Massachusetts State of America

Massachusetts, 6^th State

“Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem ”

(By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty)

• Name (Massachusetts Indian tribe): “Massachusetts”; “a large hill place”.
• Governor: Charlie Baker (Republican Party)
• Capital: Boston
• Population:  6,976,600 (2020), (15^th most populous).
• Location: It is located in the New England region of the north-Eastern United States.
  1. North: New Hampshire and Vermont,
  2. East: Atlantic Ocean,
  3. South: Connecticut and Rhode Island,
  4. West: New York.
• Area: 27,337km²/10,555 mi², 44^th by rank
• Postal abbreviation: MA
• Admitted to Union: February 6, 1788
• official language: English

1.      State’s Symbols

• State tree: American Elm
• State flower: Mayflower
• State food:
  • State Berry: Cranberry
  • State Bean: Baked Navy Bean
  • State Dessert: Boston Cream Pie
  • State Cookie: Chocolate Chip Cookie
  • State Donut: Boston Cream Donut
  • State Beverage: Cranberry Juice
  • State Muffin: Corn Muffin
• State Insect: Ladybug
• State Fish: Cod
• State Shell: New England Neptune
• State Marine Mammal: Right Whale
• State Amphibian: none
• State Dinosaur: none
• State Reptile: Garter Snake
• State Bird: Black-Capped Chickadee
• State Game Bird: Wild Turkey
• State Groundhog: Ms. G
• State Horse: Morgan Horse
• State Dog: Boston Terrier
• State Cat: Tabby Cat
• State Fossil: Dinosaur Tracks
• State Rock: Roxbury Puddingstone
• State Gemstone: Rhodonite
• State mineral: Babingtonite
• State Explorer Rock: Dighton Rock
• State Glacial Rock: Rolling Rock
• State Historical Rock: Plymouth Rock
• State Building Stone: Granite
• State Sports: Basketball
• State Recreational & Team Sport: Volleyball
• State Songs:
  1. State Song: All Hail to Massachusetts
  2. State Poem: The Blue Hills of Massachusetts
  3. State Patriotic Song: Massachusetts (Because of You our Land is Free)
  4. State Polka Song: Say Hello to Someone from Massachusetts
  5. State Folk Song: Massachusetts
  6. State Glee Club Song: The Great State of Massachusetts
• State Tartan: N/A
• State Poet Laureate: none
• State Inventor: Ben Franklin
• State Heroine: Deborah Samson Gannett
• State Folk Hero: Johnny Appleseed
• State Folk Dance: Square Dance
• State Firearm: none
• State Vessel: Ernestina
• State Children’s Book: Make Way for Ducklings
• State Children’s Author & Illustrator: Dr. Seuss
• State Artist: Norman Rockwell
• State Ceremonial March: The Road to Boston
• State Soil: Paxton Soil Series

2.       Geography Facts

• Land: 20,300 km² (7,838 mi²), 45^th
• Water: 7,037  km² (2,717 mi²), 17^th
• Coastline: 309 km, (192 mi), 10^th
• Shoreline: 2,445 km, (1,519 mi), 15^th
• State Forests: 34
• National Forests: none
• State Parks: 48
• Public Beaches: 65
• National Parks: 20
• Water: 26.1 %
• Largest city (by area): Boston (232.1 km²)
• Largest city (by population): Boston (710,195 people)
• Lowest point: Massachusetts; sea level, tied for 3rd lowest
• Highest point: Greylock; 3,491 feet, (1,064 m.) 31st tallest

3.      Facts about Massachusetts

• Chocolate chip cookies were invented here.
• Massachusetts was a focal point of the American Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, the abolitionist movement, and the development of American arts and media.
• Massachusetts is the birthplace of two popular sports, Basketball and Volleyball.
• Some of the famous colleges like Harvard College are here. Also, it is one of the biggest college destinations in the U.S. for domestic and international students.
• Massachusetts was the first state to write and adopt a constitution (1780), which was a model for the country’s Constitution. This Constitution is the oldest still in use in the world.
• The first lighthouse in America was built in Boston Harbor in 1716.
• Boston houses the oldest public park in the U.S.
• The first chocolate factory of U.S. was in Boston.
• The first U.S. subway was build here in 1897, the Tremont Street Subway.
• Boston’s Ted Williams Tunnel is the deepest in North America, about 90 feet underneath the earth’s surface.
• Once Christmas was banned in Massachusetts.
• Nickname/s: Bay State, Old Bay State, Pilgrim State, Puritan State, Old Colony State, Baked Bean State
• Key Cities: Boston, Springfield, Salem, Cambridge, Plymouth, Worcester.
• Major industries: Life sciences, textile mills, finance, information technology, manufacturing, renewable energy.
• Famous for: Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket Island, Boston Symphony, Berklee College of Music, Harvard University.
• Area codes: 339, 351, 413, 508, 617, 774, 781, 857, 978

4.       Natural Resources

• Agriculture:

  1. Hay
  2. Cranberries
  3. sweet corn
  4. Apples
  5. Corn
  6. Fruit, tree nuts and berries
  7. Melons

• Gemstones and Minerals:

  1. Sand
  2. Gravel
  3. Granite
  4. Marble
  5. Lime
  6. Rhodonite
  7. Pyrite
  8. Rhodochrosite
  9. Spessartine garnets
  10. Almandine garnets
  11. Tephroite

• Fossil fuel:

  • Peat

5.      Mountains

           Mountains: 78

          Best Hikes:

• Moore State Park
• Mount Watatic
• Rock House Reservation
• Lookout Rock
• Green Hill Park
• Wachusett Mountain Reservation

6.        Divisions

• 14 Counties
• 57 Cities
• 294 Towns