VERMONT, so called from its principal range
of mountains (Fr. verd or vert, green, and
mont, mountain), one of the New England
states of the American Union, and the first
admitted under the federal constitution. It
lies between lat. 42° 44' and 45° 3' N., and lon. 71° 38' and 73° 25' W., and is bounded N. by Canada, E. by New Hampshire, S. by Massachusetts, and W. by New York and Lake Champlain, of which nearly two thirds lies within the state; area, 10,212 sq. m.
It is divided
into 14 counties, viz.: Addison, Bennington, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, Rutland, Washington, Windham, and Windsor. There are
only two incorporated cities in the state: Burlington, which in 1870 had 14,387 inhabitants, and Vergennes, with a population of 1,570. The capital, Montpelier, had in 1870 a population of 3,023. There are 241 towns, the most important of which are Bennington, Brandon, Brattleboro, Castleton, Colchester, Fairhaven, Middlebury, Northfield, Rockingham, Rutland, St. Albans, St. Johnsbury, Springfield, Waterbury, Windsor, and Woodstock. The population of the state, according to the decennial censuses, has been as follows:
Included in the total of 1870 are 23 Indians, and 20 in that of 1860. Of the total population in 1870, 165,721 were males and 164,830 females; 283,396 were native and 47,155 foreign born. Of those of native birth, 243,272 were born in the state, 9,202 in Massachusetts, 13,540 in New Hampshire, and 11,297 in New York. Of the foreigners, 28,544 were born in British America, 1,946 in England, 14,080 in Ireland, and 1,240 in Scotland. The density of population was 32.37 persons to a square mile. There were 70,462 families, with an average of 4.69 persons to each, and 66,145 dwellings, with an average of 5 to each. Between 1860 and 1870 there was an increase of 4.90 per cent. in the total population. There were 89,831 persons from 5 to 18 years of age, 62,459 males from 18 to 45, and 74,867 male citizens 21 years old and upward. There were 15,185 persons 10 years of age and over unable to read, and 17,706 who could not write, of whom 13,804 were foreign born. The number of illiterates 21 years old and over was 13,394. The number of paupers