Massachusetts became the 6th state on Feb 6th 1788. Massachusetts is often called the "Bay State" due to its proximity to many large bays.
Origin of state's name: The name Massachusetts comes from an old Indian word for "a large hilly place".
Capital City: The capital of Massachusetts is Boston and the state is surrounded by several other states including Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, Connecticut and the North Atlantic. The state has about 200 mile of coastline.
Population: The states population is in excess of 6.3 million people based on the 2000 census.
Driving
Driver's license information, applications, testing requirements, Driver's manuals and testing locations can all be found on the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles website.
http://www.state.ma.us/rmv/dmanual/index.htm
Economy: The state has some coastline so fishing and seafood are drivers of the economy as is dairy and vegetable production. Heavy machinery production, chemical and electronics production also play a large role in maintaining the economy.
State Flower: The state flower is the Mayflower or Epigaea regens often called the mountain or water pink due to the fragrant whitish pink flowers it produces in spring time.
State Bird: The state bird is the Chickadee or Black Cap Titmouse and this is also the sate bird of Maine. This bird is robust, restless and very industrious.
State Song: The state song written by AJ Marsh is "All hail to Massachusetts" is a tribute to this great state.
State Motto: "By the sword we seek peace but for peace only under liberty"