reasons to love new hampshire...

Tunes:"Cherbourg"// Beirut

I was trying to work on my Budget assignment for SimU, but instead found myself on Wikipedia reading up on the demographics for NH versus Virginia, among other factoids about the 2 states. What follows are some of my favorite fun facts!

NH...
-The first permanent settlement was at Hilton's Point (present-day Dover). By 1631, the Upper Plantation comprised modern-day Dover, Durham and Stratham; in 1679, it became the "Royal Province.
[my favorite part of the state- dirty dover!]

-The largest ancestry group in New Hampshire is 26.6% French (French or French Canadian). New Hampshire has the highest percentage of residents of French/French-Canadian ancestry of any U.S. state.
[damn straight!]

-A survey suggests that people in New Hampshire and Vermont are less likely to attend weekly services and are less likely to believe in God (54%) than people in the rest of the nation (71%). The two states are at the lowest levels among states in religious commitment.
[ha, interesting]

-According to the Energy Information Administration, New Hampshire’s energy consumption and per capita energy consumption are among the lowest in the country.

-The House of Representatives in Concord is the fourth-largest legislative body in the English speaking world with 400 members. Only the United States House of Representatives, the British House of Commons and the British House of Lords are larger.
[talk about adequate representation, huh?]

-New Hampshire is an alcoholic beverage control state, and through the State Liquor Commission it takes in $100 million from the sale and distribution of liquor. The state also leads the country in per capita sales of all forms of alcohol.
[haha]

-As of January 1, 2008, civil unions are legal in New Hampshire, giving all the rights associated with marriage in the state to same-sex couples. New Hampshire was the first state in the country to deem civil unions legal without any court action to prompt the decision.
[so proactive!!]

-New Hampshire has been known for a Libertarian-like political tradition that values individual freedom and limited exercise of state governmental powers. The Free State Project selected New Hampshire as its destination due to its "Live Free or Die" libertarian-esque heritage.

...

I was going to post fun facts about Virginia, but the fact of the matter is that facts about Virginia are kind of boring- the state is big, the median income is around $60k, while NH's is around $37k, african-americans make up 19% of the state's population and 8 presidents were born here. It's just too big to really think abut any of this stuff as cool. Ha.

Maybe I'll go do work now? Maybe.
xo


ps. I'm at the big, fancy new library on campus and I just burped out loud...how embarrassing.