According to babyinger, Delaware is a small state located on the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. It is bordered by Pennsylvania to the north, Maryland to the south, and New Jersey to the east. Delaware’s total area is only 1,982 square miles, making it one of America’s smallest states. Despite its small size, Delaware has a diverse landscape that includes rivers, mountains, forests and coastal plains. The northern part of Delaware is dominated by rolling hills and low mountains such as Iron Hill and White Clay Creek Valley. The Atlantic Coastal Plain covers much of the eastern half of Delaware and includes marshlands such as Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge and Rehoboth Bay. Inland from this region lies an area of wetlands known as the Delmarva Peninsula which stretches between Maryland and Virginia.
The most prominent river in Delaware is the Delaware River which forms most of its western border with Pennsylvania. This river provides a significant waterway for trade with cities like Wilmington located along its banks. Other major rivers in Delaware include the Christina River which runs through Wilmington; Red Clay Creek which runs through New Castle County; and Nanticoke River which flows into Chesapeake Bay near Milford.
Delaware has a humid subtropical climate with hot summers and mild winters that are moderated by ocean breezes from nearby Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and Virginia. The state receives an average of 45 inches (1,148 mm) of precipitation annually with snowfall ranging from 10 inches (25 cm) in some areas up to 20 inches (51 cm) in northern locations like Wilmington or Sussex County near Rehoboth Beach on Delmarva Peninsula.
Administrative Regions in Delaware
According to COUNTRYAAH.COM, Delaware is divided into three counties, each with its own county government. These counties are New Castle, Kent and Sussex. The state capital of Delaware is Dover, located in Kent County. Each county has its own executive branch which consists of an elected county executive and a county council. The county executive is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the county while the council is responsible for passing laws and ordinances that affect the county.
New Castle County is the most populous of Delaware’s three counties with a population of 558,000 people as of 2020. It includes cities such as Wilmington, Newark and Bear as well as several unincorporated communities. New Castle County also contains part of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal which links it to Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
Kent County has a population of 172,000 people and is located in central Delaware along with Dover, its largest city. Other cities in Kent County include Smyrna and Milford while smaller towns like Felton are located in rural areas along with several unincorporated communities.
Sussex County is the least populous of Delaware’s three counties with a population of 200,000 people as of 2020. It includes coastal towns like Dewey Beach and Rehoboth Beach which are popular tourist destinations during summer months while other towns such as Georgetown serve agricultural needs for farmers in Sussex County’s rural areas.
In addition to these three counties, there are also several municipalities within Delaware that have their own local governments including Wilmington, Newark and Dover which all have mayors who oversee their respective cities’ operations.
Demographics of Delaware
According to the most recent census, Delaware has a population of 973,764 people with an estimated median age of 40.4 years old. The population is made up of approximately 51.9% female and 48.1% male. The racial makeup of the state is 76.7% White, 20.3% African American, 1.2% Asian, 0.8% Native American/Alaskan Native, 0.2% Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and 0.6% from two or more races with an additional 0.2% identifying as something other than these categories or not reporting at all according to the U.S Census Bureau’s 2020 estimates.
The largest ancestry groups in Delaware are German (17%), Irish (15%), English (13%) and African American (10%). The state also has a significant Hispanic/Latino population which makes up 8% of the total population with Mexican being the largest ancestry group in this category at 3%.
Delaware is also home to a large number of foreign-born residents who make up 7% of the total population with India being the largest source country at 2%. Other countries contributing to Delaware’s foreign-born population include China, El Salvador and Honduras among many others according to Migration Policy Institute’s 2018 estimates.
The majority religion practiced in Delaware is Christianity with 52% of residents identifying as Christian followed by nonreligious individuals who make up 27%, while other religions such as Judaism and Islam each make up less than 2%.
In terms of educational attainment in Delaware, 83% have completed high school or higher while 33%, have obtained a bachelor’s degree or higher according to U.S Census Bureau’s 2020 estimates.
Transportation in Delaware
Delaware has an extensive transportation network that is made up of highways, railways, buses, and airports. The state is served by two major interstate highways: I-95, which runs north-south along the eastern side of the state; and I-495, which runs east-west across the northern part of Delaware. Additionally, several other U.S routes run through Delaware including US 13, US 40 and US 113 among others.
The Delmarva Central Railroad provides freight rail service to central and southern Delaware while Amtrak’s Northeast Regional line serves Wilmington and Newark with daily passenger rail service to major cities such as New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington D.C among other destinations.
Delaware also has a number of public bus services operated by the Delaware Transit Corporation (DTC) which covers most areas of the state with connections to Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington D.C. The DTC also offers paratransit services for those who are unable to use regular fixed routes due to physical or mental disability or age related limitations.
In terms of air travel in Delaware two major airports are located within the state – New Castle Airport in Wilmington and Dover Air Force Base in Dover – with both offering domestic flights to various destinations throughout the United States as well as international flights from New Castle Airport which is served by multiple airlines including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines among others.