Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south; New Hampshire to the west; and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast.
- ABBREVIATION: ME
- NICKNAME: The Pine Tree State
- POPULATION: 1,328,302 (2013 est.)
- CAPITAL: Augusta
- STATE BIRD: Chickadee
- STATE FLOWER: White Pine Cone And Tassel
- AREA: 35,385 sq. mi.
- TIME ZONE: Eastern
- ENTERED UNION: Mar. 15, 1820
- ALTITUDE: High, 5,270 ft. Mount Katahdin
- CLIMATE: Long cold winters, short cool summers; moderate rainfall.
By airline the distance along the Maine coast from the New Hampshire boundary in the south to the Canadian border in the north is only 248 miles. But so irregularly does the coastline run along the bays and inlets that it would be 3,478 miles long if stretched out straight. Offshore, patient Maine fishermen probe the Atlantic for sardines, lobster and ocean perch. Inland, sportsmen find serene seclusion in the state’s more than 5,000 streams and 2,500 lakes. Around the waters, a rustling splendor of forests shelter partridge and woodcock, deer and bear.
While tourism is the state’s major source of income-supporting on average 85,000 jobs- Maine also depends heavily on its pulp and paper industry; Maine has the largest paper-production capacity of any state in the nation. Everything from fine writing paper to coarse binding and chip board is made from softwoods of Maine’s forests. From its hardwoods, manufacturers produce a range of products from toothpicks to yacht hulls. Despite extensive cutting-and thanks to aggressive replanting- timber is more than plentiful. In the northwest of the state stretches one of the few remaining preserves in the United States.
Maine has a longstanding tradition of being home to many shipbuilding companies. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Maine was home to many shipyards that produced wooden sailing ships. The main function of these ships was to transport either cargos or passengers overseas. The building of very large wooden sailing ships continued in some places well into the early 20th century. Ship building continues to be a major industry in Maine today, with wooded ship building replaced with steel construction.
FUN FACTS:
- Sunrise in the lower 48 states occurs first at West Quoddy Head, the easternmost point of land on the mainland of the United States.
- The French colony of Acadia, which was first settled in 1604-three years before the first British colony at Jamestown-included part of what is now Maine. One third of the state’s population is of French descent and 7 percent are French speaking.
- Maine covers nearly as much area as the other five New England states combined.
- Acadia is the only national park in New England. The park’s Cadillac Mountain is the highest point along the Atlantic coast of North America.
- Maine is the only state in the United States whose name is just one syllable.
- Almost all of the blueberries produced in the United States come from Maine (about 99 percent).