Massachusetts - Economy, Transportation, Law and government, Professional sports, Miscellaneous topics
pop (2000e) 6 349 000; area 21 455 km²/8284 sq mi. New England state in NE USA, divided into 14 counties; the Bay State or Old Colony; third most densely populated state; one of the original states of the Union, sixth to ratify the Constitution, 1788; capital, Boston; other chief cities, Cambridge, Springfield, Worcester; rises from an indented coastline to a stony, upland interior and gentle, rolling hills to the W; Connecticut R flows NS across the W part of the state, Housatonic R flows S near the W border, Merrimack R enters the Atlantic Ocean in the NE; Berkshire Hills rise between the Housatonic and Connecticut Rivers; highest point Mt Greylock (1049 m/3442 ft); electronics, printing and publishing, timber, nursery and greenhouse produce, vegetables, cranberries; many coastal resorts; Pilgrim Fathers settled at Plymouth in 1620; colony of Massachusetts founded 1629; first shots of the War of Independence fired at Lexington in 1775.
| Flag of Massachusetts | Seal of Massachusetts |
| Nickname(s): Bay State | |
| Motto(s): Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem | |
| Official language(s) | English |
| Capital | Boston |
| Largest city | Boston |
| Area | Ranked 44th |
| - Total |
10,555 sq mi (27,360 km²) |
| - Width | 183 miles (295 km) |
| - Length | 113 miles (182 km) |
| - % water | 13.3 |
| - Latitude | 41°10'N to 42°53'N |
| - Longitude | 68°57'W to 73°30'W |
| Population | Ranked 13th |
| - Total (2000) | 6,349,097 |
| - Density |
818/sq mi 312.68/km² (3rd) |
| - Median income | $52,354 (9th) |
| Elevation | |
| - Highest point |
Mount Greylock 3,491 ft (1,064 m) |
| - Mean | 500 ft (150 m) |
| - Lowest point |
Atlantic Ocean 0 ft (0 m) |
| Admission to Union | February 6, 1788 (6th) |
| Governor | Mitt Romney (R) |
| U.S. Senators |
Edward Kennedy (D) John Kerry (D) |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 |
| Abbreviations | MA Mass. US-MA |
| Web site | www.mass.gov |
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Massachusetts was the home state of US Presidents John Adams, John Quincy Adams, John F.
As of 2006, Massachusetts is the only state in the union to legalize marriage of gay and lesbian couples.
Massachusetts is known as the Bay State because of the several large bays that give its coastline its distinctive shape: Massachusetts Bay and Cape Cod Bay on the state's east coast, and Buzzards Bay to the south.
Boston is the largest city, located at the innermost point of Massachusetts Bay, at the mouth of the Charles River, the longest river entirely within Massachusetts.
Western Massachusetts is more rural and sparsely populated, especially in the Berkshires, the branch of the Appalachian Mountains that dominates the western quarter of the state. The most populated part of western Massachusetts is the "Pioneer Valley," alongside the Connecticut River, which flows across western Massachusetts from north to south.
Areas under the control and management of the National Park Service include:
Adams National Historical Park in Quincy Longfellow National Historic Site in Cambridge Appalachian National Scenic Trail Lowell National Historical Park in Lowell Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor in Worcester County Minute Man National Historical Park in Concord, Lincoln, and Lexington Boston African American National Historic Site in Boston New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park in New Bedford Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area (in partnership with other agencies) Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor Boston National Historical Park Salem Maritime National Historic Site in Salem Cape Cod National Seashore Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Saugus Essex National Heritage Area around Salem Springfield Armory National Historic Site in Springfield Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site in Brookline Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord Wild and Scenic Rivers John F.The state does have its share of extreme weather with the state especially prone to Noreasters and other severe winter storms. While not known as being a state with much tornadic activity, the state has had its share of destructive tornadoes with the western part of the state slightly more vulerable then coastal areas in the east. Massachusetts, like all of the United States eastern seaboard, is vulnerable to hurricanes, and perhaps because of its location further east in the Atlantic Ocean, has been historically more vulnerable than many states further south. U.S. Constitution - On February 6, 1788, Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify the United States Constitution. Slavery - Massachusetts was the first U.S. state to abolish slavery, in a 1783 judicial interpretation of its 1780 constitution.
About five out of six Bay Staters (5,327,337 people in 2005) live in Greater Boston, including the City of Boston, an inner ring of neighboring cities and towns, the North Shore, South Shore, and the interior northern, western, and southern suburbs. In addition, Greater Boston includes most of southeastern Massachusetts and central Massachusetts, or Worcester County. Eastern Massachusetts is more urban than central or Western Massachusetts, which is primarily rural, save for the cities of Springfield and Worcester.
Race and ancestry
| Demographics of Massachusetts (csv) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| By race | White | Black | AIAN | Asian | NHPI |
| AIAN is American Indian or Alaskan Native NHPI is Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | |||||
| 2000 (total population) | 89.23% | 6.97% | 0.62% | 4.22% | 0.15% |
| 2000 (hispanic only) | 5.64% | 1.09% | 0.12% | 0.06% | 0.05% |
| 2005 (total population) | 87.89% | 7.58% | 0.65% | 5.13% | 0.17% |
| 2005 (hispanic only) | 6.63% | 1.29% | 0.14% | 0.07% | 0.05% |
| Growth 2000-2005 (total population) | -0.73% | 9.65% | 4.39% | 22.61% | 13.10% |
| Growth 2000-2005 (non-hispanic only) | -2.03% | 7.84% | 2.72% | 22.74% | 14.37% |
| Growth 2000-2005 (hispanic only) | 18.51% | 19.43% | 11.24% | 13.47% | 10.30% |
The five largest reported ancestries in Massachusetts are: Irish (17.5%), Italian (13.5%), French/French Canadian (12.9%) English (11.4%), German (5.9%). Franco-Bay Staters are the largest group in much of western and central Massachusetts.
Religion
Massachusetts was initially founded and settled by staunch Puritans in the 17th century and remained a majority-Yankee state for most of its history.
The religious affiliations of the people of Massachusetts (as of 2001) are shown in the table below:
Christian – 79% Catholic – 47% Protestant – 31% Congregational/United Church of Christ – 4% Baptist – 4% Episcopal – 3% Methodist – 2% Pentecostal – 2% Other Protestant or general Protestant – 16% Other Christian – 1% Jewish – 2% Unitarian – 1% Other Religions – 1% Non-Religious – 17%Emigration and Immigration
High housing costs in Massachusetts have primarily contributed to increasing outmigration to neighboring New Hampshire and Rhode Island in addition to the Southern and Western states.
On the other hand, Massachusetts is still one of the top states for immigrants.
Economy
The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that Massachusetts's gross state product in 2004 was US$318 billion. The state imposes a 5% sales tax on retail sales of tangible personal property—except for groceries, clothing, and periodicals—in Massachusetts by any vendor. The state also collects a 12% tax on interest (except interest from Massachusetts banks), dividends, gains from the sale or exchange of capital assets held for one year or less (short-term capital gains).
See also: Massachusetts locations by per capita incomeTransportation
A major airport in the state is Logan International Airport. Public transportation in the form of a subway system and longer distance Commuter Rail in the Boston metro area is operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority but mostly runs through the Greater Boston area, including service to Worcester and Providence, Rhode Island.
Law and government
See also: Massachusetts Constitution and Governor of MassachusettsThe Massachusetts Constitution was ratified in 1780 while the Revolutionary War was still in progress, nine years before the United States Constitution was adopted.
The governor is head of the executive branch and serves as chief administrative officer of the state and as commander-in-chief of the Massachusetts National Guard.
The Massachusetts state legislature is formally styled as the "Great and General Court."
Massachusetts is the home of the Kennedy family of political fame, and routinely votes for the Democratic Party in federal elections: it is the most populous state to have an all-Democratic Congressional delegation (ten representatives and two senators). From 1988 through 2004, Massachusetts has supported Democratic presidential candidates, most recently giving native son John Kerry 61.9% of the vote and his largest margin of victory in any state. (It should be noted, however, John Kerry's margin of victory in the District of Columbia was much higher in 2004.) During the 1972 election, Massachusetts was the only state to give its electoral votes to George McGovern, the Democratic nominee (The District of Columbia also voted for McGovern).
Following a November 2003 decision of the state's Supreme Court, Massachusetts became the first (and so far only) state to issue same-sex marriage licenses on May 17, 2004. Massachusetts shares the governmental structure known as the New England town with the five other New England states, as well as New York and New Jersey.
Massachusetts contains only 2.5% of the U.S. population but is home to many of its most renowned preparatory schools, colleges, and universities (see full list of colleges and universities in Massachusetts). The population of metropolitan Boston and of the Five Colleges area in Western Massachusetts, in particular, surges during the school year (see list of colleges and universities in metropolitan Boston).
Colleges and universities
| American International College Amherst College Babson College Bay Path College Berklee College of Music Bentley College Boston College Boston University Brandeis University Bridgewater State College Bunker Hill Community College Clark University College of the Holy Cross Emerson College Emmanuel College Endicott College Fitchburg State College Forsyth Institute Framingham State College | Gordon College Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary Greenfield Community College Hampshire College Harvard University Massachusetts Bay Community College Massachusetts College of Art Massachusetts Institute of Technology Merrimack College Middlesex Community College Montserrat College of Art Mount Holyoke College Mount Wachusett Community College New England Institute of Art Northeastern University North Shore Community College Radcliffe College Salem State College Simmons College | Smith College Springfield College Stonehill College Suffolk University Tufts University University of Massachusetts Amherst University of Massachusetts Boston University of Massachusetts Dartmouth University of Massachusetts Lowell University of Massachusetts Medical School Wellesley College Wentworth Institute of Technology Western New England College Westfield State College Wheelock College Williams College Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester State College Wheaton College |
Professional sports
The following table lists the professional sports teams in Massachusetts.
| Club | Sports | Founded | League | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Red Sox | Baseball | 1901 | Major League Baseball: American League | Fenway Park |
| Brockton Rox | Baseball | 2002 | Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball | Campanelli Stadium |
| Lowell Spinners | Baseball | 1996 | Single-A Minor League Baseball | Edward A. LeLacheur Park |
| North Shore Spirit | Baseball | 2003 | Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball | Fraser Field |
| Worcester Tornadoes | Baseball | 2005 | Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball | Fitton Field |
| Boston Celtics | Basketball | 1946 | National Basketball Association: Eastern Conference | TD Banknorth Garden |
| Cape Cod Frenzy | Basketball | 2004 | American Basketball Association | TBA |
| Bay State Warriors | Football | 2001 | Independent Women's Football League | Hormel Stadium |
| Mass Mutiny | Football | 2001 | National Women's Football Association | English High School |
| New England Patriots | Football | 1960 | National Football League: American Football Conference | Gillette Stadium |
| Boston Bruins | Ice Hockey | 1924 | National Hockey League | TD Banknorth Garden |
| Lowell Devils | Ice Hockey | 2006 | American Hockey League | Tsongas Arena |
| Springfield Falcons | Ice Hockey | 1994 | American Hockey League | MassMutual Center |
| Worcester Sharks | Ice Hockey | 2006 | American Hockey League | DCU Center |
| Boston Cannons | Lacrosse | 2001 | Major League Lacrosse | Nickerson Field |
| Boston Braves | Rugby | 2006 | American National Rugby League | |
| New England Riptide | Softball | 2004 | National Pro Fastpitch | Martin Softball Field |
| New England Revolution | Soccer | 1995 | Major League Soccer | Gillette Stadium |
| Western Mass Pioneers | Soccer | 1998 | United Soccer League Second Division | Lusitano Stadium |
| Boston Lobsters | Tennis | 1974 | World TeamTennis | Harvard University Bright Arena& |
| New England Hurricanes | Paintball | 2000 | Boston Paintball Maynerd and NPPL Boston |
Miscellaneous topics
The Commonwealth's nickname is the Bay State.
Seven ships of the United States Navy have been named USS Massachusetts in honor of this state.
The front doors of the state house are only opened when a governor leaves office or a head of state comes to visit the State House.
Massachusetts is the first state in the union to mandate health insurance for all its citizens.
Name
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was named after the indigenous population, the Massachusett, whose name can be segmented as mass-achu-sets, where mass is "great", achu is "hill" and sets is a locative suffix. Massachusetts has the same position and powers within the United States as other states and a similar form of internal government. Bush, 43rd Vice President of the U.S., 41st President of the U.S. Calvin Coolidge, 29th Vice President of the U.S., 30th President of the U.S. Michael Dukakis, Governor, 1988 Democratic presidential nominee Benjamin Franklin, Patriot in the American Revolutionary War Elbridge Gerry, Congressman, Governor, 5th Vice President of the U.S., namesake of gerrymandering John Hancock, Governor, President of the Continental Congress Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., Supreme Court Justice James Michael Curley, Governor, Congressman, Mayor of Boston Edward M. McCormack, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tip O'Neill, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Theodore Sedgwick, President pro tempore of the Senate, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Paul Tsongas, U.S. Senator, 1992 Democratic presidential candidate Henry Wilson, U.S. Senator, 18th Vice President of the U.S. Henry Cabot Lodge, U.S. Senator, led the Senate opposition to the League of Nations Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., U.S. Senator, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N.,1960 Republican vice presidential candidate
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