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Capital: Boston
Population: 6,902,149 (Source: 2012 U.S. Census)
Major Cities: Boston, Worcester, Springfield, Lowell, Cambridge, New Bedford
Borders: Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Atlantic Ocean
Gross Domestic Product (GDP): $403,823 million (2012 U.S. Department of Commerce)
Key Industries:
Electronics and computers, granite, fishing, insurance and financial services, biotechnology, and tourism
How Massachusetts got its name: The name comes from the Native American Algonquian language. It means big hill place.
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Massachusetts State Symbols
State Nickname: Bay StateState Slogan: Make It Yours; The Spirit of America (on its license plate)
State Motto: Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem (By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty)
State flower: Mayflower
State bird: Black-capped Chickadee
State fish: Atlantic cod
State tree: Elm
State mammal: Right whale, Boston Terrier, Morgan horse
State foods: Corn Muffin, Baked Navy Bean, Boston Cream Pie, Chocolate Chip Cookie
Becoming a State
Date admitted: Wednesday, February 6, 1788Number admitted: 6
Prior Name: Province of Massachusetts Bay, then sovereign state in Confederation
Postal Abbreviation: MA
The Geography of Massachusetts
Total Size: 7,840 sq. miles (source: 2003 Census)Geographical Low Point: Atlantic Ocean at Sea Level (source: U.S. Geological Survey)
Geographical High Point: Mt. Greylock at 3,491 feet, located in the county/subdivision of Berkshire (source: U.S. Geological Survey)
Central Point: Located in Worcester County approx. North part of City of Worcester (source: U.S. Geological Survey)
Counties: 14 (source: National Association of Counties)
Bodies of Water: Atlantic Ocean, Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts Bay, Nantucket Sound, Charles River, Merrimack River, Connecticut River, Quabbin Reservoir
Famous People
- Abigail Adams - First Lady who was married to John Adams.
- John Adams - The second President of the United States and Founding Father.
- John Quincy Adams - The sixth President of the United States.
- Samuel Adams - Founding Father of the United States.
- Susan B. Anthony - Activist for women's rights.
- Clara Barton - Founder of the American Red Cross and nurse.
- George H. W. Bush - The 41st President of the United States.
- Steven Carell - Actor and comedian
- Matt Damon - Actor
- W.E.B. du Bois - Civil rights activist
- Emily Dickinson - Poet
- Ralph Waldo Emerson - Poet
- Benjamin Franklin - Founding Father and inventor
- John F. Kennedy- The 35th President of the United States
- Edgar Allen Poe - Author who wrote The Raven and The Tell-Tale, Heart.
- Paul Revere - Folk hero who warned that the British were coming.
- Dr. Seuss - Author and illustrator of children's literature.
- Eli Whitney - Inventor of the cotton gin.
Fun Facts
- The first baseball World Series was held in Boston in 1903.
- Volleyball was invented by William G. Morgan in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
- Harvard was the first college established in North America.
- Basketball was invented in Massachusetts by Jim Naismith. The Basketball Hall of Fame is located in Springfield.
- The state is named after the Native American peoples the Massachuset.
- Another nickname for the state is the Baked Bean State.
- The first lighthouse in the United States was the Boston Harbor Light Station, built in 1716.
- The chocolate chip cookie was invented by Ruth Wakefield in 1930. She baked it at the Tollhouse Inn in Whitman, Mass.
- The first subway system was built in Boston in 1897.
- Four US presidents were born in Massachusetts. They include John Adams, John Quincy Adams, John Fitzgerald Kennedy and George H. W. Bush.
Professional Sports Teams
- Boston Bruins - NHL (hockey)
- Boston Celtics - NBA (basketball)
- Boston Red Sox - MLB (baseball)
- New England Patriots - NFL (football)
- New England Revolution - MLS (soccer)
Geography >> US States>> Massachusetts History
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