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| City of Boston | |||
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| Nickname(s): Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe),1 The Cradle of Liberty, Title Town, The Cradle of Modern America, Athens of America, The Walking City | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | Massachusetts | ||
| County | Suffolk | ||
| Settled | 1630 | ||
| Incorporated (city) | 1822 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Thomas M. Menino (D) | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 89.6 sq mi (232.1 km²) | ||
| - Land | 48.4 sq mi (125.4 km²) | ||
| - Water | 41.2 sq mi (106.7 km²) | ||
| - Metro | 4,511.5 sq mi (11,684.7 km²) | ||
| Elevation | 141 ft (43 m) | ||
| Population (2006) | |||
| - City | 590,763 | ||
| - Density | 12,327/sq mi (4,815/km²) | ||
| - Urban | 4,313,000 | ||
| - Metro | 5,977,504 | ||
| - Demonym | Bostonian | ||
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) | ||
| Area code(s) | 617 / 857 | ||
| FIPS code | 25-07000 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 0617565 | ||
| 1 The State House, according to Oliver Wendell Holmes, is the hub of the Solar System | |||
| Website: www.cityofboston.gov | |||
Boston (pronounced /ˈbɒstən/) is the capital and largest city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The city is located in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is considered the economic and cultural center of the entire region. The city, which had an estimated population of 599,351 in 2007, lies at the center of the Cambridge–Boston-Quincy metropolitan area—the 10th-largest metropolitan area (5th largest CSA) in the U.S., with a population of 4.5 million.
In 1630, Puritan colonists from England founded the city on the Shawmut Peninsula. During the late eighteenth century Boston was the location of several major events during the American Revolution, including the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party. Several early battles of the American Revolution, such as the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Siege of Boston, occurred within the city and surrounding areas. After American independence was attained Boston became a major shipping port and manufacturing center, and its rich history now attracts 16.3 million visitors annually. The city was the site of several firsts, including America's first public school, Boston Latin School (1635), and first college, Harvard College (1636), in neighboring Cambridge. Boston was also home to the first subway system in the United States.
Through land reclamation and municipal annexation, Boston has expanded beyond the peninsula. With many colleges and universities within the city and surrounding area, Boston is a center of higher education and a center for medicine. The city's economy is also based on research, finance, and technology – principally biotechnology. Boston has been experiencing gentrification and has one of the highest costs of living in the United States, though remains high on world livability rankings.
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