Geography

New Hampshire is bordered to the north by the Canadian province of Quebec. Maine borders New Hampshire to the east, Massachusetts to the south, and Vermont to the west. The Connecticut River forms the border between New Hampshire and Vermont.

New Hampshire is very mountainous and is home to the tallest mountain east of the Rocky Mountains: Mount Washington, which is 6,288 feet above sea level. Some of the best skiing in the eastern United States can be found in New Hampshire!

History

The last of the original thirteen colonies to be established (in 1741, when it broke away from Massachusetts Bay), New Hampshire was the first of the future United States to declare its independence from Great Britain. Famous for its state motto (“Live Free or Die”) and for the White Mountains that run through it, New Hampshire is a state that prides itself on being very different even from its neighbors in New England.

One of the most important things to happen in New Hampshire after the American Revolution was the negotiation and signing of the Treaty of Portsmouth in 1905. Negotiated by President Theodore Roosevelt, the Treaty of Portsmouth ended the Russo-Japanese War (a war between Russia and Japan). This treaty not only ensured Japan's new status as a world power, but also showed that the United States was a powerful country that would use its own emerging world power status to help keep the peace from continent to continent.

Economy

New Hampshire began using the water in its rivers to power textile mills during the 1800s, as part of the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. These days, although much of the manufacturing in the state has shifted to high-technology supplies, there are still many manufacturers of leather goods, particularly of shoes and boots.

In recent years, tourism has become one of the most important industries in New Hampshire. During the winter months, people come from all over the country to ski in New Hampshire's rugged mountains. During the summers, the state's lakes, such as the huge Winnipeesaukee, are home to summer boaters. Fishing is no longer as important as it once was in the state, but still plays a role in the state's economy.

Two other industries that were once of major importance in New Hampshire are the lumber industry and the granite quarrying industry. The lumber harvested in New Hampshire is used in making paper. Lumber is about the only harvesting going on in New Hampshire. The mountains and the thin, flinty soil make it tough to grow food there. As for the granite quarrying industry, there is not as much demand for granite as a building material as there used to be. Steel makes up the foundations of most buildings nowadays.