Massachusetts is a state located in New England. It has a population of over 6 million people and its capital and largest city is Boston. Some key facts about Massachusetts are that basketball and volleyball were invented there, the first computer was created at MIT, and the first public school system and lighthouse were founded there. The state has a humid continental climate with warm summers and cold, snowy winters. Popular tourist destinations include Salem, Cape Cod National Seashore, and the mountains and forests. Massachusetts is also home to many universities like Harvard, MIT, Boston University and Northeastern University.

1. Massachusetts
By Laura, Tamar, Berta

2. General facts
 Is a U.S. state in the New England region of
the northeastern United States of America
 Massachusetts is the 7th least extensive, but
the 14th most populous and the 3rd most
densely populated state of the 50 United
States. Massachusetts features two separate
metropolitan areas: Greater Boston in the east
and the Springfield metropolitan area in the
west

3.  Admission to Union: February
6,1788(6th)
 Origin of the Name
Massachusetts : Massachusetts
was named for an Algonquian
Indian word that means "a big hill
place
 State bird: Black-Capped
Chickadee
 State insect: ladybug
 State flower: mayflower

4.  Flag:
 Interesting facts:
 Basketball was invented in 1891 by James Naismith in Springfield.
 Volleyball was invented in 1895 by William Morgan in Holyoke.
 The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) invented the first
computer in Cambridge in 1928
 The first public school system was founded in Boston in 1635
 The first American lighthouse was built in the Boston Harbor in 1716

5. Geography
 Massachusetts is the 7th smallest state in the United States. It is
located in the New England region of the northeastern United
States, and has an area of 10,555 square miles (27,340 km2)
Several large bays distinctly shape its coast. Boston is the largest
city, at the inmost point of Massachusetts Bay, the mouth of the
Charles River, which is the longest river entirely within
Massachusetts. Massachusetts extends from the mountains of the
Appalachian system in the west to the sandy beaches and rocky
shorelines of the Atlantic coast.

6. Land and population
 Capital (and largest city):
Boston
 Largest metro area: Greater
Boston
 Population: 6,646,144
 Major cities: Boston, Worcester,
Springfield
 Name for Residents:
Massachusettsans
 Counties:

7. National parks and other areas of note
 Wendell State Forest: Located south of the Millers River
 Parker River National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1942 to provide
feeding, resting, and nesting habitat for migratory birds
 The Cape Cod National Seashore: created on August 7, 1961 by President
John F. Kennedy It includes ponds, woods and beachfront of the Atlantic
coastal pine barrens ecoregion.
 October Mountain: is the largest state forest in Massachusetts.
 Adams National Historical Park : in Quincy, Massachusetts, preserves the
home of Presidents of the United States John Adams and John Quincy
Adams, of U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain, Charles Francis Adams, and
of the writers and historians Henry Adams and Brooks Adams.
 Jiminy Peak : is a mid-sized ski resort in Hancock, Massachusetts in the
Taconic Mountains

8. Climate
 The climate of Massachusetts is a humid
continental climate, with warm summers
and cold, snowy winters.
 The state does have extreme
temperatures from time to time with 90
F (32.2 C) in the summer and
temperatures below 0 F (-17.8 C) in the
winter not being unusual.
 The coast provides less extreme
temperature fluctuations than the inner
part of the state.
 The main attraction and most widely
known attribute of weather in
Massachusetts is that of the perfect fall
weather that provides the brilliant foliage
during the first two weeks of October.

9. Ecology
 Currently, forests cover around 62% of Massachusetts.
 The are most affected by human development are the Greater
Boston area, the smaller Springfield metropolitan area and the
largely agricultural Pioneer Valley.
 The coastal areas, forests and numerous lakes, provide life for
all the wildlife.
 In addition, there are the Quabbin Reservoir and the Monomoy
National Wildlife Refuge that provide refuge to special tipes of
animal in danger of extinction and protect them.

10. Tourist destinations
 Massachusetts offer a great variety of destinations, each one have its
“special” region for it. Here are some examples:
 Northwest region: this is a wonderland for nature lovers. Wendell State Forest, covering
7,566 acres, offers many tipes of activities like hiking or fishing. Also this is the area of
some important museums like the Fitchburg Art Museum.
 Northeast region: Head to Salem and step back in history with Cry Innocent, a
reenactment of the infamous Salem witch trials. In Boston, you can visit the city‟s
famous Freedom Trail and then go to Crane Beach, one of the most popular places for
soaking up some sun, thanks to his white sand.
 Southeast region: The true gem of this region is the Cape Cod National Seashore. It has
great beaches, it offers hiking trails, a variety of trendy shops, fine dining and tourist
attractions.
 Southwest region: Here, home of the city of Springfield, stays Massachusetts‟ largest
ski resort. Also in October, the Mountain State Forest, it‟s a great place for numerous
activities like camping or canoeing.

11. Tourist destinations

12. Non tourist destinations
 Old Sturbridge Village: it‟s a must-see to experience
early New England life from 1800s.
 The Flying Horse carousel: it‟s considered as the
oldest carousel in the United States.

13. Food
 Crackers were invented in Massachusetts.
 The Boston Cream Pie.
 The Parker House Rolls: they are originated during the 1870s
at Boston‟s Parker House Hotel.

14. Music in Massachusetts
There are several bands, singers and musicians who were born in
Massachusetts.
One example of this is the hard rock band Aerosmith, also
known as The Bad Boys from Boston. This band was formed
in 1970. Aerosmith is the best-selling American rock band of
all time, having sold more than 150 million albums
worldwide, including 66.5 million albums in the United States
alone

15. Music in Massachusetts
Louis Bernstein was a composer born in Lawrence,
Massachusetts. He was one of the most prodigiously talented
and successful musicians in American history. He composed
ballet, orchestal, film and theatre music, chamber music and
pieces for the piano, as he was an excellent pianist. He is also
worldwide known because of the music in West Side Story,
which he composed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCXLi8pcIvg

16. Universities
 In the city of Boston, these ones are the more important ones:
 Boston University(Private)
 Northesatern University(Private)
 University of Massachusetts Boston(Public)

17. Universities
 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Private)
 Harvard University (Private)

18. Politics of Massachusetts
 The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is often categorized
politically as socially progressive and liberal. The two main
political parties are the Democratic Party and the Republican
Party. Massachusetts has a bicameral state legislature,
collectively known as the Massachusetts General Court. It is
made of the 160-seat Massachusetts House of
Representatives and the 40-seat Massachusetts Senate.
The Governor of Massachusetts is the executive of the state
government, and is elected every four years. Massachusetts is
the home of the Kennedy family. Massachusetts president or
presiding officer nowadays is Therese Murray, a Democrat.

19. Major Cultural Traditions
 Tha Patriots‟ Day is celebrated every third Monday of April.
This celebrates the anniversary of Battles of the American
Revolutionary War. They are just celebrated in three states,
but it is more „important‟ in Massachusetts as the War started
there. This same day is run the Boston Marthon.
 Also in Massachusetts there is an annual Italian feast-day
preocessional wind their way through urban streets in
veneration of Saints.

20. The
End.