Vermont is one of the fifty states that, together with the federal district of Washington D.C., form the United States of America. Its capital is Montpelier and its most populous city, Burlington. It is located in the Northeast region of the country, New England division, bordering Canada to the north, the Connecticut River that separates it from New Hampshire to the east, Massachusetts to the south and the state of New York to the west. With 24,901 km² it is the sixth smallest state —ahead of New Hampshire, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware and Rhode Island, the smallest— and with 625,741 inhabitants. In 2010 it is the second smallest, ahead of Wyoming. It was admitted to the Union on March 4, 1791, as the 14th state.
Its name is pronounced, in Spanish and English, «ver-MÓNT», with the accent on the last syllable, as it comes from the French vert mont, meaning green mountain. Its capital is Montpelier, although the largest city is Burlington. It is famous for its scenery (especially in the fall), its dairy products and its maple syrup, as well as being known for its liberal politics and independent and liberal political thinking by American standards.
After the exploration and colonization of North America, France claimed the territory currently known as Vermont, originally inhabited by Native American tribes (Iroquois, Algonquins and Abenakis); but it passed into the hands of the British Crown after its defeat in the war that took place between 1754 and 1763. For many years, neighboring colonies – including New Hampshire – disputed control over the area. However, Vermont was independent until, after a period of fourteen years, it joined the United States of America.
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
It is the only state in New England that does not border the Atlantic Ocean, as it is flanked by the state of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York to the west and the Canadian province of Quebec to the north. Regarding relief, its geography is marked by its border to the east by the Green Mountains, part of the Appalachian system, and to the west by Lake Champlain.
HISTORY
The first European to see the territory of present-day Vermont was possibly Jacques Cartier, in 1535. On July 30, 1609, the French explorer Samuel de Champlain claimed the area that is now Lake Champlain, and called the mountains les Monts Verts («the Green Mountains»). France claimed Vermont as part of New France and built Fort Sainte Anne on La Motte Island in 1666 as part of the fortifications of Lake Champlain. This was the first European settlement in Vermont and the site of the first mass, although the oldest town in the state is Vergennes. Champlain explored its territory extensively in 1604. It was disputed between the French and the British. The conquest of the latter accelerated its colonization, and by 1791, it was already a state of the almost newborn Union.