Log in Sign up
Back to Discover
🗺️

Vermont

geography Maturity 11-13

Vermont is a state in the USA.

National-atlas-vermont.png
National-atlas-vermont.png
It has big green mountains.
CamelsHumpMT 20150426.jpg
CamelsHumpMT 20150426.jpg
Many trees grow there. It can be very cold and snowy. You might taste sweet maple syrup!
1 vermont fall foliage panorama 2010.jpg
1 vermont fall foliage panorama 2010.jpg
Do you like the snow?

43 words

Vermont is a state in the USA.

National-atlas-vermont.png
National-atlas-vermont.png
It sits near Canada and New York.
1827 Finley Map of Vermont - Geographicus - Vermont-finely-1827.jpg
1827 Finley Map of Vermont - Geographicus - Vermont-finely-1827.jpg

Green mountains run through the middle.

CamelsHumpMT 20150426.jpg
CamelsHumpMT 20150426.jpg
Most of the land has many trees.

Winters are cold and snowy.

Köppen Climate Types Vermont.png
Köppen Climate Types Vermont.png
Summers are warm and wet.

Many people make maple syrup there.

1 vermont fall foliage panorama 2010.jpg
1 vermont fall foliage panorama 2010.jpg
They use trees to make it sweet.

It is a beautiful place to visit.

79 words

Vermont is a state in the northeastern United States.

National-atlas-vermont.png
National-atlas-vermont.png
It sits in the New England region.

To the north is the Canadian province of Quebec. To the west is New York. New Hampshire is to the east. Massachusetts is to the south.

1827 Finley Map of Vermont - Geographicus - Vermont-finely-1827.jpg
1827 Finley Map of Vermont - Geographicus - Vermont-finely-1827.jpg

The Green Mountains run north to south. They sit in the middle of the state. These mountains divide the land. To the west is Lake Champlain. To the east is the Connecticut River Valley.

LakeChamplain b.jpg
LakeChamplain b.jpg
Most of the land is covered in forests. The trees include hardwoods and conifers. The weather has warm, wet summers. It also has cold, snowy winters.
Köppen Climate Types Vermont.png
Köppen Climate Types Vermont.png

Many people live and work in Vermont. The state has about 648,493 people. This makes it a small state for people. The capital city is Montpelier. It is the least populous state capital in the country. Many people work in farming. They make wine and maple syrup. Vermont makes about half of all maple syrup in the nation.

1 vermont fall foliage panorama 2010.jpg
1 vermont fall foliage panorama 2010.jpg

182 words

Vermont is a beautiful state in the New England region.

National-atlas-vermont.png
National-atlas-vermont.png
It sits in the northeastern part of the United States. To the north, it shares a border with Quebec, Canada.
1827 Finley Map of Vermont - Geographicus - Vermont-finely-1827.jpg
1827 Finley Map of Vermont - Geographicus - Vermont-finely-1827.jpg
New York lies to the west of the state. New Hampshire is its eastern neighbor. Massachusetts sits just to the south. It is the sixth-smallest state in the nation by area.
Vermont population density 2020.png
Vermont population density 2020.png
With about 648,493 people, it is the second-least populated state.

The land of Vermont is shaped by nature. The Green Mountains run north and south through the middle.

CamelsHumpMT 20150426.jpg
CamelsHumpMT 20150426.jpg
These mountains divide the state into two main areas. To the west, you will find Lake Champlain and its valleys.
LakeChamplain b.jpg
LakeChamplain b.jpg
To the east is the Connecticut River Valley. Most of the ground is covered in thick forests. These woods are full of hardwoods and conifers.
1 vermont fall foliage panorama 2010.jpg
1 vermont fall foliage panorama 2010.jpg
The weather changes with the seasons. Summers are warm and humid. Winters are cold and bring lots of snow.
Köppen Climate Types Vermont.png
Köppen Climate Types Vermont.png

Humans have lived here for a very long time. About 12,000 years ago, the first people arrived.

Abenakis.jpg
Abenakis.jpg
They followed animals like caribou and elk through the valleys. During the Woodland period, people grew plants like corn and beans.
LakeWilloughbyPisgah.jpg
LakeWilloughbyPisgah.jpg
The Abenaki people lived in most of the territory. Later, French explorers like Samuel de Champlain visited the area.
Stowe village Stevage.jpg
Stowe village Stevage.jpg
In the 1700s, there was a big fight over the land. Both New York and New Hampshire claimed the area. A group called the Green Mountain Boys fought to protect their settlers.
The Green Mountain Boys Flag.jpg
The Green Mountain Boys Flag.jpg

Vermont has a very special history of being independent. In 1777, settlers formed the Vermont Republic.

ConstitutionHouse WindsorVermont.JPG
ConstitutionHouse WindsorVermont.JPG
They chose the name "Vermont" because it means "Green Mountain" in French. This new republic was very brave and fair. It was the first place in North America to ban slavery.
VTadmissionAct.JPG
VTadmissionAct.JPG
The state later joined the United States in 1791. This made it the 14th state in the Union.
Vermont State House Montpelier October 2021 HDR.jpg
Vermont State House Montpelier October 2021 HDR.jpg
The capital city is Montpelier. It is the smallest state capital in the whole country.

Today, Vermont is known for many wonderful things. It is a leader in using renewable electricity.

Vermont fall foliage hogback mountain.JPG
Vermont fall foliage hogback mountain.JPG
In fact, 99.9% of its electricity comes from renewable sources. Many people work in agriculture and farming. They grow grapes for wine and harvest trees for timber.
SnakeMT 20151011 (23945838081).jpg
SnakeMT 20151011 (23945838081).jpg
Vermont is also very famous for maple syrup. It produces about 50% of all the syrup in the nation. You can see beautiful colors in the trees during the autumn. It is a place where nature and history live together.

464 words

Vermont is a state located in the New England region of the Northeastern United States.

National-atlas-vermont.png
National-atlas-vermont.png
It is the nation's sixth-smallest state by total area. The state is bordered by Quebec, Canada, to the north. To the west lies New York, while New Hampshire borders the east. Massachusetts sits to the south.
1827 Finley Map of Vermont - Geographicus - Vermont-finely-1827.jpg
1827 Finley Map of Vermont - Geographicus - Vermont-finely-1827.jpg
With an estimated population of 648,493, it is the second-least populated state in the country. The state capital is Montpelier, which is the least populous state capital in the United States. Even the largest city, Burlington, has fewer residents than the most populous cities in other states.

The physical geography of Vermont is defined by its central mountain range. The Green Mountains run north to south through the middle of the state.

CamelsHumpMT 20150426.jpg
CamelsHumpMT 20150426.jpg
This range acts as a divider for the terrain. To the west of the mountains lies Lake Champlain and various valley lands.
LakeChamplain b.jpg
LakeChamplain b.jpg
To the east is the Connecticut River Valley, which forms much of the eastern border. Most of the state is covered in dense forests. These woods consist of hardwoods and conifers. The climate features warm, humid summers and cold, snowy winters.
Köppen Climate Types Vermont.png
Köppen Climate Types Vermont.png

Human history in this region began approximately 12,000 years ago. As glaciers from the last ice age receded, the first humans arrived.

Abenakis.jpg
Abenakis.jpg
During the Paleo-Indian period, small groups of hunter-gatherers followed herds of caribou, elk, and mastodon. They lived in a landscape that was largely mixed tundra. By the Archaic period, about 8,000 years ago, the Champlain Sea had turned into freshwater Lake Champlain. This change brought a more temperate climate and more diverse plants and animals. During the Woodland period, which began about 3,000 years ago, people established larger settlements. They practiced agriculture by growing maize, beans, and squash. The Abenaki people occupied most of the territory during this time.

European contact changed the region significantly during the 17th century. French explorer Samuel de Champlain led the first European expedition to Lake Champlain in 1609.

Stowe village Stevage.jpg
Stowe village Stevage.jpg
Portions of the land remained part of New France until 1763. The French built Fort Sainte Anne on Isle La Motte to defend Canada, but it was abandoned by 1670. After the Seven Years' War, France ceded its territory east of the Mississippi River to Great Britain. This shift led to intense disputes over the area known as the New Hampshire Grants. The government of New Hampshire had sold land grants to settlers, but the government of New York also claimed and sold the same land. This created deep conflict between different groups of settlers.

To protect their interests, settlers in the New Hampshire Grants formed a militia. This group was known as the Green Mountain Boys.

The Green Mountain Boys Flag.jpg
The Green Mountain Boys Flag.jpg
Led by figures like Ethan Allen, they used various methods to repel New York speculators. During the American Revolutionary War, the Green Mountain Boys fought in major conflicts. They participated in the capture of Fort Ticonderoga and the Battle of Bennington. The Battle of Bennington is considered a turning point in the war.
ConstitutionHouse WindsorVermont.JPG
ConstitutionHouse WindsorVermont.JPG
On January 15, 1777, settlers declared the independence of the Vermont Republic. They originally called it the Republic of New Connecticut. In June 1777, they adopted the name "Vermont," which is a French translation for "Green Mountains."

The Vermont Republic was a unique and independent entity for 14 years. It operated its own national postal service and issued its own coinage from 1785 to 1788.

VTadmissionAct.JPG
VTadmissionAct.JPG
The republic's constitution, adopted in July 1777, was very progressive. It was the first written constitution in North America to abolish adult slavery. It also provided for universal adult male suffrage and a public school system. Because New York still claimed the land, Vermont could not join the Union until New York consented. Vermont was finally admitted as the 14th state in 1791.
Vermont State House Montpelier October 2021 HDR.jpg
Vermont State House Montpelier October 2021 HDR.jpg
This made it the first state to join the Union following the original thirteen colonies.

Today, Vermont has a distinct economic and social profile. While its total GDP is ranked last among U.S. states, its GDP per capita is ranked 21st. The agricultural economy relies on dairy, forestry, wine, and maple syrup. Vermont is responsible for approximately 50% of the nation's maple syrup production.

1 vermont fall foliage panorama 2010.jpg
1 vermont fall foliage panorama 2010.jpg
The state is also a leader in environmental progress. It has the highest proportion of renewable electricity generation in the country at 99.9%. These various factors make Vermont a unique part of the American landscape.

762 words
🖼️ Images & Media (46)
File:Coat of arms of Vermont.svg
Coat of arms of Vermont.svg
File:Abenakis.jpg
Abenakis.jpg
File:ConstitutionHouse WindsorVermont.JPG
ConstitutionHouse WindsorVermont.JPG
File:The Green Mountain Boys Flag.jpg
The Green Mountain Boys Flag.jpg
File:Vermont State House Montpelier October 2021 HDR.jpg
Vermont State House Montpelier October...
File:VTadmissionAct.JPG
VTadmissionAct.JPG
File:1827 Finley Map of Vermont - Geographicus - Vermont-finely-1827.jpg
1827 Finley Map of Vermont - Geographicus...
File:National-atlas-vermont.png
National-atlas-vermont.png
File:Vermont population density 2020.png
Vermont population density 2020.png
File:2017-09-11 10 27 43 View east along the Maple Ridge Trail at the junction with the Frost Trail on the western slopes of Mount Mansfield within Mount Mansfield State Forest in Underhill, Chittenden County, Vermont.jpg
2017-09-11 10 27 43 View east along the...
File:CamelsHumpMT 20150426.jpg
CamelsHumpMT 20150426.jpg
File:LakeWilloughbyPisgah.jpg
LakeWilloughbyPisgah.jpg

+ 34 more

Up Next
🗺️
New Hampshire
Geography
More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.