Boston is one of the cities of the state of Massachusetts which is situated in the United States of America and is officially known as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The city of Boston has the status of being the largest city of Massachusetts as well as being its capital city. Boston is situated in the Suffolk County which is itself in the north eastern part of the United States of America. Other than being the largest city of the state, it is also the largest city of the region of New England and is the hub of economy and culture of the whole region. The population of the city is 590763 according to figures collected in the year 2006. It is a part of the Cambridge-Boston-Quincy metropolitan area which is home to more than fourth million people and ranks tenth with respect to size among all the metropolitan areas of the country. The state is located in the middle of this area.
The city of Boston is very small in size. The total area covered by the city is around ninety square miles, out of which forty eight square miles is covered by land, and the remaining area is covered by water. The only city compared to which Boston is bigger in size is the city of San Francisco. Boston lies at an altitude of around six meters above sea level, and Bellevue Hill is the highest point in the city, which has an altitude of three hundred and thirty feet above sea level.
The climate of Boston can be classified as being a continental climate. This type of climate is common in the region of New England. The weather in the summer season is usually humid and hot, while the weather in the winter season is snowy, windy, and cold. The influence of the Atlantic Ocean on the climate is lowered by the dominant wind patterns which blow offshore.