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 Lift Truck Chain Massachusetts - The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state within the New England part of the northeastern United States of America. It is surrounded by Connecticut and Rhode Island to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. Based on the 2010 Census, the residents of the state of Massachusetts was 6,547,629. The state features two separate metropolitan areas, the eastern Boston metropolitan area and the western Springfield metropolitan area. Roughly two thirds of the state's residents lives in 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 college towns and rural areas. Massachusetts is the most densely inhabited of the six New England states; the 3rd most densely inhabited state within the country, and also has the US' twelfth highest GDP per capita.
The state of Massachusetts played a key part in the cultural and commercial history of America. The settlement at Plymouth was the second permanent English settlement in North America, helping to bring Puritans to the area of Massachusetts in the 1630s and to New England many years later. Founded during the year 1636, Harvard University is the oldest educational institute within the nation. In 1692, the towns neighboring Salem experienced one of America's most infamous cases of mass hysteria, the Salem Witch Trials. In the eighteenth century, the Protestant First Great Awakening, that swept the Atlantic world, originated from the pulpit of Northampton, Massachusetts preacher Jonathan Edwards. During the late 18th century, Boston became known as the "Cradle of Liberty" for the agitation there which led to the American Revolution and the independence of the United States from Great Britain.
Initially dependent on trade, fishing and agriculture, the state of Massachusetts was transformed into a manufacturing center in the Industrial Revolution. During the 20th century, the state's economy shifted from manufacturing to services. During the 21st century, the state of Massachusetts is a leader in health care technology, higher education, financial services, higher technology, same-sex marriage, cannabis law reform and universal healthcare.
In the year 2008, Massachusetts gross state product was estimated at $365 billion, as per the United States Bureau of Economic Analysis. In that same year, the per capita personal income was the 3rd highest in the nation at $50,735. 13 Fortune 500 companies are situated within the commonwealth, the largest 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 fifth best state in the US. Sectors important to the economy of Massachusetts comprise higher education, biotechnology, tourism, finance and health care.
As of 2005, there were 7,700 farms within Massachusetts encompassing a total of 520,000 acres (2,100 km2), averaging 68 acres (0.28 km2) apiece. Practically 2,300 of the state's 6,100 farms grossed below $2,500 in the year 2007. Particular agricultural products of note comprise tobacco, livestock, and fruits, tree nuts, and berries, wherein Massachusetts is nationally ranked 11th, 17th, and 16th, respectively. Massachusetts is the 2nd biggest cranberry producing state within the union, after Wisconsin.
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