Home > Facts > US States Facts > New Hampshire Facts

New Hampshire Facts

New Hampshire Facts
The State of New Hampshire is located in northeastern United States. It shares state borders with Vermont, Massachusetts and Maine. New Hampshire shares an international border with the province of Quebec in Canada. New Hampshire is the 46th largest state with 9,304 square miles. It is the 42nd most populated U.S. state with approximately 1,323,459 residents and it is the 21st most densely populated state. Prior to European settlement the region was inhabited by various Algonquin tribes. In the early 1600s small settlements appeared in what is now Dover and Rye. New Hampshire became the 9th U.S. state when it joined the Union in 1788.
Interesting New Hampshire Facts:
The state name New Hampshire originated from Hampshire, England, named by Captain John Mason.
New Hampshire's capital city is Concord and its largest city is Manchester. Originally the state's capital city was Exeter.
New Hampshire's state nickname is the Granite State.
The state motto for New Hampshire is 'Live Free or Die'. Hero of the Battle of Bennington Revolutionary General John Stark originally wrote the words of the motto as part of a statement.
New Hampshire's state song is 'Old New Hampshire'.
New Hampshire residents are referred to as New Hampshirites.
New Hampshire's state flag was designed in 1784 but was not officially adopted until 1909.
New Hampshire's state bird is the purple finch and the state butterfly is the Karner blue butterfly. The Karner blue butterfly is on New Hampshire's endangered species list.
New Hampshire's state animal is the white-tailed deer and the state insect is the ladybug.
New Hampshire's game saltwater state fish is the striped bass and the game freshwater state fish is the brook trout.
The white birch is New Hampshire's state tree.
New Hampshire's state flower is the purple lilac and the state wildflower is the pink ladyslipper.
New Hampshire borders the Atlantic Ocean to its southeast.
Major rivers in New Hampshire include the Merrimack River, Connecticut River and the Androscoggin River.
Lake Winnipesaukee is New Hampshire's major lake.
Major industry in New Hampshire includes software, electronic equipment, textiles, lumber, and tourism.
Major agriculture in New Hampshire includes fruit, corn, potatoes, hay, dairy and poultry.
Former U.S. President Franklin Pierce was born in 1804 in Hillsboro (formerly Hillsborough). He served from 1853 to 1857, and was the 14th President of the United States. The Pierce Manse located in Concord is his former home. He was also a war hero.
New Hampshire was the first of the original 13 colonies to declare itself independent of England. This occurred six months before the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The very first American to have experienced space travel was Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. He was from New Hampshire.
The first potato to be planted in the U.S. was planted in 1719 at Londonderry Common Field in New Hampshire.
The first alarm clock was invented in 1787 in Concord, New Hampshire.
The author Sarah Josepha Hale, who wrote the poem 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' was from Newport, New Hampshire. She wrote the poem in 1830.


Related Links:
Facts
US States Facts
Animals Facts