[[de:Massachusetts]] [[eo:Masacxuseco]] [[pl:Massachusetts_(stan_w_USA)]]
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<caption><font size="+1">'''Commonwealth of Massachusetts'''</font></caption>
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[[Image:us-ma.gif]]</td>
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[[Image:Massachsuettsstateseal.jpg]]</td></tr>
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([[Flag of Massachusetts|In Detail]])</td>
<td align="center" width="140px">(Full size)</td></tr>
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''State [[nickname]]: Bay State''
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[[Image:US_ma_highlighted_map.jpg]]
<br>[[U.S._States|(In Detail)]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Capital]] </td><td>
[[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Area]]<br> - Total <br> - Land <br> - Water <br> - % water
</td><td>
[[List of U.S. states by area|Ranked 44<sup>th</sup>]] <br>
27,360 [[square kilometer|km²]]<br>
20,317 [[square kilometer|km²]] <br>
7,043 [[square kilometer|km²]] <br>
25.7%
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<tr><td>[[Population]]
<br> - Total ([[2000]])
<br> - [[Density]] </td><td>
[[List of U.S. states by population|Ranked 13<sup>th</sup>]]
<br> 6,349,097
<br> 232/km² </td></tr>
<tr><td>Admittance into Union
<br> - Order
<br> - Date </td><td><br>
6<sup>th</sup><br>
[[February 6]], [[1788]]</td></tr>
<tr><td>[[Time zone]] </td><td>
Eastern: [[UTC]]-5/[[Daylight saving time|-4]]
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<tr><td>
Latitude<br>
Longitude
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41°10'N to 42°53'N<br>
68°57'W to 73°30'W
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Width<br>
Length<br>
Elevation<br>
-Highest<br>
-Mean<br>
-Lowest
</td><td>
80 km <br>
305 km <br> <br>
1,063 meters<br>
150 meters<br>
0 meters
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'''Massachusetts''' is a [[U.S. States|state]] of the [[United States]] of America, part of the [[New England (U.S.)|New England]] region. Its U.S. postal abbreviation is '''MA'''. It is properly called the '''Commonwealth of Massachusetts''', although there is no legal distinction between states and commonwealths.
Several ships have been named [[USS Massachusetts|USS ''Massachusetts'']] in honor of this state.
== History ==
The colony was named after a local Indian tribe whose name means "a large hill place". The [[Pilgrims]] established their settlement at [[Plymouth, Massachusetts|Plymouth]] in 1620, arriving on the [[Mayflower (ship)|Mayflower]]. They were [[Puritan]]s, who established the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Massachusetts was one of the [[13 colonies|thirteen colonies]] that revolted against British rule in the [[American Revolution]].
On [[February 9]], [[1775]] the [[British Parliament]] declared Massachusetts to be in rebellion and sent additional troops to restore order.
An African-American named [[Crispus Attucks]] was one of the first Americans killed during the [[American Revolutionary War]], in Boston on [[March 5]], [[1770]], at an event that has come to be called the [[Boston Massacre]].
On [[February 6]], [[1788]] Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify the [[United States Constitution]].
== Law and Government ==
''See: [[Massachusetts Constitution]]''
The [[capital]] of Massachusetts is [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]] and the governor of the state is [[Mitt Romney]]. Its two U.S. senators are [[Edward M. Kennedy]] (Democrat) and [[John F. Kerry]] (Democrat).
== Geography ==
''See: [[List of Massachusetts counties]]''
Massachusetts is bordered on the north by [[New Hampshire]] and [[Vermont]], on the west by [[New York]], on the south by [[Connecticut]] and [[Rhode Island]], and on the east by the [[Atlantic Ocean]]. The islands of [[Martha's Vineyard]] and [[Nantucket]] lie off the southeast coast. [[Boston, Massachusetts|Boston]] is the largest city.
== Economy ==
Massachusetts total gross state product for 1999 was $262 billion, placing it 11<sup>th</sup> in the nation. Its Per Capita Personal Income is $37,992 or second in the nation.
Its agricultural outputs are seafood, nursery stock, dairy products, cranberries, and vegetables. Its industrial outputs are machinery, electric equipment, scientific instruments, printing and publishing, and tourism. Other sectors vital to the Massachusetts economy include [[higher education]], [[health care]], and [[financial services]].
== Demographics ==
''All numbers from the [http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/25000.html 2000 census]''
Population: 6,349,097<br>
White: 84.5%<br>
Black or African American: 5.4% <br>
Asian: 3.8%<br>
American Indian and Alaska Native: 0.2%<br>
Other Race: 3.8%<br>
Two or more races: 3.7%
== Important Cities and Towns ==
Massachusetts towns include [[Dedham, Massachusetts|Dedham]], [[Lowell, Massachusetts|Lowell]], [[Amherst, Massachusetts|Amherst]], [[Provincetown, Massachusetts|Provincetown]] (the major city of [[Cape Cod]]), [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]], [[Wellfleet, Massachusetts|Wellfleet]], and [[Worcester, Massachusetts|Worcester]].
== Education ==
=== Colleges and Universities ===
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*[[American International College]]
*[[Amherst College]]
*[[Anna Maria College]]
*[[Assumption College]]
*[[Atlantic Union College]]
*[[Babson College]]
*[[Bay Path College]]
*[[Becker College]]
*[[Bentley College]]
*[[Berklee College of Music]]
*[[Boston College]]
*[[Boston Conservatory]]
*[[Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis]]
*[[Boston University]]
*[[Brandeis University]]
*[[Bridgewater State College]]
*[[Clark University]]
*[[College of the Holy Cross]]
*[[Curry College]]
*[[Eastern Nazarene College]]
*[[Elms College]]
*[[Emerson College]]
*[[Emmanuel College]]
*[[Endicott College]]
*[[Fitchburg State College]]
*[[Framingham State College]]
*[[Gordon College]]
*[[Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary]]
*[[Hampshire College]]
*[[Harvard University]]
*[[Lasell College]]
*[[Lesley College]]
*[[Massachusetts College of Art]]
*[[Massachuetts College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences]]
*[[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] ([[MIT]])
*[[Massachusetts Maritime Academy]]
</small></td><td valign=top><small>
*[[Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology]]
*[[Merrimack College]]
*[[Mount Holyoke College]]
*[[Mount Ida College]]
*[[New England College of Optometry]]
*[[New England Conservatory of Music]]
*[[Newbury College]]
*[[Nichols College]]
*[[North Adams State College]]
*[[Northeastern University]]
*[[Pine Manor College]]
*[[Regis College]]
*[[Salem State College]]
*[[Simmons College]]
*[[Simon's Rock College]]
*[[Smith College]]
*[[Springfield College]]
*[[Stonehill College]]
*[[Suffolk University]]
*[[Tufts University]]
*[[University of Massachusetts System]]
**[[University of Massachusetts Amherst]]
**[[University of Massachusetts Boston]]
**[[University of Massachusetts Dartmouth]]
**[[University of Massachusetts Lowell]]
**[[University of Massachusetts Medical Center at Worcester]]
*[[Wellesley College]]
*[[Wentworth Institute of Technology]]
*[[Western New England College]]
*[[Westfield State College]]
*[[Wheaton College]]
*[[Wheelock College]]
*[[Williams College]]
*[[Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution]]
*[[Worcester Polytechnic Institute]]
*[[Worcester State College]]
</small></td></tr></table>
== Famous Politicians from Massachusetts ==
* [[John Adams]], 2nd president of the US
* [[John Quincy Adams]], 6th president of the US
* [[Samuel Adams]]
* [[Susan B. Anthony]]
* [[George Herbert Walker Bush]], 41st president of the US
* [[Benjamin Franklin]]
* [[John Hancock]]
* [[John F. Kennedy]], 35th president of the US
* [[Oliver Wendell Holmes]], justice of the Supreme Court
* [[Paul Revere]]
== Professional Sports Teams ==
<table><tr><td valign=top><small>
*[[Boston Celtics]], [[National Basketball Association]]
*[[New England Patriots]], [[National Football League]]
*[[New England Revolution]], [[Major League Soccer]]
</small></td><td valign=top><small>
*[[Boston Bruins]], [[National Hockey League]]
*[[Boston Red Sox]], [[Major League Baseball]]
*[[Lowell Spinners]], [[minor league baseball]]
</small></td></tr></table>
==External links==
*http://www.state.ma.us/ - State web site
*http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/massachusetts.html - Maps of Massachusetts
*http://townstuff.com/ - Information on every Massachusetts city and town
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