Connecticut /

Connecticut ( /kəˈnɛtɨkət/) is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, the state of New York to the west, and by the Long Island Sound to the south. Named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately bisects the state, Connecticut's capital city is Hartford. The Knowledge Corridor surrounding Hartford and Springfield, Massachusetts, the latter of which lies only 5 miles north of the Connecticut state line, constitute New England's second most populous metropolitan region (with approximately 1.8 million residents and 110,000 university students.) Southwestern Connecticut is considered part of the New York metropolitan area; three of Connecticut's eight counties are in the New York City combined statistical area, commonly called the Tri-State area. Connecticut's center of population is in Cheshire, New Haven County. Connecticut is the 29th most populous state, with 3.5 million residents, and is ranked 48th in size by area, making it the 4th most densely populated state. Called the Constitution State, Nutmeg State, and "The Land of Steady Habits", Connecticut was influential in the development of the federal government of the United States.