- The state seal of Maine, dating from 1820, is composed of Maine's coat of arms supported by a …
Maine is the largest of the New England states. It is almost as big as the rest of New England combined. Despite its size, Maine has fewer people and big cities than the other New England states. It also has been limited in its economic development, but that has helped keep the state's beautiful environment mostly intact. The state may have been named for the former French province of Maine. Some historians believe that the state got its name for being the “mainland,” as opposed to the coastal islands. Because of its great woods, Maine is nicknamed the Pine Tree State. GeographyThe Salmon Falls River helps separate western Maine from the state of New Hampshire. Maine is bordered on the northwest by the Canadian province of Quebec and on the northeast by the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The Atlantic Ocean forms the southern border. - A lighthouse overlooks the sea at Portland, Maine.
The total area of Maine is 33,265 square miles (86,156 square kilometers). Forests cover more than 85 percent of the land, and there are more than 2,500 inland lakes and ponds. Off the coast of the state lie about 1,200 islands. The state is known for its rugged, scenic coast. Most of the state consists of a rocky plateau. The exceptions are the land right along the coast and the White Mountain region in western Maine. The White Mountains extend from New Hampshire and are called the Longfellow Mountains in Maine. The state's highest point is 5,268-foot (1,606-meter) Mount Katahdin. Plants and animalsMaine contains a good deal of wildlife. The animal most associated with Maine is the moose; it is estimated that some 20,000 of them live in the state. Other animals include deer, black bears, minks, otters, muskrats, foxes, and raccoons. Birds include eagles, ospreys, herons, loons, hummingbirds, puffins, and various waterfowl. Whale-watching is popular in areas such as Bar Harbor. In addition to its many forests, the state boasts numerous beaches, marshes, rocky areas, and wilderness preserves. Such areas attract large numbers of insects. People and cultureThe original inhabitants of the region that is now Maine were Abnaki Indians. The area was later settled mostly by English and Scots-Irish Protestants, and their descendants make up the majority of the population. The second largest ethnic group is the French, many of whom left Quebec in search of economic opportunities. Nonwhites make up less than 2 percent of the population. The people of Maine are known as Down Easters, a term that is also given to the harsh winds and tides that come in along the Atlantic coast. CitiesLess than half of Maine's population lives in cities. Portland, with about 65,000 residents, is the state's largest city. Lewiston, Bangor, and Auburn are the only other cities with populations of more than 25,000. About 21,000 people live in the state capital, Augusta. RecreationMaine is an ideal state for such outdoor recreational activities as hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, whitewater rafting, boating, hiking, camping, swimming, and skiing. Its rugged coastline is a popular tourist attraction. There are also more than 540,000 acres (218,538 hectares) of state parks. By far the largest of these is Baxter State Park. Acadia National Park is the second most visited national park in the United States. Other natural attractions include Gulf Hagas (a scenic canyon with five waterfalls) and the unique ice caves that form on Allagash Lake. Tourists also are drawn to the Acadian Village, which shows the lives of settlers in the St. John Valley. Other vacationers enjoy seeing the cells and dungeons of the Old Gaol Museum in Van Buren. Roosevelt Campobello Park, the former summer home of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, contains many of the Roosevelt family's original furnishings. EducationThe first school in Maine was an Indian mission school established in 1696. Maine's largest state-supported institution of higher education is the University of Maine. It was founded at Orono in 1865 and now includes other campuses throughout the state. Some of Maine's private schools are Bates, Bowdoin, and Colby colleges. EconomyManufacturing is the state's chief source of income, with recreation and tourism ranking second. Lobsters make up the major part of Maine's fishing industry, but ocean perch, herring, scallops, and shrimp are also caught. Maine's forests provide the basis for large timber and paper industries. The major mineral resources are sand, gravel, copper, zinc, feldspar, limestone, and building stone. There is also a strong shipbuilding industry. Maine is known for its potatoes, apples, blueberries, and other varieties of fruit. Terrain and soil conditions, however, make the land unsuitable for large-scale farming, and the state has fewer than 13,000 small farms. HistoryAlgonquian-speaking Native Americans were the earliest known residents of the region that became Maine. European settlers found the Penobscot and Passamaquoddy tribes hunting, fishing, and planting crops along the river valleys and coasts. In 1603 Maine became a part of the French province of Acadia. During the 17th century, Britain also established and maintained scattered settlements throughout the region. The area was a constant battleground, however, until the British conquered the French in eastern Canada in 1763. Maine entered the Union in 1820 as the 23rd state. For many years, the United States and Canada disagreed over the state's northern boundary; a treaty in 1842 divided the area in question almost equally between the two nations. Maine had great economic growth from 1830 to 1860, but the American Civil War (1861–65) took workers away from the state. In the first half of the 20th century World War I and World War II brought shipbuilding booms to Bath and Portland. Overall, development of the state has often been slow, partly because of the desire of residents and tourists to preserve Maine's natural beauty. The state's population grew by less than 4 percent between 1990 and 2000, compared to a national increase of more than 13 percent. Population (2000 census), 1,274,923. |