- Nickname: First State; Diamond State
- Motto: Liberty and independence
- Flower: Peach blossom
- Bird: Blue hen chicken
- Area: 2,489 square miles (2000; U.S. rank: 49th)
- Elevation: Ranges from sea level to 440 feet
above sea level
- Climate: Temperate, with mild winters and hot
summers
- Admitted to Union: December 7, 1787
- Capital: Dover
- Head Official: Governor Ruth Ann Minner (D)
(until 2009)
- Population
- 1980: 594,000
- 1990: 666,000
- 2000: 783,600
- 2003 estimate: 817,491
- Percent change, 1990–2000: 17.6%
- Percent change, 2000–2003: 4.3%
- U.S. rank in 2003: 45th
- Percent of residents born in state: 48.3% (2000)
- Density: 401.1 people per square mile (in 2000,
based on 2000 land area)
- 2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 31,803
- Racial and Ethnic Characteristics (2000)
- White: 584,773
- Black or African American: 150,666
- American Indian and Alaska Native: 2,731
- Asian: 16,259
- Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 283
- Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 37,277
- Other: 15,855
- Age Characteristics (2000)
- Population under 5 years old: 51,531
- Population 5 to 19 years old: 166,719
- Percent of population 65 years and over: 13%
- Median age: 36 years (2000)
- Vital Statistics
- Total number of births (2003): 12,120
- Total number of deaths (2002): 6,860 (infant
deaths, 96)
- AIDS cases reported through 2003: 3,231
- Economy
- Major industries: Chemicals, agriculture, food
products, paper products, printing and publishing, rubber
and plastic products
- Unemployment rate: 4.0% (November 2004)
- Per capita income: $33,321 (2003; U.S. rank:
12th)
- Median household income: $50,451 (3-year average,
2001-2003)
- Percentage of persons below poverty level: 7.7%
(3-year average, 2001-2003)
- Income tax rate: Ranges from 2.2% to 5.95%
- Sales tax rate: None
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