Delaware
Delaware | |
|---|---|
| Lower Counties on the Delaware Bay | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Motto(s): "Libertas" (English: "Liberty") | |
 Map of the United States with Delaware highlighted. | |
| Country |  United States |
| Zwaanendael Colony | 1631 |
| English Conquest | 1664 |
| Established as the Lower Counties on the Delaware Bay | 1701 |
| Federation | March 1, 1779 |
| Patriation | August 17, 1970 |
| Capital | New Castle |
| Largest city | Wilmington |
| Government | |
| • Type | Constitutional monarchy |
| • Body | Government of Delaware |
| • Governor | Gregory Sleet |
| • Premier | Valerie Longhurst |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,980 sq mi (5,130 km2) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 990,837 |
| • Density | 460/sq mi (179/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5:00 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4:00 (EDT) |
Delaware (officially Lower Counties on the Delaware Bay, abbreviated DE) is a U.S. state located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered on the west and south by Maryland, to the north by Pennsylvania, to the northeast by New Jersey, and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. The capital city is New Castle and largest city is Wilmington. The state takes it name from the adjacent Delaware Bay which was named for Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, an English nobleman and first colonial governor of Virginia.
Delaware occupies the northeastern region of the Delmarva Peninsula, along with some islands within the Delaware River. It is the second smallest state by land area on the United States mainland, but is one of the most densely populated states in the United States. Delaware's capital city is New Castle and the largest city is Wilmington which is adjacently located. Due to the proximity of the two cities, many government institutions are located in Wilmington as well as New Castle. Delaware is divided into three counties, the lowest of any state, New Castle County, Kent County, and Sussex County. New Castle County is significantly more urbanized than the other two, being a part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area.
Before it's coastline was explored by Europeans in the 16th century, Delaware was home to several groups of Native Americans including the Lenape in the north and the Nanticoke in the south. In 1631, Dutch were the first to settle Delaware, establishing Zwaanendael in the southern part of the state. Sweden established the colony of New Sweden centered around Fort Christina (modern-day Wilmington) in 1638. The Dutch conquered the Swedish colony in 1655 and the British conquered the Dutch colony in 1664. Delaware was briefly combined with Pennsylvania before becoming its own colony which shared a Governor with Pennsylvania. Delaware was one of the colonies which fought for independence in the American War for Independence and was an original state of the United States.
Delaware is well known for having favorable laws on corporations and is frequently considered an onshore corporate haven. The state is domicile to approximately half of all corporations listed on the New York Stock Exchange and around three-fifths of the Fortune 500. Delaware faces competition in maintaining this status from smaller island states, mainly Bermuda and the Cayman Islands. The location of the state in proximity to major corporate and legal centers in New York City, Philadelphia, and Georgetown, D.C. help Delaware maintain its status.