New Hampshire, one of the six states of New England, is located in the northeastern region of the United States. Much of the state is forested uplands, with the peaks of the White Mountains spanning its north-central portion. Part of the Appalachian range, the peaks of the White Mountains are separated by passes known locally as “notches”. During the last Ice Age, an ice sheet covered the entire state, gouging out the river valleys and leaving behind numerous lakes after ice melted. South of the White Mountains, the landscape is dotted with isolated peaks known as "monadnocks”. New Hampshire’s western boundary with Vermont is formed by the Connecticut River and its broad valley. In the extreme southeast of New Hampshire there is a small area of flat coastal plain bordering the Atlantic Ocean.

Name

New Hampshire takes its name from the county of Hampshire in southern England. The area was named in honour of Captain John Mason, Governor of Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. In 1622 Mason, along with Sir Ferdinand Gorges and others, obtained from the Council of Plymouth a grant of land partly in present-day Maine and partly in present-day New Hampshire. They called it Laconia. In 1629 Mason acquired in his own right a portion of Laconia that lay between the Piscataqua and the Merrimack rivers. He named this land New Hampshire. The settlement of Portsmouth, named after the city of the same name in England, was founded by farmers and fishermen in 1630.

Climate

New Hampshire has warm, wet summers and cold, wet winters. The climate of the southeastern coastal area is moderated by the Atlantic Ocean, which gives it milder and wetter weather. Central and northern areas experience cooler temperatures and lower precipitation than in the south. Winters are snowy throughout the state—especially so in the mountains, where blizzards often blast through the narrow valleys.

Economy

Agriculture in New Hampshire is limited by the mountainous terrain and poor soils. The state's main farm products are dairy, fruit and vegetables, cattle and eggs.

​​​​​​​Industrialization came early to New Hampshire. Power from the state’s many fast-flowing streams was used in the manufacture of textiles and shoes. Today, its chief industrial products are machinery, electrical equipment, rubber and plastics. Although known as the Granite State, its deposits of granite rock are no longer extensively quarried.
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The northern part of New Hampshire has less than 5% of the state's population and is less prosperous than other parts. Although its logging and paper industries have declined, tourism—based around skiing, snowboarding, hiking and mountain biking—has thrived. Many visitors also come to enjoy the state's beaches, lakes and fall scenery. 

Facts about New Hampshire

Area 9349 sq miles (24,214 sq km)

Highest point Mount Washington 6288 ft (1917 m)

Population 1,402,054

Capital Concord

Largest cities Manchester, 115,474; Nashua, 91,003; Concord, 44,629; Rochester, 33,519; Dover, 33,485

Nickname The Granite State

State bird Purple finch

State flower Purple lilac

State tree White birch