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 Forklift Masts Massachusetts - The state of Massachusetts is situated within the New England region in the northeastern US. The state of Massachusetts is bounded by the state of Rhode Island and Connecticut toward the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean towards the east. According to the 2010 Census, the population of Massachusetts was 6,547,629. Massachusetts features two separate metropolitan areas, the eastern Boston metropolitan area and the western Springfield metropolitan area. Approximately two thirds of the state's people lives within Greater Boston, the majority of which is either suburban or urban. Western Massachusetts features one urban area, the Knowledge Corridor along the Connecticut River, and a mix of rural areas and college towns. Massachusetts is the most crowded of the six New England states; the 3rd most densely inhabited state in the United States, and likewise has the US' twelfth highest GDP per capita.
The state of Massachusetts played a significant historical, cultural, and commercial role in American history. Plymouth was the second permanent English settlement in North America, and Puritans settling Massachusetts in the 1630s dominated New England for many years. Harvard University, founded during 1636, is the oldest institution of higher learning within the nation. In 1692, the towns neighboring Salem experienced one of America's most infamous cases of mass hysteria, the Salem Witch Trials. During the eighteenth century, the Protestant First Great Awakening, that swept the Atlantic world, started from the pulpit of Northampton, Massachusetts preacher Jonathan Edwards. In the late 18th century, Boston became known as the "Cradle of Liberty" for the agitation there that led to the American Revolution and the independence of the United States from Great Britain.
Initially dependent on agriculture, trade and fishing, Massachusetts was transformed into a manufacturing center during the Industrial Revolution. In the 20th century, the economy of the state shifted from manufacturing to services. During the 21st century, Massachusetts is a leader in higher education, health care technology, financial services, higher technology, same-sex marriage, cannabis law reform and universal healthcare.
During 2008, Massachusetts gross state product was estimated at $365 billion, based on the United States Bureau of Economic Analysis. In that same year, the per capita personal income was the 3rd highest within the US at $50,735. 13 Fortune 500 companies are located within the commonwealth, the biggest of which are the Liberty Mutual Insurance Group and MassMutual Financial Services. CNBC's list of "Top States for Business for 2010" has recognized Massachusetts as the 5th best state in the US. Sectors important to the Massachusetts economy consist of biotechnology, higher education, health care, tourism and finance.
As of 2005, there were 7,700 farms in Massachusetts encompassing a total of 520,000 acres (2,100 km2), averaging 68 acres (0.28 km2) apiece. Just about 2,300 of the state's 6,100 farms grossed under $2,500 in 2007. Some agricultural products of note consist of tobacco, livestock, and fruits, tree nuts, and berries, wherein the state is nationally ranked 11th, 17th, and 16th, respectively. Massachusetts is the second largest cranberry producing state in the union, behind the state of Wisconsin.
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