Capital: Hartford

Governor: John G. Rowland, R (to Jan. 2003)

Lieut. Governor: M. Jodi Rell, R (to Jan. 2003)

Senators: Christopher J. Dodd, D (to Jan. 2005); Joseph I. Lieberman, D (to Jan. 2007)

Secy. of the State: Susan Bysiewicz, D (to Jan. 2003)

Comptroller: Nancy Wyman, D (to Jan. 2003)

Treasurer: Denise Nappier, D (to Jan. 2003)

Atty. General: Richard Blumenthal, D (to Jan. 2003)

Entered Union (rank): Jan. 9, 1788 (5)

Present constitution adopted: Dec. 30, 1965

Motto: Qui transtulit sustinet (He who transplanted still sustains)

State Symbols:

The Dutch navigator, Adriaen Block, was the first European of record to explore the area, sailing up the Connecticut River in 1614. In 1633, Dutch colonists built a fort and trading post near present-day Hartford, but soon lost control to English Puritans migrating south from the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

English settlements, established in the 1630s at Windsor, Wethersfield, and Hartford, united in 1639 to form the Connecticut Colony and adopted the Fundamental Orders.

Connecticut played a prominent role in the Revolutionary War, serving as the Continental Army's major supplier. Sometimes called the "Arsenal of the Nation," the state became one of the most industrialized in the nation.

Today, Connecticut factories produce weapons, sewing machines, jet engines, helicopters, motors, hardware and tools, cutlery, clocks, locks, silverware, and submarines. Hartford has the oldest U.S. newspaper still being published-the Hartford Courant, established 1764-and is the insurance capital of the nation.

Poultry, fruit, and dairy products account for the largest portion of farm income, and Connecticut's shade-grown tobacco is acknowledged to be the state's most valuable crop per acre.

Connecticut is a popular resort area with its 250-mile Long Island Sound shoreline and many inland lakes. Among the major points of interest are Yale University's Gallery of Fine Arts and Peabody Museum. Other famous museums include the P. T. Barnum, Winchester Gun, and American Clock and Watch. The town of Mystic features a recreated 19th-century New England seaport and the Mystic Marinelife Aquarium.

Official destination: Constitution State (1959)

Nickname: Nutmeg State

Origin of name: From an Indian word (Quinnehtukqut) meaning "beside the long tidal river"

10 largest cities (1999 est.): Bridgeport, 137,040; Hartford, 128,367; New Haven, 122,195; Stamford, 110,802; Waterbury, 104,263; Norwalk, 78,083; New Britain, 70,010; Danbury, 66,965; Bristol, 59,145; Meriden, 56,365

Land area: 4,845 sq mi. (12,550 sq km)

Geographic center: In Hartford Co., at East Berlin

Number of counties: 8

Largest county by population and area: Fairfield, 841,334 (1999 est.); Litchfield, 920 sq mi.

State forests: 30 (145,529 ac.)

State parks : 91 (31,884 ac.)

Residents: Nutmegger

1999 resident population est.: 3,282,031

1990 resident census population (rank): 3,287,116 (27). Male: 1,592,873; Female: 1,694,243. White: 2,859,353 (87.0%); Black: 274,269 (8.3%); American Indian: 6,654 (0.2%); Asian: 50,698 (1.5%); Other race: 96,142 (2.9%); Hispanic: 213,116 (6.5%). 1990 percent population under 18: 22.8; 65 and over: 13.6; median age: 34.3.