Template:Portal:New Hampshire/Intro

New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. The state ranks 46th of the 50 states in land area and 41st in population. It was one of the Thirteen Colonies and became the ninth state admitted to the Union. New Hampshire was also the first U.S. state to have its own constitution. As of 2005, New Hampshire has an estimated population of 1,309,940, an increase of 6.0% since 2000.

The state license plates boast the famous state motto: "Live free or die." One state nickname is "The Granite State", in reference both to its geology and to its tradition of self-sufficiency. The state is also internationally famous for the New Hampshire primary, the first primary. New Hampshire has historically been dominated by the Republican Party, and is still considered to be the most conservative state in the Northeast; but in national elections it has become a swing state.

The state has no sales tax, no personal income tax and advocates a frugal budget, thereby attracting commuters, light industry, specialty horticulture, retail customers and service firms from other jurisdictions with higher tax policies, notably from neighboring states. New Hampshire has some of the nation's highest property taxes, but ranks one of the lowest states in combined average state and local tax burden.

New Hampshire's recreational attractions include skiing and other winter sports; observing the spectacular fall foliage; summer cottages along many lakes; and the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, home of the Loudon Classic, the longest-running motorcycle race in the United States.

New Hampshire was home to the famous rock formation called the Old Man of the Mountain, a face-like profile in Franconia Notch, until May 2003, when the state icon fell apart. The White Mountains range in New Hampshire spans the north-central portion of the state, with Mount Washington being the tallest in the northeastern U.S., and other mountains like Mount Madison and Mount Adams surrounding it.