Delaware is a state on the east coast of the United States of America. Rivers and forests shape the landscape, the headquarters of large international companies shape the economic picture of the second smallest state in the USA. The latter result from the particularly favorable taxation of holding companies and are in part pure mailbox addresses. The state bears the official nickname “The First State” (First State) since 1787 Delaware became the first state of the Thirteen Colonies ratified the US Constitution. There are only three counties in Delaware, fewer than in any other US state.

Area

6,447 km²

Residents

952.065

Residents per km²

147.7

Capital

Dover

Postal Code

DE

ISO-3166-2 code

US-DE

FIPS code

10

Geography

Delaware has a total area of ​​6,447 km², of which 1,387 km² is accounted for by water. This makes Delaware the second smallest US state in terms of area after Rhode Island. The majority of the area of ​​Delaware lies on the Atlantic coast plate. The state borders Pennsylvania to the north. The eastern border with New Jersey is formed by the Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean; to the west and south is the state of Maryland. The largest city is Wilmington and the capital is Dover. One of the largest American air bases, Dover Air Force Base, is near Dover.

Climate

Delaware has a moderate year-round climate with average temperatures ranging from 0 to 24 ° C and statistically 208 days of sunshine. The seasons are clearly demarcated from each other, but the climate is influenced by the Atlantic and is temperate to humid all year round. In summer it can get up to 32 ° C; in winter snow falls sometimes – the temperatures can drop to below -5 ° C.

History

Before European settlement, Lenape (also known as Lenni Lenape ), Susquehanna, and other tribes lived in the area. The Spanish and Portuguese came to the coast of what is now Delaware in the sixteenth century. The first European settlers came in 1631 and set up a Dutch trading post.

In 1664, the English captured the colony and added it to their own colony, New York. On December 7, 1787, Delaware became the first of the 13 colonies to ratify the new American Constitution during a ceremony in Dover.

Although Delaware was a slave-holding state, the state sided with the Northern states during the Civil War after a vote to leave the Union on January 3, 1861 failed to find the required majority. Eight months after the end of the Civil War, on February 18, 1865, Delaware refused to approve the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution. It was not until February 12, 1901, that Delaware approved the abolition of slavery by ratifying the new article.

In Delaware you can still visit the first “black” church, which was founded by slaves before the abolition of slavery. In 1967, Delaware was one of the last US states to be forced by the Supreme Court to abandon the prohibition of mixed marriage.

Economy

Delaware has been the most economically successful state in the USA for years. The real gross domestic product per capita (per capita GDP) – the most important indicator of prosperity – was USD 73,931 in 2016 (national average of the 50 US states: USD 57,118; national ranking: 3).

The unemployment rate was 4.7% in November 2017 (national average: 4.1%). Delaware had the highest median household income of any state, at $ 83,382 in 2017.

One reason for the economic strength of Delaware is that corporate law in Delaware is considered to be the most liberal in the country, which means that almost all large corporations in the United States are registered in Delaware. As a result of the Delaware Effect, Delaware is known as the seat of approximately 620,000 mailbox companies, including numerous large corporations. Delaware is widely recognized as a tax haven. According to the tax law group Tax Justice Network, Delaware tops the list of the world’s most popular tax havens (comparing laws, case law and inflow of deposits).

In addition to extremely low taxes, it is possible to set up businesses anonymously. No share capital is required to set up a company, and a board of one person is sufficient. Further advantages for companies are that board meetings do not have to take place in Delaware and that there is no disclosure requirement.

Over a third of the letterbox companies are located in a single one-story building, the Corporation Trust Center.

The main agricultural products in Delaware are poultry, soybeans, dairy products, corn, potatoes, mushrooms, peas, barley, cucumbers and wheat.

Also known as Diamond State / First State / Small Wonder, Delaware is short for OF with a population of 783,600. The capital city of Delaware is Dover and the biggest city is Wilmington.