CB00-FF.02                                                January 28, 2000

                                
                            Valentine's Day: February 14


Romantic-Sounding Places

- Niagara Falls has long been considered one of our nation's more romantic
  places. But it doesn't have the most romantic-sounding name. Among the
  contenders for that distinction are Valentine, Neb., whose population
  was an estimated 2,849 in 1998, and Valentine, Texas, at 255. 

Another contender is Loveland, Colo. With a population of 47,116, it is the
most populous of the 10 places around the nation that have the word "love"
as part of their name. The others: Lovejoy, Ga.; Loves Park, Ill.; Lovelock,
Nev.; Love Valley, N.C.; Loveland, Ohio; Loveland, Okla.; Lovelady, Texas;
Lovettsville, Va.; and Lovell, Wyo. http://mapping.usgs.gov/www/gnis/
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-128.html

Valentine Cards

- In 1997, the nation's greeting card publishers shipped $277 million worth
  of Valentine cards, more than the total of any other individual type of
  seasonal greeting card except Christmas cards and up from $210 million in
  1992. Sixteen companies shipped $100,000 or more worth of these cards. 
  http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/97ecmani.html

Flowers

- If your valentine prefers flowers, we've got you covered! Some 26,505
  florists nationwide plied their trade in 1997, employing 124,627 persons.
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-186.html

- It is possible the flowers you buy this year will have come from Colombia,
  our nation's leading supplier of cut flowers. U.S. imports of cut flowers
  from Colombia between January and October 1999 were valued at $288 million.
  Or, the flowers could have been grown right here in the U.S. of A.: domestic
  production of cut flowers was worth $494 million in 1997. Consumer spending
  on cut flowers totaled $24 per person in 1997.
  http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-238.html

Chocolate and Candy

- The chocolate and candy you give or receive probably were made in one of our
  nation's manufacturing establishments. In 1997, 165 such establishments,
  employing 11,036 people, produced chocolate and cocoa products. These
  manufacturers shipped $3.8 billion worth of goods that year. Meanwhile,
  715 U.S. establishments, employing 53,388 people, manufactured candy and
  other confectionary products. They shipped $13.0 billion worth of goods that
  year. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-186.html

  http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/97ecmani.html

- In at least one respect, Pennsylvania, New York and California might be  
  dubbed the nation's sweetest states. Pennsylvania has more establishments
  making candy and other confectionary products (83) than any other state while
  New York and California lead the nation in the number of establishments
  making chocolate and cocoa products (each has 21).
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-186.html

- Then again, these sugary delights could have come from outside the United
  States. Between January and October, 1999, the United States imported
  $272 million worth of chocolate from Canada, more than from any other country.
  Canada also was the leading supplier of nonchocolate candy to the United
  States for the same period, with shipments totaling $151 million.
  http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/

- Though people can buy candy in many places, perhaps the best single retail
  source is one of the 4,462 candy, nut and confectionary stores located in the
  United States in 1997.
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-186.html

- Americans consumed 27 pounds of candy per person in 1998 -- no doubt a good
  bit of it on Valentine's Day. http://www.census.gov/cir/www/ma20d.html

Marriage and Divorce

- During 1997, 2.4 million marriages and 1.2 million divorces took place in the
  United States. That translates into 6,500 marriages and 3,200 divorces a day.
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-238.html

- Nevada was the nation's marriage and divorce capital, racking up the highest
  marriage rate (80.3 marriages per 1,000 population); as well as the highest
  divorce rate (10.4 divorces per 1,000 population) of any state in 1997. 
  Hawaii was a distant runner-up in the marriage rate (16.5) while Wyoming was
  in second place in divorces (6.2 per 1,000). (Note: Marriage rate data are
  unavailable for Maine; divorce rate data are unavailable for California,
  Colorado, Indiana, Louisiana and Texas.)
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-238.html

- The estimated U.S. median age at first marriage in 1998 was 25.0 years for
  women and 26.7 years for men. The age for women equaled the 20th century
  high reached in 1997 while the age for men dipped 0.4 years since it reached
  a 20th century high in 1996. 
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-03.html

Singleness

- There were 114 unmarried men (i.e., never married, widowed or divorced), ages
  18 to 44, for every 100 unmarried women of those ages in 1998. At older ages,
  however, the ratio reverses, to 146 unmarried women for every 100 unmarried
  men among 45- to 64-year-olds and 315 unmarried women for every 100 unmarried
  men among people 65 and over.
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-03.html

- In 1998, 13.7 million persons 25 to 34 had never been married, representing
  35 percent of all people in this age group. The total for those 35 to 44 was
  lower at 6.8 million or 15 percent.
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-03.html

_______________________________________________________________________________
The preceding facts come from the U.S. Geological Survey's Geographic Names
Information System (GNIS), which contains information from the Census Bureau;
population estimates; the Statistical Abstract of the United States, Current
Population Survey, Current Industrial Reports, County Business Patterns,
U.S. import and export trade reports and the 1997 Economic Census.  The data
are subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Previous Facts
for Features in 2000: African American History Month (February). Questions
or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau's Public Information
Office (tel: 301-457-3030; fax: 301-457-3670;  e-mail: pio@census.gov).