Connecticut takes its name from an Algonquian word meaning “land in the long tidal river”.
Quinnehtukqut
, the Indian name, translates to next to the long tidal river. This refers to the Connecticut River, which runs through the center of the state. The largest civil airports in Connecticut include Danbury Municipal Airport, Waterbury-Oxford Airport, Hartford-Brainard Airport, and Groton-New London Airport.A timeline of major events that led to Connecticut's statehood can be traced back to its settlement by the Dutch, the origins of Hartford, Wethersfield and Windsor, and the founding of the colonies of Connecticut, New Haven and Saybrook. Connecticut was granted a formal charter from England and during the Civil War, Connecticut manufacturers supplied weapons and supplies to Union forces. Connecticut's economy uses less energy to produce every dollar of GDP than all other states, except California, Massachusetts and New York. From Nautilus to Merritt Parkway, Connecticut is known for its independent spirit and local pride.
Although it does not have a direct ocean view, Connecticut has a long maritime history and a reputation based on that history. Beginning in 1839, Connecticut's extensive industry, dense population, flat terrain, and wealth encouraged railroad construction. Thomas Hooker led a band of supporters of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and founded the Connecticut Colony; other settlers from Massachusetts founded the Saybrook Colony and the New Haven Colony. In 1992, Foxwoods Casino was built on the Mashantucket Pequots Reservation in eastern Connecticut and became the largest casino in the Western Hemisphere.
The most common tree in Connecticut is red maple but black birch, oriental hemlock, and sugar maple are also widespread. The end of the Cold War posed an economic challenge for Connecticut due to its dependence on the defense industry. This nickname originated during the Revolutionary War when Connecticut provided most of the food and canons to the forces. Connecticut entered into agreements with Pennsylvania and New York that extinguished land claims within those states' boundaries and created the Connecticut Panhandle.
The Connecticut State Board of Education administers public school system for children in grades K-12.Bald eagles, oriental bluebirds, red-headed woodpeckers, or rare Connecticut warblers can be spotted in trees throughout the state.