Independence. Caesar Rodney was one
of Delaware’s three delegates to the
Continental Congress. When the two
other delegates split their vote over
whether to support the declaration,
Rodney rode on horseback from Dover
to Philadelphia in order to break the tie.
His last-minute ride allowed him to cast
Delaware’s deciding vote for
independence.
Although many Delaware residents
owned slaves, the state remained with
the Union when the American CivilWar
began in 1861. After the war, with much
help from the Du Pont family, the state
prospered.
..More to explore
American CivilWar • Declaration of
Independence • Dover
Visitors to Delaware’s Rehoboth Beach enjoy the sun, sand, and ocean.
Facts About
DELAWARE
Flag
Population
(2000 census),
783,600—rank,
45th state; (2008
estimate)
873,092—rank,
45th state
Capital
Dover
Area
2,489 sq mi
(6,447 sq km)—
rank, 49th state
Statehood
December 7,
1787
Motto
Liberty and
Independence
State bird
Blue hen chicken
State flower
Peach blossom
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Delaware 31
Delhi
Population
(2001 estimate),
Old Delhi,
9,817,439;
New Delhi,
294,783
Delhi was the capital of mighty empires
in South Asia for hundreds of years.
Today it is divided into two cities—
Delhi (or Old Delhi) and New Delhi.
New Delhi is the capital of the country
of India. Both cities are part of an area
known as the national capital territory
of Delhi.
Old Delhi grew over hundreds of years.
It has narrow, winding streets and busy
markets. Its living areas are crowded.
Old Delhi also has many historic buildings.
The beautiful Red Fort was built
there in the 1600s.
New Delhi was built in the early 1900s.
A British architect designed the city. It
has wide, straight streets and many parks.
Many people in Delhi work in government,
education, health care, and tourism.
Delhi has long been northern
India’s leading center of business and
trade. Factories in Delhi make cloth,
electronics, tools, and other products.
Many different cities were built in the
Delhi area over the years. It was the
capital of a series of Muslim rulers
beginning in the 1100s.
In the 1700s Great Britain began taking
over parts of India. The British captured
Delhi in 1803. They began building
New Delhi in 1912. It became the capital
of British India. In 1947 India
became an independent country with
New Delhi as its capital.
#More to explore
India
Delphi
Delphi was a town in ancient Greece. It
was the home of the most important
Greek oracle. The ancient Greeks asked
their gods for answers to their questions
and problems. An oracle was both the
god’s answer and the temple where
people came to receive such answers.
The Greeks considered Delphi to be the
center of the world. Over many years,
Traffic moves through a busy
street in Old Delhi.
An ancient
poem tells of a
city built on
the site of
Delhi nearly
3,500 years
ago.
32 Delhi BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
several temples were built there to honor
Apollo. He was the god of light, poetry
and music, and prophecy, or the telling
of the future.
People came from every part of Greece
to learn their future through Apollo.
The oracle was even consulted before
any new colony was formed. People
would often bring expensive gifts. Priestesses
and priests would deliver the
oracles to the people. The oracles were
worded so that they could have two or
more different meanings.
The oracle was closed in the AD 300s.
Today Delphi is a popular tourist destination
and a major archaeological site.
Excavations have uncovered temple
ruins and pieces of sculptures.
#More to explore
Apollo • Greece, Ancient
Delta
In ancient times Greek merchants who
sailed to Egypt noticed that the Nile
River branched into two streams before
flowing into the sea. The sea and the
river’s branches enclosed a piece of land
shaped like a triangle. The Greeks called
that land a delta because it resembled
the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet
(.). Now the term delta is used for any
plain made up of material deposited by a
river at its mouth.
Rivers often carry a lot of soil, sand, and
other material. When the flow of a river
slows at its mouth, some of that material
settles. Over the years the material builds
up to form a delta. The surface of a delta
is almost level, and the river usually flows
across it in a number of small branches.
Deltas have been important to people
since prehistoric times. The soil of a
delta is usually ideal for farming. Major
civilizations developed in the deltas of
Visitors to Delphi today can see
the ruins of one of the temples of
Apollo.
A photograph taken from a satellite shows
the Nile River delta and the Mediterranean
Sea.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Delta 33
the Nile, Tigris-Euphrates, Indus, and
Huang He rivers. More recently, scientists
have discovered that the rocks of
some deltas hold large amounts of oil.
#More to explore
River
Demeter
In ancient Greek mythology Demeter
was the goddess of grain and farming.
She was associated with the Roman goddess
Ceres because they shared many
characteristics. Demeter’s symbols
included corn and a basket filled with
grain, flowers, and fruit.
Demeter was the daughter of Cronos
and Rhea, who were Titans. The Titans
