Sussex County (Delaware)

The Sussex County is the southernmost and geographically largest of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware. In the census in 2010, the County had 197 145 inhabitants and a population density of 81.2 inhabitants per square kilometer. The administrative headquarters ( County Seat) is Georgetown.

Geography

The Sussex County is - like all of Delaware - on the Delmarva Peninsula and is located on the Atlantic coast at the outlet of the Delaware Bay; the west and south it borders Maryland. The Sussex County has an area of 3,097 square kilometers; of which 668 square miles of water. At the Sussex County following county boundaries in Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey:

1 - maritime boundary in the Delaware Bay

History

The first human settlement is 10,000 to 14,000 years ago. The various tribes that inhabited the present-day Delaware, belonged to the Algonquian - to language family. The best-known peoples were (also called Delaware ), and the Nanticoke Lenni Lenape the. Especially along the waters the population density was relatively high because the fishing played a special role. In addition, agriculture has played a major role, especially in the summer months. In addition to it also hunting deer and small animals was made in the dense forests.

Between 1593 and 1630, the coast of European sailors from different countries was explored. 1609 Henry Hudson discovered, on behalf of the Dutch East India - Company was traveling the Delaware River. A year later landed the English navigator Samuel Argall and named the region after Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr, the governor of Virginia, from which the modern name "Delaware " was developed.

In today's Sussex County, the first permanent settlement of Europeans in Delaware took place. In 1631 was established the first permanent European settlement on the territory of today's Sussex County with Zwaanendael (present-day Lewes ). The Dutch captain David Pietersz. de Vries landed to set up a whaling base on the mid-Atlantic coast of North America. 1632 De Vries left the colony and had experience on his return that they burned down by the Indians and the inhabitants were killed. Thus, the Dutch part of colonial history had ended in what is now Sussex County.

The Sussex County was founded in 1683 by William Penn as part of the then colony of Pennsylvania. It was named after the English county of Sussex. With the Mason - Dixon Line, the border with the neighboring colony of Maryland finally determined, in addition to the boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland also the border between the slave-holding states and those where slavery was prohibited, was. In 1769, the county seat of Sussex County Lewes after Crossroads, now Milton was laid.

1776 was the American Declaration of Independence and Delaware was by its gradual elimination of Pennsylvania (1704 - own parliament, 1710 - own administration, 1776 - Foundation of the State of Delaware ), one of the thirteen founding states of the USA. Unlike Pennsylvania Delaware was but a state in which slavery was allowed.

1791 Georgetown was, today's administrative seat of the county established to define a central place for management.

Demographic data

According to the census in 2000 lived in Sussex County 156 638 people in 62 577 households, and 43,866 families. The population density was 64 people per square kilometer. The racial the population was composed of 80.3 percent white, 14.9 percent African American, 0.6 percent Native American, 0.7 percent Asian, and 2.0 percent from other ethnic groups; 1.4 percent were descended from two or more races. 4.4 percent of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race, were members of the various groups mentioned.

Of the 62 577 households out of which 27.1 percent of children under the age of 18 living with them. 54.9 percent were married couples living together, 11.3 percent were single mothers and 29.9 percent were non-families. 24.3 percent of all households were single-person households, and 11.1 percent had someone living alone at the age of 65 years or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size is 2.88.

22.5 percent of the population was under 18 years old, 7.0 percent between 18 to 24, 26.3 percent between 25 and 44, 25.6 percent between 45 and 64 years old and 18.5 percent were 65 years or older. The average age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 95.5 males to 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.8 males.

The average income of a household was $ 39,208, the family of a 45 203. USD. Males had a median income of $ 30,811, women $ 23,625. The per capita income was $ 20,328. Approximately 7.7 percent of families and 10.5 percent of the population lived below the poverty line.

Cities and Towns

Citys

Rehoboth Beach
Seaford

Towns

Bethany Beach
Bethel
Blades
Bridgeville
Dagsboro

Delmar
Dewey Beach
Ellendale
Fenwick Iceland
Frankford

Georgetown
Greenwood
Henlopen Acres
Laurel
Lewes

Milford1
Millsboro
Millville
Milton
Ocean View

Selbyville
Slaughter Beach
South Bethany

Census-designated place (CDP )

Long Neck

Unicorportated communities

Gumboro
Lincoln
Oak Orchard

1 - partly in Kent County

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