States from A-Z: Colorado & Connecticut

Colorado

Colorado is located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States and belongs to the western and southwestern region. Its borders are Wyoming to the north, New Mexico and Oklahoma to the south, Arizona to the southwest, Nebraska and Kansas to the east and Utah to the west.
The capital of Colorado is Denver, which is also the most populous city within the state. The Inhabitants are known as "Coloradans", although the ancient name "Coloradoan" is still used.

Colorado offers magnificent scenery of mountains, which have a great influence on the climate. The southern Colorado is not really warmer than the northern Colorado and the whole state is affected by the mountains and the surrounding valleys. A main climate division occurs between the Rocky Mountains in the west and the plains in the east and extreme weather is very common in Colorado. The lowest temperature is about 33° Fahrenheit (December / January), while the highest temperature reaches approx. 80° Fahrenheit in the summer. Thunderstorms and Tornados are also quite common within the state.

On March 3rd, 1875, the United States Congress passed an enabling act, specifying the requirements for the Territory of Colorado to become a state. On August 1st, 1876, U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant signed a proclamation admitting the State of Colorado the Union as the 38th state.
The right to vote for women was granted on November 1893.
To a lot of people Colorado means the Old West, even thought the Old West is not really that old at all. It is said that hunters from Siberia crossed into Colorado 11000 years ago. But in recent history, the Ancestral Puebloans inhabited the southwest region of Colorado.

Colorado is very famous for its incredible landscape. Within the state you can find about 54 mountain peaks, green forests, fields of wildflowers, mountain lakes, grasslands and red rock formations.
You have the possibility to enjoy the beautiful landscape in one of four national parks. Colorado is also home to 25 scenic and historic side roads, including ghost towns, ancient ruins and some of the oldest trains in the West.

Colorado's population mostly consists of Christians, although, like most other Western states, there is a high percentage of people, who do not belong to a religion. Within Colorado (and specially the city of Colorado Springs) you can find many different Christian groups, many of them Evangelical. Catholics are also quite popular in Colorado and are becoming more and more popular with Latino immigrants.

There are many things to do in Colorado: you can join a sporting event or go to a spa, enjoy a free day at the amusement park or live like an actual cowboy on a working ranch. Nearly every day of the year, there is something going on in Colorado: rodeos, concerts, wine, beer, arts and crafts festivals - Colorado offers something for every taste.

http://www.colorado.com
http://www.colorado.gov

Connecticut

Connecticut is located in the north-east of the United States and belongs to the New England region. Its neighbors are: Rhode Island in the east, Massachusetts in the north and New York in the west and south (various islands of New York are located on Connecticut's entire coast).

Connecticut's official nickname is "The Constitution State" and was officially accepted in 1959. It is based on its colonial constitution of 1638-1639 which led to its selection as the first state to ratify the federal constitution. Another - but inofficial - nickname is "The Nutmeg State". It is not known where that name comes from, but it may come from the sailors who returned from voyages and brought nutmeg with them (in the 18th and 19th centuries it was a very valuable spice).

Connecticut is the 29th populous state with approximately 3.4 million inhabitants. This state has a long history, going back to the early colonial times and with a great influence of the federal government.

The first European settlers who came to Connecticut were Dutch people. Adriaen Block was the first explorer in that region in 1614. After that Dutch fur traders sailed up the Connecticut River and built a fort at Dutch Point near what is today Hardford. This Dutch Point was called "House of Hope" (Dutch: Huis van Hoop).

A couple years later, in 1635, John Winthrop received the permission to build up the "Saybrook Colony" at the Connecticut River. This was one of three colonies which later combined to make up Connecticut. In 1644, the Saybrook Colony merged itself into the Connecticut Colony.

The first English settlers came in 1633 and settled at Windsor and then Wethersfield in 1634. But the main settlers came in one large group in 1636 and were led by Thomas Hooker. He was very famous in England as a professor at Cambridge and political writer. He broke his political leadership in Massachusetts and established the Connecticut Island at Hartford in 1636.

The third colony "New Haven Colony" (also called Ouinnipiack Colony), was founded by John Davenport, Theophilus Eaton and others at New Haven in 1638. This colony had its own constitution "The Fundamental Agreement of the New Haven Colony" which was signed on June 4th, 1639.

The colonies were presumptively English, but in legal sense, they were only secessionist outposts of Massachusetts Bay. The colonies of Connecticut and Quinnipiack were united.

Due to the long coastline, Connecticut has a temperate climate. In the inner state you will find a humid continental climate, while the Connecticut shoreline has a humid and subtropical climate.

Connecticut has a lot to offer. It is easy to reach from New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and eastern Pennsylvania. In Hartford you can visit many historic buildings such as the Old State House, the Mark Twain house and the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks. On the shoreline, the coastal region, you can enjoy a lot of outdoor and fun activities: the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, the Barnum Museum in Bridgeport, the Hammonasset Beach State Park with miles of sandy beaches and the Thimble Islands.

http://www.ct.gov
http://www.town-usa.com/connecticut/ctmaps.html
http://www.ctvisit.com