardinal, and eastern meadowlark are representative birds, while various waterfowl, especially Canada geese, are common. Fifteen animal species were considered threatened or endangered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as of August 2003. Among these are the bald eagle, puma, five species of sea turtle, three species of whale, and the Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrel.

Environmental protection

The Coastal Zone Act of 1971 outlaws new industry "incompatible with the protection of the natural environment" of shore areas, but in 1979 the act was amended to permit offshore oil drilling and the construction of coastal oil facilities. The traffic of oil tankers into the Delaware Bay represents an environmental hazard.
In 1982, Delaware enacted a bottle law requiring deposits on most soda and beer bottles; deposits for aluminum cans were made mandatory in 1984. In that year, Delaware became the first state to administer the national hazardous waste program at the state level. The state's municipal governments have constructed three municipal land fills to handle the solid waste produced by the state's 670,000 residents. In 2003, the Environmental Protection Agency's database listed 64 hazardous waste sites, 15 of which were on the National Priorities List, in Delaware.
State environmental protection agencies include the Department of natural resources and Environmental Control, Coastal Zone Industrial Control Board, and Council on Soil and Water Conservation. In 2001, Delaware received $26,356,000 in federal grants from the EPA; EPA expenditures for procurement contracts in Delaware that year amounted to $3,153,000.

source:
Delaware Almanac 2007
and
Delaware Facts and Symbols

Delaware by the numbers - legal holidays

• New Year's Day - 1 January
• Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. - 3rd Monday in January
• Lincoln's Birthday - 1st Monday in February
• Washington's Birthday - 3rd Monday in February
• Good Friday - March or April
• Memorial Day - last Monday in May
• Independence Day - 4 July
• Labor Day - 1st Monday in September
• Columbus Day - 2nd Monday in October
• Veterans Day - 11 November
• General Election Day - 1st Tuesday after the 1st Monday in November in even-numbered years
• Thanksgiving Day - 4th Thursday in November
• Christmas Day - 25 December

TIME: 7 AM EST = noon GMT.

source:
Delaware Almanac 2007
and
Delaware Facts and Symbols

Delaware by the numbers - Geography

Geography
Area:

• 49th largest state at 1,982 square miles
• Climate: Moderate
• Elevation: Highest point 447.85 ft. above sea level
• State Location: United States Eastern Seaboard

Area:
Delaware ranks 49th in the nation. Located on the eastern seaboard of the US,the state's total area is 2,044 sq mi (5,295 sq km), of which land takes up 1,932 sq mi (5,005 sq km) and inland water 112 sq mi (290 sq km). Delaware extends 35 mi (56 km) E-W at its widest; its maximum N-S extension is 96 mi (154 km).

Delaware is bordered on the N by Pennsylvania; on the E by New Jersey (with the line passing through the Delaware River into Delaware Bay) and the Atlantic Ocean; and on the S and W by Maryland.
The boundary length of Delaware, including a general coastline of 28 mi (45 km), totals 200 mi (322 km). The tidal shoreline is 381 mi (613 km). The state's geographic center is in Kent County, 11 mi (18 km) S of Dover.
New Castle County is 438 square miles. Kent County is 594 square miles. Sussex County is 950 square miles.

Climate:
Delaware's climate is temperate and humid. Average monthly temperatures range from 75.8 to 32.0 degrees. Average temperature in the summer months is 74.3 degrees. About 57% of the days are sunny. Annual precipitation is approximately 45 inches. Temperatures along the Atlantic Coast are about 10 degrees warmer in winter and 10 degrees cooler in summer. The average growing season varies from 170 to 200 days.

The normal daily mean temperature in Wilmington is 54°F (12°C), ranging from 31°F (–1°C) in January to 76°F (24°C) in July. Both the record low and the record high temperatures for the state were established at Millsboro: –17°F (–27°C) on 17 January 1893 and 110°F (43°C) on 21 July 1930. The average annual precipitation (1971–2000) was 42.8 in (108.7 cm) during 1971–2000; about 21 in (53 cm) of snow falls each year. Wilmington's average share of sunshine is 55%—one of the lowest percentages among leading US cities.

Topography:
Delaware lies entirely within the Atlantic Coastal Plain except for its northern tip, above the Christina River, which is part of the Piedmont Plateau. The state's highest elevation is 448 ft (137 m) on Ebright Road, near Centerville, New Castle County. The rolling hills and pastures of the north give way to marshy regions in the south (notably Cypress Swamp), with sandy beaches along the coast. Delaware's mean elevation, 60 ft (18 m), is the lowest in the US.

Of all Delaware's rivers, only the Nanticoke, Choptank, and Pocomoke flow westward into Chesapeake Bay. The remainder—including the Christina, Appoquinimink, Leipsic, St. Jones, Murderkill, Mispillion, Broadkill, and Indian—flow into Delaware Bay. There are dozens of inland freshwater lakes and ponds.

source:
Delaware Almanac 2007
and
Delaware Facts and Symbols

Delaware by the numbers - History

History
Delaware was inhabited nearly 10,000 years ago, and a succession of various cultures occupied the area until the first European contact. At that time, the Leni-Lenape (Delaware) Indians occupied northern Delaware, while several tribes, including the Nanticoke and Assateague, inhabited southern Delaware. The Dutch in 1631 were the first Europeans to settle in what is now Delaware, but their little colony (at Lewes) was destroyed by Indians.

Permanent settlements were made by the Swedes in 1638 (at Wilmington, under the leadership of a Dutchman, Peter Minuit) and by the Dutch in 1651 (at New Castle). The Dutch conquered the Swedes in 1655, and the English conquered the Dutch in 1664. Eighteen years later, the area was ceded by the duke of York (later King James II), its first English proprietor, to William Penn. Penn allowed Delaware an elected assembly in 1704, but the colony was still subject to him and to his deputy governor in Philadelphia; ties to the Penn family and Pennsylvania were not severed until 1776. Boundary quarrels disturbed relations with Maryland until Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon surveyed the western boundary of Delaware (and the Maryland-Pennsylvania boundary) during the period 1763–68. By this time, virtually all the Indians had been driven out of the territory.

In September 1777, during the War for Independence, British soldiers marched through northern Delaware, skirmishing with some of Washington's troops at Cooch's Bridge, near Newark, and seizing Wilmington, which they occupied for a month. In later campaigns, Delaware troops with the Continental Army fought so well that they gained the nickname "Blue Hen's Chicken," after a famous breed of fighting gamecocks. On 7 December 1787, Delaware became the first state to ratify the federal Constitution. Although Delaware had not abolished slavery, it remained loyal to the Union during the Civil War. By that time, it was the one slave state in which a clear majority of blacks (about 92%) were already free. However, white Delawareans generally resented the Reconstruction policies adopted by Congress after the Civil War, and by manipulation of registration laws denied blacks the franchise until 1890.

The key event in the state's economic history was the completion of a railroad between Philadelphia and Baltimore through Wilmington in 1838, encouraging the industrialization of northern Delaware. Wilmington grew so rapidly that by 1900 it encompassed 41% of the state's population; by mid-century the city was home to roughly half the state's population. Considerable foreign immigration contributed to this growth, largely from the British Isles (especially Ireland) and Germany in the mid-19th century and from Italy, Poland, and Russia in the early 20th century.

Flour and textile mills, shipyards, carriage factories, iron foundries, and morocco leather plants were Wilmington's leading enterprises for much of the 19th century. By the early 1900s however, E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Co., founded near Wilmington in 1802 as a gunpowder manufacturer, made the city famous as a center for the chemical industry. Du Pont remained the state's largest employer in the 1990s.

During the same period, Delaware's agricultural income rose. Peaches and truck crops flourished in the 19th century, along with corn and wheat; poultry, sorghum, and soybeans became major sources of agricultural income in the 20th century. Sussex County, home to much of the state's farming, had become the fastest-growing county in Delaware by the mid-1990s. The beach areas of rural Sussex had attracted resort-goers and retirees. Tourism was expected to be aided by the construction of a north-south expressway that will cut travel time to the state's southern beach communities.

During the 1950s, Delaware's population grew by an unprecedented 40%. The growth was greatest around Dover, site of the East Coast's largest air base, and on the outskirts of Wilmington. Wilmington itself lost population after 1945 because of the proliferation of suburban housing developments, offices, and factories, including two automobile assembly plants and an oil refinery. Although many neighborhood schools became racially integrated during the 1950s, massive busing was instituted by court order in 1978 to achieve a racial balance in schools throughout northern Delaware.

The 1980s ushered in a period of dramatic economic improvement. According to state sources, Delaware was one of only two states to improve its financial strength during the recession that plagued the early part of the decade. In 1988, Delaware enjoyed an unemployment rate of 3.3%, the 2nd-lowest in the country. The state's revenues grew at an average of 7.7% in the early 1980s, even while it successively cut the personal income tax. Some of Delaware's prosperity came from a 1981 state law that raised usury limits and lowered taxes for large financial institutions. More than 30 banks established themselves in Delaware, including Chase Manhattan Bank and Manufacturers Hanover.

The state also succeeded in using its simplified incorporation procedures to attract both US and foreign companies, bringing in an estimated $1 million in incorporation fees from Asian companies alone in the late 1980s. By the mid-1990s, the state was the registered home of roughly half the Fortune 500 companies and hundreds of thousands of smaller corporations; however, for most, their presence in the state was strictly on paper. The state sustained a low rate of unemployment into the 1990s; in 1999 it was 3.5%, still below the national average. A year earlier the state ranked sixth in the nation for per capita income ($29,932).

While business fared well in Delaware, the state lagged behind in social welfare indicators in the mid-1990s. Delaware's rates of teenage pregnancy and infant mortality were among the highest in the country while its welfare benefits were lower than those of any other mid-Atlantic state with the exception of West Virginia. Other problems in the 1990s included housing shortages, urban sprawl, and pollution.

Ruth Ann Minner, elected Delaware's first woman governor in 2001, was once a receptionist in the governor's office before winning the position herself. In her 2003 State of the State address, she targeted issues such as pollution, industrial cleanups, and toughening campaign finance laws. In September 2003, Delaware was launching a prisoner reentry program, designed to help former inmates successfully reenter society instead of committing further crimes and returning to prison. The three-year pilot program was financed with a $2 million federal grant and was to save the state millions of dollars a year and reduce crime.

source:
Delaware Almanac 2007
and
Delaware Facts and Symbols

You know you're from Delaware if:

1. You've never met any celebrities.
2. You know where, what and when the Hummers Parade is held.
3. "Vacation" means going to Rehoboth or Cape Henlopen.
4. You've know the best subs come from Capriotti's.
5. You measure distance in minutes.
6. You used to play in the wooder in the crick, and caught fraugs.
7. Your school classes were canceled because of an inch of snow.
8. The whole state panics and uses all of their road salt for that inch of snow.
9. You love the beach but hate the tourists.
10. You know about pumkin-chunkin and, and you have your favorite chunker.
11. You know someone who went to school with Randy White or one of the Capanos.
12. You've eaten scrapple sandwiches.
13. That if it takes more than an hour to drive to, you're not going.
14. You end your sentences with unnecessary prepositions. Example:"Where's my coat at?"
15. You actually know what a "slippery" dumpling is.
16. You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked.
17. You know what YouDee is.
18. You carry jumper cables in your car.
19. Somebody in your family works for the DuPont Company.
20. You only own 3 spices: salt, pepper, and ketchup (for the scrapple).
21. BLUE ROCKS, YEA!!!
22. You think anyone from anywhere but Delaware has an accent.
23. You think the "Apple Scrapple Festival" is perfectly normal, except for all those granola-types running in the 5K race.
24. You think, maybe, just maybe, you might get a White Christmas. Then it rains.
25. The highest point in the state is a rise on the golf course.
26. The state has one hill. You've been sledding on it.
27. You remember WAMS and WCAU (BARSKY in the morning!).
28. You know NewERK is in New Jersey, but NewARK is in Delaware.
29. You know how to carefully pronounce the name Foulk Road.
30. You talk of Northern Delaware and the entire Eastern Seaboard as "above the canal."
31. You know if another Delawarean is from southern, middle or northern Delaware as soon as they open their mouth.
32. You know the name of every street in Delaware, but have no idea what the route number is (VERY TRUE!).
33. The opening of a KMart was declared by your mayor as, "The most exciting thing to happen in Western Sussex County in 50 years."
34. When you go out for a nice dinner, you usually go to another state.
35. The biggest media events are usually high profile court cases.
36. You can remember when Maryland Bank (MBNA) swallowed up Ogletown and Putt-Putt (and the car wash!!).
37. Everywhere you go, you always run into someone you know or went to school with.
38. You know what Newark Night and First Night are.
39. You know exactly which roads to avoid due to the CONSTANT road construction.
40. Dolle's salt water taffy and Grotto's Pizza.
41. You know where all of the late night 24 hour rest stops and restaraunts are.
42. You can remember when Christiana Hospital was a field with cows.
43. You remember when Christiana Mall had a Galaxy arcade.
44. When you go out of state to shop or eat, you are always surprised about the tax!
45. You know the differences in housing in Elsmere, Pike Creek, and Greenville.
46. You actually get these jokes and forward them to your friends from Delaware.

Hauskauf in USA

( last edited October 20, 2007 )

Amerikanische Häuser sind ein bisschen anders als die, die wir aus Europa her gewohnt sind. Als wir unser Haus kauften staunte ich nicht schlecht, was es alles zu beachten gab. Aus meinen Erfahrungen hab' ich diese Webseite zusammengestellt:

EIGENSCHAFTEN VON AMERIKANISCHEN
HÄUSERN IM MIDWEST UND MIDATLANTIC

• Dach: ist meist aus Teerpappe - dies war für mich echt gewöhnungsbedürftig. Man sollte sein Haus nur dann neu decken lassen, wenn's richtig heiss draussen ist, damit sich die Teerpappe Schindeln (shingles) auch richtig verbinden können. Es gibt auch die Möglichkeit, sein Dach mit "normalen" Dachziegeln (ceramic tiles) oder Schiefer (slate) decken zu lassen - beides ist aber ziemlich kostspielig aber hält dafür auch länger als die ca. 20 Jahre, die für ein Teerpappedach als mittlere Lebensdauer angegeben werden.
• Fenster: haben in USA fast immer "screens" samt "stormwindows" im Dreierpack vorgeschaltet. Screens sind eine Art Fliegengitterfenster, stormwindows einfach Glasscheiben, die man alle bei Bedarf hoch- und runterschieben kann. Die historischen Fenster sind zum hochschieben an Seilen, deren Gegengewichte in der Wand hängen. Leider neigen diese Seile nach jahrelangem Gebrauch zum reissen... ... ...
• Grundwasser: steht auch im Midwest vielerorts sehr hoch. Abhilfe schaffen sogenannte "sump pumps", die im Keller in einem in den Kellerboden eingelassenen Schacht stehen und das hochkommende Grundwasser abpumpen.
• Küche: ist meist schon völlig eingerichtet mit sowohl allen Grossgeräten als auch allen Küchenmöbeln.
• Material: ist fast immer Holz, weil dieses zum einen sehr einfach zu beschaffen ist und zum anderen unter den hier im Midwest herrschenden klimatischen Bedingungen am besten ist. Legt mal einen Ziegelstein und ein Stück Holz in die pralle Sonne und f&uumlhlt nach 30 Minuten, wie sich beide Materialen anfühlen. Das Holz wird kaum Wärme gespeichert haben, der Ziegelstein dagegen Euch fast die Finger verbrennen. Analog gilt für Kälte: Holz speichert diese auch kaum und deshalb kann man ein Holzhaus sehr schnell warmheizen und auch runterkühlen - je nach Bedarf. Durch die bei den meisten Häusern hier im Midwest übliche "Schichtbauweise" liegt ein Luftpolster zwischen den Innen- und Aussenwänden, das sehr gut isoliert. Schichtbauweise deshalb, weil auf einen Holzrahmen innen und aussen Holzplatten befestig werden und an der Aussenwand ausserdem noch ein "siding" angebracht wird. Dieses ist traditionell aus Holz (und muss dann alle paar Jahre neu gestrichen werden). Neuer sind sidings aus Kunststoff (vinyl) oder Ziegelsteinen - wie diese sich klimatechnisch auf das Klima im Haus auswirken weiss ich leider nicht (unser Haus hat Holz aussen).
• Nomenklatur: in Europa fängt man bei "Null" an zu zählen, wenn man beim Erdgeschoss anfängt. In USA ist das Erdgeschoss die "erste Etage" (!!!). Ein sogenanntes "two story house" hat also nur einen Erdgeschoss und eine erste Etage.
• apartment: Mietwohnung (UK-E = flat),
• duplex: Zweiparteienhaus, wobei man sich die mittlere Wand teilt,
• ranch: Bungalow mit nur einer Wohnebene,
• townhouse / condo: vergleichbar einer Kreuzung zwischen Eigentumswohnung und Reihenhaus. Man zahlt pro Monat einen bestimmten Betrag für Instandhaltung an eine Eigentümergesellschaft und muss dann z.B. das neue Decken des Hausdaches nicht selber bezahlen.



• Raumaufteilung: viele amerikanische Häuser haben keine Dielen / Flure in unserem Sinne, sondern man fällt direkt aus der Vordertür ins Wohnzimmer und aus der Hintertür in die Küche.
• Stauraum: gibt es jede Menge, weil zum einen jede Schräge durch Einbauschränke (closet) "getarnt" wird und zum anderen immer etliche Einbauschränke (oft sogar begehbar) in den Häusern zu finden sind.
• Unterbau: in einigen Gegenden der USA baut man kaum Keller (basement), weil das Grundwasser zu hoch kommt und die Keller immer nass wären. Im Midwest sind Keller oder doch zumindest Hohlräume (crawlspace) unter den Häusern Usus und auch überlebenswichtige Notwendigkeit, weil man diese bei Tornadowarnung als Schutzraum dringenst benötigt.

CHECKLISTE FÜR DEN HAUSKAUF:

HAUS SELBST:

• Wie alt ist das Dach (roof) und wieviele Dachlagen sind schon drauf? Es gibt in den einzelnen Staaten Regelungen, wieviele "Dachlagen" erlaubt sind.
• Wie alt sind Heizungsystem (furnace) und Heisswasserheizer (hotwaterheater) - und wurden die regelmässig gewartet?
• Gibt es Wasser oder Feuchtigkeit im Keller (basement)?
• Ist die Aircondition (AC) funktionstüchtig und wie alt ist sie (die alten Pötte sind Stromfresser und sehr sehr laut), wurde auch sie regelmässig gewartet und nach welchem Prinzip arbeitet sie? Es gibt "window AC", die nur einen Raum runterkühlt, "forced air", die mittels eines Ventilators das ganze Haus versorgt - im Winter kommt die warme Heizungs-Luft durch dieselben Schächte - und "convected air", die nach dem Prinzip der kommunizierenden Röhren arbeitet und nicht sehr effektiv ist.
• Sind Leitungen (Wasser / Strom / GAS!!!) bei ältern Häusern erneuert - auch die zum Haus hin? Es könnte ansonsten z.B. ein Problem mit dem Bleigehalt in den alten Leitungen geben.
• Sind bei alten Häusern noch die historischen Fenster drin? Sie sind meist teuer zu ersetzen.
• Sind alle im Haus befindlichen Haushaltsgeräte (applicances) in Ordnung und funktionsfähig? Kühlschrank, Spülmaschine, eventuell Waschmaschine und Trockner.
• Ist der offene Kamin (fireplace) / Schornstein sauber? Und ganz wichtig: sind die Schornsteine vom furnace und hotwaterheater sauber und trocken?
• Hat das Haus ein Zertifikat, dass es termitenfrei ist? Oft wird das von den Hausbesitzern erledigt - wenn nicht, kann man ein Gutachten durch einen Experten verlangen. Carpenter Ants sollten auch keine am Haus knabbern - die sehen aus wie sehr grosse Ameisen und höhlen das, was die Termiten angeknabbert haben freudigst weiter aus.
• Wenn das Haus einen Hohlraum (crawlspace) hat unter dem Erdgeschoss, kann man nachprüfen, ob dieser feucht ist oder trocken. Ist er trocken ist das ok, wenn er aber zu feucht ist, sollte man genauer hinschauen und es eventuell beanstanden.
• Gibt es einen Holzboden (hardwoodfloor), oder einen Teppichboden (wall-to-wall-carpet)?
• Es gibt sehr oft "Neighborhood associations" - da zu einem Meeting gehen und allgemein die Nachbarn fragen, was so los ist im Viertel
• Dieser Link hat prima Tips für Hauskäufer und erklärt auch sehr gut die ganzen Fachausdrücke.

MAKLER (REAL ESTATE AGENT):

• Informiert Euch im Internet vorab über die zur Auswahl stehenden Wohngegenden, z.B. bei Zillow und auch über die Qualität der öffentlichen Schulen, ob es dort ESL-Programme in den Schulen gibt etc.. Einige Makler geben diese Informationen auch auf ihren Webseiten guckt Euch mal dieses Beispiel von Coldwell Bankers an.
• Verlangt in USA meist nur was vom Verkäufer, nehmt Euch einen Buyers Agent.
• Wenn Ihr ein Haus gefunden habt, das Ihr kaufen möchtet, dann schliesst Ihr mit dem Makler einen Vorvertrag und bezahlt ihm einen gewissen Betrag als "earnest money". Dieses Geld wird beim eigentlichen Hauskauf (closing) dann verrechnet und geht Euch also nicht verloren.

MORTGAGE (HYPOTHEK):

• Vergleich der Zinsen geht über's Internet bei z.B. bankrate.com.
• Besser eine grosse Bank nehmen, die kleinen "freien" Mortgage-Unternehmen gehen öfters Pleite.
• Fixed rate ist besser meiner Meinung nach.
• Real-estate taxes miteinkalkulieren, die Stadt / Kreis erheben.
• Verbraucher-Infos über die einzelnen Anbieter von Hypotheken findet ihr z.B. beiepinions.com.

CLOSING (EIGENTLICHER KAUF):

• Lasst Euch nicht von einem Zeitpunkt zum anderen vertrösten. Eine kurze Terminänderung darf es noch geben, aber dann seid bereit unter Umständen auch vom Hauskauf zurückzutreten, wenn der Verkäufer dem "Hausverkauf" nicht nachkommt.
• Alles, was an Mängeln beim Haus festgestellt wurde, sollte als Preisnachlass mit mit dem Verkäufer ausgehandelt sein bevor das closing stattfindet. Dazu holt man zu allen festgestellten Mängel Angebote (estimates) von Handwerkern ein, diese sind in USA umsonst, legt diese Angebote samt Mängelliste den Verkäufer und meist auch dem Makler in einem gemeinsamen Treffen vor und einigt sich dann über die Verrechnungsmodalitäten. Bei uns war es z.B. so, dass wir nominell den vollen Kaufpreis zahlten, aber etliche 1000 Dollar für die Beseitigung der festgestellten Mängel dann vom Verkäufer per check wieder bar zurückbekamen beim closing.
• Ein Haus kann man auch mit einer geringen Anzahlung (downpayment) kaufen. Denkt aber daran, dass Euch das Zinsen kostet wird durch die längere Laufzeit der Hypothek und natürlich auch den grösseren Betrag, den Ihr dann aufnehmen müsst. Eine möglichst grosse Anzahlung sollte geleistet werden, wenn man wirklich plant im Haus zu bleiben. Falls man in 5 oder 8 Jahren wieder umziehen will, kann man vielleicht auch mit weniger anfangen.
• Die Hypothekzahlungen setzen sich zusammen aus: principal (Kredithöhe), interest(Zinsen), escrow (Steuerrücklage) und meist auch noch Versicherung (Feuer, Wasser, Einbruch usw.). Die Versicherung richtet sich nach der Wohnlage: beispielsweise nahe an einem Fluss wird sie höher sein wegen der möglichen Überflutungsgefahr.
• Wer zusätzlich zu seinen monatlichen Raten ca. 10-15$ auf das principal abbezahlt kann sich sehr viele Zinsen sparen und seinen Kredit einige Jahre früher ablösen. Das natürlich nur über die gesamte Laufzeit gesehen.