Hartford is the capital of Connecticut. It has a population of 124,512 as of 2006 which makes it the second largest city in the state after Bridgeport, and is also one of the oldest in the nation. Hartford is nicknamed the "Insurance Capital of the World" since it houses many international insurance company headquarters and insurance has thus become the region's major industry. To learn more about Connecticut industries, check out the yellowpages of Connecticut. There are several world-class institutions of education in Hartford. Wardworth Atheneum and Trinity College, as well as the Hartford Conservatory, the University of Connecticut School of Business and the University of Hartford. The U of H features several cultural institutions: the Renee Samuels Center, the Joseloff Gallery and the Mort and Irma Handel Performing Arts Center. Hartford is also home to the American School for the Deaf, the first education institution for the deaf in America, founded by Thomas Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc in 1817. To find more schools and surrounding businesses, search our business directory. Due to recent renovations to the city - such as a new hotel and conventional center, the reclaimed riverfront, a new science center and a blend of residential and commercial buildings - Hartford has attracted even more new development and interest. There are many points of interests, including the oldest public art museum of the nation, Wadsworth Atheneum, and the oldest public park, Bushnell Park, which add to the overall surge of attraction to the area.