The economy of the northeast is largely based on what two major areas of activity?

The Northeastern United States, as defined by the U. S. Census Bureau, covers nine states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. All were among the original thirteen colonies settled in the seventeenth century (though Maine and Vermont were considered part of other colonies at the time) and joined theUnited States of America upon independence in 1776