Nickname: The Green Mountain State. The name of the state itself comes from "verts monts," French for green mountains. Verd Mont was a name given to the Green Mountains in October, 176l, by the Rev. Dr. Peters, the first clergyman who paid a visit to the 30,000 settlers in that country, in the presence of Col. Taplin, Col. Willes, Col. Peters, Judge Peters and many others, who were proprietors of a large number of townships in that colony. The ceremony was performed on the top of a rock standing on a high mountain, then named Mount Pisgah because it provided to the company a clear sight of lake Champlain at the west, and of Connecticut river at the east, and overlooked all the trees and hills in the vast wilderness at the north and south.

Motto Freedom and Unity

Maple Syrup: Vermont has an ideal climate for growing sugar maple trees; an ideal climate for good sap flow; and a syrup making know-how which has been handed down from generation to generation. An air of romance associated with this long established industry calls back many people each year to hear the roar of the raging fire, to inhale the sweet aroma of the boiling syrup, and to partake of the unmatched flavor of Vermont maple syrup.
Forty years are required to grow a maple tree large enough to tap. A tree ten inches in diameter is considered minimum tappable size for one tap. For each additional six inches in diameter, another bucket (tap) may be added. It takes 4-5 taps to produce enough maple sap (approximately 40 gallons) to produce one gallon of syrup. The normal maple season lasts 4 to 6 weeks, sometimes starting as early as February in southern Vermont and lasting into late April in northern Vermont.

Tree: Sugar Maple

A State First: Vermont was the first state after the original 13 colonies to join the United States.

State Flower : Red Clover

Famous Vermonters: U.S. President Calvin Coolidge, Henry Wells, founder of Wells Fargo and Co., Brigham Young, Mormon leader, U.S. President Chester A. Arthur, Stephen A. Douglas, politician famous for his debates with Abraham Lincoln.

Capital: Montpelier , in Washington County.

Another First: Ida May Fuller of Brattlebor, Vermont was the first U.S. citizen to receive a Social Security check. She lived to be over 100 and collected her first check in 1940. She collected over $20,000 in total benefits.

State Products:Vermont makes more maple syrup, marble and monument granite than any other state.

Largest Employer: Vermont's largest employer isn't Ben and Jerry's, but IBM.

Vermont Geography: The geographic center of Vermont is located in Washington County, 3 miles east of Roxbury. Vermont is bordered by Canada on the north and Massachusetts in the south. On the east, Vermont is bordered by New Hampshire. On the west, Vermont is bordered by New York. Vermont covers 9,615 square miles, making it the 45th largest of the 50 states. 9,249 square miles of Vermont are land areas. 366 square miles of Vermont are covered by water.

Entered Union: March 4, 1791 (14th)

Largest City: Burlington in Chittenden County.

Major Body of Water: Lake Champlain is often referred to as one of the most historic bodies of water in North America. That rich history is directly related to Lake Champlain geography. As a direct north-south waterway through heavily wooded and rugged terrain, Lake Champlain provided an easy traveling route, connecting earliest inhabitants to the Richelieu and St. Lawrence rivers to the north, and Lake George and the Hudson River to the south. Connections to major river waterways like the Otter Creek through Vermont and the Boquet River through New York provided access into the surrounding lands. Lake Champlain is... Total Area: 490 square miles (sixth largest freshwater lake in the U.S.) 322 in Vermont 151 in New York 17 in Quebec, Maximum Depth: 400 feet (12m) - Average 64ft ( m), Navigable Length: 120 miles (193km), Width of lake: 12 miles (19km) at widest point.

Industry: Over 65,000 people in New Hampshire are employed by tourism; the second largest industry in the state.

Highest Point: Mount Mansfield is the highest of Vermont's peaks, measuring in at an elevation of 4,393 feet. When viewed from the east, the mountain has a profile of a human face, with a forehead, nose, lips, chin and adam's apple. Mansfield summit (The Chin is the highest point) offers views of the Green Mountain range, east to New Hampshire's White Mountains, and west across Lake Champlain to New York's Adirondacks. You can find the mountain in Lamoille and Chittenden counties.

State Flag: The picture on a deep blue field is a scene painting. You see a tall pine tree, a cow and sheaves of wheat. The Green Mountains are in the distance. Pine boughs extend around a shield. The name "Vermont" and the state motto "Freedom and Unity" are displayed on a crimson banner. At the the top of the shield is a stag's head.