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is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The 2000 census records its population at 17,670. As of December 31, 2007, there are 11,186 registered voters in the community.
Rockland was settled by European settlers, led by Timothy Hatherly, as a northeastern region of neighboring Abington in 1673. The town separated and incorporated as Rockland on March 9, 1874. It is named for the town's rocky nature, which was better suited for mills and industry than for farming. During King Philip's War, the town was the site of an encampment during his raids on the town of Scituate.
During the twentieth century, the town was the site of a portion of the landing strips of the South Weymouth Naval Air Station. The airstrip closed in 1996 as a part of the fourth round of closures under the Base Realignment and Closure Act.