Despite its modest size, Massachusetts has several unique topography areas. Greater Boston, along with the majority of the state's population, is located on the Atlantic Ocean's vast coastal plain in the state's eastern half, as is the unique Cape Cod peninsula. The Connecticut River Valley and the mountainous, rural area of Central Massachusetts may be found to the west. The Berkshires, which run along the western boundary of Western Massachusetts and represent a section of the northern terminal of the Appalachian Mountains, is the state's highest elevation.