I got the idea for this thread from an e-mail I received today. This is the e-mail in it's entirety. I hope everyone will take the time to introduce their state or country.

West Virginia

West Virginia has the most Medal of Honor winners, and continues to provide the most members to the military - per capita of all the states.
For those of you who are not mountaineers maybe this
will help you understand us a little better!!!

Proud to be a West Virginian
Montani Semper Liberi ... Mountaineers Are Always Free.
These words adorn the state flag and state seal of the Great State of West Virginia. Yes, that state that continually comes in last in every statistic kept by the federal government.
We're last (or next to last) in just about every failing of humankind ... obesity, tobacco use, high school graduation rate, and teen pregnancy. You name it; we're number one or number fifty, depending upon your perspective. West Virginia is one of the poorest states in America. Our median income wouldn't buy a
cheeseburger, fries, and a coke in New York City. Our elected politicians are, by and large, good ole boys. We're the butts of many a joke around the country.

The largest employer in the state IS the state. The largest single city in West Virginia barely has 50,000 people. We're mostly known for coal mining, yet the lion's share of dollars from mining leaves the state, and ends up in the hands of the land barons living elsewhere.

No United States Presidents were born in West Virginia. I don't even believe any Vice Presidents were born here; but we are the home of Senator Robert C. Byrd. West Virginia doesn't have a professional sports team. We're not big enough. We don't have any major TV markets that would be attractive to any owners.
We don't have any national monuments no Grand Canyon, or Mount Rushmore, or even a Disney World; No NASCAR tracks (yet), no Great Lakes, no international airports, no Opryland, no sky needles, no eight lane highways, no beaches, no Ivy League
colleges.

We don't have any skyscrapers, or world famous vacation spots, or motion picture studios,or amber waves of grain; no subways, no Emmy Awards, no Mardi Gras, and no Rose Bowl Parade.

With all of the things West Virginia doesn't have, why would anyone bother living here, you ask? Well ...West Virginia has some things that a person doesn't realize they wanted until they were here. West Virginia has mountains. The Appalachian
Mountains extend from New York to Georgia,but in no state are they more majestic, or part of the renown, than in West Virginia.
The highest point in West Virginia is Spruce Knob, one mile above sea level. Yes, there are higher points in America, but none
more beautiful. Because of our mountains, we have rivers. The oldest river in the Western Hemisphere, the New River
(quite appropriately named, don't you think) ends in West Virginia. We have the Gauley river, which confluences with the New River in a magnificent cascade to form the Kanawha River, which in turn flows through the center of the capital city of Charleston, the largest city in West Virginia. These rivers in addition to the Cheat, Blackwater, Tygart, Monongahela, and countless others offer tremendous recreational opportunities.

The tallest building in Charleston is barely 25 floors tall, which, if you think about it, is a plus; how could you possibly build a skyscraper more beautiful than a mountain? The capital city stretches throughout the long river valley, encompassing both hill and dale. The Charleston airport, the largest in the state, sits on top of a mountain. The crime rate in Charleston, including the entire population of the Kanawha Valley (around 200,000), reflects that of the entire state the lowest in America. No more than a handful of murders are committed each year. Charleston has no subway systems, but, truth be known, you can get from one end of town to the other, even in rush hour traffic, in less than ten minutes. There are three major interstate systems going through Charleston, the smallest city in America to make such a claim. The entire state has six different interstate systems, meaning, from Charleston, you can reach Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Louisville or Charlotte in four hours or less....

Ah, but, once you leave the interstates, the drive becomes a thing of wonder. Two lane roads, winding up and down the mountains,offer amazing views and historic places small towns, poor in wealth but rich in history. West Virginia is the birthplace of
Mother's Day, in Grafton; and Father's Day, in Fairmont. We have the oldest covered bridge still in use. We have walnut festivals and strawberry festivals and apple festivals and pumpkin festivals and buckwheat festivals, and arts and crafts fairs and stern wheel regattas and ramp dinners. We have Bridge Day, on
the New River Gorge bridge over 800 feet above the New River; the only standing structure in the United States that, one day a year, allows parachuting and bungee jumping. We have college basketball, and minor league baseball and hockey,and, just like all of America, Friday night high school football. We have white
water rafting, and skiing, and hiking, and caves, and waterfalls, and camping in every direction. We have Sundays where a leisurely drive in the car can take eight hours, and only cover 100 miles. We have bed and breakfasts, and resorts, and golf courses, and museums, and the Greenbrier Hotel. West Virginia
has more natural beauty and wonder than any person could ever imagine.

We have all of this, and yet .... our greatest asset is our people. West Virginians are good people. We care about each other. We talk to our neighbors over the backyard fence. We grow tomatoes for the entire neighborhood. We turn around in each other's driveways, and yell "howdy" when we do. We sit on the porch on warm summer evenings, listening to crickets, and watching kids catch fireflies. We loan a hammer, or a cup of sugar. We don't take two-hour lunches, but we do spend a few minutes each day with a cup of coffee, and our feet up on our
desk, shooting the breeze. We rarely get in a hurry. We have relatives just down the street. We don't just loan someone a socket wrench, we help them fix their car. We share recipes, and gardening tips, and our last cup of coffee. We baby sit each other's kids, we house sit each other's dogs while we're on vacation, and we loan each other our cars if we have to get to the drug store. We ask each other if we need anything as
we're going to the market. We celebrate each other's accomplishments, and we cry over each other's disappointments.
We are a friendly folk. We are West Virginians. Mountaineers are always free. Free to take the time to enjoy life, and hold each
moment in our hearts, forever.

Ok, well here's my introduction to the state of my birth and residence, The Republic of Ireland!

Land and People
Ireland has a population of 3,744,700 (1999 estimate), with Dublin, its capital city, having a population of 953, 000.
The country enjoys a relatively mild climate with average monthly temperatures ranging from 7 degrees celsius in January to 19 degrees in July.
Ireland has an average monthly rainfall of between 2 and 3 inches with average daily hours of sunshine ranging from 2 hours in December to 6 hours in June.
The country's total area is 84,412km squared with a total coastline distance of 3,172km.
Ireland's highest mountain is Carrantouhill, Co. Kerry at 1,041m, longest river, the Shannon at 340km and largest lake, Lough Neagh at 396km squared.
Irelands National Parks are home to some of the most unique and spectacular scenery in the county while wild boglands occur in mountain and lowland areas and are one of the most distinctive natural habitats in the country.
The bio-diversity of wildlife is naturally low due to Ireland's isolation from mainland Europe so many species present on the continent are absent. Many other common animals and plants have, in fact, been introduced by human settlers.
The free profession of religion is guaranteed to all citizens by the Irish Constitution. The stated religion of the majority of people in Ireland is the Roman Catholic faith.
The Irish language evolved from Celtic immigrants around 600 BC. The language survived the introduction of the linguistic diversity of both the invading Vikings and Normans down through the centuries.
The first to bring the English language to Ireland were the Normans. Though English was slow to become established in Ireland it eventually became the language used for all administrative and legal business. Irish became associated with the poorer classes, and gradually English was adopted in general as the vernacular from the latter years of the eighteenth century on.

Emigration

From ordinary Irish people being faced with emigration or poverty to Irish missionaries and artists travelling the world teaching and learning, emigration has played a major part in Irish society. Various historical events have of course contributed to emigration levels. The overthrow of the Gaelic order, the devastation of the Famine years and the economic stagnation of recent decades all contributed to Ireland having the highest emigration rate of any European country.
It is estimated that over 40 million people in the US are of Irish descent. Irish emigration to Canada also reached large numbers during and after the Famine years.
Up to 30% of the Australian population is estimated to be of Irish descent.
Many Irish soldiers served in the armies of the South American Republics during the early years of the 19th century.
Today things are different, as the economic miracle has finally stemmed the flow of some of our best and brightest from leaving these shores and is tempting many more to return.


Literature

From publications such as James Joyces epic masterpiece Ulysses, Sean O' Casey's The Plough and the Stars and Juno and the Paycock in the 1920's to more modern works like Brian Friel's Philadelphia Here I Come, Irish literature has been recognised for its quality all over the world.
During the twentieth century writing in modern Irish has developed afresh with vigour. Among the most noteworthy writers are the novelist Máirtín Ó Cadhain and the poets Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill and Cathal Ó Searcaigh, all three of whom have won international recognition
Recently, poet Seamus Heaney has received the Nobel Prize for literature the fourth Irish writer to receive the honour in the 20th century. Other Irish writers recently recognised for their achievements include John Banville, short listed for the Booker Prize for Book of Evidence in 1989 and Roddy Doyle, who won the Booker Prize for his novel Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha.
Music and Dance

The native music of medieval Ireland was transmitted orally from generation to generation. The harp (cláirseach), and the small harp (cruit), were the main musical instruments. Today, traditional Irish music is played on the harp, the bodhrán, the uilleann pipes, the fiddle and the accordion.
No original records of the old bardic music survive, but the works of Turlough O'Carolan, harpist, composer and poet, have been preserved, and from the end of the eighteenth century onwards extensive and valuable collections of native Irish music have been made and published. Thanks to the efforts of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann (literally, 'the fellowship of Irish musicians') and others, the regard for Irish music, both in Ireland and in many countries overseas, is higher than it ever was. The work of Seán Ó Riada in the 1960s and of the Chieftains in later decades did much to rejuvenate traditional music and introduce this genre to a wide appreciative public. At present Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann have 400 branches in Ireland and throughout the world, practising and teaching Irish music. Their archive of traditional music contains 4,000 hours of listening. Comhaltas may be accessed at their website www.comhaltas.com
The fusions of traditional Irish music with rock, world music and popular music have also earned considerable acclaim.
Dances include jigs, reels, hornpipes and sets. In recent years there has been a great demand for shows such as Riverdance throughout the world.
Rock music and 'country' music are two main forms of popular music in Ireland today. Country music enjoys a huge following and home grown artists such as Daniel O'Donnell have has success both at home and abroad.
Irish rock and pop acts such as U2, Boyzone, The Corrs and Westlife have also gained international acclaim.
The Irish popular music scene is recognised as being one of the most vibrant in Europe, with services such as Music Base in place to assist the development of new acts entering a multi-million pound industry.
Cinema

The first public screenings of film in Ireland were held in Dublin by the Lumière brothers in 1896, while the following year the first filmed Irish subjects were shown by a Professor Joly.
The first cinema in Ireland was the Volta on Mary Street in Dublin, which opened in 1909 under the short-lived management of James Joyce.
Apart from indigenous productions, Ireland has always had history of being used as a backdrop for international films, often by distinguished film makers. Examples include Ryans Daughter (1970), Braveheart (1994) and Saving Private Ryan (1997).
With the establishment of the Irish Film Board in 1981 and its re-establishment in 1993, native film production was given a platform to develop and grow. Today Irish cinema enjoys a higher international profile than ever before, with the work of Irish directors achieving commercial and critical success. Notable Irish productions of recent years include: My Left Foot (Jim Sheridan, 1989), The Field (Jim Sheridan, 1990), Michael Collins (Neil Jordan, 1996) and The General (John Boorman, 1998).
Folklore

Folklore and legend has always been an essential part of Irish culture, with the emphasis being on story telling, an oral tradition. In Gaelic and Norman-Gaelic Ireland, the poet or 'file' was the guardian of knowledge, and as such, enjoyed high status in society.
The folk-tales and legends of Irish culture have been handed down through generations of such guardians and the telling of such tales to the community was a great social tradition.
Sport

Ireland's mark on the world of sport has been disproportionate to the size of the country. Irish soccer teams have won European Championships at youth level and Irish players play for clubs all over Europe. Ireland has produced some of the best golfers, snooker players, cyclists, boxers and jockeys in the world and our athletes have triumphed at championship and Olympic level.
Gaelic Football and Hurling, as Ireland's native sports are the most popular. The major competitions in each sport are the All-Ireland Championships which are contested by teams from each of the 32 counties. The All-Ireland finals are played at Croke Park in Dublin, which is the headquarters of the GAA (Gaelic Athletic Association) in Ireland and is currently undergoing a major development programme.
Soccer is also very popular in Ireland and is governed by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI). However the senior domestic competition do not reflect the real strength of soccer as many talented players play in leagues abroad. Many of these same players, play for the national team which enjoys a large following.
Rugby Football has about 60,000 Irish participants at club and school level and competition exists in the form of schoolboy, club and provincial leagues and championships. The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) is the governing body for the sport and the Irish international team draws large crowds.
Athletics and particularly track and field athletics has a long tradition in Ireland, which has produced a long list of past World and Olympic Champions. The most popular events are running, over middle and long distances and on marathon, track and indoor cross-country courses. Current athletics stars include Catherina Mc Kiernan and Sonia O'Sullivan, both cross-country champions at European and World levels.
Equestrian: The Irish bloodstock industry is considered one of the finest in the world. Famous racehorses produced include Arkle, Dawn Run, Istabraq, Nijinsky and Saddlers Wells. Ireland has produced a string of leading riders in all disciplines including Michael Kinnane, Richard Dunwoody and Eddie Macken.
The sports of Snooker, golf, boxing and many other sports have seen Irish sportsmen and women compete and triumph at the highest level

New Brusnwick - Canada

Did you Know?

The inventor of the ice cream cone was born in Sussex corner- the Dairy Capital of Canada, mid-way along the Fundy Coastal Drive. Locals tell the story of baker Walter Donelly who made a bad batch of dough. He was at a loss with what to do with his hard, crispy pastry. So, he ran next door to the ice cream parlour….and the rest, as they say, is ice cream cone history.


DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY ?
Fish stories abound in the Miramichi River in the heart of salmon country. The river boasts the best salmon fishing in the world. Just ask American test pilot Chuck Yeager and U.S. Army General Norman Schwarzkopf- two of the many famous anglers who have waded in the river.


LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!!!
New Brunswick musicians made history in May of 1907 at the Nickel Theatre in Saint John. They were the first to accompany silent moving pictures in North America. Film mogul Louis B. Mayer grew up in Saint John. The port city has been home to several Hollywood legends, including distinguished actors Walter Pidgeon and Donald Sutherland-star of the Academy Award winning film Ordinary People.

TAKE COVER!
The world's longest covered bridge was completed in Hartland in 1899. It's 390 metres ( 1,282 feet ) long and spans the Saint John River. There are 62 covered bridges in the province. Many of them are in the Sussex area of Kings County- the Covered Bridge Capital of Atlantic Canada. Be sure to make a wish as you drive through. (Oh, and ask one of the locals to tell you why covered bridges are called Kissing Bridges) !

FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD
The world's biggest lobster "lives" in Shediac, but unfortunately he doesn't breathe. It's 10.5 metres ( 35 feet ) long, 4.5 metres ( 15 feet ) high and weighs 90 tons! And you can climb on him. Oh my homard!


BIGGEST BAR NONE!
The Eel River Bar, near Dalhousie on the Acadian Coastal Drive, is one of the longest natural sandbars in North America. Fresh water laps its shores on one side, salt water on the other. Talk about spin cycles.

OLD SOW!
The largest tidal whirlpool in the Western Hemisphere lies off the shores of Deer Island off the southwestern mainland. It's called the Old Sow.

FOR PEAT'S SAKE!
Next time you plant in your garden, read the label on the bag of peat moss. More than likely, it says: " Made in New Brunswick." As the second largest peat exporter in the world, the largest share of Canada's peat moss comes from the northeastern area of the province which we refer to as the Acadian Peninsula. The region's moist climate and flat terrain make it an ideal spot for harvesting peat. Every July, the people from Lamèque celebrate the harvest during the Peat Moss Festival. Be sure to visit and see how harvesters and their families decorate their properties with bales of peat.


"CYMBALYLY" FANTASTIC!
The cymbal factory in Meductic is one of the first in North America. Musicians in over 80 countries play New Brunswick-made Sabian cymbals. Drummers for Eric Clapton, Phil Collins and Billy Joel, as well as percussionists with the Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Cleveland and New York Philharmonic Symphony Orchestras won't venture on stage without their Sabian cymbals.

CHOCOLATE!
Arthur Ganong returned from fishing expeditions with a sticky gooey mess in his pockets. It seems that Arthur, the son of the founder of Ganongs Chocolates of St. Stephen, had a sweet tooth and would never leave on a fishing trip without a handful of chocolates in his pockets. In 1910 tired of cleaning up the melted mess, young Arthur began wrapping his chocolates in a tin foil. Soon after, Ganongs made individually-wrapped bars of chocolate and sold them for a nickel. They became the world's first chocolate bar!

ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS!
Nackawic has an axe to grind. It's 15 metres ( 50 feet ) high, making it the biggest in the world. You'll find the gigantic axe in the town which depends on the logging industry for its survival just off the Trans- Canada Highway on the River Valley Scenic Drive.

WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND
Today, mahogany is one of the most expensive woods available, but in New Brunswick during the 19th century, it was actually one of the least expensive woods! Because of its heaviness, mahogany was used as ballast below the deck of sailing ships arriving at New Brunswick's many ports. The wood was then discarded dock side into the waiting hands of local furniture makers.

HOT SEAT ?
Wait til you hear this one. In 1778, it seems that respected Saint John lawyer Ward Chipman ordered a chair specially crafted by Alexander Ross and James Hunter of Fredericton. Letters between Chipman and Ross were found discussing details of the chair's cost, shipping fees and so on. However, the return address on one letter bears the name of the local prison in Fredericton. It seems Ross and Hunter were jailed for debt and the chair was part of their payment to Chipman for legal fees. The chair is on display at the New Brunswick Museum in Saint John.

DOWNTOWN IS ACTUALLY UPTOWN
Check those brakes! Saint John has the steepest main street in Canada. King Street has an 8 per cent grade. In other words, over the distance of two city blocks, the street rises 80 feet… ( roughly the height of an eight-storey building ). So it's no wonder people in Saint John go " uptown " to do their shopping. Oops!

DID WE SAY SQUARE ?
Despite the name, King Square is not square. It's rectangular, like a flag. In fact, if you were to hitch a ride with one of the pigeons near the bandstand, you'd see the pathways are designed to look like the Union Jack. Just a little reminder of our Loyalist roots.

A RIVER RUNS BACKWARDS
At low tide, watch the Saint John River crash through a narrow gorge and tumble into the harbour. Come back at high tide and watch the same river go the other way. Serious Folks! The Bay of Fundy's incredible tides are too strong for the mighty Saint John River, forcing the waters to flow upstream twice a day, every day. Something to see with your own eyes to believe. AWESOME!!!

FUN FACTS ABOUT NEW BRUNSWICK
Highest, wildest tides in the world
Warmest saltwater beaches north of Virginia
Legendary salmon angling on the world-famous Miramichi River
More kinds of whales more often that anywhere else
Michias Seal Island (in the Bay of Fundy) is home to 900 pairs of breeding Atlantic puffins
Kings County is the Covered bridge capital of Canada
Walk the Ocean Floor
One of the world's largest whirlpools, the Old Sow, is seen off of Deer Island
Eastern seaboard's newest scenic drive touring network
Mount Carleton is the Maritime's highest peak
Outdoor adventure second to none
New Brunswick Winters are Pure White Gold
More than 900 kilometers of cross-country ski trails
6,000 kilometers of unbelievable snowmobile trails
Annual snowfalls from 200 to 400 centimeters
One of the longest snowmobile seasons south of the Arctic including early spring
Best snow conditions in Atlantic Canada
With the best snowfall in the Maritimes...you're guaranteed a great time, every time.
Bright light in the Atlantic salmon world
50 smallmouth a day in prime time
Fishing boats bobbing along the wharf and six hours later sitting on the ocean floor
The Appalachian Range, North America's oldest mountains

Since I live right on the border of DC/MD, I'll let one of the other Marylanders here do MD, and I'll do DC:


Washington, D.C. is neither a state nor territory, but has a government that resembles both.

Capital City: Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States of America

Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for all)

Origin of District's Name: Named after George Washington and Christopher Columbus.

Location: Between Virginia and Maryland on the Potomac River

Land Area: 68 sq. mi.

District's Bird: Wood Thrush

District's Flower: American Beauty Rose

District's Song: The Star-Spangled Banner

District's Tree: Scarlet Oak

Average Temperature: (these numbers seem WAY to low)
Winter - 37 degrees F.
Spring - 56 degrees F.
Summer - 77 degrees F.
Fall - 60 degrees F.

Washington, D.C. was designed by Major Pierre Charles L'Enfant around 1791. It was the first American city planned for a specific purpose. It was designed to be a beautiful city with wide streets and many trees. The city's business is centered around the government. Another name for Washington, D.C. is the District of Columbia. The district was originally a 10 miles square crossing the Potomac River into Virginia. Both Virginia and Maryland donated part of their land for the capital district. The Virginia portion of D.C. was later ceded back to Virginia.

Washington is a city of variety and contrast, of contemporary office buildings, Victorian townhouses, modern apartments, modest family homes, and mansions on large estates. It is also a city of many neighborhoods each with a different ambience to appeal to the wide variety of people who live here. In Washington, your neighbor is as likely to be from Oslo or Osaka as from Oakland or Oceanside.

In order to find your way about Washington with ease, you need to understand how the city is laid out. Each street address includes a geographic designation, i.e., 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW (the White House). The city is divided into quadrants with the Capitol as the central point. So, First St., NW and First St., SW are one block west of the Capitol, and First St., NE and First St., SE are one block east of the Capitol. While the city street system is quite logical, if you don't notice the quadrant designation, you may never find the address you seek. (For example, 1325 G St., NW may be a store and 1325 G St., NE may be a vacant lot.) In general, numbered streets run north and south; lettered and named streets run east and west in alphabetical order; and avenues run on the diagonal radiating from circles throughout the city.

There are thousands of Japanese cherry trees that circle the Tidal Basin and the Jefferson Memorial in Washington D.C. The trees were originally planted as a gift from the people of Tokyo, Japan, in 1912. In 1910, a previous donation of 2,000 cherry trees had to be destroyed after they were infested with insects. Each spring, the National Cherry Blossom Festival, a two-week-long celebration, attracts tens of thousands of visitors from around the world to see the magnificent trees in full bloom.


National Mall Landmarks:

Lincoln Memorial
The Washington Monument
Jefferson Memorial
Smithsonian Institute
National Museum of American History
National Museum of Natural History
National Gallery of Art
National Air and Space Museum
US Holocaust Memorial Museum
Arthur M Sackler Gallery
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Massachusetts Tid-bits

Massachusetts Facts and Trivia
552 original documents pertaining to the Salem witch trials of 1692 have been preserved and are still stored by the Peabody Essex Museum.

Boston built the first subway system in the United States in 1897.

Although over 30 communities in the colonies eventually renamed themselves to honor Benjamin Franklin. The Massachusetts Town of Franklin was the first and changed its name in 1778.

Norfolk County is the birthplace of four United States presidents: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, John Fitzgerald Kennedy and George Herbert Walker Bush.

In Holyoke, William G. Morgan, created a new game called "Mintonette" in 1895. After a demonstration given at the YMCA in nearby Springfield, the name "Mintonette" was replaced with the now familiar name "Volleyball."

There is a house in Rockport built entirely of newspaper.

Hingham's Derby Academy founded in 1784 is the oldest co-educational school in the United States. Hingham's First Parish Old Ship Church is the oldest church structure in the United States in continuous use as a place of worship.

The Fig Newton was named after Newton, Massachusetts.

The visible portion of Plymouth Rock is a lumpy fragment of glacial moraine about the size of a coffee table, with the date 1620 cut into its surface. After being broken, dragged about the town of Plymouth by ox teams used to inspire Revolution-aries, and reverently gouged and scraped by 19th-century souvenir hunters, it is now at rest near the head of Plymouth Harbor.

The Basketball Hall Of Fame is located in Springfield.

James Michael Curley was the first mayor of Boston to have an automobile. The plate number was "576" - the number of letters in "James Michael Curley." The mayor of Boston's official car still uses the same number on its plate.

The American industrial revolution began in Lowell. Lowell was America's first planned industrial city.

On October 1, 1998, "Say Hello To Someone From Massachusetts" by Lenny Gomulka, was approved as the official polka of the Commonwealth.

1634: Boston Common became the first public park in America.

1891: The first basketball game was played in Springfield.

Massachusetts holds the two largest cites in New England, Boston, the largest, and Worcester.

The creation of the Cape Cod National Seashore, which was formerly private town and state owned land, marked the first time the federal government purchased land for a park.

Robert Goddard, inventor of the first liquid fueled rocket, was born and lived much of his life in Worcester and launched the first rocket fueled with liquid fuel from the neighboring town of Auburn.

Quincy boasts the first Dunkin Donuts on Hancock Street and the first Howard Johnson's on Newport Ave.

Glaciers formed the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard during the ice age.

The first U.S.Postal zip code in Massachusetts is 01001 at Agawam.

Brewster has become the de facto "Wedding Capital of Cape Cod" because of its many small and larger inns that cater to weddings.

The birth control pill was invented at Clark University in Worcester.

The signs along the Massachusetts Turnpike reading "x miles to Boston" refer to the distance from that point to the gold dome of the state house.

Harvard was the first college established in North America. Harvard was founded in 1636. Because of Harvard's size there is no universal mailing address that will work for every office at the University.

In 1838 the Boston & West Worcester Railroad was the first railroad to charge commuter fares.

The Boston University Bridge on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston is the only place in the world where a boat can sail under a train driving under a car driving under an airplane.

The Mather school was founded in Dorchester in 1639. It is the first public elementary school in America.

On top of the commercial building on Centre Street in Jamaica Plain sits a weather vane with a whale on it. The building was once state headquarters of Greenpeace. - "Save the whales"

John Adams and John Quincy Adams are buried in the crypt at the United First Parish Church in Quincy.

The Children's Museum in Boston displays a giant milk bottle on the museum's wharf. If it were real it would hold 50,000 gallons of milk and 8,620 gallons of cream.

Princeton was named after the Reverend Thomas Prince, Pastor of the Old South Church in Boston, and one of the first proprietors of the town. Princeton was incorporated in 1759.

Barnstable County is the only Massachusetts county where resident deaths out numbered births between 1990 and 1997.

The Pilgrim National Wax Museum in Plymouth is the only wax museum devoted entirely to the Pilgrim's story.

In 1908, Miss Caroline O. Emmerton purchased The House of the Seven Gables - built in 1668 - restored it to its present state and, in 1910, opened the site to the touring public. The seven-gabled house inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne to write his famous novel of the same name.

The Boston Tea Party reenactment takes place in Boston Harbor every December 16th.

Balance Rock in Lanesborough is named in honor of a 25' x 15' x 10 boulder that balances upon a small stone below it.

Massachusetts first began issuing drivers licenses and registration plates in June of 1903.

The 3rd Monday in April is a legal holiday in Massachusetts called Patriot's Day.

The first Thanksgiving Day was celebrated in Plymouth in 1621.

William Hill Brown published The Power of Sympathy in Worcester in 1789. An imitation of Goethe's Sorrows of Young Werther it is regarded as the first American novel.

The fourteen counties in Massachusetts are made up of 43 cities and 308 towns.

Charles Goodyear in Woburn first vulcanized rubber in 1839.

Elias Howe of Boston invented the first sewing machine in 1845.

The first nuclear-powered surface vessel, USS Long Beach CG (N) 9, was launched at Quincy in 1961.

The USS Constitution 'Old Ironsides', the oldest fully commissioned vessel in the US Navy is permanently berthed at Charlestown Navy Yard. Since 1897 the ship has been overhauled several times in Dry Dock 1.

Revere Beach was the first public beach in the United States and is host to Suffolk Downs horse racing track, Wonderland dog racing track and a 14-screen cinema complex.

The official state dessert of Massachusetts is Boston cream pie.

Milford is known the world over for its unique pink granite, discovered in the 1870's and quarried for many years to grace the exteriors of museums, government buildings, monuments and railroad stations.

Acushnet is the hometown of the Titleist golf ball company.

Okay...guess that I'm going to introduce you to my state of birth and living, Lower Saxony/Germany.

The Facts:

Population: 7 980 472 (12/31/2002), 167 people/km²
Capital: Hannover (pop.: 526,000; Region Hannover: 1.1 billion)
Area: 47 616 km²
Highest elevation: 971 m above sea level (Wurmberg, Harz)
Lowest point: -2.3 m above sea level (Freepsumer Meer, Wynhamster Kolk)
Longest river: 379 km (Weser, with Werra and Fulda)
Largest lake: 27 km² (Steinhuder Meer)
Coat of arms/flag: rampant white Saxony Ross on red ground

Lower Saxony - a state with farsightedness

Lower Saxony has a lot to offer: besides of cultural, scenic and traditional attractions, Germanys second-largest state does also works very satisfactorily as an economical location.
The Volkswagen corporation, Europes largest manufacturer of cars, has built more than 50 billion cars. In comparision to other German states, twice as much workplaces are related to the vehicle industry. The agriculture holds a similar strong position, though you can't classify Lower Saxony as an agricultural state anymore.
The Hannover Industrial Fair and the CeBIT (computer and bureau technology fair) made the area of Hannover the most important place of fairs worldwide. Traditional universities in Braunschweig (Brunswick) and Goettingen, the Veterinarian University of Hannover and several non-universitary science facilities are emphasizing the strong collaboration of science and economy.

As the host of the EXPO World Fair 2000, Lower Saxony remained in positive rememberance to a lot of people.

The country - relatively less populated - is offering an attractive scenery between Ems and Elbe, the mountain peaks of the Harz and the offshore climate of the North Sea.
Preservation of nature is an obligation: more than 20% of the state area are nature parks,the National Park Wattenmeer does cover the entire North Sea shore, the National Park Harz does reach over the state border to Sachsen-Anhalt. The landscape of the Elbtalaue is preserved as an biosphere. Inbetween are countless moors, lonely Heide landscapes and extended forests.


Lovers of freedom - a history

WW I was ended by Wilhelmshavener seamen on their own: when the German admirality intended to set them on the "death ride" against England on the 29th of October 1918, they seized their officers and returned with the ships. With their mutiny, they began the November revolution which made Germany a republic state.

The longing for freedom and home rule is as old as the country. Three Roman legions were destroyed near Kalkriese/Osnabruecker Land by the northwestern inhabitants of the land in the year 9 BC. It took 30 years until Karl the Great finally subdued the Frisians in 802. In these years, Lower Saxony was the core of the old Saxon which had spanned from Westfalia and the Netherlands to the Eastern Sea.

"Home rule!" was declared by the Oestringer peasants around 1280. The Frisian freedom was famous.
Even Henry the Lion, mighty duke of the Saxons, didn't allowed any ruler above him. So the emperor and other dukes shattered his duchy to pieces. After 1180, over 40 independent counties existed on Lower saxony area alone...

From this moment on, the history of Lower Saxony can't be written in any kind of order. Areas were inherited, given away, merged and sold, foreign conquerors came and went. Only the cure prince of Hannover was able to merge the various areas after a number of inheritances in 1705. Now, Lower Saxony was a force which was able to make history on it's own again.

Because Hannover extended the range: Cure prince Georg Ludwig became King of England as Georg I. in 1714. As his descendants returned to Hannover in 1837, Lower Saxony consisted of only four states anymore (apart from tiny slices of foreign powers). These states remained in effect - the Kingdom of Hannover as Prussian province from 1866 on - until 1946 when they founded todays country of Lower Saxony.

Authorities never found it easy with the Lower Saxonians. They had their own minds like Adolf Freiherr von Knigge who supported the French Revolution in Hannover (but never wrote a conduct rule book). Like the Grimm Brothers who belonged to the "Goettinger Sieben" and went to exile because of their belief in the constitution, or Clemens August Graf von Galen, who preached openly against the terror of the Nazis in his function as the bishop of Muenster, becoming worldwide known as the exponent of the "other" Germany.

Or August Heinrich Hoffman von Fallersleben. He was expelled 39 times as being an "agitator". Today is his "Song of the Germans" ("Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit") the national hymn of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Thinking cross, acting straight

Lower Saxony does encourage people who can think cross and act straight. You can recognize them by their attitude, not by the language they speak.
For example, Rudolf Augstein and Henri Nannen who founded the magazines "Spiegel" and "Stern" in Hannover. Doris Doerrie, movie maker from Hannover, Werner Siemens who founded the corporation of the same name from Lenthe. And Robert Koch from Clausthal who besieged the greatest world epidemics.

Successfuls against the stream: the nightmares of WW I were the basis for "All quiet on the western front", written by Erich Maria Remarque from Osnabrueck, which became the worldwide topselling book of the first half of the 20th century. Oldenburg is the home of philosopher Karl Jaspers, writer Arno Schmidt finished his last great novels in Bargfeld near Celle.

Creative people from outside are adding: Munich professor Rudolf Pichlmayer made the transplantation center of the Medical University Hannover the leading facility in Europe. Paula Modersohn-Becker and a whole generation of artists found an inspiring home in the moors of Worpswede.

The EXPO 2000 became a home fixture for many.
The Scorpions, megastars of the international rock business, could practically compose the Expo-hymn right at home. And Thomas Quasthoff made it to the top, too - the mighty bariton voice from Hildesheim received the Grammy 2000 in the section "Classical Voice".

All of them, they are Lower Saxony - plus adding Otto Waalkes, the comedian from Emden. And his famous predecessors:
Till Eulenspiegel was born in Kneitlingen/Elm, the "Lie Baron" von Muenchhausen told his haarstraeubende adventures in Bodenwerder by the river Weser, Wilhem Busch from Wiedensahl created with "Max and Moritz" the worldwide first comic strip. His inheritance passed on to Uli Stein from Hannover, whose mice are worldwide known today.

They all are figures of a special tradition which began with the tale of the race between hedgehog and hare: the hedgehoge won the race of Buxtehude because he was able to think faster than the hare could run.

So they are, the Lower Saxonians: thinking cross and acting straight. And they win: "Ick bün all hier!" (I'm already here!).

Where the future has tradition

For a span of 250 years, the revolution remained undiscovered: when Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz developed the binary number system, no one thought of computers which technology would be unthinkable without Leibnitz' genius. Today, technical revolution do happen a bit faster: when Dimension 3D Systems published their software which was able (for example) to present goods of internet shops in 3D, it doesn't took two years - then, the Hannoverans were worldwide leaders of the market.

Between Leibitz and 3D-computers, a few more inventions were indeed necessary. Lower Saxony delivered them:
Carl Friedrich Gauß from Braunschweig invented the telegraph, Robert Wilhelm Bunsen from Goettingen the zinc-coal energy cell, Werner von Siemens from Lenthe the production of power via the dynamo, Louis Hackethal from Hannover the isolated power wire. His compagnon Emil Berliner helped the breakthrough of the telephone with the coal microphone.

Emil Berliner was also the inventor of the grammophone, his "Deutsche Grammophon" (today: Universal) produced the first Compact Cassettes in 1965 and the first CDs in 1982 worldwide. Color televion is also a child of Lower Saxony: Walter Bruch developed the PAL-Color-system at Telefunken/Hannover.

Of course, todays world would also be imaginable without these inventions - someday, others would have made them. But the Lower Saxonians were a bit faster, like Heinrich Goebel from Springe who invented the light bulb before Edison - and won the legal battle about the patent rights.

Certain books need to be rewritten. The first motorized flight of a plane was not made by - falsely written in many encyclopedias - the Wright brothers by by Karl Jatho who managed his flight with his motorglider 4 months before them. And when the American Bushnell "invented" the U-boot in 1775, the first dive of the "Steinhuder Hecht" built by Jacob Praetorius happened 3 years earlier. Apparently, he stayed for twelve minuted below the surface, powered by 8 men on the pulls.

Even Columbus wasn't the first. The ships of Diederk Pining (Hildesheim), by order of the Danish crown on the search for undiscovered countries, made their landfall in Northern America 19 years ahead of Columbus. On the main land, not only on the Bahamas like the Genuese did.

The Lower Saxonians didn't made much ado about this. While others celebrated, they rather took care of new inventions - which doesn't mean that they neglect success and fame. When Marco Boerries wrote his program StarWriter 1.0 in Lueneburg 1985, he was 16. Today, he's the Vice President of Sun Microsystems and his "StarOffice" one of the most used office programs worldwide.

Traditions & Customs

Lower Saxony is a state with sometimes really uncommon customs and traditions. Exemplare, here are some of these traditions and customs:und Bräuche vorstellen:

The Frisian game "Bosseln"

Though many similarities to other sports (Bowling, Boccia etc.), Bosseln cannot be compared to any of such games:
Bosseln is a traditional Frisian people game in which two teams are opposing. Usually a team consists of five throwers. The target is to make the farthest distance with as few throws as possible. Playing field is the common road. Bosseln is an acknowledged sport where you can make it from the regionals to the highest league. Until the sixties, the common outfit of the participants were underdrawers and woolen socks.

Traditional outfits

Lower saxony is the state with a variety of tradional outfits unmatched in Germany. The common traditional outfit areas are:
Schaumburg, Grönegau, Artland, Emsland, Ostfriesland, Ammerland, Stader Geest, Scheeßel, Altes Land, Winsen und Braunschweig. These areas are often dividing even more from location to location, sometimes the outfits are different from village to village.

The knowledge about the mainly in the 19th century worn traditional outfits (sometimes worn even today by the landfolks) didn't vanish into oblivion. On the contrary, the various traditional outfit goups are keeping it alive by scientific correct reconstructions and, combined with dance, music, songs and customaries, present them to an interested audience.

Lower Saxonian cuisine

Each cuisine is as good as the ingredients. The Lower Saxonian cuisine must be outstanding: from the shores, you can get crabs and fish right away off the trawler.
In the Harz region, you can feast on trouts and game, and in the Lueneburger Heide the delicious Heidschnucken roast (a kind of sheep). Eels from the Steinhuder and Zwischenahner Meer are a requested specialty.
Burgdorf and Nienburg are known for tasty asparagus, and those from Oldenburg know the "Pinkel" wich is known in Hannover as "Gruenkohl mit Bregenwurst" (kind of slaw and special sausages).
From the Emsland comes the popular buckwheat pancake which is made with milk and black tea.
Not to forget: the "East Frisian Bean Stew" with Genever, Kandis (diamond-like kind of sugar) and raisins as well as the tea which is conquering the greatest differences - three cups with Kandis and a cloud of cream is "Frisian Law" - only after this you are allow to expel an unwanted visitor.

The beverages were the reason for many envys towards Lower Saxony.
Prussian king Friedrich Wilhem I. drank only Duckstein-Beer from Koenigslutter, and the Bavarian Bock beer is in reality "ainpökisch" - Einbecker beer. The first Brewmaster of the Munich Hofbraeuhaus opened in 1601 was engaged from Einbeck.

Country fairs

The Heidebluetenfest is the largest country fair in the Lueneburg county. Aside of different singing and theater appearances, the highlight of the fair is the election of the Heide queen. A jury consisting of many - extraregional - members is guaranteering that every young girl has a chance to be crowned.

About 100 c0cks are contesting each year in the Kurpark of Bevensen. Not only the outside appearance but also the "singing" of these animals will be prized. The c0ck which emits the most tones within 30 minutes is the winner.

The Brocken as the legendary meeting point for witches is not too far away, and so it's a close conclusion to celebrate the Walpurgis night there. During the contest for the "Miss Hexe", the jury prices the with with the fastest broom and the most outrageous outfit during the dance of the witches. You can also obtain a "Witch License". At midnight, the introduction of the May Queen and fireworks marks the end of the Walpurgis night.

You shouldn't miss the gigantic Schuetzenfest - the greatest of the world. Since over 450 years, this event is taking place on the Schuetzenplatz in Hannover during the first week of June. Over 2 billion visitors are watching this spectacle.

New Zealand is a country of rare seismic beauty: glacial mountains, fast-flowing rivers, deep, clear lakes, hissing geysers and boiling mud. There are also abundant forest reserves, long, deserted beaches and a variety of fauna, such as the kiwi, endemic to its shores. Any number of vigorous outdoor activities - tramping (hiking), skiing, rafting and, of course, that perennial favourite, bungy jumping - await the adventurous. You can swim with dolphins, gambol with newborn lambs, whalewatch or fish for fattened trout in the many streams. The people, bound in a culture that melds European with Maori ancestry, are resourceful, helpful and overwhelmingly friendly.

Maori name for NZ: Aotearoa (Ah-oar-teh-ah-roar-a)
Area: 270,534 sq km
Population: 3.8 million
Capital city: Wellington (pop 345,000 )
People: 74% European (Pakeha), 13.5% Maori, 6% Polynesian, 6% Asian
Languages: English and Maori
Religion: Predominantly Christian (81%)
Government: Independent member of the British Commonwealth
Prime Minister: Helen Clark

History
Polynesians first settled the islands of New Zealand about 800 to 1,000 years ago, naming the islands Aotearoa (“Land of the Long White Cloud”). Their descendants are the Maori. The first European settlers came from the United Kingdom, arriving in increasing numbers after New Zealand became a colony of the British Empire in 1840. Until the mid-20th century the non-Maori population of New Zealand was predominantly European in origin. Since then many people have migrated from the Pacific Islands and Asia, and the ethnic composition of the country is becoming more diverse. In 1907 New Zealand became a self-governing dominion within the British Empire. Now an independent nation, New Zealand maintains close ties with the United Kingdom as a full member of the Commonwealth of Nations, but increasingly it sees its identity as a nation in the Pacific and Asia.


Culture
The dominant cultural groups are the Pakeha and the Maori. Other smaller groups include Polynesians, Croatians, Indians and Chinese. A common thread that binds the entire population is its love of sport - especially the national game of rugby union - and outdoor pursuits such as sailing, swimming, cycling, hiking and camping. The secular aside, Christianity is the most common religion, with Anglicanism, Presbyterianism and Catholicism the largest denominations. An interesting religious variation is the synthesis of the Maori Ratana and Ringatu faiths with Christianity.

English and Maori are the two official languages. English is more widely spoken, though the Maori language, for so long on the decline, is now making a comeback thanks to the revival of Maoritanga. A mellifluous, poetic language, Maori is surprisingly easy to pronounce if spoken phonetically and each word split into separate syllables.

New Zealand art is multifarious, valuing innovation, integrity and craftsmanship that reflects Pakeha, Maori and Melanesian heritage. Wood, stone, shell and bone carvings are readily available while larger works such as tukutuku (wood panelling) can be seen in most maraes (meeting houses). Paua shell, greenstone, greywacke and greenwacke pebbles are often fashioned into jewellery that takes its inspiration from the landscape: earrings shaped like the leaves of a gingko tree; sunglasses modelled on native fern tendrils; and necklaces in frangipani-flower designs. There is a lively theatre scene in the country, especially in Wellington, and a number of galleries, including the Dunedin Public Art Gallery, which is the oldest viewing room in New Zealand and one of its best. The music scene is vigorous and has spawned a pool of talent, from Split Enz and Crowded House to the thrashing guitar pyrotechnics of Dunedin's 3Ds and Straitjacket Fits, lauded locally and overseas

This is a brilliant Thread. Keep up the posts, folks! :)

There's alot more to tell, but here a list of quick facts.


Friendship Cemetery in Columbus, has been called "Where Flowers Healed A Nation". On April 25, 1866 the ladies of Columbus, Mississippi decided to decorate both Confederate and Union soldiers' graves with garlands and bouquets of beautiful flowers. As A direct result of this kind gesture, Americans celebrate what has come to be called MEMORIAL DAY each year.

The oldest book in America, an ancient Biblical manuscript, is located at the University of Mississippi.

In 1834, Captain Isaac Ross, whose plantation was in Lorman, freed his slaves and arranged for them to be sent to Africa, where they founded the country of Liberia. Representatives of Liberia visited Lorman and placed a stone at the Captain's grave site in honor of his kindness.


After the Civil War, famed hat-maker John B. Stetson learned and practiced his trade at Dunn's Falls near Meridian.

The University of Southern Mississippi houses the world's largest collection of original manuscripts and illustrations of children's literature.

The University of Mississippi Blues Archive in Oxford contains the world's largest collection of Blues music.

The official world's record for keeping a plane aloft is held by Al and Fred Key of Meridian. They refueled in the air and kept their plane aloft for 653 hours and 34 minutes (27 days, 5 hours, and 34 minutes) in 1935.

The Old Spanish Fort Museum in Pascagoula, Mississippi has the honor of displaying the world's largest shrimp.

Lumberton, Mississippi, is the home of the world's largest pecan nursery (Bass Pecans).

Issaquena County, Mississippi is the home of the world's largest cottonwood tree.

The world's largest manufacturer of furniture wood products is in Eupora, Mississippi.

Belzoni, Mississippi, is called the "Catfish Capital of the World."

Greenwood, Mississippi, is called the "Cotton Capital of the World."

Vardaman, Mississippi, is called the "Sweet Potato Capital of the World."

Greenville, Mississippi, is called the "Towboat Capital of the World."

Root Beer was invented in Biloxi, Mississippi, in 1898 by Edward Adolf Barq, Sr.

The rarest of North American cranes lives in Mississippi in the grassy savannas of Jackson County. The Mississippi Sandhill Crane stands about 44 inches tall and has an eight-foot wing span.

Mississippi's Petrified Forest near Flora is the only such site in the eastern United States.

The world's largest headboard manufacturing plant is the Masonite Company in Laurel, Mississippi.

Mississippi native Harry A. Cole, Sr, invented Pine Sol was invented in 1929.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Waterways Experiment Station, the world's largest hydraulic research laboratory, is in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

The Space Shuttle's main engines are test-fired at the Stennis Space Center in Hancock County.

Jackson is headquarters for Vickers Aerospace, Marine Defense where components are designed and manufactured for virtually every aircraft flown in the world.

The U.S. Navy's most sophisticated ships are built at the Ingalls Shipyard, a division of Litton Industries, right here in Mississippi (Pascagoula).

Casey Jones, the famous railroad engineer, died in a crash at Vaughan, Mississippi, while trying to make up for lost time.

S. B. "Sam" Vick of Oakland, played for the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. He was the only man ever to pinch hit for baseball great Babe Ruth.

The University of Mississippi Medical Center in 1963 performed the world's first human lung transplant and, on January 23, 1964, Dr. James D. Hardy performed the world's first heart transplant surgery.

The Mississippi Gulf Coast, from Biloxi to Henderson Point, is the largest and longest manmade beach.

National Geographic is printed by the Ringier-America company in Corinth, MS.

The world's only cactus plantation is located in Edwards with more than 3,000 varieties of cacti.

Mississippi has more tree farms than any other state.

Mississippi has more churches per capita than any other state.

Norris Bookbinding Company in Greenwood is the largest Bible rebinding plant in the nation.

Dr. Tichenor created Dr. Tichenor's Antiseptic in Liberty, MS

Four cities in the world have been sanctioned by the International Theatre/Dance Committee to host the International Ballet Competition: Moscow, Russia; Varna, Bulgaria; Helsinki, Finland; and Jackson,
Mississippi.

David Harrison of Columbus owns the patent on the "Soft Toilet Seat." Over one million are sold every year.

The first football player on a Wheaties box was Walter Payton of Columbia.

The Teddy Bear's name originated after a bear hunt in Mississippi with President Theodore Roosevelt. President Roosevelt refused to shoot an exhausted and possibly lame bear. News of this spread across the country, and a New York merchant capitalized on this publicity by creating a stuffed bear called "Teddy's Bear."

H. T. Merrill of Iuka flew the first round-trip transoceanic flight in 1928. The flight to England was made in a plane loaded with ping-pong balls.

The birthplace of Elvis in Tupelo includes: a museum, a chapel, and the two-room house in which Elvis was born.

The world's oldest Holiday Inn is in Clarksdale.

Blazon-Flexible Flyer, Inc., in West Point, manufactures the best snow sled in the country, the Flexible Flyer.

Greenwood is the home of Cotton Row, which is the second largest cotton exchange in the nation and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Emil and Kelly Mitchell, the King and Queen of Gypsies, are buried in Rose Hill Cemetery in Meridian. Since 1915, people from all over the world have left gifts of fruit and juice at their grave sites.

The 4-H Club began in Holmes County in 1907.

The Waterways Experiment Station in Vicksburg is the largest research, testing, and development facility of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

On April 25, 1866, women in Columbus decorated the graves of Confederate and Union soldiers in Friendship Cemetery. This gesture became known as Decoration Day, the beginning of what we observe as Memorial Day.

Shoes were first sold as pairs in 1884 at Phil Gilbert's Shoe Parlor in Vicksburg.

Inventor James D. Byrd of Clinton holds seven patents and developed the plastic used as a heat shield by NASA.

Mississippi University for Women in Columbus was the first state college for women in the country, established in 1884.

Every commercial airliner has at least one hydraulic component manufactured by Vickers in Jackson.

The McCoy Federal Building in Jackson is the first federal building in the United States named for a Black man. Dr. A. H. McCoy was a dentist and business leader.

Hatmaker John B. Stetson learned and practiced hatmaking in Dunn's Falls, MS.

The oldest field game in America is Stickball, played by the Choctaw Indians of Mississippi. Demonstrations can be seen every July at the Choctaw Indian Fair in Philadelphia, MS.

Alcorn State University in Lorman is the oldest black land grant college in the world.

The International Checkers Hall of Fame is in Petal.

Natchez was settled by the French in 1716 and is the oldest permanent settlement on the Mississippi River. Natchez once had 500 millionaires, more than any other city except New York City. Natchez now has more than 500 buildings that are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Oliver Pollock was the largest individual financial contributor to the American Revolution. He invented the dollar sign ($). He is buried near Pinckneyville.

Resin Bowie, the inventor of the Bowie Knife, is buried in Port Gibson, MS

Liberty was the first town in the country to erect a Confederate monument in 1871.

The Pass Christian Yacht Club is the second oldest yacht club in North America, founded in 1849.

The Mississippi Legislature passed one of the first laws in 1839 to protect the property rights of married women.

The Natchez Trace Parkway, named an "All American Road" by the federal government, extends from Natchez to just south of Nashville, Tennessee. The Trace began as an Indian trail more than 8,000 years ago.

The Mississippi Delta is the birthplace of the Blues, music truly original to America.

The Vicksburg National Cemetery is the second-largest national cemetery in the country. Arlington National Cemetery is the largest.

D'Lo was featured in Life Magazine for sending proportionally more men to serve in World War II than any other town of its size; 38 percent of the men who lived in D'Lo served.

In 1894, Coca-Cola was first bottled by Joseph A. Biedenharn in Vicksburg.

Mississippi was the first state to outlaw imprisonment of debtors.

Belzoni is the Catfish Capital of the World. Approximately 70 percent of the nation's farm-raised catfish comes from Mississippi.

The company that makes Icee drinks is owned by Fred Montalvo from Edwards.

Peavey Electronics, in Meridian, is the world's largest manufacturer of musical amplification equipment.

Proportionally more Mississippians were killed during the Civil War than from any other Confederate state.

Serving during Reconstruction, Hiram Revels was the first Black U.S. Senator.

The first Parents-Teachers Association was founded in Crystal Springs, MS.

MISSOURI - The Show Me State
http://www.missouri.gov/mo/links/Learning/images/sidepanellogo.gif

The Gateway To The West
Beyond the mountains are more landscapes cut from an all-American picture book: the great brown Mississippi rolling along the state's eastern boundary; the western gateway of St. Louis; the hearty music and food of Kansas City. And with its sites related to several beloved and/or infamous figures from the nation's past -- Mark Twain, Harry S Truman, Jesse James -- Missouri has a knack for making a vacation into a heartland pilgrimage.

The state is named for the Missouri tribe, which inhabited the wooded valleys and tributaries of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. The Missouri and Osage people were farmers, but they were strongly influenced by nomadic bison hunters of the Great Plains -- much of their culture centered on the seasonal bison hunts. In addition, Caddoan farmers and hunters inhabited southern Missouri.

Capital City: Jefferson City

Economy: Agriculture, tourism, industry and manufacturing.

Language Description: English

Population: 5,595,211

Religion: Christian (Protestant, Roman Catholic), though other major religions are represented

Time Zone: 6 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (-6 GMT). Daylight Saving Time is observed from the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October

Voltage Requirements: 110 volts

High on the list of the state's popular recreation areas are Missouri's many lakes, a large number of which were formed by damming rivers. In the Ozarks, such big bodies of water as Bull Shoals Lake, Clearwater Lake, Table Rock Lake, Harry S Truman Reservoir and Lake of the Ozarks attract crowds for fishing, swimming, boating and waterskiing. Table Rock State Park and Harry S Truman State Park are among the many parks and public lands near the lakes. The many segments of the Mark Twain National Forest also encompass large tracts of the Ozarks and southeastern Missouri.

May-October is the best time to see the state. May and June temperatures run 53-84 F/11-28 C, but be prepared for occasional heavy rain. July temperatures can go up into the 90s F/32+ C, with uncomfortable humidity (52%-86%), though humidity levels tend to be highest in the early, cooler part of the day. Fall is usually a few degrees warmer than spring, and the weather is more settled. A sweater or jacket might be useful at either time. In the southeastern part of the state, expect more rain in spring and fall, while the northwest gets more rain in the summer. Winter weather, though cold, is rarely severe. It is unpredictable, however, and winter driving in the hills can be hazardous. January temperatures range from 19 to 44 F/-7 to 6 C.