States from A-Z: Nebraska & New Hampshire

Nebraska: the Cornhusker State

Nebraska is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. The name is derived from a Native American word meaning "flat water," according the Platte River that flows through the state. Originally a part of the Great American desert, Nebraska is now one of the biggest producers of agricultural products in the US, which explains the nickname the "Cornhusker State." With the help of modern agricultural means, the Nebraskan population turned the prairie lands into a state full of ranches and farms. Accordingly, the history of Nebraska is also a history of agriculture. Agriculture makes up appr. 11 percent of the annual GNP. More than 95 percent of the states total area is used for agricultural purposes. Apart from cattle, further important agricultural products are pork and poultry. In addition, the most important farming products are corn, sorghum, soy beans, oats, rye, barley, millet, sugar beets, beans and potatoes. Industry makes up for 13 percent of the GNP. The most important sector of industry is the food industry, especially the production of meat products. Apart from that, engineering and electrical engineering play an important role. The real GNP per capita was $36,441 in 2006, making Nebraska number 21 in the national ranking. Among the most important cities are the capital Lincoln, as well as Omaha, Grand Island and North Platte.

In 1541, the Spanish explorer Francisco Vasquez was the first European to come to the area that is today Nebraska. Back then, numerous Native American tribes lived in the area, among them the Omaha, Pawnee and Ute in the East and the center, and the Oglala Sioux, Araphoe, Comanche and Cheyenne in the West. Between 1700 and 1763 the French controlled the area, afterwards the territory was controlled by the Spanish. In the year of 1803 it fell to the US as part of the Louisiana Purchase. Between 1804 and 1806, members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition explored part of the area. In 1807 the Spaniard Manuel Lisa built a trading post and became the first white settler in present day Nebraska. In 1810 the American Fur Company set up a trading post in the present day Bellevue area. Fort Atkinson was built in 1819, same place where Fort Calhoun is located today.

The Oregon Trail and the California Trail brought more and more people into the region. Growing numbers of settlers started to make it their home, even though Nebraska had been declared Indian territory in 1834 and white settlers were not allowed to settle there. After belonging to the territories of Indiana, Louisiana and Missouri, it finally became an independent territory on May 30, 1854.

During the 1860s the Homestead Act brought the first real wave of settlers to Nebraska, claiming part of the land the government had granted. On May 1, 1867, Nebraska became the 37th state of the US, shortly after the War of Secession ended.

For further information about Nebraska visit: www.nebraska.gov

New Hampshire: The Granite State

New Hampshire is one of the New England states and is also called the Granite State due to its many stone quarries. At the same time, that name reflects the preserving of tradition and the history of an economical government. The state has no general sales tax or state income tax, which corresponds with the states motto "Live Free or Die." The state was named after the English county of Hampshire. The biggest cities are the capital Concord, Manchester, Nashua, Rochester and Portsmouth.

New Hampshire borders the Canadian province Quebec in the North and Northwest, and the state of Maine and the Atlantic Ocean in the East. New Hampshire's 29 km (18 miles) coast line is the shortest of all the coastal states. In the South it borders to on Massachusetts and on Vermont in the West. The states main attractions are the White Mountain National Forest and Lake Winnipesauke.

The first settlers came to New Hampshire in 1623, only three years after the first pilgrims arrived in the area that later became Massachusetts. John Mason, who was granted the land by King Charles I in 1629, named it after the English county of Hampshire. In 1776 New Hampshire was the first of all colonies to have its own constitution. During the War of Independence, most of the people fought on the side of the patriots. At the Battle of Bennington (Vermont) and of New Hampshire, their troops decisively defeated the British. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire signed the US Constitution. With the exception of the year 1804, in which the majority of the population voted for the Democratic presidential candidate Thomas Jefferson, New Hampshire's national policies were consistently federalist. After that, the Democrats started taking over by winning elections in the state as well as the national elections. In 1855 they lost their power to a third part, the Know-Nothings. One year before the elections took place  the American Civil War saw the emergence of a reform movement in New Hampshire that demanded moderation and the abolition of slavery.

In the second half of the 19th century, large numbers of French-Canadians immigrated into the state, which changed the predominant ethnic composition of the population - it had been mainly English and Scottish/Irish up to that point. Since then, New Hampshire developed from an agricultural to an industrial society. New Hampshire has a very small mining industry. The most important natural resources are granite, sand, flint, gemstones and muscovite. Manufacturing accounts for roughly 28 percent of GNP. The most important products include industrial machinery, precision instruments, electronic equipment, rubber and plastic, printing products, paper products, primary metals, and clothing and fabrics. The agricultural sector is small and almost half of the annual agricultural income derives from sales of livestock and livestock products. Real GDP per capita was $37,666 in 2006, which is the 17th place in the national ranking.

 For more information about New Hampshire visit: www.visitnh.gov  or   www.nh.gov