Vermont

:This article is about the U.S. state. For other meanings, see Vermont (disambiguation).

Geography

:See also: List of counties in Vermont, List of towns in Vermont, Vermont mountains

Related Topics:
List of counties in Vermont - List of towns in Vermont - Vermont mountains

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Vermont is located in the New England region in the eastern United States and comprises 9615 square miles (24,902 km²), making it the 45th largest state. Of this, land comprises 9249 square miles (23,955 km²) and water comprises 366 square miles (948 km²), making it the 43rd largest in land area and the 47th in water area.

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The west bank of the Connecticut River marks the eastern border of the state with New Hampshire (the river itself is part of New Hampshire). Lake Champlain, the major lake in Vermont, is the sixth-largest body of fresh water in the United States and separates Vermont from New York and Canada in the northwest portion of the state. The state's greatest length, from north to south, is 159 miles. Its greatest width, from east to west, is 89 miles (the narrowest width is at 37 miles). The state's geographic center is Washington, three miles east of Roxbury.

Related Topics:
Connecticut River - Lake Champlain - Washington - Roxbury

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The Green Mountains, (In French: Verts monts) so named because of the predominance of mica-quartz-chlorite schist, a green hued metamorphosed shale. Their relatively low altitude allows for little timberline. The range forms a north-south spine running the most of the length of the state, slightly west of its center. In the southwest portion of the state are the Taconic Mountains; the White Mountains are in the northeast. In the northwest off Lake Champlain is the fertile Champlain Valley. In the south of the valley is Bomoseen Lake.

Related Topics:
Green Mountains - Timberline - Taconic Mountains - White Mountains - Champlain Valley - Bomoseen Lake

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Several mountains do have timberlines: Mount Mansfield, the highest mountain in the state and Killington are two examples. About 77 percent of the state is covered by forest, the rest in meadow, uplands, lakes, ponds and swampy wetlands.

Related Topics:
Mount Mansfield - Killington

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Vermont is known for its brief mud season in spring followed by a cool summer and a colorful autumn, and particularly for its cold winters. The northern part of the state, including the rural northeastern section (dubbed the "Northeast Kingdom") is known for exceptionally cold winters, often averaging more than 10° F (-12° C) colder than the southern areas of the state. Annual snowfall averages between 60 to 100 inches depending on elevation, giving Vermont some of New England's best cross-country skiing areas.

Related Topics:
Mud season - Northeast Kingdom - Snow - Cross-country skiing

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In the autumn, Vermont's hills experience an explosion of red, orange and gold foliage caused by the sugar maple. That this famous display occurs so abundantly in Vermont is not due so much to the presence of a particular variant of the tree; it rather results from a number of soil and climate conditions unique to the area.

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The highest recorded temperature was 105° F (41° C), at Vermon on July 4, 1911; the lowest recorded temperature was -50° F (-46° C), at Bloomfield on December 30, 1933.

Related Topics:
July 4 - 1911 - Bloomfield - December 30 - 1933

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