Higher Education  

Vermont has 20 colleges and universities, as well as 5 two-year and community colleges. Founded in 1791, the University of Vermont in Burlington is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. Other public institutions include Castleton State University, in Castleton; Lyndonville State College, in Lyndonville; and Johnson State College, in Johnson. Private institutions include Middlebury College, in Middlebury; Norwich University, in Northfield; Bennington College and Southern Vermont College, both in Bennington; Burlington College, Champlain College, and Trinity College, in Burlington; College of St. Joseph, in Rutland; Goddard College, in Plainfield; Green Mountain College, in Poultney; Marlboro College, in Marlboro; School for International Training, in Brattleboro; and Vermont Law School, in South Royalton.

Geography

Having an area of 24,900 square kilometers, Vermont ranks forty-third in size among the 50 states. The states six main regions are the Champlain Valley, the Taconic Mountains, the Valley of Vermont, the Green Mountains, the Vermont Piedmont, and the Northeast Highlands. Located between Lake Champlain and the Green Mountain range, the Champlain Valley has the flattest land and best soil in the state. The Taconic Mountains, which are south of the Champlain Valley, are sources of marble and slate. East of the Taconic Mountains is the Valley of Vermont, a region also known for its marble quarries. Running up the middle of the state, the Green Mountains region is a scenic area in which talc, granite, marble and asbestos are mined or quarried. The Vermont Piedmont, which lies east of the Green Mountains, contains river valleys, hills, lakes, and lowlands. Popularly called the Northeast Kingdom, the Northeast Highlands is part of New Hampshire's White Mountain range that extends into Vermont. Major rivers include Otter Creek, the White River, the Black River, and the West River. Important cities include Burlington, Rutland, South Burlington, Barre, and Montpelier (capital). The population of Vermont is around 590,000.

Climate

Temperatures in Vermont vary according to the altitude. The higher elevations of the Green Mountains generally experience the coldest winters and coolest summer nights. Statewide, the average temperature is -8° C in January and 20° C in July. The average annual rainfall in Vermont is 99 cm. Snowfall ranges from an annual average of 152-203 cm in the lower altitudes to 203-305 cm in the mountains.

Cultural Profile

Vermont has a state-supported symphony orchestra and the Blanche Moyse Chorale, located in Brattleboro. Summertime musical events in Vermont include the Marlboro Music Festival at Marlboro College, the New England Bach Festival at Brattleboro, and the Vermont Mozart Festival in Champlain. Theater and dance performances are staged in many communities throughout the state.

Museums in Vermont include the American Precision Museum, in Windsor; the Bennington Museum, in Bennington; the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center, in Brattleboro; the Vermont Historical Society, in Montpelier; the Discovery Museum, in Essex Junction; the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium, in St. Johnsbury; and the Norman Rockwell Museum, in Rutland.

Recreation

Vermont has one national forest (the Green Mountain National Forest), thirty-one state parks, six state forests, and various recreation areas. Other interesting places to visit in Vermont include Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Factory, in Waterbury; Bennington Potters, in Bennington; Green Mountain Audubon Nature Center, in Huntington; Quechee Gorge, near Quechee; Rock of Ages, near Barre; Vermont Institute of Natural Science, in Woodstock; and Wilson Castle, near Proctor. Vermont's popular outdoor activities include skiing, skating, sledding, hockey, canoeing, sailing, swimming, fishing, camping, biking, and hiking.

Interesting Facts

Vermont has more colleges per capita than any other state. The oldest private military school in the U. S. (Norwich University) is in Vermont. Famous people from Vermont include Chester A. Arthur (twenty-first president of the US), Calvin Coolidge (thirtieth present of the US), Thomas Davenport (inventor), John Deere (inventor and industrialist), John Dewey (philosopher), Clarina Howard Nichols (reformer and editor), Joseph Smith (Mormon prophet), Emma Hart Willard (educator), and Brigham Young (second president of the Mormon Church).