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Delaware is located on the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. It contains 1,955 square miles
(5,063 square kilometers or 506,343 hectares) of land, and 535 square miles (1,386 square kilometers
or 138,564 hectares) covered by water. The state's total area of 2,489 square miles (6,446 square
kilometers or 644,648 hectares) makes it the 49th largest among the United States. The First State is
bordered to the north by Pennsylvania, to the south and west by Maryland, to the northeast by the
Delaware River and Delaware Bay across from New Jersey, and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean.
Delaware's geography can be categorized into two land regions: the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the
Piedmont. The Atlantic Coastal Plain stretches from Cape Cod, Massachusetts to around the Gulf of
Mexico. Much of Delaware lies within this large geographic region, resulting in a generally flat,
fertile land of low elevation; in fact it is second only to Florida in having the lowest average
elevation of all the states. Southern areas of the state, particularly the shoreline and Delaware
Bay, are distinguished by marshland. Delaware is also part of the Delmarva Peninsula, along with
Virginia and Maryland. The Piedmont region extends from New Jersey to Alabama, and features rolling
hills. The First State's highest point is located here, at the Ebright Road benchmark, rising to 448
feet (136 meters) above sea level. Major Rivers include the Delaware, Mispillion, Nanticoke,
Murderkill, St. Jones, Christina, Brandywine, and Pocomoke Rivers. Delaware contains no major lakes.
The climate of the First State is described as humid and temperate. Delaware's climate is
influenced primarily by the Atlantic Ocean, although it can be described as a transitional climate with
continental influences. Northern Delaware experiences an average January high temperature of 23
degrees F (-5 degrees C) and July highs of 86 degrees F (30 degrees C), whereas southern Delaware's
average highs range around 2 degrees warmer. Delaware receives an annual average precipitation of
about 45 inches (114.3 centimeters), with August being the rainiest month and February the driest;
approximately 21 inches (53.3 centimeters) of snow falls annually. Summers can be hot and humid, but
a long season of milder, Indian summer weather eases the state into fall.
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