Capital: Dover

Statehood: December 7, 1787

State Colors: Colonial Blue and Buff

State Motto: Liberty and Independence

State Nickname: "The First State" is known by this title because on December 7, 1787 it became the first of the 13 original colonies to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Delaware is also know as "The Diamond State" because it has been described as a "jewel" among states due to its strategic location on the Eastern Seaboard. Other nicknames–Small Wonder, Blue Hen State.

State Flag: Adopted on July 24, 1913, the state flag has a background of colonial blue surrounding a diamond of buff color in which the coat of arms of the state of Delaware is placed. Below the diamond are the words "December 7, 1787," indicating the day on which Delaware was the first state to ratify the federal Constitution. Because of this action, Delaware became the first state in the Union, and is therefore accorded the first position in such national events as presidential inaugurations. According to members of the original commission established to design the flag, shades of buff and colonial blue represent those of the uniform of General George Washington as shown on a specific plate from an official U.S. Army publication.

State Flower: Peach Blossom.

Passage of the act to adopt the Peach Blossom on May 9, 1895, was prompted by Delaware’s reputation as the "Peach State," since her orchards contained more than 800,000 peach trees yielding a crop worth thousands of dollars at that time.

State Bird: The Blue Hen Chicken

Adopted on April 14, 1939, the Blue Hen Chicken had long been used as a motif in numerous political campaigns and in many publications. During the Revolutionary War, the men of Captain Jonathan Caldwell’s company, recruited in Kent County, took with them game chickens that were said to be of the brood of a famous Blue Hen and were noted for their fighting ability. When not fighting the enemy, the officers and men amused themselves by pitting their Blue Hen chickens in cockfights. The fame of these cockfights spread throughout the army and when in battle, the Delaware men fought so valiantly that they were compared to these fighting cocks.

State Tree: American Holly

Adopted May 1, 1939, the American Holly is regarded as one of Delaware’s most important forest trees. Often called Christmas holly or evergreen holly, the tree has dark, thorny-leafed foliage and red berries. In Delaware, the tree can reach a maximum of 60 feet in height and a trunk diameter of 20 inches.

State Bug: the Lady Bug

Adopted April 25, 1975, the Lady Bug was chosen by the Legislature after an intensive effort on the insect’s behalf by a group of elementary school children.

State Fish: weakfish (Cynoscion regalis) a.k.a sea trout, gray trout, yellow mouth, yellow fin trout, squeteague and tiderunner. In recognition of sportfishing’s overall recreational and economic contributions to the state and of its specific values as a game and food fish, the state legislature adopted the weakfish as Delaware’s State Fish in 1981.

Source: www.state.de.us

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