Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States with approximately 3.4 million residents. It is bordered on the south by Long Island Sound, on the west by New York State, on the north by Massachusetts, and on the east by Rhode Island. The state capital is Hartford, and other major cities include Bridgeport, New Haven, Stamford, Waterbury, Danbury and New London. The Connecticut River cuts through the center of the state, flowing into Long Island Sound, Connecticut's outlet to the Atlantic Ocean. The landscape varies from the estates of Fairfield County's "Gold Coast" to the rolling mountains and horse-farms of the Litchfield Hills of northwestern Connecticut. Connecticut enjoys a temperate climate due to its long coastline on Long Island Sound. It is nicknamed the Constitution State and also the Nutmeg State.