New Hampshire

• Population- 1,310,000
• Capital- Concord
• Largest cities– Manchester, Nashua, Concord
• Time zone- Eastern
• Date of Admission to the Union- June 21, 1788
• Slogan- “Live free or die”
• State website URL- www.nh.gov

Each four years or when Presidential races come around, New Hampshire figures prominently in the process. Where Iowa gets the first caucus, New Hampshire is at the top of the state primary food chain. This litmus test receives heavy media coverage and is used to generate momentum for various candidates.

One of the state nicknames is The Granite State. Large amounts of granite are quarried in New Hampshire. The Library of Congress is built from New Hampshire granite and the Brooklyn Bridge used some of the state’s granite as well.

Isles of Shoals is a small collection of marine islands off the tiny coastline of New Hampshire. They are divided by both Maine and New Hampshire. Blackbeard, the 18 th century pirate, allegedly spent time cruising the islands and some legends suggest a chest of his gold was buried in the area has never found.

Tourists hungry for a dose of quiet New England flock to Lake Winnipesaukee each summer to enjoy one of the region’s biggest lakes; it’s over 20 miles long. Mount Washington is located in New Hampshire’s white mountains and the tallest mountain in the region. Its peak sits at over 6,200 feet.

Residents of New Hampshire enjoy no personal income tax. This has been a significant attraction to transplants. The first state run lottery game was introduced in 1963. Only a couple of states have held out when it comes to lottery games. The Free State Project is a concept devised by the Libertarian party. The party is actively soliciting for Libertarians interested in relocating to the state and championing the Libertarian political role.

The credit union as banking institution got its start in Manchester, New Hampshire. The St. Mary’s Bank Credit Union started what was to become a nationwide attempt to make banking affordable for many different populations of borrowers.