Mt. Mansfield, in the northern part of the state, at 4,393 feet, is Vermont's highest peak. Vermont's mountains, and the many fine ski resort areas nestled among them, make Vermont a premiere destination for winter sports enthusiasts. The Connecticut River Valley forms the eastern portion of Vermont. Vermont's varied landscape lends itself to a diversity of economic activity consisting primarily of tourism, manufacturing, agriculture, and higher education. Vermont continually strives to attract clean businesses and high technology industries dominate the manufacturing segment of the economy.
Agriculture continues to flourish in Vermont , where there still are almost as many cows as people.
Vermont's agriculture industry supplies dairy products such as milk, cheese, and ice cream to metropolitan markets. Vermont is the world's largest supplier of pure maple syrup. Tourism is Vermont's fastest growing industry . Undoubtedly, Vermont's commitment to maintaining a pure environment, with strict controls on development, is largely responsible for Vermont's popularity as a vacation destination. Major four season destinations offer alpine and cross country skiing and resort villages include spectacular golf courses and sports complexes which permit year-round swimming and tennis.