About New England

New England is the six-state area in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. New England is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Canada (the Canadian Maritimes and Quebec) and the state of New York.

In one of the earliest English settlements in North America, Pilgrims from England first settled in New England in 1620, to form Plymouth Colony. The first movement of American literature, philosophy, and education originated in New England. The region was the first in the United States to be transformed by the Industrial Revolution. Today, New England is a major world center of education, high technology, insurance, and medicine.

Each state is principally subdivided into small incorporated municipalities known as New England towns, which are often governed by town meeting. New England has the only non-geographic regional name recognized by the federal government. It maintains a strong sense of cultural identity set apart from the rest of the country.