History of New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts|Bristol County, Massachusetts, located about 51 miles (82 kilometers) south of Boston, Massachusetts|Boston, 28 miles (45 kilometers) southeast of Providence, Rhode Island|Providence, Rhode Island, and about 12 miles (19 kilometers) east of Fall River, Massachusetts|Fall River. As of the 2000 United States Census|2000 census, the city had a total population of 93,768 (93,102 during the 2005 census). New Bedford is nicknamed "The Whaling City" due to the fact that it was one of the most important ports for the whaling industry. The city is considered one of the two major cities along the area of Massachusetts known as the South Coast (Massachusetts)|South Coast (along with Fall River, Massachusetts|Fall River). The mayor of New Bedford is Scott W. Lang.
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