New Hampshire is a state in the
New England region of the northeastern United States of America
named after the southern English county of Hampshire. The state
ranks 44th in land area, 46th in total area of the 50 states,
and 41st in population. It was one of the original Thirteen
Colonies and became the ninth state to ratify the United States
Constitution. New Hampshire was the first U.S. state to have its
own state constitution, and is the only state with neither a
general sales tax nor a personal income tax.
It is internationally famous for the New Hampshire primary, the
first primary in the quadrennial U.S. presidential election
cycle.
Its license plates carry the state motto: "Live Free or Die."
The state nickname is "The Granite State", in reference both to
its geology and to its tradition of self-sufficiency. Several
other official nicknames exist but are rarely used.
A number of famous individuals come from New Hampshire, such as
Senator Daniel Webster, editor Horace Greeley, founder of the
Christian Science religion Mary Baker Eddy, author Dan Brown,
and comedians Adam Sandler, Sarah Silverman, and Seth Meyers.
New Hampshire has produced one president, Franklin Pierce.
New Hampshire's recreational attractions include skiing and
other winter sports, observing the fall foliage, summer cottages
along many lakes, motor sports at the New Hampshire
International Speedway, and Bike Week, a popular motorcycle
rally held in Laconia in June.