Southeastern Massachusetts facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Southeastern Massachusetts
Region of Massachusetts
A view from New Bedford overlooking Buzzards Bay
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
Largest city (population)	Brockton (105,643)
Largest town (area)	Plymouth (134 square miles)
Subregions	Cape Cod and Islands, South Coast, South Shore
Area
• Total	4,336.4 sq mi (11,231 km2)
• Land	2,352.3 sq mi (6,092 km2)
• Water	1,983.9 sq mi (5,138 km2)
Population
• Total	2,099,851
• Density	484.238/sq mi (186.9655/km2)

Southeastern Massachusetts is a cool region in the state of Massachusetts. It's located south of the big city of Boston and east of Rhode Island. People often use this name to talk about areas that have a mix of culture from both Boston and Providence, Rhode Island.

This region includes important cities like New Bedford and Fall River, along with their nearby towns. Even though Cape Cod and its islands are the farthest southeast parts of the state, they are usually thought of as a separate area.

Historically, this region is where the old Plymouth Colony was located. This colony later became part of Massachusetts way back in 1691.

What is Southeastern Massachusetts?

Southeastern Massachusetts isn't an official area with exact lines on a map. Because of this, its borders can change depending on who you ask!

How Big is the Region?

At its largest, Southeastern Massachusetts can include all of Plymouth and Bristol counties. This means areas like the South Coast along Buzzards Bay and the South Shore along Cape Cod Bay. It can also include many towns in Norfolk County and even some in Worcester County.

When people talk about the smallest version of the region, they usually mean all of Bristol County. They also include the western part of Plymouth County and the southwestern part of Norfolk County. In this smaller view, the South Shore and Metro-South areas are often counted separately.

You might hear the terms "Southeastern Massachusetts" or "Southern New England" used a lot by TV and radio stations in the Providence, Rhode Island, area. However, these terms are not used as much in other parts of Massachusetts.

What Makes This Region Special?

The Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District (SRPEDD) is a group that studies this area. They describe Southeastern Massachusetts as 52 cities and towns across Bristol, Plymouth, and Norfolk Counties.

Geography and People

This region is shaped by Massachusetts Bay, Buzzards Bay, and the Taunton River. It's also located between Boston, Rhode Island, and Cape Cod.

A unique fact about Bristol County in Massachusetts and Bristol County in Rhode Island is that they are the only counties in the U.S. where Portuguese Americans make up the largest group of people. This is because many people from Portugal, Brazil, and Cape Verde came here in the 1800s. They came to work in the important whaling industry. That's why New Bedford is even called "the Whaling City"!

Cities and Growth

About one million people live in this region, which covers over 1,300 square miles. The area has been growing, adding about 10,000 new residents each year for the past 30 years. New roads and train lines are also helping the area grow even more.

Southeastern Massachusetts has several smaller areas within it. These include the South Shore, the South Coast, and the "Tri-City" area around Brockton, Attleboro, and Taunton. Even with all this variety, these 52 cities and towns share many common interests and opportunities.

Diverse Communities

The largest cities in Southeastern Massachusetts are Taunton, Brockton, Fall River, and New Bedford. They are all similar in size and have a strong Portuguese community. For example, in 2000, almost 44% of people in Fall River said they had Portuguese family roots. This was the highest percentage in the entire country! Many of them came from São Miguel Island in the Azores.

New Bedford also has a large Portuguese population, with almost 39% of residents reporting Portuguese ancestry in 2000. It also has many people from Cape Verde, African American, and Puerto Rican backgrounds.

Just like most of Massachusetts, Southeastern Massachusetts is home to many different groups of people. They come from various ethnic, racial, and language backgrounds. Portuguese speakers are especially common here, especially in Bristol County. This is because many immigrants came from Portugal and the Azores in the 1800s to work in whaling.

Other towns in Norfolk County, like Quincy, Milton, and Randolph, are also part of this region. These towns have many people with Irish, British, African, Asian, Arab, and Latin American backgrounds. Norfolk County, Bristol County, and Plymouth County are sometimes called the "Irish Riviera" because of the large number of Irish Americans.

The cities of Brockton, Taunton, Fall River, and New Bedford are home to people from all over the world. This includes people with roots in Cape Verde, Brazil, Angola, Africa, Arab countries, Ireland, Britain, Portugal, Asia, Latin America, Spain, China, Russia, Turkey, Germany, Poland, Sweden, France, Lebanon, Italy, and Greece.

Major Cities and Towns

Here are some of the important cities and towns in Southeastern Massachusetts:

Some towns in this region are officially called "cities" by the state, even if their local government is set up like a town. Here are some examples:

Education

There are many colleges and universities in Southeastern Massachusetts where students can continue their learning after high school. Some of these include:

• Bradford Durfee College of Technology
• Bridgewater State University
• Bristol Community College
• Cape Cod Community College
• Curry College
• Dean College
• Massachusetts Maritime Academy
• Massasoit Community College
• Stonehill College
• University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
• University of Massachusetts School of Law
• Wheaton College
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution