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Note: Alaska and Hawaii are shown out of
position for reference only and are not to scale.
Blank
Connecticut State Outline Map
Connecticut is bordered on the south by
Long Island Sound,
on the west by New York
State, on the north by
Massachusetts, and on the east by
Rhode Island. The state
capital is Hartford,
and the other major cities include
New Haven,
New London,
New Britain,
Norwich,
Milford,
Norwalk,
Stamford,
Waterbury,
Danbury and
Bridgeport.
There are 169
incorporated towns in Connecticut. There is an
ongoing civic pride and economic competition between
Hartford and New Haven, which stems back to the days
when the two cities shared the state's capital, and
even back to the rivalry between
New Haven Colony and
Connecticut Colony.
The highest
peak in Connecticut is
Bear Mountain in
Salisbury in the
northwest corner of the state. The highest point is just
east of where Connecticut,
Massachusetts, and New York meet
(42° 3' N; 73° 29' W), on the southern slope of
Mount Frissell, whose peak
lies nearby in Massachusetts.
The
Connecticut River cuts through the center of the state,
flowing into Long Island Sound, Connecticut's outlet to the
Atlantic Ocean.
Despite its
size, the state has regional variations in its landscape and
culture from the wealthy estates of Fairfield County's "Gold
Coast" to the rolling mountains and horse-farms of the
Litchfield Hills of
northwestern Connecticut. Connecticut's rural areas and
small towns in the northeast and northwest corners of the
state contrast sharply with its industrial cities, located
along the coastal highways from the New York border to New
Haven, then northwards to Hartford, as well as further up
the coast near New London. Many towns center around a small
park, known as a "green," (such as the
New Haven Green), Litchfield
Green, Simsbury Green, and New Milford Green(the largest in
the state). Near the green may stand a small white church, a
town meeting hall, a tavern and several colonial houses.
Forests, rivers, lakes, waterfalls and a sandy shore add to
the state's beauty.
The
northern boundary of the state with Massachusetts is marked
by the distinctive
Southwick Jog/Granby
Notch, an approximately 2.5 mile (4.0 km) square detour
into Connecticut slightly west of the center of the border.
Somewhat surprisingly, the actual origin of this anomaly is
not absolutely certain, with stories ranging from surveyors
who were drunk, attempting to avoid hostile Native
Americans, or taking a shortcut up the Connecticut River;
Massachusetts residents attempting to avoid Massachusetts'
high taxes for the low taxes of Connecticut; Massachusetts'
interest in the resources represented by the
Congamond Lakes
which lie on the border of the jog; and the need to
compensate Massachusetts for an amount of land given to
Connecticut due to inaccurate survey work. The dispute over
the border slowed development in the region, since neither
state would invest in public services for the area until the
dispute had been settled.
The
southwestern border of Connecticut, where it abuts New York
State, is marked by a panhandle in
Fairfield County,
containing the towns of
Greenwich, Stamford,
New Canaan and
Darien. This irregularity
in the boundary is the result of
territorial disputes
in the late 1600s, culminating with New York giving up its
claim to this area, whose residents considered themselves
part of Connecticut, in exchange for an equivalent area
extending northwards from
Ridgefield, Connecticut to the Massachusetts border as
well as undisputed claim to Rye,
New York.
Areas
maintained by the National
Park Service include:
Appalachian
National Scenic Trail;
Quinebaug & Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage
Corridor; and
Weir Farm
National Historic Site.
Climate
Connecticut
has a Humid
Continental Climate, with seasonal extremes tempered by
its proximity to the Atlantic
Ocean. Winters are cold, with average temperatures
ranging from 31 °F (-1 °C) in the southeast to 23 °F (-5 °C)
in the northwest in January. The average yearly snowfall is
about 25–100" (64–254 cm) across the state, with higher
totals in the northwest. Spring has variable temperatures
with frequent rainfall. Summer is hot and humid throughout
the state, with average highs in New London of 81 °F (27 °C)
and 87 °F (31 °C) in Windsor Locks. Fall months are mild,
and bring foliage across the state in October and November.
During hurricane season, tropical cyclones occasionally
affect the region. Thunderstorms are most frequent during
the summer, occurring on average 30 times annually. These
storms can be severe, though tornadoes are rare.
Interactive Connecticut State Map
Explore the state of Connecticut with the dynamic map below. You can
zoom, pan and even get a satellite map view.
Move your cursor over the markers on the map to
learn more about Connecticut.
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