Capital: Dover.

Governor: Ruth Ann Minner (D, to January 2005).

Population: 783,600.

Land area: 1,954 (square miles).

Entered the Union: December 7, 1787 as the 1st state.

Motto: Liberty and Independence.

Nicknames: The Diamond State, the First State.

Flower: Peach Blossom.

Bird: Blue Hen Chicken.

Song: "Our Delaware".

Sports Teams: None.

Origin of Name: From the Delaware River and Bay, which were named for Sir Thomas West, Lord De La Warr.

Major Industries: Chemical Manufacturing, Fruits and Vegetables, and Food Canning.

Historical Sites: Holy Trinity Church, the oldest Protestant church in the U.S. still in use, in Wilmington.

Points of Interest: The Delaware Museum of Natural History; New Castle, an almost unchanged 18th-century city center; the Delaware Seashore.

Bordering States: Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.