one of the United States of North America, bounded on the N. by Canada; E. by New Hampshire; S. by Massachusetts; and W. by New York. It lies between the river Connecticut and the long tapering basin of Lake Champlain; stretching from 42° 44' to 45° N. Lat., a distance of nearly 160 miles, and from 71° 25' to 73° 26' W. Long., with a breadth expanding pretty regularly from 45 miles in the S. to 90 in the N. It has an area of 10,212 square miles.

Mountains. The most striking natural feature of this tract is the mountainous range called the Green Mountains, which traverse the state from north to south, and passing into Massachusetts, there take the name of the Hoosic Mountains. In the centre of the state this ridge is divided into two, of which the one called the Height of Land runs north-east to Canada, and the other, taking a north-westerly direction, sinks down in the northern part of the state. The Green Mountains, from whose verdure this state derives its name, are from ten to fifteen miles wide, and are much intersected by valleys; they are watered by numerous springs and brooks, and are covered with evergreen trees and shrubs nearly to their summits. There are many good farms among the mountains, and much of the land upon them is suitable for grazing. The highest points are Mansfield Mountain, rising to 4359 feet; Camel's Hump, 4188 feet, both in the north-western ridge; and Killington Peak, further south, 3675 feet in height. Ascutney, a detached elevation near Windsor, rises to the height of 3320 feet above the level of the sea.

Rivers. The Connecticut forms the eastern boundary of the state. Onion River passes through Montpelier, the capital, into Lake Champlain at Burlington. Otter Creek is a principal branch of Onion River. Lamolle and Mississic are considerable streams north of the Onion. In the Green Mountains rise many smaller rivers, which at once beautify the country by the picturesque scenery of their banks, and promote its manufactures by the mills which they turn in their course. Those which run towards the east are tributaries to the Connecticut, and those whose course is towards the west discharge their waters into Lake Champlain.

Lake Champlain, between this state and New York, is a beautiful sheet of water, 115 miles long, and from one to fifteen wide. It discharges at its northern extremity by the river Sorel into the St Lawrence, and contains upwards of sixty islands, of which Motte, and North and South Hero, are of considerable size. Besides the rivers which flow into it from the Green Mountains, it receives many from New York, on the western shore. The Champlain canal connects it with Hudson River and the New York and Erie canal. Lying extremely convenient to facilitate the commerce of the state both with New York and Montreal, it is navigated by a number of steam-boats and lake vessels. Memphremagog is a considerable lake, 25 miles long and 3 broad, lying partly in Vermont and partly in Canada, receiving a number of streams from this state, and communicating by the St Francis with the St Lawrence.

The prevailing rocks belong to the stratified primary minerals group, embracing mica and talcose slate, gneiss, primary limestone, argillite, &c. On the western border there is a narrow strip of transition limestone. These rocks afford good building materials, and marble is quarried and carried out of the state. Iron is found in great abundance; and there are also here magnetic iron ore, copper, lead, and zinc. Pyrites or sulphurite of iron, is found at Strafford and Shrewsbury; and large quantities of copperas are made here annually.

Vermont was originally covered with a dense forest, a large part of which still remains, although considerable encroachments have been made on it in clearing land for cultivation, and in felling trees for timber. The mountains produce hemlock, spruce, and fir; the lower grounds, various species of oak, pine, maple, elm, hickory, beech, birch, ash, butternut, and basswood, and the cedar grows in wet places. Ginseng, sarsaparilla, sassafras, snakeroot, lobelias, &c., are also among the products of the forest. Maple-sugar is made in large quantities for domestic use and exportation, and pot and pearl ashes, and lumber, are also exported.

Although on the whole mountainous, Vermont is by no means a poor or unproductive country. The valleys of the state, and rivers contain extensive tracts of rich alluvial land; and agriculture even the more elevated portions afford good pasture for cattle, and especially for sheep. The climate is severe but healthy. During the long winter the cold continues steady and is sometimes intense; but the spring is not liable to the raw winds from the ocean; and in summer the heat is very great. The temperature ranged in 1851 from 17° below zero in winter, to 92° above it in summer. The extent of cultivated land in 1850 was 2,601,409 acres, being more than a third of the whole area; and there were produced in the same year, 335,955 bushels of wheat, 176,233 of rye, 2,032,396 of maize, 2,307,734 of oats, 104,619 of pulse, 4,951,014 of potatoes, 42,150 of barley, 209,810 of buckwheat, 3,400,717 lb. of wool, 12,137,980 of butter, 8,720,834 of cheese, 6,349,357 of maple-sugar, 249,422 of wax and honey, 866,153 tons of hay, &c. Of live stock the state contained 61,057 horses, 348,668 head of cattle, 919,992 sheep, 66,278 swine, and 218 mules and asses.

Though inferior in respect of manufactures to most of the other New England states, this country contains a great trade, and abundance of water-power; and had, in 1850, 1835 manufacturers, each producing more than L1,000 worth of goods annually. Of these, 9 were cotton factories, employing 241 hands, and producing yarn and cloth to the value of L40,850; 72 were woollen factories, employing 1393 hands, and producing goods to the value of L329,000; 37 forges, furnaces, &c., employing 530 hands, and producing wrought, cast, and pig iron to the value of L144,333; 152 tanneries, producing L122,400 worth of leather; and a number of breweries, producing 800 barrels of ale. A considerable trade is carried on chiefly by way of Lake Champlain. In the year ending June 30, 1858, the exports from Vermont amounted in value to L201,176, and the imports to L457,006. The tonnage of vessels entered in 1851-2, was 60,488, of those cleared 57,579, and of those owned in the state 5657. Internal communication is facilitated by a number of railways; the whole length of the lines in operation in January 1859 being 528 miles.

According to the census of 1850, Vermont contained 564 religious churches, with accommodation for 226,444 people. Of this number 168 belonged to Independents, 123 to Methodists, 88 to Baptists, 25 to Episcopalians, 10 to Presbyterians, and the remainder to minor sects. Education is well attended to here, as generally in New England. Besides common schools, receiving a large amount of public money, and attended in 1850-1 by 90,110 pupils; there are in the state 3 colleges, 2 medical schools, and a large number of flourishing academies.

The form of government is republican; the governor, lieutenant-governor, senate, and house of representatives being all elected annually by popular vote. The senate consists of 30, and the lower house of 230 members. Vermont is represented in the National Senate by 2, and in the house of representatives by 3 members. The judicial establishment consists of a supreme court, of 3 county courts, and a court of chancery. For the year ending August 31, 1859, the public revenue amounted to L36,633, and the expenditure to L37,272. Vermont is divided into 14 counties, and the capital is Montpelier. Pop. (1850) 314,120, of whom 709 were negroes.