Boston+HWK

=**Boston **=

** The Song **
"Boston" by Augustana

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** Quick Summary **
The song starts off as the narrator describes, presumably, his girlfriend, who is crying -- "eyes are red and tears are shed". He proceeds to talk about how his lover told him that she would leave him in California and travel to "where no one knows my name", most likely Boston. Within the latter part of the song, a brief clue of Boston's climate is sung -- "I hear it's nice in the Summer, some snow would be nice".

=**The Physical Geography of Boston**=

**Climate**
The city of Boston is the capital of Massachusetts, one of the six states that make up the northeastern costal region of the United States known as New England. The city is located on the Boston Bay in Eastern Massachusetts. Boston is located in the northern hemisphere of the globe as can be denoted from its absolute location, 42° 21′ 28″ N, 71° 3′ 42″ W. Its weather is fickle, and temperature swings of 30 degrees Celsius or more often settle in the city for over a course of couple days. Boston summers are warm and humid, while its winters are cold, windy. The winters are also snowy because of the city's proximity to water and the high precipitation that the city yields as a result. Boston's closeness to the water also makes the city more foggy and humid.

 (°C) || 35.8 (2.1) || 37.6 (3.1) || 45.9 (7.7) || 55.9 (13.3) || 66.6 (19.2) || 76.2 (24.6) || 81.9 (27.7) || 80.0 (26.6) || 72.9 (22.7) || 62.8 (17.1) || 52.2 (11.2) || 40.5 (4.7) || 59.0 (15) || (°C) || 21.6 (-5.8) || 23.0 (-5.0) || 31.3 (-0.4) || 40.3 (4.6) || 49.8 (9.9) || 59.2 (15.1) || 65.1 (18.4) || 64.0 (17.8) || 56.8 (13.8) || 46.9 (8.3) || 38.3 (3.5) || 26.8 (-2.9) || 43.6 (6.4) || (millimeters) || 3.92 (99.6) || 3.30 (83.8) || 3.85 (97.8) || 3.60 (91.4) || 3.24 (82.3) || 3.22 (81.8) || 3.06 (77.7) || 3.37 (85.6) || 3.47 (88.1) || 3.79 (96.3) || 3.98 (101.1) || 3.73 (94.7) || 42.53 (1,080.2 ||
 * ~ Month ||~ Jan ||~ Feb ||~ Mar ||~ Apr ||~ May ||~ Jun ||~ Jul ||~ Aug ||~ Sep ||~ Oct ||~ Nov ||~ Dec ||~ Year ||
 * ~ Avg high °F
 * ~ Avg low °F
 * ~ Rainfall in inches

**Nearby Landforms **
Boston is located on the Boston Bay, which is part of the Massachusetts Bay. 46% of the entire city is just water. Three historical hills used to exist in Boston. However, industrialization has converted two and a half of them to be used as a source of material for filling up marshes. The smallest of the original three hills, Beacon Hill, remains intact. Boston's overall elevation ranges from 15 to 29 feet above sea level.

**Vegetation of Boston **
Native plants of Boston are often in the form of street trees. They help moderate the already hotter temperatures of the city and as well as filter out pollutants from the air. They also serve as a frontier for wildlife habitant in the city, securing the biodiversity of species in the Boston area.



=**Human Geography**=

**Artifacts**
A notable artificial structure of Boston is the John Hancock Tower, commonly called as The Hancock. It is a 60-story, 790-foot skyscraper in Boston that was designed by the two famous architects: I.M. Pei and Henry N. Cobb. As of today, the John Hancock Tower has remained as the tallest building in Boston for over 30 years. It is, as well, the tallest building in New England.



**Economy**
The major industries of Boston include computer hardware and software companies as well as biotechnology companies like Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Millipore, and Biogen Idec. Boston receives the greatest amount of annual funding from the Nation Institutes of Health out of all the cities of the United States. The median income for a family in Boston is $44,151. Males make a median income of $37,435, while females make a lesser $32,431. The per capita income for the city is $23,353.



**Language**
A dialect of the Eastern New England accent called Boston English resides within the city. Here is a Youtube video on Boston accents featuring the actor Ben Affleck.

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**Politics**
A distinctive feature of Boston politics is the far greater amount of power that its mayor can exercise in comparison to those of other cities in the United States. Elected to a four-year term through plurality voting, The mayor exercises power over many fields; he chooses every city department head, appoints the members of Boston's school committee and controls the Boston Redevelopment Authority, which manages planning and development within the city Boston. The city council is elected very two years. It has nine district seats that are elected by the residents from the respective districts and four at-large seats, which voters can vote up to four votes with no more than one vote per candidate. The president of the city council is nominated by the councilors from within themselves.



**Religion**
Brought in by the Irish and Italian immigrants during the 19th century, Roman Catholicism is the prominent religion in Boston. Other believers, such as Protestants and Jews, inhabit and affect various aspects of the city. Aside from religious institutions, schools which harbor and emphasize the different branches of Christianity and Judaism make up a sizable portion of Bostonian schools. Like any other city, Boston is composed of believers who practice to various degrees of dedication. For some families, Sundays are reserved for the Church, while for others, a quite prayer may be the only visible sign of worship.



**Population**
As of the year 2005, 596,638 U.S. citizens live in Boston. The population density was 12,166 people per square mile with 251,935 housing units spread out at an average density of 5,203 per square mile. The majority of the people in Boston was White, with 54,47%. The runner up was Black or African American at 25.33% with Asian American, 7.52%, Native American, 0.40%, Pacific Islander, 0.06%, and 7.83% of other races following up. The population pyramid of Boston resembles a vase with a fat midsection, spread out with 19.8% under the age of 18, 16.2% from 18 to 24, 35.8% from 25 to 44, 17.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% over 65.

**Bibliography**
1. "Boston, City United States." __Questia Online Library__. 10 Sep. 2009 .

2. "NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Boston." __NationMaster - World Statistics, Country Comparisons__. 10 Sep. 2009 .

3. "Boston: Geography and Climate." __Stats about all US cities - real estate, relocation info, house prices, home value estimator, recent sales, cost of living, crime, race, income, photos, education, maps, weather, houses, schools, neighborhoods, and more__. 10 Sep. 2009 .

4. "Urban Forestry - City of Boston." __Welcome to the City of Boston__. 10 Sep. 2009 .

5. Reilly, Adam. "News & Features | Boston politics: a beginnerÂ’s guide." __ The Phoenix__. 10 Sep. 2009 .