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State of New Hampshire Information

Governor: John Lynch (D)

Capital: Concord (1808)

State motto: Live Free or Die (from New Hampshire Revolutionary War Hero Gen. John Stark)

State seal: New Hampshire’s circular state seal depicts the frigate Raleigh, the first ship to carry the American flag into sea battle, encircled by laurel leaves.

Nickname: The Granite State

Settled: 1623

Population: 1,235,786 (2000 Census)

Area: 9,304-square miles (84% of land covered in forests; 18 miles of coastline; 1,300 lakes; 40,000 miles of rivers/streams; 900,000 acres of government-owned park and forest land).

Work force: 685,511 (2000)

Largest cities: Manchester (pop. 107,006), Nashua (pop. 86,605), Concord (pop. 40,687), Derry (pop. 34,021), and Rochester (pop.29,654).

Taxes: No personal income tax, no sales and use tax, no capital gains tax, no business property tax. Business Profits Tax is 8.5%,
Rooms and Meals Tax is 8%.

International Commerce: $2.4 billion in exports (2002).

Climate: Northern/west central average temperature is 41 degrees Fahrenheit; southern average temperature is 46 degrees Fahrenheit.

Highest peak: Mount Washington, 6,288 (highest peak in the northeast U.S.).

Famous citizens: Franklin Pierce, 14th President of the U.S.; U.S. Supreme Court Justices Salmon P. Chase, Harlan F. Stone and David Souter; newspaper editors Horace Greeley and William Leob; 19th century orator Daniel Webster; poet Robert Frost; Mary Baker Eddy, founder of the Christian Science church; astronaut Alan Shepard; Christa McAuliffe, first teacher in space.

State Government: After serving under British rule since it was settled in 1623, New Hampshire became the first among the colonies to have declared their independence from Great Britain — drafting a constitution based on the principles of self-government. This constitution, signed into law in 1776, was flawed, however, and the first constitutional convention in history met in Concord in 1778 to begin drafting a new constitution. After several drafts, a new constitution was accepted by the people on October 31, 1783.

State Economy: New Hampshire has an excellent reputation for being a state that fosters business innovation and a state in which a small entrepreneur can successfully start a business. Thanks to its unique tax environment, void of any broad-based sales or income tax, its outstanding quality of life and its minimal government intervention, New Hampshire continues to attract new projects such as SMC Corporation, PC System Inc. and GN Netcom, which contribute to the state’s growing economy.

Tourism in New Hampshire provides thousands of jobs, and is a major source of revenue to the state. New Hampshire’s lakes, mountains, seashore and North Country wilderness areas provide opportunities for rest, relaxation and economic development for countless people each year.

Historical sites also provide visitors with educational and cultural experiences when they visit the state. New Hampshire has been a host for centuries, from the early visitors to Wolfeboro and Lake Winnipesaukee to the grand resort hotels of the 1800s to the ski resorts, bed and breakfast accommodations and conference centers of today. The tourism industry brings more than $3.1 billion in revenue into New Hampshire, while employing more than 64,000 people annually. Visitors travel to the Granite State in all four seasons — summer being the busiest time. Scenic beauty, outdoor recreation and tax-free shopping are the primary activities enjoyed by these travelers.

The primary: New Hampshire, as the site of the first presidential preference primary election in the nation, takes on special significance during the presidential campaign period. The first step toward New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation status came in 1913 when the state legislature established a presidential primary solely to select delegates to the national nominating conventions.