Massachusetts
The Bay State
Climate
Four clear seasons with warm summers and cold, snowy winters. Average highs are about 82F (28C) in summer and 36F (2C) in winter, with rain all year and heavy snow on the coast.
Main industries
A leader in colleges, medicine, computers, and biotech, plus cranberry bogs and fishing boats along the coast.
Top places for tourists
The Freedom Trail in Boston, a walk past historic sites; Cape Cod's sandy beaches; and the whale-watching boats off the coast.
Places of interest
Harvard University and MIT, two world-famous schools; Plymouth Rock, where the Pilgrims landed; and Fenway Park, an old and beloved baseball field.
A little history
The Pilgrims arrived in 1620, and the American Revolution began here with the Boston Tea Party and the battles of Lexington and Concord.
Fun fact
Massachusetts opened the first public school in America, and both basketball and volleyball were invented here.