Hartford, Connecticut is the capital city of the state, and was the county seat of Hartford County, until the state disbanded the county government during the year 1960. Based on the Census of 2010, the city's population was 124,775, making it the 7th largest city in New England. It is the 2nd most populous city located on the Connecticut River, which is the largest river in New England. Hartford ranks the state's 3rd biggest city, coming in after the coastal cities of New Haven and Bridgeport. With a population of 1,212,381, Greater Hartford was the biggest metropolitan area in the state of Connecticut, according to the census of 2010.
Dutch explorer Adriaen Block, visited the region during the year 1614. Shortly after, trade was set up at Good Hope or Fort Goede Hoop, by the New Netherland colony. This particular fort was situated at the confluence of the Park and Connecticut Rivers. It was established during the year 1623 but the fur traders ended up leaving their post by 1654. Now, the area close to the place is still called Dutch Point.
The first English settlers started to come to the region during 1635. The settlement was originally known as Newtown until the year 1637, when it was renamed Hartford. This name was chosen to honor Samuel Stone's home, among the original settlers, who came from Hertford, an English township.
Hartford has been dubbed the "Insurance capital of the world" and is home to various main insurance firm's headquarters. A lot of these insurance firms have relocated or moved portions of the operations to nearby cities and other places. Another major part of the local economy consists of the Finance sector. Because of the Supreme Court, the state capital building and the legislature being situated within Hartford, the government offers another significant economic factor.
The city of Hartford houses various high-tech manufacturing firms and numerous multi-national organizations and various Fortune 500 corporations. Some of the products made within the city of Hartford comprise: precision instruments, electrical equipment, computers and biomedical devices. The city is a dominent telecommunications and data processing center. Furthermore, information technology and Aerospace technology are other notable elements within the economy.
In the city of Hartford, the major employment sectors consist of: Transportation and Utilities, Financial, Health Service and Education, Professional and Business Services, Manufacturing, Government and Hospitality and Leisure.
The city has numerous active parks tended to by the recreation department in addition to the surrounding beautiful forests and state parks. There are plenty of ski areas nearby, that offer many opportunities for outdoor recreation. The surrounding countryside has much to provide in terms of history, shoreline and numerous rivers. These environment offer enough opportunities for individuals who like to enjoy nature. There is an organization in the city of Hartford known as Riverfront Recapture. They work to increase public access to the Connecticut River and have added a network of public recreational facilities along with a vast network of parks.