MAMassachusetts
Bay State · Capital: Boston · Northeast (New England)
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Capital
Boston
Largest city
Boston
Population
5–10 million
Area rank
#44 of 50
Admitted
1788
Time zone
Eastern Time
Region
Northeast
Letters
13
Bordering states: New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island.
4 fun facts about Massachusetts
- The first public school (Boston Latin, 1635) and first university (Harvard, 1636) in the US were both founded here.
- Basketball was invented in Springfield, MA by James Naismith in 1891 — using a soccer ball and two peach baskets.
- Boston's "Big Dig" was the most expensive highway project in US history ($24 billion when finished in 2007).
- Cape Cod's lobster rolls, Boston cream pie, and Fluffernutter sandwiches all originated here.
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