What are the Key Facts of New Hampshire?

Where is New Hampshire?

New Hampshire (the ninth state that was admitted to the Union on June 21, 1788) is located in the New England region of the northeastern USA. It shares its border with Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Vermont to the west, and Canada’s Quebec province to the north.

What is the Geography of New Hampshire?

New Hampshire is spread across a total area of 9,349 sq. mi (24,214 sq. km), making it the fifth smallest state of the US out of the entire 50 states. Out of the total area, the land area is spread across 8,953 sq. mi (23,187 sq. km) and the water area across 397 sq. mi (1,027 sq. km). From north to south, New Hampshire is around 70 miles (305.8 km) long, and from east to west, it is around 19 miles (112.7 km) wide.

Water bodies occupy around 4.2% of the total area. Some of the longest rivers in the state are Connecticut River, Androscoggin River, Saco River, Merrimack River, Contoocook River, Pemigewasset River, Ashuelot River, Ammonoosuc River, Lamprey River, and the Magalloway River.

Some of the major lakes in New Hampshire are Lake Winnipesaukee, Umbagog Lake, Squam Lake, Newfound Lake, Winnisquam Lake, Lake Sunapee, Ossipee Lake, Lake Wentworth, First Connecticut Lake, Great East Lake, Conway Lake, Merrymeeting Lake, Bow Lake, and Mascoma Lake.

The mean elevation of New Hampshire is 1,000 ft (304.8 m) above sea level. Mount Washington is the highest elevation point at 6,288 ft (1,916.6 m) above sea level, and the Atlantic Ocean on its eastern border is the lowest elevation point at sea level (0 ft or 0 m).

Some of the major mountains in New Hampshire are Mount Washington, Mount Adams, Mount Jefferson, Mount Monroe, Mount Madison, Mount Lafayette, Mount Lincoln, South Twin Mountain, Carter Dome, Mount Moosilauke, Mount Eisenhower, North Twin Mountain, Mount Carrigain, Mount Bond, Middle Carter Mountain, West Bond Mountain, and Mount Garfield.

New Hampshire (also called the Switzerland of America) is naturally gifted with picturesque landscape, thanks to the clear blue lakes, rugged mountains, ocean beaches, and sandy lakes. The three main landforms of the state are the Coastal Lowlands, the Eastern New England Upland, and the White Mountain Region.

The Coastal Lowlands (extending from 15 miles or 24.1 km to 20 miles or 32.2 km into the state) is located in the south of New Hampshire, bordering the Atlantic Ocean. It has just 13 miles (20.9 km) of coastline. Great Bay is part of this landform, which is a popular stop for the waterfowls during their annual migration.

The Eastern New England Upland, the second most important landform in New Hampshire, is located mainly in the southern part of the state. It starts in northern Maine, runs south, and ends in eastern Connecticut. The Merrimack Valley, the Hills and Lakes Region, and the Connecticut River Valley are the three distinct land areas in New Hampshire.

The northern region of the state is occupied by the White Mountains Region, consisting of rugged mountains as well as narrow valleys. The highest elevation point in the state is located in this region. Heavily forested hills are found in the northernmost portion of the area. Dairy and potato farms are mainly concentrated in the western section of the White Mountains Region.

What is the Climate of New Hampshire?

A humid continental climate prevails in New Hampshire, characterized by warm and humid summers on one hand and cold, wet winters on the other. Precipitation remains uniform across the year.

The Atlantic Ocean moderates the climate in the southeastern portion of the state. That’s why the average temperature is milder in the south. In comparison to other parts of the state, the weather is wetter. The interior and northern parts are characterized by cooler temperatures as well as lower humidity. New Hampshire gets cold and snowy winter. The northern and mountainous regions get severely cold winter. The yearly average snowfall ranges within 60 inches (1,524 mm) and more than 100 inches (2,540 mm) throughout the state.

During July, the average daytime high-temperature hovers around mid-70 °F (about 24 °C) and low temperature is about 80 °F (28 °C). The average overnight low temperature in July hovers around mid-50 °F (approximately 13 °C) to low-60 °F (about 15 °C).

While the average low temperature in January hovers around 34 °F (1 °C) in the coastal belt, it remains below 0 °F (-18 °C) at higher elevations as well as in the far northern part. The statewide average level of precipitation is around 40 inches (1,016 mm).

Occasionally, hurricanes and tropical storms take place in the state. The state is hit by about two tornadoes every year. The average occurrence of thunderstorms in the state is less than 20 days.

What is the Economy of New Hampshire?

The economy of New Hampshire is mainly dependent upon Smart Manufacturing or High Technology (SMHT), Tourism, and biomedical research. Tourism is a billion-dollar industry in the state, thanks to the picturesque locales of New Hampshire.

The total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for New Hampshire was US$84,463.9 million in 2018, a significant increase from US$60,918.7 million in 2008. The Per Capita Personal Income has increased steadily in the last decade (except for a marginal drop in the years 2009 and 2013) from US$45,694 in 2008 to US$61,294 in 2018.

The Real Median Household Income has increased only by less than US$4,000 in the last ten years. In 2008, it was US$77,369, which decreased to US$73,714 in 2011. It again gained ground and reached US$80,208 in 2015 but soon dropped to US$77,474 in 2017. However, in 2018, Real Median Household Income increased sharply to US$81,346.

Major manufacturing industries include computer and electronic products, military communication systems, computer microchips, telephone equipment, fabricated metals manufacturing (machine tools and ball bearings), lens-making equipment, metalworking machinery, and printing. The leading mined products of the state are sand, gravel for roads, concrete, and building stones from granite quarries.

The finance and insurance sector plays a vital role in the economy of New Hampshire. Manchester has come up as an essential insurance and banking center in the state. Growing urban landscape and picturesque geography have transformed New Hampshire into a real estate and tourism hub.

Dairy farming and dairy products account for 31% of the total agricultural income of New Hampshire. Other valuable livestock famed in the state includes beef cattle, calves, chicken eggs, aquaculture, and hog production. Greenhouse and nursery products (including home/garden plants as well as Christmas trees) are the major agricultural products grown in New Hampshire, followed by hay (for feeding cattle and horse), maple syrup, sweet corn, and potatoes.

The value of exports and imports in 2018 was US$5,306,050,975 and US$12,494,984,664, respectively, resulting in a negative trade balance of -US$7,188,933,689. Out of the 50 US states, New Hampshire ranks 39th, 31st, and 31st in terms of exports, imports, and trade balance, respectively.

The major export items of the state are Industrial Machinery, Electrical Machinery, Aircraft, Precision Instruments, Pharmaceuticals, Arms & Ammunition, Plastics, Precious Stones & Metals, Wood, and Printed Material. The significant items imported by the state are Oil & Mineral Fuels, Industrial Machinery, Electrical Machinery, Precision Instruments, Footwear, Plastics, Toys & Sports Equipment, and Wood.

The unemployment rate had seen a tremendous fluctuation in the last ten years. It was hovering around 3.5% in January 2008 but soon skyrocketed to 6.5% in June 2009, in just one and a half years. From that peak, it gradually came down to 5.3% in May 2011 and then to 2.6% in November 2019.

The rate of poverty in New Hampshire was 7.7% in 2018. Out of the total population of 1,298,898, the number of persons living below the poverty line was 99,966. The incidence of poverty is more severe among African Americans (24.3%) and Latino population (17.6%) than whites (7.3%) and Asian Americans (11.2%).

What is the Transportation System of New Hampshire?

New Hampshire’s transport system is characterized by well-maintained roadways (which includes US highways, interstate highways, and state highways).

The New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) maintains around 17,029 miles (27,406 km) of roadways. Over 4,814 miles (7,747 km) of roads are maintained by the state, out of which 2,567 miles (4,131 km) are numbered and 1,465 miles (2,358 km) are unnumbered.

Primary highways extend to around 557 miles (896 km) in the state. Towns and cities maintain roadways amounting to about 12,215 miles (19,658 km) that they pass through. The longest US Route and state highways are US Route 3 (241.953 miles or 389.386 km) and New Hampshire Route 16 (154.771 miles or 249.080 km) respectively. New Hampshire Route 10A is the shortest highway, which is just 0.548 miles or 0.882 km long.

The Interstate Highway system is around 224.2 miles (360.8 km) long. Interstates, namely I-89, I-93, and I-95. I-293 and I-393 are the two important secondary Interstates present in the state. There are around 585.1 miles (941.6 km) of US Numbered Highways, out of which the four primary routes are US 1, US 2, US 3, and US 4 along with two spur routes, including US Route 202 and US Route 302.

The leading New Hampshire railroads are Green Mountain Railroad, New England Central Railroad, New England Southern Railroad, New Hampshire North coast Corporation, Pan Am Railways, Pan Am Southern Railroad, St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad, etc. Major Passenger carriers in the state are Amtrak, Conway Scenic Railroad, Hobo Railroad, Mount Washington Cog Railway, Silver Lake Railroad, White Mountain Central Railroad, Wilton Scenic Railroad, and Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad.

There are three major airports in New Hampshire, and they are Manchester–Boston Regional Airport (in Manchester), Portsmouth International Airport at Pease (in Portsmouth), and Lebanon Municipal Airport (in Lebanon).

Why New Hampshire is called the “Granite State?”

New Hampshire is called the “Granite State” because of the presence of extensive granite quarries in the state. Granite is also New Hampshire’s official state rock.

The other three nicknames of the state are “The Mother of Rivers,” “The White Mountain State,” and “Switzerland of America.”

What are the Popular Tourist Attractions in New Hampshire?

White Mountain National Forest, Mt. Washington Cog Railway, Strawberry Banke, Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway and Franconia Notch, Portsmouth Harbor Trail and Historic Houses, Mt. Monadnock, North Conway & Mt. Washington Valley Ski Resorts, Hampton Beach, Fall Foliage, Lake Winnipesaukee, Kancamagus Highway, Currier Museum of Art and Zimmerman House, Covered Bridge Driving Tour, Woodman Institute and Garrison House, Story Land, Lost River Gorge, Clark’s Trading Post

Facts About New Hampshire

1) The state of New Hampshire is nicknamed “The Granite State”.

2) New Hampshire is bounded by Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Canadian Province of Quebec.

3) The capital city of the state is Concord and the largest city is Manchester.

4) Mount Washington is the tallest point in New Hampshire and its altitude is 6,288 feet. This mountain is famous for the highest wind speed to be recorded in the world.

5) The state covers a total area of 9,304 sq miles and is the 46th biggest state in the United States.

6) Before it achieved statehood, the entire territory was known as the Province of New Hampshire. It was admitted to the Union on June 21, 1788 as the 9th state of the country. However, the state of NH was the first to proclaim independence from Great Britain.

7) The official amphibian is the Red-Spotted Newt.

8) Famous residents of the state of New Hampshire include Robert Frost, Alan Shepard, and Franklin Pierce.

9) Londonderry Common Field is the first site to raise potato in the country.

10) The official motto is “Live free or die”.

11) The official bird is the Purple Finch.

12) The official butterfly is the Karner Blue.

13) The state mammal is the White-Tailed Deer.

14) The official flower is the Purple Lilac.

15) There are more than 1,300 lakes and water bodies in the state and lakes cover 277 sq miles of the state.

16) The official sport of the state is Skiing.

17) The geographical core of the state is situated in Belknap.

18) Wolfeboro is the Oldest Summer Resort in the United States.

19) Dover is the oldest colony in the state.

20) The official tree is the White Birch and the butterfly is the Karner Blue.

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